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Need Help with Equipment Decision!

Hey guys. Having some trouble making a decision so I thought some of you all might have some better info on it.

First of all, let me say I have been producing for about 4 / 5 years now, and already work with many labels. My current setup is Ableton Live 6, and all softsynths (VSTs). I have about $3,000, and wanted to do a studio upgrade. Many producer friends have shown me the quality of the plugins and synths in Logic Pro, and its quiet tempting. On the other hand, I am concidering possibly getting a Virus TI, cause I know they are incredible as well. So basically...

1 - Buying a Nice Mac and Logic Pro

2 - Sticking with a solid PC and Virus TI

Seems it will come to about the same price. Does anyone have experince with both, and can give me some good advice with this decision. Appriciate it guys!

that's quite a tough decision there! Personally I recommend buying the Mac and Logic...I think its a better long-term investment considering the unreliability of PC's...and the Virus TI will always be there to buy if you have more money to splurge later on.

There are plenty of pros and cons of both choices but this is the one I would pick. Good luck!

I wouod say the other way round IMHO.

If you've already released tracks and are familiar using a PC then keep using that. It's not really the tool you use but how you put your music together e.g production skill and composition.

Taking time out to learn a new seq and hardware might stop the momentum you have built up. A new synth would expand your sonic possibilites while still allowing you to make use of the knowledge you have of your current system.

By

Get a second-hand Amiga with a freeware version of ProTracker.

Problem solved. Lots of spare cash too

Get the Virus TI dude, it's a no brainer.

quote:

Originally posted by echosystm Get the Virus TI dude, it's a no brainer.

+1

quote:

Originally posted by aquila Get a second-hand Amiga with a freeware version of ProTracker. Problem solved. Lots of spare cash too

+1 and spend the spare cash on partying...you wanna go down to my club?

I'd say get the macbook and logic... that's what I'm doing... Plus the new Pro's are sick... 2 gb ram on the base model!


Logic can't be thaaat hard, can it?




Also, logic with a student discount is like half price

I've said this once, and I will say it again...

quote:

If you need to even ask this question, you should not upgrade from Ableton.

It's funny how it's always Ableton users...

All sequencers are fundamentally the same. If you change over to Logic because Armin van Buuren uses it and you think it's magically going to make your music good, you're basically retarded. It's up to you, but you'll probably feel deep remorse it when you sit down infront of your new Mac and realise that there is nothing important that Logic can do that Ableton can't. Complete waste of money.

Also, these days, the PC vs. Mac stability debate is void. If your computing habits are poor enough to require you to limit yourself to such a closed arhitecture, then you will have problems on any system.

Am I saying Logic is crap? Definately not! It is a great piece of software, just like Ableton and Cubase. If you were to buy a brand new computer and had the choice between a PC and a Mac, THEN this question would be valid. You would have to choose which you prefer BASED ON YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE AND STANDARDS. However, a sequencer change in lieu of getting a Virus Ti?! Crazy.

Let me ask something; of all you wannabe Logic users, how many have actually used it for more than a month?... Yeah... I didn't think so.

quote:

Originally posted by echosystm Let me ask something; of all you wannabe Logic users, how many have actually used it for more than a month?... Yeah... I didn't think so.

8 years. But I left the boat recently for ableton.

What you said is absolutely right. As if a mac or a pc was making a track sound better after...

nitrotracker for the world ;-)

L.

quote:

Originally posted by echosystm I've said this once, and I will say it again... It's funny how it's always Ableton users... All sequencers are fundamentally the same. If you change over to Logic because Armin van Buuren uses it and you think it's magically going to make your music good, you're basically retarded. It's up to you, but you'll probably feel deep remorse it when you sit down infront of your new Mac and realise that there is nothing important that Logic can do that Ableton can't. Complete waste of money. Also, these days, the PC vs. Mac stability debate is void. If your computing habits are poor enough to require you to limit yourself to such a closed arhitecture, then you will have problems on any system. Am I saying Logic is crap? Definately not! It is a great piece of software, just like Ableton and Cubase. If you were to buy a brand new computer and had the choice between a PC and a Mac, THEN this question would be valid. You would have to choose which you prefer BASED ON YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE AND STANDARDS. However, a sequencer change in lieu of getting a Virus Ti?! Crazy. Let me ask something; of all you wannabe Logic users, how many have actually used it for more than a month?... Yeah... I didn't think so.

logic built in plugins are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
oooooooooooooooooooo sick though

quote:

Originally posted by Fledz +1

Do you guys ever feel like you wish your Virus TI had more firepower? By the time I have 4-5 parts all going.. it starts crapping out internal processor wise... I'm a tad disappointed.

quote:

Originally posted by echosystm I've said this once, and I will say it again... It's funny how it's always Ableton users... All sequencers are fundamentally the same. If you change over to Logic because Armin van Buuren uses it and you think it's magically going to make your music good, you're basically retarded. It's up to you, but you'll probably feel deep remorse it when you sit down infront of your new Mac and realise that there is nothing important that Logic can do that Ableton can't. Complete waste of money. Also, these days, the PC vs. Mac stability debate is void. If your computing habits are poor enough to require you to limit yourself to such a closed arhitecture, then you will have problems on any system. Am I saying Logic is crap? Definately not! It is a great piece of software, just like Ableton and Cubase. If you were to buy a brand new computer and had the choice between a PC and a Mac, THEN this question would be valid. You would have to choose which you prefer BASED ON YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE AND STANDARDS. However, a sequencer change in lieu of getting a Virus Ti?! Crazy. Let me ask something; of all you wannabe Logic users, how many have actually used it for more than a month?... Yeah... I didn't think so.

