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Logic Pro Newbie but oldbie

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kepse

New Member
Hi everybody, i´m long-time logic user but a pc-one so i´m running ver 5.5. I once chose Logic for its capability to seemlessly "speak" to my Fostex G16s . Everything is working well , but i would like to change to Apple and the latest version of Logic, get updated sort of. My question is: buying a second-hand Mac, what would be a desent hardware configuration for Logic´s latest version. I´m a bit lost inte Apple world.

My studio:
Allen&Heath-Brenell CMC32
Fostex G16s
M-Audio Delta 1010
M-Audio F-410

Thanks, Kepse
 
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Hello,

One of the first things to be mindful of when buying second hand is that the previous owner /store does a clean installation of the operating system and sets it up with your apple ID so that you're eligible for updates of software in your name.

The latest version of Logic Pro X requires Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan or newer which is 10.2 or macOS Sierra
If you acquire a mac with 10.11 and it's setup with your apple ID, then you can purchase Logic and get a free update to macOS 10.12 from the app store.

Macs that are compatible with macOS Sierra are listed here:
https://www.apple.com/macos/how-to-upgrade/

You'll need to acquire a new audio (and MIDI) interface as drivers for your M-Audio devices will be non-existent for Mac OS X 10.11 or macOS 10.12. Firewire 800 interfaces (now considered a legacy technology) will work with Thunderbolt ports on a mac via a firewire-to-thunderbolt adapter. Thunderbolt interfaces will only work the thunderbolt ports on the mac. USB 2 or 3 interfaces are also an option.

What is your intended workflow? Recording mostly audio tracks processed with Logic plug-ins? Or mostly software instrument tracks? Using software instruments and lots of plug-ins will require more processing power than recording and editing audio.

A quad core i7 processor is best to run software instruments. A minimum of 8GB RAM (16 is better), a fast internal drive for operating system and applications (SSD is recommended), and a separate hard drive (internal or external ) to record your projects to which can be a 7200 rpm mechanical drive. An iMac, MacBook Pro, Mac Pro or a 2012 Mini are models to look at.

There are lots of options to consider, do your homework to ensure the mac, OS, Logic, and audio interface drivers all work together.
 
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No to forget an external disk for backup. OSX comes with a built-in backup system called TimeMachine, which is very good and almost invisible. If you get an external disk for audio also and don't have a big machine to accomodate them, think about an USB case for 2-4 independent disks. Nothing fancy necessary nor recommended, just a case with USB 3.
 
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Hi All,

Old time Logic user (since the Notator and Creator days), just had my PC Logic 5.5.1 system die and figured I might as well finally bite the bullet and get a Mac. I'm glad I remembered this place, I was on the old LUG list and set up to be a member here way back when, my email and password never changed, so here I am. I found reading this thread very informative. I have a M-Audio Midisport 8x8 and their legacy drivers section does show drivers up to Mac OS 10.12. Am I screwed (need to get new midi interface) or is this workable with a new Mac? I know I'll need a new audio interface, I've had good luck with the Focusrite Scarlett series. I also use Midi over LAN CP3 to move midi data to a sample machine (PC) running Kontakt and some other stuff (Garritan CFX, Kirk Hunter Strings).

To start I anticipate most of the samples I'll use will be played on the existing PC. Also, in the PC world it was recommended to use a separate drive for audio, is that still the case in the Mac world or have machines gotten so fast disk issues are a thing of the past? Or should I just get a USB drive and back up my work? Will 8 GB of RAM be enough? It seems these days any hard drive has more than enough real estate for my needs, but I know solid state drives are way faster than disks.

Steve
 
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Hello,

I offer what I know, but have never used LAN.

Pantonality said:
I have a M-Audio Midisport 8x8 and their legacy drivers section does show drivers up to Mac OS 10.12. Am I screwed (need to get new midi interface) or is this workable with a new Mac?
Click to expand...

If it's a USB device and the drivers work with 10.12, then you're good to go in that department.

To start I anticipate most of the samples I'll use will be played on the existing PC. Also, in the PC world it was recommended to use a separate drive for audio, is that still the case in the Mac world or have machines gotten so fast disk issues are a thing of the past? Or should I just get a USB drive and back up my work?
Click to expand...

An optimal setup would include
1. a separate hard drive for macOS and applications. SSD is optimal but a fast (7200 rpm) mechanical drive will also work well.
2. a separate drive for sample libraries. (Same drive recommendations as in #1 above) (If you're able to hook the LAN to a Mac, then you're all set in this department as well. Do your homework on whether or not you'll be able to connect the Mac to the PC with LAN.)
3. a separate drive to record your projects to. This can be a 7200 rpm mechanical drive
4. a drive for backups.

Depending on the model of Mac you obtain, drives 2 through 4 may or may not be external

Will 8 GB of RAM be enough?
Click to expand...
8 is a bare minimum. 16 GB will offer better performance. Then again, if your samples are running on the PC with whatever RAM it contains, then maybe 8GB is enough RAM. Otherwise the more RAM the better when working with sample libraries.
 
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I was hoping to see others respond, but after a few days I guess not. Thanks for the information. Regarding LAN MIDI over LAN 3 Cross Platform specifies that it is compatible with Mac OS 10.5 - 10.12, so it should work. Here's a link for all to see what I'm talking about. http://www.musiclab.com/products/midioverlan/info.html

I priced a current MacBook Pro with a 2.9 GHz quad-core i7 processor, 512 GB SSD drive, 16 GB RAM and it was $2800, plus $200 for Logic. There was no option to add additional memory. I've been informed that a refurbed 15" MacBook (last generation) would be $1500 or $1800 (she wasn't sure), and she didn't know the specs (well meaning, but not tech savvy girlfriend). Finally, I looked at an iMac 27" screen, 4.2 GHz quad-core i7, with 32GB RAM and a 512 GB SSD drive with Logic X and it weighs in at $3500. MacPros start at $3K, but have much more processor in the box.

One last thing, the guy at the Apple store told me I should get 4 GB vs 2 GB of video memory. Frankly, unless you're putting sound to video I can't see why Logic would need high end graphics (and even then it's doubtful). Was he just trying to sell me something better or does this make sense?
 
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