+ for GB. I have Cubase, and have used it since it came out. But GB is my go to when I want to throw something together quickly and easily. It's designed that way. And I love the drummers in GB, how you can set them up to follow another track, like bass. I have Reaper but it's for people who want me to work on their Reaper based projects. My 2 cents is, if you know how to run GB then get a Mac to run it. You don't mention of you still have your GB projects but They won't import into another DAW and play back like they will in GB. You can get older Macs cheap and soon to be cheaper. Older MacPros are going for as little as $250. The iOS GB is more of a note pad / quick take, I think. And it's not laid out like GB OSX either.
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DAW, smacks forehead.. wish it were easier
- Thread starter stuntbass77
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That’s the thing, you found what works for you.
I totally would but my old Mac mini is showing it’s age and not worth the money as the OS I’m running is not supported anymore. I’m running EL capitan which is like running windows 7 or below on a PC. I’ve been limping it along as I love GarageBand but the writing is on the wall and the gifted PC I have will most likely run not only the current windows 10 but the next incarnation of windows as well. I see that my Mac days are coming to an end as they are getting out of reach financially. When I was able to work I alway had a tower ( like a G5 ) and was spoiled as I could upgrade at anytime. I would just get a bunch of pedals and use audacity but at that point I could buy a used Mac that is newer than the one I have now. Now I’m thinking about some of the sweet basses I’ve owned in the past. Gas is real folks and even I get an attack once in a great whileLife is feast and famine so you look back and smile at the times that were feast
I'm running GB and Cubase on EL Capitan. It is still a viable OS.
I've been using Reaper for 10 years. It cost me sixty canadian bucks. Yes, like every software, there is a learning curve but it ain't rocket science, as with most software you can get. I'd love to own a Mac for music production but I could never justify spending that amount on a computer. So I've been using Windows, with Reaper, for the last 10 years. Had a grand total of zero problems during those 10 years and tons of recordings done.
If you're more comfortable with Garage Band, well keep on using it. It's just like Reaper but with a different interface - but it does absolutely the same job. As for tutorials, I do not watch them, I prefer to dive in and spend some time getting acquainted with the software. I'm no better than anyone else, I'm no techie, I just spend a good amount of time understanding what i'm doing with a new thing.
I've used other DAWs and Reaper is still the one I prefer. I think it's easy, simple and affordable for the stuff I'm doing.
Keep on using Garage Band if you're comfortable with it.
If you're more comfortable with Garage Band, well keep on using it. It's just like Reaper but with a different interface - but it does absolutely the same job. As for tutorials, I do not watch them, I prefer to dive in and spend some time getting acquainted with the software. I'm no better than anyone else, I'm no techie, I just spend a good amount of time understanding what i'm doing with a new thing.
I've used other DAWs and Reaper is still the one I prefer. I think it's easy, simple and affordable for the stuff I'm doing.
Keep on using Garage Band if you're comfortable with it.
I bought an iMac and Logic 10 years ago. My previous experience was on PCs running Cakewalk/Sonar and Acid. I couldn’t get used to Logic and ended up going back to a PC and Acid.
One advantage to taking the time to learn Reaper or other non-Apple-specific DAW is that you can use it on any computer, including Apple computers. Garage Band and Logic by all reports are great programs, but using them on a PC is difficult if not impossible.
The Garageband app is a pretty good reason to go, Mac if you are a recording musician.
Logic is an even better reason to go Mac. Complete Library of synths, samples, instruments, and hundreds of plugins included. You just can't touch that with any other DAW. You don't have to touch the live performance (ableton-like) features. The recording, editing, mixing, and mastering components are excellent.
FYI - eshop.macsales.com is a great place to buy used and refurbished, late model macs if you don't want to spend on new Mac hardware. You can configure with memory and storage to taste, they have warrantees and they are aggressively priced. OWC has been around a long time.
Logic is an even better reason to go Mac. Complete Library of synths, samples, instruments, and hundreds of plugins included. You just can't touch that with any other DAW. You don't have to touch the live performance (ableton-like) features. The recording, editing, mixing, and mastering components are excellent.