The main problem with Ableton is the sound isn't good enough. It's great for a basic mixdown and doing most sequencer related stuff, but I don't trust it for a final product. It's going to have to go through Protools or Logic anyways, so why not just skip a step?

quote:

Originally posted by Allied Nations The main problem with Ableton is the sound isn't good enough. It's great for a basic mixdown and doing most sequencer related stuff, but I don't trust it for a final product. It's going to have to go through Protools or Logic anyways, so why not just skip a step?

No.

quote:

Originally posted by mysticalninja No.

Lol ok buddy. Show me one releases that's gone straight from ableton to stores. Ableton has an undeniable sound... it has its own colour.

Ableton is great for jam sessions and laying some shit down but in the end it isn't enough. If you care to prove me wrong, please do so (nothing i like more than expanding my knowledge of these applications), because "No" doesn't cut it.

VST is a programming standard right? So every sequencer with a good VST implementation will handle such plugins in a virtually identical manner. From talking to the developers of Reaper... They believe this too. Therefore, with that in mind, the only possible point of difference is the audio summing. Ableton is 32-bit float just like every other sequencer.


Now, can't vouch for the quality of Abletons inbuilt plugins, but I'm going to say that is most likely where you're finding the "colouring". There are many thousands of freeware plugins which you can use instead that are as good, if not better, than commercial plugins. Example: the classic plugins or mda suite.

It's in your head mang.

Also, you need to consider what is lost in moving away from Ableton; warping. Cubase is the only other DAW which has this.

Actually, I do know a few people who produce with Ableton Live and have released tracks with it on some fairly major labels. Although, not blockbuster labels, and they didn't go "straight" to the store, they went through a considerable amount of mastering and editing. Then again, what release doesn't?

I do think that Ableton Live is really a lot better for jam sessions and mixes than it is for producing a polished track from scratch. But if it gives certain people enough of a productivity boost that it ends up being less costly (time or money) to polish it later, then there's nothing wrong with that.

quote:

Originally posted by Allied Nations The main problem with Ableton is the sound isn't good enough. It's great for a basic mixdown and doing most sequencer related stuff, but I don't trust it for a final product. It's going to have to go through Protools or Logic anyways, so why not just skip a step?

congratulations on the stupidest comment of 2007.

and to "digitallifeform" I hope you choose to go with the Mac & Logic, not because its the better soloution but because anyone considering using logic over a perfectly capable PC w/ ableton live and a virus is a moron.
hf wasting your money.

quote:

Originally posted by Allied Nations Lol ok buddy. Show me one releases that's gone straight from ableton to stores. Ableton has an undeniable sound... it has its own colour. Ableton is great for jam sessions and laying some shit down but in the end it isn't enough. If you care to prove me wrong, please do so (nothing i like more than expanding my knowledge of these applications), because "No" doesn't cut it.

No.

quote:

Originally posted by mysticalninja No.

There was I time I tought you where an ass. But lately your answers seem to make sense . Just like this one. If someone has problems with ableton (or any other sequencer for that matter) it's because of himself not the sequencer.

And if the topicstarter is really asking himself to choose between Mac+logic and a TI I'd suggest him to try out both some more at friends or the local music store. It's actually a question which would be best to answer yourself instead of letting the answer depend on what others tell you. What do you need more? Do you know anything of mac/logic? or a TI for that matter?

quote:

Originally posted by Allied Nations Ableton has an undeniable sound... it has its own colour.

ya, you can spot that ableton delay plugin or beat repeat thing a mile away sometimes...

i think the only thing that gives ableton its own color are the default plugins.

Ok, you guys use ableton alone, awesome. I'll stick to using ableton in conunction with either logic or pro tools.

quote:

Originally posted by CReddick Do you guys ever feel like you wish your Virus TI had more firepower? By the time I have 4-5 parts all going.. it starts crapping out internal processor wise... I'm a tad disappointed.

Nope. I keep wishing I actually had one so I could wish for what you wish for

Oh...

Allied Nations - How does Live have a worse sound? Yes the plugins are noticeable but which sequencers core ones aren't? That doesn't mean that it's got worse sound, just possibly shittier plugins :P

If you played the same midi clip in Live and Cubase, and used the same Albino 3 patch, there would be no difference in the end product.

Ableton just has it's colour, I can't explain it it just feels like it does, like any sequencer. The music is going through (hypothesizing a little) different algorithms and codes therefor end result is not the same.


and just as a little background, I use live for everything and still feel that the overallsound quality and waveform editors dont live up to all of what i want.

I hate protools but I still like the sound better on there than ableton.

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