Ableton Live vs Reason vs Logic Pro

TheAppleCore said:
I'm currently using Reason 4 to produce all of my tracks right now... can anybody tell me what advantages there would be in buying a more full-featured DAW like Ableton Live 7 and ReWiring Reason into it? What exactly would Ableton be able to do that Reason can't do alone?

As said, you would be able to use Lives sequencer, and VST plugs and FX....as well as routing the summed signal through Abletons mixer, which some claim sounds better. Honestly- I have Ableton, Logic, Tracktion and Cubase- I rewire occaisionally just for "fun", but there is NO POINT. Reason has excellent sound quality....also, Rewiring will slow down your computer like hell..
 
Was about to start my own topic until I saw this one, might as well ask here. I recently aquired a demo of Live, the catch being that you can't save anything. Iv'e been thinking of buying but before I fork out the $500 I was wondering which program would be best for a noob such as myself.

Also it's shit having to use the computer keyboard as the input, can you get anything like a musical keyboard that isn't really a keyboard ie. doesn't actually produce sound, but is simply an input device?
 
^Well, its a matter of taste really....I would suggest you try out a few programs first to see what you think....I mainly use Reason myself. Fruityloops is pretty good too...

As to the keyboard thing, what you want is a MIDI keyboard/controller. Basically a keyboard that uses your computer synths as its sound module....and voila, you can suddenly play pure acid on the piano....there are HEAPS to choose from, obviously ranging in functionality....you will always get a few knwbs and sliders on the keyboard which you can assign to various functions in whatever program you choose. For a begginner (or anone really) look at the Behringer UMX range, they aren't exactly nice to play as such, but they work well, and are reliable as afar as Behringer goes. Plus- cheap, which is kinda tantamount when starting out...

Have fun, any other questions just fire away...
 
Thanks for the advice, I do have one more question however. How do you go about getting decent sound quality from a computer if you intend to hook it up to a hi-fi. What sort of sound card should be used?
 
^I woud look for an external Firewire or USB interface, you then set the sound card to external....you can spend as much or as little as you want in that regards. Behringer (once again) make very cheap USB interfaces, basically optical in/out so sound can run from computer to speakers. It does very little DSP though which is good as behringer products can render sound crap.

If you look at a sequencer likme Pro-Tools, which is an excellent highish end DAW but still very accesible, they come with specific interfaces, allowing you to send from the computer as well as monitor seperately, and record sound in. I would suggest you look for a package deal, where you get the sound card/ineterface AND the program too. I used the behringer interface for a while; I now run sound through a mackie firewirse satellite, so I can get sound from the computer into all sorts of places- mainly old shitty FX pedals and compressors and reverbs, but I can record and listen.
 
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