Hello everyone, well after having 2 windows base pc crash on me over the years . I decided to move to mac (been told, that its stable than windows for music production), so last weekend I went and bought the new mac pro xeon 64-bit workstation.. ..

Make long story short,

I intend on using my mac for beat making (mainly hip hop/RnB/Reggae and other style of music) and recording vocals later on. This may sound stupid but I need help on setting up this mac to its fullest extent. As in sound cards wise, DAW, VSTi, etc...

For soundcard I don't know what to go with.

For DAW, I was using FL studio and Reason (slave to FL studio) but since FL studio doesn't come in mac version. So I was thinking to go with Cubase 5 as my main host sequencer because I'm a little familiar to it. I know about pro tools and I know its industry standard as they say, but I don't know anything about that program...

For VSTi's, these are the things that I came up with so far: Sprectrasonic trio, IK Workstation, Komplete 6, Nexus, EWQL Complete Composers Collection and anything else you guys may suggest is welcome...


My budget for all this stuff is $3500, I don't want to waste all that money on things that I won't need or miss out on stuff that I may need for music production. That's why I need you guys help on choosing the right equipment...

Thanks in advance for the advice and suggestion.

Out of what you mentioned I would say go for Logic Express for $199. You can upgrade to Studio / Pro for the $299 difference at any time and it has almost everything from the Pro version included.

For plugins I recommend getting Komplete, Spectrasonics and both Korg Legacy collections. IMO scratch Nexus and IK Workstation, they're redundant if you get what I mentioned.

The EW QL products are top notch, but I would hold off getting them until your settled, you can do a lot of similar stuff with Kontakt which is included with Komplete.

Thanks so much for your quick reply, I will do some research on Logic Express and see if I could migrate on there and start making music. I heard that its a nice program though! Got any suggestion for the soundcard? what do I need to install on mac?

There are a lot of options for sound interfaces, all of the MOTU products are tops. Focusrite is good too.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/8pre/

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SaffirePro4 0/

you deserve a bonus!

You can read a post about OS X file / folder / disk organisation here:

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3490 838#3490838

My recommendation for a DAW is the same - get started with Logic Express. It is not possible to say if it will suit your style of working, but you should definitely check it out. The full version comes with over 40 GB of content, and might be worth the upgrade if you decide you like it.

If you are interested in the more experimental side of composition, check out Numerology from five12. It's a modular step sequencer that is in a class of it's own. OS X only. Not really a DAW, but it can host Audio Units and also works in Rewire mode so it will hook up to Logic or Live:

http://www.five12.com/

Peace,
Andy.

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If you are looking for new instruments, effects and sound libraries, Camel Audio plug-ins support VST and AU formats so they work great on OS X. We are running a group buy at the moment, so everything is 50% off. Alchemy is great for playing or manipulating samples and has a Virtual Analogue engine too. A three week demo version is available from our site (see my sig).

Group Buy page: http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2681 47

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I'm getting a new MacbookPro in a few weeks, and also will be getting Logic Express at the same time.
Logic also contains many instruments, and effects to get you working without buying anything else. Drum machine, sampler, synths, effects.
Macs already have a high quality sound card in them from the time you buy them.

+1 for logic express.
not sure how many ins/outs you need at once, but i really really LOVED the apogee duet w/logic on my old macbook. perhaps the ensemble would work if you needed more io? i would also definitely check out metric halo interfaces. they are REALLY nice. motu stuff integrates and works really well on mac. i've never had any complaints there (traveler).
in terms of instruments, i'd wait and see if and where the bundled logic instruments fall short for you, then replace stuff that way.

also, buy quicktime pro. it's very useful. i also highly recommend the flip4mac windows media stuff. i used that a LOT.
ohh, and check out omniweb. that is the software (OS aside) that i miss the most being in pc land.

kell

Have to disagree with you here: Macs have high quality DRIVERS from the time you buy them (Core Audio), but the sound card itself is the same Intel HD Audio in most of the computers around...

One time I routed the audio from my MacBook Pro's sound card into my MOTU Ultralite and it sounded like complete shit compared to my Mac Pro running audio right through the Ultralite.

