emerging from garageband

Ronobir · Post by **Ronobir** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 6:45 am

I've been using garageband for about a year, and paid for a couple of Jam Packs. I'm brand new to ableton, and want to leave garagband entirely behind, but don't want to lose some great instruments for the sampler. Does anyone know how to use them in Live? (sorry for the sounding naive)

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 12:12 pm

Welcome!

I don't know about the GarageBand instruments, but I use their loops.

They work great in Live.

Jaberwookie · Post by **Jaberwookie** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 1:19 pm

The main problem with Live (IMHO) is that it doesn't come with a decent sampler - simpler and impulse just don't cut it if your serious about your sampler instruments.

I'd recommend you get Kontakt or Mach5 and rebuild your garageband sampler instruments in the new sampler (unless you can export them in Kontakt or MOTU format...?) from scratch.

OR If you can run garageband as a Rewire slave (I think you can), just run it within Live - but then I guess you're still having to use garageband...

moostapha · Post by **moostapha** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 7:42 pm

if you're not using it for live performance, why not go to Logic instead? For production, I really think it's just better.

rbro · Post by **rbro** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 10:24 pm

moostapha wrote:if you're not using it for live performance, why not go to Logic instead? For production, I really think it's just better.

Live is a whole different beast even for production methinks. Definitely for composing, it's unlike anything else.

Teedub · Post by **Teedub** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 4:50 pm

moostapha wrote:if you're not using it for live performance, why not go to Logic instead? For production, I really think it's just better.

Also, Logic is awesome and I know several music professionals who love it, but what I love about Live is that I can actually figure out how to use it!

One of the strengths of Logic (other than just the sheer quantity of high-end *stuff* you get with it) is that it really faithfully follows the metaphor of signal routing in a studio full of real hardware, which seems to make it the tool of choice for experienced, practical studio people.
This is what makes it way more difficult for me to use than Live, though - I'm coming to composition from a digital background with no studio/hardware experience or understanding, and to record in my own home, I don't need to take the extra, in-between steps of learning about practical signal routing (which is all theory to me - I can't afford that hardware anyway!) in order to just get a mix right or slap a VST effect on a track when I want it. I mean, I'm not dead against gaining that knowledge, I'm just glad I'm making music right now. Maybe I'll move up to Logic (more likely incorporate it) if I feel like I'm suffering limitations, I just don't see that happening very soon.

Add to that the higher cost of Logic (though it is a great deal when you factor in all the instruments and stuff that comes with it) and the fact that you're out of luck if you're on a PC (not supported anymore). Also, keep in mind that Ronobir is moving up from *Garageband*. I tried to use Logic after I felt like I was getting pretty good in ACID and man, I'm really glad I found something a bit more accessible and straightforward like LIVE.

- again, don't get me wrong, Logic is flat-out fantastic, I'm just directly answering the "why not?" question.