Logic Pro Beginner

[kmurray]

Hello all,

My main goal is to record acoustic instrumentals/folk/singer song writer stuff, with more emphasis on solo recording for now. I use a K&K Quantum Trinity w/Blender and an Apogee Ensemble.

I'm in the process of learning Logic Pro for the first time, doing tutorials/reading etc. Whilst taking a break from reading I thought I drop a few questions here.

Wondering if anyone has any advice/tips/suggestions for someone starting out. Or if someone with a similar setup has some advice that helped them get the kinks out and get recording at a satisfactory level.

Thanks,

Keith

[muscmp]

i use logic pro with the ensemble but mic my acoustic guitars. if you have specific questions you are welcome to PM me. otherwise, there are quite a few pros on the AGF who can also help you out.

make sure to take advantage of the logic pro users group as well as the apple discussion logic pro forum. both will provide great information.

play music!

[Rick Shepherd]

Hi Keith,

I am also a beginner with Logic Pro. There are a few very knowledgeable people on this forum who have helped me out through some rough spots with Logic Pro. I have not used the Ensemble, but I have heard many good things about it. I was able to figure out some of the basics, but when attempting to integrate outboard effects into my recordings, that was when I needed some serious help. I also found some helpful YouTube tutorials. One cool feature I discovered was the ability to import video into a project and sync that up with the recorded sound. Anyway, I am having a blast with Logic!

What does the rest of your recording setup consist of?

[Rick Shepherd]

OOP! double post!

[alohachris]

Aloha Keith,

Great choice on Logic Pro. It's the most stable (no crashes thus far w/ the Apple/Apogee integrated products) & full featured DAW I have ever used. And its workflows mesh with my sensibilities - after trying out many DAWS.

When I first started on Logic Pro four years ago, I signed up for the Apple 'One-to-One' program. In the first year, I worked with a certified Logic trainer in 56 one on one sessions. Plus 35 additional sessions when I signed up for the second year option. Best $99 (per year) in training I ever received. Can really help you establish your workflows & understanding of the program.

Occasionally I pay that trainer (who's now a friend) $50/hour for a couple hours to come up here & give me a few more clues. It's a nice arrangement for me.

When I first bought my iMac & Logic, I found out about the program & signed up. I'd call Apple about that Keith.

Hint: [B]Group sessions are not as useful as individual ones (most participants are would-be DJ's).

Hint 2: Take the training at a quieter store in a quieter time of day/week outside of a mall if you can.

Another invaluable resource for Logic is a book by David Nahmani, "Logic Pro 9 & Logic Pro Express." I keep it right next to my rig for quick reference.

Another good place is well, "logical," Apple's Logic Pro User forums. Here one that's been very helpful:

http://www.logicprohelp.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=10

I also get a lot of information at the forums at gearslutz.com. I love that place. Everything for the home recordist. So many forums & resources!

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/

Suggestion: Use a pair of good condenser mic's instead of a pickup for recording acoustic guitar.

Suggestion 2: DIY Room Treatment. Don't save it for last. It will make the biggest difference in the quality of your recordings at first.

Keith, I won't lie, learning a pro-level DAW like Logic is a steep learning curve. I've found computer recording challenging, mainly because of time constraints & learning to work "in the box." The more time you put into establishing your workflows, the sooner & easier it will be w/ better, more consistent results.

Good Luck, Keith!

alohachris

My recording rig:

iMac 3.06 w/ 8 gigs of Ram/ Apogee Ensemble & Duet Interfaces/ Logic Pro 9.1.6./ Glyph extrenal HD's for storage. Many great mic's. A few great preamps. Adam A7X monitors. AKG 240 Studio headphones. Lots of peripherals. Lots of portable DIY Room Treatment. A decently large recording space.

[chrisOMC15E]

I'm using Logic Express and advice I can give regarding when I started using it a few years ago is...

There will probably be a book by David Nahmani - I got one for Express and it was 'learn by example' sort of thing. Worked for me.
(I don't know what the online Pro manual is like that comes with the application, but the Express one was, in my opinion, next to useless. The Nahmani book was great).

Just learn what you need to learn to begin with to get some results. Try not to get dragged into all the ins and outs of the application, because it's a mind boggling expansive lot of info. to absorb. Just learn a bit at a time. Master the basics first.

I recorded my Renaissance album using my home setup, and it's solo electro-acoustic - I see you mentioned solo being your first emphasis. Didn't use any mics though - just used the pickup output fed through an Aura unit. I learned just what I needed to learn to get the 'job' done.
Sent the tracks for mastering though, to get a professional touch added.

I'd say again - resist the temptation to delve into all the exotic aspects of the application and stay focussed on the task at hand.

Cheers, and good luck.
Chris

[kmurray]

Thanks for the replies, greatly appreciated


muscmp: I may take you up on the PM offer once I dig into this a little more, thanks buddy!


Rick Shepherd: Yeah, so many great people on this forum, it's been a great resource to me for this past year and will continue to be, no doubt. I'll be looking to do that video syncing down the road too As of the rest of my setup, I have a RodeNT4 that I'm trying out, should be here in a few days, and a pair of HS80 Monitors (I plan on trying a bunch of mics repeatedly mentioned here, until something sounds good to me). Thanks again Rick!

alohachris: thanks for the links and suggestions, I'll be looking into the logic forum for sure. I'm going to be trying out a few popular mics that often come up on this forum until something sounds good to me and I'm looking into some DIY Room Treatment as well.

as for personal training, my only option right now is online resources because of my remote location. Thanks again!

chrisOMC15E: Thanks for your input as well. My plan is to not dig too deep into things, just enough to get started and then when a problem or idea arises, learn how to figure it out. I'll check out that book as well.


I'm still in the process of setting everything up and finding time to record. However, once I get something recorded I'll come post it for some feedback. I have a lot of info to work with, thanks again people! I gotta get recording eh

Cheers!