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My experiences since adding a Mac to my music making.
Just a few notes of my experiences since adding a Mac to my music making. While I know many here have vastly more experience than myself, I hope this may help some people starting off:
Firstly, I would really recommend you don't buy any controller hardware before trying to find the DAW that fits your needs and personal tastes - I got Studio One with some controllers and while they all worked well, I have since found I prefer Logic and Ableton Live. While the devices work well in Live, they do not work well with Logic. I would definitely recommend you plan your hardware after you've found the DAW that suits.
While learning one DAW really well is probably great advice, sometimes using more than one can really be beneficial. While I've found Logic to be so well rounded for composing, mixing and mastering, I've had Live for literally a couple of days and find it's midi editing way more personally gratifying than Logic! I can see myself making tracks so much quicker in Live, so much so that using it in conjunction with Logic for it's strengths to be a no trainer for me. My advice for newcomers is get advice, then just spend some time trying a few options, even if you think that you have found 'the One'.
While I do prefer making most my music on a Mac now, don't forget your iPad. The iPad really does have advantages for experimentation - possibly in part due to how cheap it is to build a large collection of music making apps! Also, the iPad works so well in conjunction with a Mac, like mouse sharing, airdrop and Ableton Link - using some of those special iPad apps with the Mac and then sharing files can be easy and fun for the most part. Also, the iPad make a great multi channel sound device.
Buy an external ssd drive from day one. I waited and added one later and moving sound libraries can be a pain for some software. Everything also runs so much smoothly leaving a large chunk of your main drive empty for things like caching etc.
DAWs I've tried spo far and my experiences:
Studio One: while I found it easy to use and get my head around, the stock instruments aren't the best imo. Also not being one of the most popular DAWs, it isn't always supported well by all hardware controllers. No closely related iPad apps. Seems really quite smooth for audio recording imo - not way better, than the others, just a feeling after making a few songs before I had much in the way of VSTs and recording my XD - everything was at hand without me needing to look hard for anything.
Logic: exceptional value for money and pay once!. Has a very good selection of instruments and fx supplied. Is a really great well rounded DAW for all aspects of music making. Has an iPad version which is fine but can't be bought outright at this time. Not always ahead of the curve in some of the more interesting and new feature areas imo.
Ableton Live: More expensive than Logic, but seems to feel a little more modern and 'exciting', with some features that really speed up things like midi creation etc. Just doesn't seem as well rounded for finishing off tracks as Logic, so far in my limited experience. Some iPad apps work well with Live. Live is probably the best supported DAW from a perspective of hardware and YouTube advice! Really like the design ethos.
Bitwig: while I really liked some aspects in my brief try, I had a few issues, such as moving libraries to external drive and no AUv3 support. Thought some of the sounds from the 'modular' section were exceptional. Interesting DAW that just didn't seem to work as well for myself.
Reason: Just didn't drag me in to try it as a DAW, but as a rack of sounds for within other Daws I love it at the sale price I bought it at!
Reaper: not had it long, but as it takes up hardly any drive space I though why not try it....so far after a very quick try, I couldn't even do some basic stuff, so this says to me that it is one of those pieces of software that would be a time sink while I leant it. Problem is I now happy with the others and can't really bothered at this time.
As I say, this is just my non expert opions based on how I found things. This may be helpful to others that have iPads and are thinking of adding a Mac soon!
Comments
A little long to read it all, but I scanned it and agree with what I caught. I’ve been a long time user of Logic and Live on a Mac, and overall I’m happy with the experience.
I didn’t notice you mention a comparison with a PC, but having used both in the past I would definitely recommend a Mac over a PC. The advantages are: no audio drivers to install, hardware just connects without drivers, generally less latency, and connectivity with other iDevices.
Don't forget using > @Fruitbat1919 said:
Don't forget iDAM. This works particularly well in Logic. Set up your iPad in Audio MIDI setup and you can choose it as the input in Logic (or add it to your interface to make an aggregate device and have access to all inputs without changing settings)
Then use an External MIDI instrument and configure accordingly. You can now play any synth (or, say AUM configuration) you have loaded on the iPad inside Logic as if it were a MIDI module. Logic will handle the roundtrip latency for you too so when you bounce the audio it will be perfectly in time.
^^
Yep, they integrate really well.
Welcome aboard!
My musical adventures on PC were back in the nineties and probably not very relavent today with the amount everything has changed
Thanks will look into it
Thank you
IDAM in tandem with AUM has been great. It’s really nice controlling my Mac and iPad instruments from one controller and all audio being in Logic Pro Mac.
Last night I had June on my iPad easily being played with my Launchkey. I also made a smart controls template on my iPad using Surface builder.
