EQ Magazine - January 2009 - (Page 52)

GEAR HEAD SEEING THE “LITE:” LITE SOFTWARE ROUNDUP AFFORDABLE VERSIONS COME OF AGE— AND DELIVER SERIOUS VALUE by Craig Anderton Cheap and powerful: two words that usually don’t go together. Yet there’s a new breed of software, built on proven foundations, that make this combination a non-oxymoron. The focus of this roundup isn’t free software, software that’s bundled with other products, or isolated programs that are cost-effective in their own right (e.g., Reaper, Mixcraft). Instead, we’re focusing on derivatives of “flagship” programs that nonetheless exhibit serious value. In fact, many of these were yesterday’s flagship programs. (One exception: We’re not reviewing Pro Tools LE because so many musicians consider that the “standard” version, and Pro Tools|HD more of an “über-version.”) We can’t cover everything worthy, so we picked some favorites based on two criteria: value and functionality. All these have the “EQ seal of approval” for being big-time overachievers. However, we must also be realistic about what these programs don’t do. There’s a reason why flagship programs exist, and for many critical applications they have features certain users can’t live without. Fortunately for the budget-minded, though, many of us don’t need those higher-level features. Most companies that offer full and lite versions provide comparison charts on their websites where you can check out differences. While useful, though, they don’t necessarily relate the subjective element . . . hence this article. (Note that most of these programs have upgrade options to full versions and trial versions available; as these are subject to change without notice, check the websites. Also, all prices given are list prices.) Ready to do cool stuff and save money? So are we. Here’s what we found. APPLE LOGIC EXPRESS ($199) With Logic Studio selling for $499, the big question is what do you give up to gain $300? Concerning Logic itself, the answer is: not much. The main attraction of the Logic Studio package is that it’s a package, with Logic Pro 8, MainStage, Soundtrack Pro 2, QuickTime 7 Pro, six content DVDs (Jam Pack collections, sound effects, surround music beds, etc.), and much more. That’s a lot of stuff; you don’t get anywhere near as much with Logic Express, other than the Apple Loops Utility (which is available as a free download anyway), content for the included instruments, and a DVD with Logic Artist Spotlight demo songs. But Logic Express is a valuable program in its own right. It uses the same code base and newly-streamlined interface of Logic 8, and includes most of the same functionality—in fact, when you first open Logic Express, you might wonder if Apple slipped you Logic Pro 8 by accident. Even though Express is sold as a If you don’t see a lot of differences compared to Logic Pro 8, that’s because there aren’t. The instrument that looks like it came from Area 51 is the Ultrabeat drum module. “lite” program, you can also think of it as Logic Studio without the accessorizing. What you don’t get: Like many “lite” programs, Logic Express eschews surround—it’s two-track mixdown only. And while it has most of Logic Studio’s (CONTINUED) 52 EQ JANUARY 2009 www.eqmag.com http://www.eqmag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EQ Magazine - January 2009

EQ Magazine - January 2009 Contents Talk Box Sounding Board Punch In Bob Dylan The Killers Guitar Trax Bass Management Key Issues Drum Heads Vocal Cords Mix Bus Cheat Sheet Microsoft Windows Vista Apple Mac OS X "Lite" Software Roundup "Lite" Software Gadgets & Goodies Sounds Room With a Vu

EQ Magazine - January 2009

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