FYI - eshop.macsales.com is a great place to buy used and refurbished, late model macs if you don't want to spend on new Mac hardware. You can configure with memory and storage to taste, they have warrantees and they are aggressively priced. OWC has been around a long time.
Forgot to mention this one - acid pro. This was a great way to make tracks back in the day. May still be worth a look. It was easy and straightforward. The mentions of tracktion jogged my memory here. When I started producing i was a teen musician and a standard daw was super expensive for me back then. You may like this one and the price is right.
ACID Pro
ACID Pro
Correction....I just double checked all my specs.
I'm running Logic Pro X v.10.4.8 on macOS High Sierra 10.13.5 on a mid-2011 iMac. I added 8GB of RAM for a total of 16GB of RAM. Either way, runs fine.
I also have a new MBP (currently asking me to upgrade to Big Sur). I am not running Logic on that machine (yet). Screen real estate is too small for my eyes.
Sorry for any confusion.
Be sure and check for third party compatibility on any hardware or software you use before acquiescing to the OS demand to be updated. Many of us are choosing to ignore the update for now due to lack of compatibility by so many third parties.
Lot of good input here, appreciate it ! I’m gonna try spending more time with reaper and watching different tutorials. Some people doing tutorials don’t leave out something that seems basic and a no brainer but if it’s totally new all is relevant. I’m gonna keep using my old and at times quirky Mac mini and GarageBand but unless I come across a really good deal on a somewhat newer Mac going to PC would be the easiest financially speaking way to alway have a working computer with a loaded DAW. I really want to embrace PC and challenge myself. As long as my Mac will keep going I will using it as well. The thing people who have never used GarageBand need to understand is that it for me I like ridiculous easy. From the start it was super easy once you have your interface set up and that was super easy as most interfaces come plug no play using Mac. After that it just telling it what type each track is gonna be ( vocal, guitar, bass, or other ) and the effects are right in front of you and as way as clicking a box and if you want to change some of settings on any effect you just click the box and it shows you the sliders to adjust it, that’s it. Within ten minutes of using it and it was my first time using a DAW/recording software i was like ok I’m getting it. I did get a free version of Ableton live lite and a lite version of protools and played very briefly with them but didn’t find them any easier compared to say reaper. I like the ide that once I buy the license I can get plugging /VST’s from other sources and start using them. I know other DAW’s do this as well. I am seeing that if I move away from Mac I will have to except a learning curve and may want to pull my hair out but hopefully will in the end find it just as easy and maybe even more usable. Thanks again to all who responded!
No one has mentioned Ardour yet?
I was recording on a very old mac for awhile and used garage band initially before doing some research into alternatives. Ended up trying Ardour as it's donationware (pay what you want) and a very full featured DAW that can run smoothly on older PC's. When I started recording on windows again I stuck with Ardour and have been very happy with it. It's pretty easy to use overall but does have a lot of advanced features if you want to take the time to learn them.
Have been doing all my recordings with Ardour for a year or two now and it seems hard to beat for being donationware. They've released a few new versions since I started using it and it's nice being able to upgrade or just buy it again for whatever price you want. I've also installed it on a few computers easily and cheaply which is conveniant.
I was recording on a very old mac for awhile and used garage band initially before doing some research into alternatives. Ended up trying Ardour as it's donationware (pay what you want) and a very full featured DAW that can run smoothly on older PC's. When I started recording on windows again I stuck with Ardour and have been very happy with it. It's pretty easy to use overall but does have a lot of advanced features if you want to take the time to learn them.
Have been doing all my recordings with Ardour for a year or two now and it seems hard to beat for being donationware. They've released a few new versions since I started using it and it's nice being able to upgrade or just buy it again for whatever price you want. I've also installed it on a few computers easily and cheaply which is conveniant.
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Maybe. But after reading all of this, I'm confused why your leaving GB. Im a Logic X Pro user and it is powerful, intuitive and heck I don't even use a 1/3rd of it's capabilities. But really, gifted PC or not, why change?
I’m
They are nice little machines. I should have been clear that I am not switching till my Mac dies ( which may be any time now ). I want to be ahead of the game so if it does I already have and know how to use a whatever DAW I have on the PC. For now the Mac is still my go to but after it dies if the funds are not there I will be forced to use the PC. I felt learning ahead would mean not having to deal with just the loss of a computer but also a DAW I know how to use. This way if my Mac craps out I have a DAW that I can use right away and maybe buy some time till I get another Mac or just stay with what’s on the PC.