For me it was the other way 'round: I started with Logic and Live, then added an iPad for playing and sketching ideas.
I'm not really using both together, except that I'd continue musical ideas from iDevices on desktop and prepare sounds and sample banks on desktop for use on iPad/iPhone.
Yes definitely will look into IDAM. At the moment I've got my Launchkey sending midi to my SP404mk2 which then sends the midi to my Minilogue XD and iPad which then the audio from both goes back through the SP and into my audio interface. I can appreciate that using IDAM and iPad will be better for me as I prefer using midi initially than audio.
@Fruitbat1919
I could have written that post. I started with Reaper on PC. I recorded a lot in Reaper but found some show-stopping workflow annoyances.
When I got a Macbook I tried Logic and, although it's not exactly logical, I like it and feel comfortable with it. Recently I got Ableton and a Push and I'm really enjoying that combination. I have a Macbook 16", Ableton font is very small on my screen so the Push solves that issue. Ableton is easy to learn and fun.
But we record lots of guitars and vocals and for that Logic rules. So the idea now is to start with Ableton, overdub and finish in Logic.
The iPad is our versatile sampler/instrument now, mostly using Koala + effects in AUM.
For those using Live.... Were you using Live Standard or Live Suite? For me Standard isn't worth it but the Suite would be. YMMV of course. :P
I have most DAWs too and I think like.. 90% of the music I've released, was written/recorded/mixed/mastered in Studio One.
I guess I just know my way around it.
I feel Logic gets in the way too much, too many annoying issues with it for me - I like a fair bit about it but.. couldn't see myself using it as my only DAW. Pretty sure I've only released two songs that were done in Logic.
Ableton Live is great, I've got 12 Suite and love that to bits. Haven't actually released anything I've made in it though - weird, right?
It's like some place I have fun in.. and then wind up re-creating the ideas in another DAW. idk why.
Bitwig is awesome imo, not sure why I stopped using it.. only one song released with this DAW iirc.
I love Reaper too but tend to use it more a a testing ground for other things..
Right now, my favourite DAW is Luna though - the workflow is pretty much perfect for me, love having tape saturation and consoles etc built right into the workflow. Makes things smoother imo.
I've got most of an album done in Luna so far but haven't released any of it.
I think Loopy Pro for Mac will give some of the above a run for its money though, where I think that will shine is on MacBook where it'd replace Ableton Live for gigs/live work. But who knows, it could take over Luna as a primary DAW for songwriting.
idk why I've been shying away from Studio One lately, I think it's that I'm not super happy with how they treat their customers, updates etc.. something about them just rubs me the wrong way.
That said, I love that I can use the Studio One/Presonus plugins/fx in other DAWs, because they're fantastic and I think the purchase is well worth it for the fx you get alone. Huge fan of like, all of the stock fx in Studio One, lol.
I would consider sitting back on my sofa with a Push 3 on my lap, but a bit cash short at the moment and I can't stop eyeing up the new MPC Live 3 lol
I’ve got the Suite, the amount of additional content is crazy: Operator, Poli, Sampler, Wavetable, Meld, Granulator 3, Roar, etc. etc.
Just looked at the comparison page (https://www.ableton.com/en/live/compare-editions/), I use the extra stuff in Suite every time I use Live. Didn’t realise how much of a difference there was.
The biggest loss for me though, would be Max for Live. Some of my favourite all time apps are built with that (Fors Opal, for example), and I’ve got a ton of free devices I use constantly. Sequencers are particularly useful, since Live doesn’t support AUv3 MIDI FX.
Always worth checking for second-hand licenses - I bought V9 for a couple of hundred quid, and upgraded from that over the years.
Totally agree.
IMO Ableton Live isn't actually worth having, if you don't have Suite.
You miss out on too much and tbh some of the ones you mentioned are total must-haves for anyone use Live, Roar, Meld, Operator.. I mean just those three are worth it.
I would legit buy Roar if it was ever sold individually for use with other DAWs, it's one of my favourite plugins/fx ever.
I waitied until I saw a sale on Live Suite. Suite came free with the Push 3 SA, which itself was reduced in price. I couldn't pass it up.
Besides Operator, Sampler, Wavetable, and Meld, Suite also has cool fx like Pitch Hack, Pitch Loop, Hybrid Reverb, and the Spectral plugins. And the sample packs I wanted were all in Suite.
It took me a week to listen to all the sounds in Ableton, I finally got everything arranged in my User folder. The search function on Push 3 is annoying so anyone considering one be sure to make your own folders in Ableton on the computer.
@Fruitbat1919
I don't know about Push 3 controller version, but Push 3 SA on my lap puts my legs to sleep, it's a chunky thing!
Does it need power when used as a controller, or is it powered via usb c?
