Buying a used copy of Logic Pro X - possible?

pmg

I'm quite happy on logic pro 9

TheBigDipper

goldtop said:

OK, I'm going to see how I get on with the latest Garageband - which looks like Logic Lite nowadays.

If the workflow gels with my limited brain, I'll think about upgrading.

I'm seriously considering reverting back to GarageBand. I'm only sketching ideas and making demos to show how a song goes. Logic is a massive overkill for me. The only thing it doesn't do that I really want is the ability to change time signatures during a song. Maybe less is more, here.

Funkfingers

GB 10 can change time signature in mid song.

1) Position the cursor at the beginning of the bar where you require the sig change.
2) In the Project Info Display, click on the 4/4. (You should be offered a white on black menu.)
3) Select one of the preset time signatures or create your own in Custom.

All subsequent bars will be in this new time signature.

Rinse and repeat every time that you need to revert to a different time signature.

Where things get messy is when you wish to copy and paste multiple Regions. The time signature changes might not get duplicated correctly (if at all).

TheBigDipper

Funkfingers said:

GB 10 can change time signature in mid song.

1) Position the cursor at the beginning of the bar where you require the sig change.
2) In the Project Info Display, click on the 4/4. (You should be offered a white on black menu.)
3) Select one of the preset time signatures or create your own in Custom.

All subsequent bars will be in this new time signature.

Rinse and repeat every time that you need to revert to a different time signature.

Where things get messy is when you wish to copy and paste multiple Regions. The time signature changes might not get duplicated correctly (if at all).

Thanks. I'll take a look later tonight. 

I'm not anti-Logic, I just find it overkill for my needs most of the time and I don't want to be a recording engineer as much as I thought I did when I bought my licence. 

Funkfingers

TheBigDipper said:

I'm not anti-Logic, I just find it overkill for my needs

Understandable.

Even after almost ten years, I do not pretend to understand much more than one third of it. There are features that I have either never used or tried out once to see what they did and have yet to select a second time.

goldtop

I tend to agree. The current DAW approach seems to be to load up lots with inserts and add create virtual buses with extra  plugins as channel inserts. All the fantastic things that the pro studio has, but which just gets in the way when you (well, I) want to hit record. If it doesn't physically get in the way, it slows the DAW down. As an old Tascam 244 user (limitations and all) all the fancy stuff obscures the important stuff to me.

It was seeing the 'dancetech' guy quickly record a rough Knocking on Heaven's Door on Garageband that made me think it was worth a look. Will decide on Logic Pro if I decide I absolutely MUST have MIDI out.

Funkfingers

goldtop said:

The current DAW approach seems to be to load up ... All the fantastic things that the pro studio has

I subscribe to the Brian Eno notion that restricted equipment options often make for greater creativity. 

Whitecat

Pro tip for getting Logic (or any app) cheaper: you can often buy App Store gift cards at retail outlets (in store or online) for lower than their face value - 10% off is not uncommon, and 15% may even be possible right now. Especially with Black Friday coming, some other places may put them on offer. Load up on what you need and you'll keep a bit of cash in your pocket.

JohnS37

goldtop said:

I tend to agree. The current DAW approach seems to be to load up lots with inserts and add create virtual buses with extra  plugins as channel inserts. All the fantastic things that the pro studio has, but which just gets in the way when you (well, I) want to hit record. If it doesn't physically get in the way, it slows the DAW down. As an old Tascam 244 user (limitations and all) all the fancy stuff obscures the important stuff to me.

It was seeing the 'dancetech' guy quickly record a rough Knocking on Heaven's Door on Garageband that made me think it was worth a look. Will decide on Logic Pro if I decide I absolutely MUST have MIDI out.

Like you, on any given session I will use perhaps ten percent of the facilities automatically loaded in Logic (I am on v9, BTW).  Is there any way to load up just what you need, thereby speeding up the processing?  Or maybe I’ve got the wrong end of the stick . . .

octatonic

JohnS37 said:

goldtop said:

I tend to agree. The current DAW approach seems to be to load up lots with inserts and add create virtual buses with extra  plugins as channel inserts. All the fantastic things that the pro studio has, but which just gets in the way when you (well, I) want to hit record. If it doesn't physically get in the way, it slows the DAW down. As an old Tascam 244 user (limitations and all) all the fancy stuff obscures the important stuff to me.

It was seeing the 'dancetech' guy quickly record a rough Knocking on Heaven's Door on Garageband that made me think it was worth a look. Will decide on Logic Pro if I decide I absolutely MUST have MIDI out.

Like you, on any given session I will use perhaps ten percent of the facilities automatically loaded in Logic (I am on v9, BTW).  Is there any way to load up just what you need, thereby speeding up the processing?  Or maybe I’ve got the wrong end of the stick . . .

No, it doesn't work like that.

You can install fewer plugins or Apple Loops but that is it- you can't choose to not install, for example, the Environment, because it is like trying to build a car without the electronics, or the subframe, or pistons etc.

Or use Garageband- it is essentially a lighter version of Logic.

Funkfingers

octatonic said:
You can install fewer plugins or Apple Loops but that is it- you can't choose to not install, for example, the Environment, because it is like trying to build a car without the electronics, or the subframe, or pistons etc.

Apple have made most of Logic's content non-optional so that future upgrades will load correctly.

octatonic

Funkfingers said:

octatonic said:
You can install fewer plugins or Apple Loops but that is it- you can't choose to not install, for example, the Environment, because it is like trying to build a car without the electronics, or the subframe, or pistons etc.

Apple have made most of Logic's content non-optional so that future upgrades will load correctly.

Sure, but that is content, not the program itself.
Having some samples and plugins sitting on a storage volume doesn't create a processor overhead (although a tiny amount loading the plugin into memory).
John seemed to be asking for a performance increase by uninstalling certain elements.
You won't get that at all if you don't install sample content and a tiny memory advantage if you don't install plugins.
Everything else is mandatory and necessary.

gibsongretschfan

Loads of people still use Logic 9, absolutely nothing wrong with it.

Logic X wast the best £140 I ever spent. If I ever get married I might actually have to invite some of the Apple Drummers to my wedding.

Funkfingers

gibsongretschfan said:

Apple Drummers

I like the little graphics that accompany each artificial intelligence Drummer "personality". (One of the Retro Rock ones is represented as having shoulder length hair and a huge 'tache. I swear he is Canadian and reads verbose twentieth century science-fiction.)

JohnS37

octatonic said:

JohnS37 said:

goldtop said:

I tend to agree. The current DAW approach seems to be to load up lots with inserts and add create virtual buses with extra  plugins as channel inserts. All the fantastic things that the pro studio has, but which just gets in the way when you (well, I) want to hit record. If it doesn't physically get in the way, it slows the DAW down. As an old Tascam 244 user (limitations and all) all the fancy stuff obscures the important stuff to me.

It was seeing the 'dancetech' guy quickly record a rough Knocking on Heaven's Door on Garageband that made me think it was worth a look. Will decide on Logic Pro if I decide I absolutely MUST have MIDI out.

Like you, on any given session I will use perhaps ten percent of the facilities automatically loaded in Logic (I am on v9, BTW).  Is there any way to load up just what you need, thereby speeding up the processing?  Or maybe I’ve got the wrong end of the stick . . .

No, it doesn't work like that.

You can install fewer plugins or Apple Loops but that is it- you can't choose to not install, for example, the Environment, because it is like trying to build a car without the electronics, or the subframe, or pistons etc.

Or use Garageband- it is essentially a lighter version of Logic.

Yes, that’s what I thought.
I have used GarageBand a lot, and it is easy and effective, but I use Logic, in spite of its complexity, because I want to learn all the other stuff.  Can’t really learn that in GB.

JohnS37

octatonic said:

JohnS37 said:

goldtop said:

I tend to agree. The current DAW approach seems to be to load up lots with inserts and add create virtual buses with extra  plugins as channel inserts. All the fantastic things that the pro studio has, but which just gets in the way when you (well, I) want to hit record. If it doesn't physically get in the way, it slows the DAW down. As an old Tascam 244 user (limitations and all) all the fancy stuff obscures the important stuff to me.

It was seeing the 'dancetech' guy quickly record a rough Knocking on Heaven's Door on Garageband that made me think it was worth a look. Will decide on Logic Pro if I decide I absolutely MUST have MIDI out.

Like you, on any given session I will use perhaps ten percent of the facilities automatically loaded in Logic (I am on v9, BTW).  Is there any way to load up just what you need, thereby speeding up the processing?  Or maybe I’ve got the wrong end of the stick . . .

No, it doesn't work like that.

You can install fewer plugins or Apple Loops but that is it- you can't choose to not install, for example, the Environment, because it is like trying to build a car without the electronics, or the subframe, or pistons etc.

Or use Garageband- it is essentially a lighter version of Logic.

Yes, that’s what I thought.
I have used GarageBand a lot, and it is easy and effective, but I use Logic, in spite of its complexity, because I want to learn all the other stuff.  Can’t really learn that in GB.