The Apple Logic Composers Thread

[I, Brian]

Well, I've had my Apple with Logic 7 for 2 years now - in all that time I've not been able to get the MIDI channels for my Korg X5D to work properly with it - and Logic has moved on so much since 3 (when I originally used it) that I felt overwhelmed and unable to use the Apple instruments provided.

I need an insutrment to *sound* like it's supposed to, before I can play something - took a little bit of playing with reverb, and realising to use a mixture of legato, staccato, and pizzicato, to get the orchestral sounds I wanted.

Oh - did I mention I love trying to compose soundtracl/trailer music, especially with a medaeival theme?

Anything, I think this week I finally cracked how to compose on the Apple, so here's a simple piece I did today - imagining some potential future trailer for Doctor Who.

http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/music/Doctor%20New.mp3

[Perpetual Man]

Just listening to that and thought wow, excellent - but Mrs Perp. was there not knowing what I was doing and said, "That's an incredible bit of music? What movie's that from?"

Superb job Brian!

[I, Brian]

Thanks for the comment.

This is the first piece I did this week - just a "little ditty":
http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/music/Little%20Ditty.mp3

[The Judge]

Very effective! The Dr Who one was especially sinister. I'd like to hear the Ditty one without the very heavy bass-type beat, particularly the slightly melancholy/more romantic bit towards the end which was lovely. But clever instrumentation, and very professional.

How about a medieval fantasy one next -- plenty of romance as well as dragon fire?

[Tillane]

Really like that first piece Brian, and - hope you don't mind - it reminded me (the first half, anyway) of the start to this...

[I, Brian]

No worries - am hoping to finally start composing properly now. Well -ish.

[Stephen Palmer]

Ah... Apple Mac and Logic; does it get any better?

I've been using Logic now for 11 years, currently have the full pro version on my G5. Love it...

All the music here:

http://soundcloud.com/moochspacey

http://soundcloud.com/erich-z-schlagzeug

...was composed and created on Logic.

Enjoy, Steve...

[chrispenycate]

Ah. I've been working with the program since it was C-lab Notator, and ran on the Atari. Long before it had audio, or was E-Magic even, let alone bought out by Apple.

The important thing is not to let the technology get between you and the music; but this is just as true if you learn to play a conventional instrument. You need to know it well enough (the program or the instrument) that you never need to think "how do I do this?"; you just go ahead, segue into the next step. Which is why I don't like the continual evolution of musical programs (yes, I'm still on Logic Pro 7.2.3; I'll upgrade when and only when operating systems can no longer support it); by the time you've memorised the details, your fingers know which buttons do what without your forebrain getting in the way, you've got your own workarounds for most of the bugs – there's a new version, all the old problems replaced by new ones, does huge numbers of things which you have never required, nor desired, takes twice as much RAM to even bring the screen up…

And when you ask your dealer (hmm, I hadn't thought of it like that. First hit for free, then, as you need more and more to keep you satisfies, ever more expensive upgrades) "How can I hide rests that fall on independent notes?" it's "I'm sure 9.4 can do that. What, you're still running on that old version?"

Does good things when it's working, though (I would like a "ralentendo/accelerendo" as well as tempo changes – what, version eight and higher?