Push 3 SA needs power in controller mode. It seems like the battery lasts longer when using it as a controller compared to using it stand alone, but I haven't done any real tests. I generally have it plugged in.
A little further down the Mac Spiral:
So, I added a second Macbook Air. This time an M4 16gb ram 512gb ssd in that weird blueish colour! Took me an age to load on my DAWs and VSTs lol This one is just for sitting on the sofa. Bought an Launchpad Pro for it, but enjoyed using it so much that it ended up being merged with my desktop setup.
Have been using the Atom SQ and Studio One...ehem, I mean Fender Studio again. While I commented on prefering Logic and Ableton, Im not so sure now. As of late ive been making just as many tracks in Fender Studio as in Ableton and Logic seems to have fallen out of favour. Nice having choices as my mood changes!
Been enjoying starting beats in Reason too. Bought quite a few add ons in their sale - bit of a new addiction to be honest. Almost gives me the same feeling as iPad music making. Fun, lots of idea generating tools, but ultimatly I end up wanting to move to Ableton or Fender Studio.
Have starting looking at hardware again....probably will build up a little back up hardware system....possibly an MPC lol
Odd times in the music industry, but having so much fun...cant wait till I finally get my mic and start recording lyrics, wonder if I can still hold a note after all these years? Doubt it lol
I saw that rebrand from Fender on their DAW. Out of curiosity, why do you prefer it versus Logic Pro?
I have the Atom SQ controller which is tightly intigrated with Fender Studio. Once I got used to it, it makes drum programming feel like using a TR.
While I do love the drummers in Logic, sometimes for certain tracks it just feels better with the approach I use with the SQ. The changes in Fender Studio from Studio One, while small in some ways, make it just feel better to me.
I think it mainly comes down to feel and the way we all find we make music with different DAWs. Fender Studio and Logic make me approach music in different ways and get different results. So probably what im trying to say (poorly) is that I like them all equally for different ways I find using them, I just prefer certain ones more than others at certain times. Next month I may be making more tunes on Logic again...possibly.
Saying all that I have been drooling over a new MPC and Mac joint approach. Im not very good at sticking to one thing. My wife calls them my 'toys', so many toys so little time lol
We all have our own unique approach to these things. Thanks.
I need to read through this whole thread, but I’ll suggest getting as much storage as you can on your Mac. I got a Mac Mini M2 and it’s very capable at handling plugins, but with only 256 GB and over half that taken by the OS + system days, you can install a DAW and a very short list of plugins.
I hear a lot of people are fans of Ableton. I have Ableton Live Lite - does that give a pretty good feel for the full Ableton software?
Not familiar with MPC - what is that in this context?
This is an oldish thread now and really just a continuation of the thread I asked discussed getting a Mac. I now have two Macs. One I got with 256gb simply because it was the best deal on Argos they had at the time that gave me a years credit, so not taking any money from my usual music making fund. I then got a new one from the same place last week, but with 512gb this time. I use one on my desktop and one when sat on my sofa. I also have a 2tb ssd drive with the 256gb laptop.
To be honest, I have 4 DAWs - Logic, Fender Studio, Ableton Live Standard, Reason and lots of VSTs - more than enough. I keep about 10 tracks on the internal drive and move the rest to the SSD over time, so storage issues are manageable.
4 DAWs may seem overkill, but they all have things I enjoy using, keep me interested and engaged with the hobby.
I use Ableton Standard, but I will no doubt get the full package in time. No idea how good the lite package is, as I only used it to receive more discount on my Standard version.
The new MPC Live 3 is the latest MPC and it looks great fun in my opinion. As music making is one of my hobbies, Im always trying different approaches. Love blending hardware and software. The new MPC can send a decent track count to and from a laptop via USB-C, so it can send all its tracks to a DAW for track continuation, or use the laptop as an old fashioned sound rack! The MPC also is a decent central hub, with audio, midi, cv, and USB i/o
Nobody mentioned GarageBand for Mac in this thread... not up to the job? Too basic?
There are so many better ones on a Mac. It’s capable, but basic.
If you don’t have the new Mpc….get it. You might even forget about your laptop because the stand alone experience is so good. Pair with an ipad or iphone and it’s extremely powerful.
Depends on what a person is trying to do and how high is their tolerance for complexity when it comes to using a DAW. I continue to use both GarageBand and Logic Pro. You can throw a track together quicker in GB than in Logic. Then the GB file can be migrated to Logic later. I like both.
I must admit ive not even tried GB on my Mac. I did try it on my iPad for a while a few years back, but I dont particularly find any of my DAWs too complex and have always assumed that GB would not bring much extra to the party. I may try it one day as it shares its libary with Logic so would not take up much extra space.