Opinions of Digital Performer vs. Logic

[bombastique]

I have been a serious Logic user for the last 5 or 6 years, but I have had it about up to HERE with their lack of solid VST support and I'm considering moving over to DP - not because it supports VST, but because it will allow me to use all the softsynths that I llike to use PROPERLY (i think...).

 

I am a BIG fan of Native Instruments products, as well as Reason (though I don't use it for your standard 'electronica' music...), but Logic does not support Reason (and won't until version 5 comes out in September...), nor does Reaktor work properly with it yet.

 

Which is why I'm considering DP. I want your thoughts on the situation. Do Reason and Reaktor work well within DP? What about all my VST plug-ins - is there a way to use them with DP and, if so, does it work well?

 

Your comments are appreciated...

[Jonathan Hughes]

I, too, am a big Native Instruments fan, and i use a bunch of their stuff with DP. Dynamo, B4, and Battery all work great under MAS (MOTU Audio System). I occasionally have sync problems with dynamo, but it's usualy only for about a measure at thebeginning of what I'm recording (easily dealt with by recording a couple measures earlier and then shifting stuff back where to it belongs if necessary).

 

As you know, DP doesn't support VST directly, but you can get VSTWrapper ($40) from audioease, or Pluggo ($74) from Cycling '74 which let you use most VST plugins. Pluggo also comes with 74 VST plugins. I use VStTwrapper with Pro 52. It typically works fine, but occasionaly exhibits weird behavior. I have far better luck with the MAS stuff than the VST stuff. The only other plugin I have is Realverb from Kind of Loud, and it runs native under MAS, and sounds great. I've tried using some VST plugins I've found on the web and some work and some don't. I think a lot of them are crappy, anyway, so it doesn't really matter.

 

I haven't used Logic extensively, so i cant really compare it to DP, but DP definitely rocks. And version 3.0 is going to rock even harder.

 

Jonathan

[Steve44]

The other VST to MAS application is th eFXMachine from TC Works' Spark. That's obviously much more pricy than the other two, but it's also extremely powerful with a 99 by 99 matrix for allowing you to configure effects in any kind of routing you can imagine. You also get an incredible quality audio editor and a modular synth...

 

I am a pretty happy logic user, but if I used a Macintosh I would be using DP without a doubt. MAS plugins are just better quality, and the program is simply awesome.

[b_3guy]

I switch from Cubase VST 5.0 to DP 2.7 because Midi works smoother & better in DP. I couldn't use the soft synths that came with Cubase because I only have a 233 mhz processor. I would choke at about 6 tracks. I would have to agree that the plugins that come with DP are better in quality than the VST. Reason & Rebirth work seamlessly with DP. I don't have any Logic experience but I am pleased with DP.

[Kevin Maynard]

Digital Performer is much easier to learn and the new version 3.0 looks great. Logic is a great program but if you want to record 24 bit you need Platinum. Logic however has a very high learning curve so if your just starting and/or you're trying to configure it for the first time expect to spend a good amount of time with the manual. I do know that Logic 5.0 is supposed to be released shortly so you may want to give it a month before you make the decision.

 

Kevin Maynard

http://www.thestudiobox.com

[dansouth]

This "steep leaning curve" nonsense is - well, nonsense. Admittedly, it took me a few days to figure out how to get Logic working, but that was because I had a Studio 5, which doesn't work well with non-Opcode sequencers. I set my Dad up with Logic and got him up and running in a half-hour. He's never used a sequence before.

 

The time you spend learning Logic is a small investment for the power you'll get in return. The biggest problem for me was being conditioned by Vision and Performer to think that features are supposed to be hidden behind a maze of menus. With Logic, most of what you need it right in front of you. You can customize Logic and take those customizations with you on a floppy. Logic's notation editor is way ahead of anyone else's - great if you like to see your work on a staff at any point. Logic's sample editor is extremely powerful and easy to use. I've run the Pro-52 synth and several VST plugins on Logic without a single problem, plus Logic has a nice suite of instruments availble for its native platform.

 

Logic has never crashed once in three years; Vision used to crash once an hour when I was recording audio. Upgrades are free from Emagic's home page and they come out very frequently. Logic's built in plug-ins rival the best software AND hardware DSP that I've ever used. Logic has the best chorus effect I've ever heard, and it comes free with the program. The editors and key commands make perfect sense. Logic has enabled me to work faster and to complete much more adventurous compositions than any other sequencer, and I own legitimate copies of Studio Vision, DP, and Cubase VST 24.

 

People seem to stumble a bit when they encounter the "Environment" for the first time, but it's not necessary. The default environment works fine, and an environment tutorial on CD-ROM will teach you what you need to know in less than an hour. For most projects, I start with a very simple, stripped down environment and build it up to suit my needs. You can import an environment from one song to the next. This makes sense if the two songs share similar instrument sets.

 

I would encourage anyone who's considering a new sequencer to try a demo of Logic for a couple of days. Set up an environment with a couple of instruments. Record a few lines. Try some of the realtime editors in the arrange window (transpose, velocity, quantize, loop, etc.) Try the editors, including the toolbars and the multiple selection criteria available in each, and check out the score editor. Record some audio and try some plug-ins. Use some of the functions in the sample edit window. Try saving some custom screensets. Browse the extensive list of key commands. Get a flavor for the horsepower that this program offers before you settle for something less.

 

In the end, you should go with the program that best suits your needs. But don't let yourself be put off by the "steep learning curve" hype, because that's all it is.