Thats because the MacBook's built-in sound card is an Intel HD Audio chip, think ALC xxx series...
Just like any other computer. The difference is the drivers, which can provide low latency with on-board sound cards. The MOTU will obviously sound better due to the quality of the converters in a dedicate sound card x small Intel HD chip.

definitely logic

i'm not sure you need go to such extremes with the strings unless you do a bit of composing on the side...

logic pro will give tones of loops that can be sliced directly within logic9 to really make them your own

the jam packs have good strings...but there are some cheaper, and more efficient libraries for string sounds...if you go to komplete, for instance, you get kontakt which includes some really good string stuff..or there is also miroslav phil

spectrasonics stylus might help you out for beats....omnisphere is really fantastic too

but logics included stuff is still really great es2 synth is a fine workhorse synth...ultrabeat is a great drum synth...sculpture is awesome

within komplete is kontakt for more bread 'n' butter stuff...you get some really awesome synths also (really top notch)

the only thing about express is it doesn't contain space designer or sculpture (you may not even like this)...these are dealbreakers for me..you also don't get the other programs like mainstage , soundtrack pro etc but again these might not be important

you get tons more loopage in pro

if i were in your position i would get the apogee duet (one if you're flying solo, like me)....i'd get komplete and logic pro......reaktor has enough stuff to keep you occupied forever........the only thing i would add to that would be either/and/or omnisphere /alchemy...omnisphere for it's vast library incl. the beautiful 'atmosphere' and 'symphiony of voices' stuff...and/or alchemy for being a powerhouse of creativity yet to be fully realised (currently 50% off in group buy for another week)

if i wanted to keep things on a bit of a budget i would get logic express(upgraded to pro if needed, later on), komplete and an apogee duet...if you can't make decent music with that , consider changing hobbies

ok...just saw your budget....thought i'd change it up...

still komplete, logic pro/express you will be lost in that for a long while

within that lot is great beat-making mangling potential...great libraries in ultrabeat, battery 3, exs and reaktor has mad beat making ensembles

the bass of trillian seems to be a winner...and stylus might add to the beat stuff...omni is all good...so maybe the spectrasonics package will be good

i reckon it will all be too much to wrap your head around at first

maybe just logic.....or maybe i'll just shut up

Hey guys

I really wanna thank all of you for your advice, and also I'm liking the review on logic pro. So tomorrow I'm going to guitar center to check it out, and if i like what i see. I might come home with it. Oh and "ebow", I am a BIG fan of strings , the whole orchestral band. And I'm trying to get into composing side too.

I think this is my list for now:

2TB of external hard drive (RAID ready), so I don't loose none of my data again

soundcard: apogee duet or the motu

DAW: Cubases 5, & Logic pro. You know, make music in cubase while learning logic

VSTi: komplete 6, spetrasonics trio, & alchemy...

i wouldn't get cubase and logic....just making trouble for yourself...chose one and learn it inside out....logic doesn't have the learning curve it once did....you really will be up 'n' running really quickly

i would have to say from what i have read that cubase and mac might not be as efficient

i'm not anti-other daws....i started with logic 5 on pc (now that was a little difficult)...i ended up using cubase on the pc because it was easier to drop into...got a couple of good years out of it....then tried sonar and protools...all until my pc died....decided to go with mac and back to logic (because all my music mates were logic-based)...best thing i ever did....it's just so damned good....

if i were to pair any other daw with it, it would be ableton live.....but i'm not really from the loop paradigm....i do have ableton lite if i wish to use its great stretching abilities

but if you buy all this stuff together you will be overwhelmed and you'll end up missing the little things

i have tried all the stuff in komplete and the only thing that i want from it are battery and reaktor...i've had battery for a few years and will have reaktor in a couple of weeks......don't get me wrong, the other stuff is cool , but i've got it covered in other areas.....fm8 is great , but i have no desire to learn fm programming so it's just another long line of presets that are lush but not as lush as omni/alchemy...same with absynth...lush pads and disturbed sounds....but also done better by omni/alchemy....massive- don't get on with it at all.....guitar rig is great , but for me logic 9's stuff comes close enough...if i wanted to be really anal about my guitar sound then no software would come close

kontakt is one i have no experience about but i would start with the included strings and see if i outgrow them

the only reason i recommend buying komplete is because it is cheaper than getting the elements seperately

all of this stuff will stop you from exploring logics own synths...and they are really great...es2 is still a great sounding synth...sculpture is beautiful...evp88 is great.....komplete is a great option for those who use daws's that don't have such a wealth of internal options

omnisphere has some lush , playable string patches......and the exs24/jam packs combo has some nice orchestral elements

ok...so here is my modified answer

logic pro, and apogee duet (motu, not in same league) ...considering you are worried about learning logic, such that you would buy another daw for using in the mean time, maybe just best to focus on these

the spectrasonics stuff would be the next i would add...then consider getting a package for strings if you are looking to score individual instruments....string patches are a lot easier to come by....the bigger symphonic libraries might be overkill....miroslav phil is good mid-ground ...as are kirk hunter libraries for exs

you could probably end up avoiding komplete altogether.......