Need Some Help w/ software reccomendations

bando · Joined: Oct 11, 2005 Posts: 4 Location: Chicago

I have been messing around in Fruity Loops Pro for a few years, and i am really used that step style sequencing. Anyways i recently stepped up to a mac powerbook and was looking at new workstations. Does anyone know which would be best for an intermediatte semi-serious user? I was looking at Reason, Logic, Protools LE, and Live 5, so which of these is semi-similar to the fruity loops enviroment? i know these are nothing like that, but i have been trying the demos of Reason, Logic, and Live and unfortantely can not get a good enough idea of whether i will love the programs or hate them once i start digging into them. Also i don't know if this helps, but I am producing a wide variety of music, from electronic to film scores, and i hope to integrate a "mini" studio into the whole scheme of things in the near future. Any advice would be appreciated, the local Sam Ash rep was saying to avoid logic unless ive used logic before, and kept trying to sell Reason, even though i don't know if it does what i need it to do. If anyone could give the pros and cons of each program and how is the intsruments are, like drum machine etc...
thanks and sorry for writing a book when i could have just asked one question...

Also, anyone know if the Alesis Photon X25 is anygood?? I am looking for a new portable midi controller

mosc · Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 10:28 am Post subject:

Bando to electro-music.com

The three programs you are considering are each quite different. I don't use any of them, so I better not make any recommendations. Still, I think Live would be the most similar to FL. It is a very interesting program.

I hope Seraph answers your post because he uses OSX and runs all three of these. Very Happy

If anyone can help you, it would be Seraph...

bando · Joined: Oct 11, 2005 Posts: 4 Location: Chicago

thanks again

opg · Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 12:03 pm Post subject:

I use Fruity Loops (still kickin' it with v3.5), so I will switch over to Cubase from time to time, especially if I am recording live sound. Cubase is capable of step style sequencing, but I'm not sure if you've ever tried Cubase. Some people don't like it. According to the latest release on the Steinberg website:

Recommended Notebook System:
PowerBook/iBook G4 1.42 GHz or faster
512 MB RAM
Display Resolution 1024 x 768 pixels

I know how you feel about possibly moving away from step sequencing. It's very addictive.

mosc · Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 1:48 pm Post subject:

I don't know what you mean by step sequencing. Do you mean creating MIDI notes in piano roll notation?

Mohoyoho · Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 2:01 pm Post subject:

For a step sequencer I would recommend Reason. For just step sequencers, Reaktor has many different types. But I would not say it is anything like FL.

bando · Joined: Oct 11, 2005 Posts: 4 Location: Chicago

not necessarily in just the piano roll, i liked the piano roll feature, but i mainly used the sequencer that is the main screen, and i used my midi controller to coordinate the notes i wanted on that screen, it might have automatically gone to the piano roll, but i never really went to that screen often, so i am not 100% sure. also thanks everyone for your help so far in this issue

seraph · Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2005 2:28 pm Post subject: