Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
Reviewing Logic Express 9 after the latest version of Logic Studio ( ) has been reviewed is an interesting proposition . After all , Logic Express is really a somewhat loot down interlingual rendition of Logic Studio ’s core digital audio workstation ( DAW ) software , Logic Pro 9 . And because it is , any reexamination of Logic Express 9 risk a “ me too ” rehash of points culled from the Logic Studio review .
Like Logic Studio , Logic Express 9 offers some of Logic Studio ’s marquise features — the Flex Tool for well garble audio musical phrase and single greenback , the Amp Designer and Pedalboard features , which simulate amps , speaker , microphones , and pedal effect ; Varispeed , for slowing down an entire project without change the task ’s pitch so that you’re able to , for representative , record a difficult solo ; Drum Replacer for replacing literal drum runway with trigger sample ; and a young characteristic for adding guitar chord grids to a score . These elements work just as they do in Logic Studio . They ’re musical and add tremendous economic value to an already subject DAW .
The interrogation that remain for this mid - price DAW are these : How does it compare to other app program in its price range ? Is its feature arrange hobble to the head that it makes more sense to jump in with both feet , spend the $ 500 , and get Logic Studio ? And how challenging will it be for those moving up from GarageBand ?
Those who like GarageBand’s guitar tracks will love Logic Express’ Amp Designer and Pedalboard features.
The value leader
There just is n’t a better DAW good deal than Logic Express 9 . At $ 199 it ’s $ 50 more than Steinberg ’s Cubase Essential 5 , but it has far more characteristic . Mark of the Unicorn ’s Digital Performer 7 is $ 395 , insert its own line of guitar adenosine monophosphate and effects , and provides such professional features as Pro Tools and surroundings - phone mixing support that are found in Logic Studio but not Logic Express . Ableton ’s Live 8 — a DAW that take away a unlike approach to transcription and music conception than traditional DAWs such as Cubase , Digital Performer , and Logic — is $ 450 . Wonderful though all of these daw are , if you do n’t need lineament intended for the pro , Logic Express 9 bear huge bang for your buck .
It does so without feeling stripped down . for certain , Logic Express 9 is pretermit a lot of features include with Logic Studio — support for Digidesign ’s Pro Tools TDM hardware , environ sound production , and distributed audio processing ( the ability to have multiple Macs devoting their H.P. to a Logic project ) . It additionally miss Apple ’s Jam Packs and the Soundtrack Pro 3 , MainStage 2 , WaveBurner , and Compressor applications . And you wo n’t find the space and holdup room decorator components or the Sculpture , EVB3 Tonewheel Organ , EVD6 Clavinet , and EVP88 Electric Piano synths . But the element that musicians are most potential to wish about — Flex Time redaction , the amps and pedalboard effect , the other Modern feature I mentioned earlier , along with the already solid core of capabilities — are present . Although , while recording a few tunes with Logic Express , I missed some of the official document phone included with Logic Studio ( the Steinway pianoforte , in particular ) , I never felt like Apple had removed a peter or tone that I perfectly call for . In the case of the Steinway , I was welcome to purchase a third - party plug - in that provided the sound I was after .
Those who wish GarageBand ’s guitar tracks will love Logic Express ’ Amp Designer and Pedalboard features .
Apple claims that Logic Express necessitate an Intel Mac , but it ’s actually a Universal app . It installed perfectly well on a Dual 2GHz Power Mac G5 with 1 GB of random access memory running OS X 10.5.7 . On that Mac I was able to unfold and play the 40 - track demo undertaking without any bug . likewise , I reassign a project of my own that bear a premix of 15 software instrument , loop , and digital audio racetrack and it too played as expect .
Leaving the garage behind
When you strike the limits of GarageBand ( ) , Apple would like you to consider that Logic Express 9 is the next logical step . And , for many people , it should be . With Logic Pro 8 ( ) , Apple greatly retooled the program ’s interface in an effort to make a complicated lotion more approachable . And it is . It ’s not unmanageable to execute the bulk of GarageBand ’s chores — create digital audio recording , software package musical instrument , and musical instrument digital interface tracks ; audition and string together loops ; mix tracks ; and apply core . The 166 - Sir Frederick Handley Page explore Logic Express book included with the program is a big help in this paying attention . But many of the program ’s most powerful lineament are buried in one of the app ’s many menu . And because they are , the unwary GarageBand drug user who has aspirations of greater thing is likely to become disappointed .
Apple includes a disc that contains three declamatory demo projects ( and another demo labor is install along with the diligence ) so you could glean an idea of how projects are put together . And the encompassing online documentation that add up with Logic Express provides insight into every corner of the software . But there will be case when those new to grown - up daw will have no theme what to search for . They may have a general idea of what they need to do , but miss the nomenclature necessary to search for an answer . In an lotion such as Logic Studio , aimed square at pros , on-line documentation is reasonable as the target user likely understands the underlying concepts and vocabulary and so can search for the solvent they need . For those acquiring Logic Express as a step - up from GarageBand , however , more mitt - retention would be welcome .
Once GarageBand users discover some of these characteristic they ’ll marvel how they made music without them . Logic Express 9 includes a “ real ” mixer with cut-in and routing rather than the extremely hobbled channel volume and pan controls found in GarageBand . While GarageBand ’s guitar amps are nice , the ability to mix and match AMP and utterer cabinets ( and choose from among three mic model to record their speech sound ) is far skillful . Logic Express ’ pedalboard offers more gist than GarageBand ’s stompboxes and you could activate them via a control switch — a real weakness of GarageBand . Logic Express ’ note capability make it a reasonable way to make gobs and lead sheets . GarageBand ’s very canonical notation feature can only dream of such powerfulness . Logic Express has more and better effects ( the pitch - correction core has already pull through my outspoken bacon in two different project ) . And Logic Express works with control surfaces and MIDI controllers , provide you to record and mix with knobs , faders , and button rather than with mouse and keyboard . In short , Logic Express feels and lock like a professional tool . Much as I love GarageBand , it ’s plaything - ilk in comparability .
Macworld’s buying advice
Logic Express 9 is a tremendous economic value for instrumentalist seeking a tool more powerful and musical than GarageBand . But with that exponent come complexness . While Apple has done much to tame the beast that was Logic , some users will still find its modern lineament fox ( and gruelling to settle ) . mold through the diligence ’s challenges , however , and you ’ll experience many harmonious rewards .
[ Senior editor program Christopher Breen is a professional musician and server the Macworld Podcast . ]
