Logic X w/ Avid Thunderbolt and HD|IO?

[Eric Lambert]

Several of us at my company have installed Logic on our home rigs and are beginning the process of migrating away from PT. I'm wondering if my current Thunderbolt interface and Avid HD|IO will work with Logic X? Can Logic recognize and access this hardware for I/O?

[JFreak]

Should be able to address 8 i/o

[nst7]

It should see any I/O hooked up, up to the 64 that HDN is capable of.

[Eric Lambert]

This has been an eye-opening day. I spent $199 on Logic X and so far everything has been laughably simple and it just works. Upon first opening the app it grabbed the Avid hardware. It also saw my Eucon devices and iPad controller app. I've had to do almost nothing in the way of troubleshooting - it just worked automatically.

The Logic learning curve, which I'd tried before but gave up on after 10 minutes, has thus far been incredibly simple to overcome. Maybe because it's X now and before it was V9. I don't know but I'm already over that hump.

I'm sorry to say it on an Avid board but after 22 years with Digidesign/Avid this experience has turned ProTools into Amateur Hour. Audio editing is still lacking in Logic, as it always has been, but beyond that Logic/Apple is killing Avid in nearly every way. Yes, Avid remains the industry standard because they spent so many years on top, but with what Logic now offers PT has no chance in the coming years, and the support plan (and lack of bug fixes) will be a solid nail in that coffin.

Best of all... I spent only $199! With Avid, I spent $1,400 JUST for a box that allows my computer to talk to my interface via thunderbolt. What an incredible day it's been. Everyone at my facility is laughing and tomorrow Apple will sell several versions of Logic (I already had it, just never used it).

Possibly the most satisfying thing of all: latency. Not once today did I think about VI/MIDI latency. The feel of VIs was spot on and playback was tight. It just wasn't an issue in any way.

[Southsidemusic]

Logic X is a good tool for Midi editing and recording VI but using Logic for anything audio related it is not a fun experience. Dark and gloomy and basically useless for audio recording so keep laughing but I bet you will be back on PT befor you know it unless audio is not your thing.

Logic X will never touch Pro Tools and never has, I agree that the price is awesome and easy to use and setup but after a week with Logic X I was extremely worried and anxious. We had to use that when we were out working with a top 3 DJ in the whole world who used Logic X and had all the sessions on a MBP w / Logic X but that was THE LAST TIME i will ever use Logic for audio editing again ever, We used Logic X for midi but always end up in HD11 so to each his own. Ä

[Darryl Ramm]

You can modify the UI to be less dark. Search online.

But yes to me Logic X is very nice, great for MIDI, I prefer the Pro Tools UI/UX for editing/mixing but Apple could at least not have shot themselves in the foot with the silly dark UI. And while Logic users have suffered though their share of bugs etc., it typically just works and is supported on latest OS X releases etc. And it has check off features like track freeze and VCA, and no silly CoreAudio IO limits, and works with Avid HD IO while Pro Tools standard version won't ... all at $199, and it helps set the bar for what a modern DAW is and what it is worth to a large number of creative users. By contrast I see Avid current very confusing/very confused pricing/licensing/subscription changes as begin likely to drive many of their customers (especially lower-mid tier and creative side users) away... to great products like Logic.

[Eric Lambert]

Christopher - I understand your stance as an Avid Mod and PT user, and I've been a huge supporter of Avid myself (both officially - having done videos for them - and unofficially) for over 20 years, but Darryl and I have a strong point here. As I mentioned, audio editing and mixing is PT's strong suit, but in 5 hours I've turned Logic into a serious competitor on every level, including editing and mixing, and I'm still very much a Logic amateur.

All technical/ergonomic/functional things aside, the pricing differences are just ludicrous. If I dig up my Digi/Avid receipts and set against our Logic receipts it's going to make my company's money guy vomit. And he'd only feel worse if I were to explain what Avid had in mind for companies like ours in future years.

So, yes, I will undoubtedly wish for the familiarity of PT's mixer window, but that's about it, and what I gain in every other aspect of the DAW will make me forget PT altogether. Honestly, it's almost unbelievable.

[upscaps]

I've used Logic to compose/produce since it was on PC. Logic X and UA Apollo 16 is a powerful combo for music recording. You can pretty much do anything you could with a PT HD set up including record thru plugins at low latency. UAD plugins that now include auto-tune. We still don't have auto-tune dsp for hdx. Add a few UAD2 Octos and you are in business. You will be able to do multiple Apollo 16's with the next UAD software update.

Editing is pretty weird in Logic X but you can get used to it. There are also a few show stopping bugs that have been with it since v8 but there are workarounds. Mixing in Logic is something you just have to fight through at first. Especially if you are coming from HD.

If I only did music recording Logic X, (2) UA Apollo 16's, (4) UAD2 Octos, and a new trash can Mac Pro would be perfect. Rent PT vanilla monthly for transfers when needed.

[Barry Johns]

Originally Posted by Southsidemusic

Logic X is a good tool for Midi editing and recording VI but using Logic for anything audio related it is not a fun experience. Dark and gloomy and basically useless for audio recording so keep laughing but I bet you will be back on PT befor you know it unless audio is not your thing.

Logic X will never touch Pro Tools and never has, I agree that the price is awesome and easy to use and setup but after a week with Logic X I was extremely worried and anxious. We had to use that when we were out working with a top 3 DJ in the whole world who used Logic X and had all the sessions on a MBP w / Logic X but that was THE LAST TIME i will ever use Logic for audio editing again ever, We used Logic X for midi but always end up in HD11 so to each his own. Ä

That grossly misrepresents reality. Does it fall behind in some ways when it comes to editing audio, yes, is it useless? That's just insane and borderline ignorant (sorry, but its true) and I'm even referring back to my Logic 8 days with my Symphony Rig. I've got over a 100 songs that I recorded in Logic, and had a blast doing so and they are over 90% audio only songs.

Logic is an amazing DAW, and has many great Audio features. I choose Protools because its more fluid, but Logic is not even close to useless.

Is Protools king when it comes to audio, yes, easily, but Logic is very powerful when it comes to audio.

Honestly, a GUI makes a "real difference" in the end result? Dark or not, sorry, but no. Preference ok, I'm with you on that, but any of us can get used to any GUI.

[Eric Lambert]

I understand those feelings about audio editing in Logic but I get the sense, even this early on, that much of that apprehension will fall by the wayside with additional familiarity. PT may remain the faster option but I see the tools in place for Logic to get awfully close once it's better understood.