Thanks silky. Yeah, I picked up on that from a couple of recent posts. I’m using the MBP for mobile audio recording and some video stuff. Will double check for compatibility before upgrading.
I’ve got Ardour on both my iMac and a Linux machine running Ubuntu Studio. Only to be “compatible” with one of my other bandmates. Not as seamless as one would hope.
I’m seeing the common thread, they all have learning curves. Funny how one person find a something hard and another easy and vice versa, we are all definitely wired differently. I like technology enough and had to use it in my life when I could work but it was a means to an end for me. As with recording software it’s the same. I just want good effects with multiple tracks and ease of transfer to disk with if I want. GarageBand does that for me. When I’m done I can easily just send it to iTunes and burn it from iTunes. I do have “Toast titanium”, if one is not aware of this program it’s great as it can take a badly abused disk and recover the data or music and make a copy. It is also a Mac exclusive software. I just gonna keep my little Mac running as long as I can. If the hardware breaks down and I can just drop my existing hard drive into another machine maybe they would be an option. I am gonna plug away at reaper and maybe play with some others. I’m thinking if I can get the hang of reaper I’ll just stick with it. I have been able to record at track in reaper and was able to get it to recognize and set up the input and output for the interface ( which was different compared to the video but the guy was using a different interface so not his fault). Gonna challenge myself and if I hit a wall I’ll go on their forum for help. I do like to try to figure it out myself first and then ask for help. Lots of good responses!
You have a setup you know and like on your old mac... Why not dedicate that machine to music? Disconnect it from the internet, format and uninstall everything that's not Garage Band, and use your new PC for everything else. Why spend time setting up presets in a new DAW to approximate things you have already been doing with one click for years? Stick with what already works and save up for a new(er) Mac at some point.
I use Reaper on PC and absolutely love it, but I am not you. I have used Garage Band on an old (borrowed) Macbook in the past for writing with Apple-based band mates. What Garage Band does, it does very well, and that makes it the best choice for a lot of musicians. I wouldn't recommend switching just for the challenge of something new... let the "something new" be new music!
If you do want to spend some time learning Reaper, I recommend Kenny Gioia's videos. They're no-nonsense, and his speech mannerisms will keep the lessons in your memory for a long time.
I use Reaper on PC and absolutely love it, but I am not you. I have used Garage Band on an old (borrowed) Macbook in the past for writing with Apple-based band mates. What Garage Band does, it does very well, and that makes it the best choice for a lot of musicians. I wouldn't recommend switching just for the challenge of something new... let the "something new" be new music!
If you do want to spend some time learning Reaper, I recommend Kenny Gioia's videos. They're no-nonsense, and his speech mannerisms will keep the lessons in your memory for a long time.
There’s a couple of learning curves at play (at least), from my perspective.
The first is understanding how DAW software works, what the general architecture is (common across almost all DAWs) and audio engineering “jargon” if you will. Learn this in any context (software daw, analog studio, etc) and you’ll understand how to use any DAW and its general workflow. In my experience anyways. There’s a certain skill set you’ll develop that’s transferable to almost any DAW on the market today.
The second learning curve is learning an individual DAW’s UI. All DAWs do the same basic thing but the look, feel, menu structures, implementations, etc are all different. This is where the specifics are different and present some challenges to get up and running. Some DAWs have implemented particular functions that set them apart from the others. But if you have developed the skills as in the first paragraph above, you should theoretically be able to, within no more than a minute or two, launch the program, add a track, arm it for recording and lay down some audio.
Getting GOOD results and getting to an efficient workflow WILL take time, though.
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per the OP: i don't like "learning curves" much myself, but it's part of the deal --- no way around it! suck it up and go forward...and maybe consider working on something simple (a recording/production) while you're trying to absorb, i.e., stopping your work to google something or to watch a video pertinent to your quandary makes some sense as that method makes it 'hands on' learning. good luck!
Yes, and it's come a long way.
Tracktion Music Production Technology | audio editing, virtual instruments, plugins
