Pro Tools vs Logic

Pro Tools vs Logic. The two most popular DAW systems for professional level audio available are Digidesign/Avid Pro Tools and Apple Logic Pro. I have both of the systems and have found that there are advantages to both. I have used Pro Tools since the product was release many moons ago and know it very well. I started using Logic just recently but when I was first introduced to the system I was not impressed. It was buggy and slow so I dismissed it as an average product not long for this world. However…

Apple bought Emagic who was the creator of Logic in 2002 and have done some great things with it. I think it is very comparable to Pro Tools and in some ways superior. Here are some of the observational comparisons I have made.

Pro Tools appeals to trained recording engineers more than Logic.

When pro tools was developed the market for a product like it was limited to professional recording engineers because of the expense and the amount of training required to record music well. It was designed as a recording and editing tool with no sequencing capabilities and therefore was designed with the educated recording engineer in mind. You had to have a basic understanding of signal flow and recording techniques to use it effectively.

Logic was designed as a sequencing program to be used by composers and musicians who had limited knowledge of signal flow and recording techniques but had a good understanding of how to layer instruments and develop compositions. Over time both programs incorporated recording, editing and sequencing into their product but initially Logic was designed for the musicians way of thinking.

Logic is less expensive and more accessible than Pro Tools.

One of the most common complaints about Pro Tools that I have heard over the years is that it is too proprietary. Until the release of PT 9 you could only use the Digidesign interfaces which tended to be prohibitively expensive if you needed to record more than two tracks at a time. Logic allows a wide range of third party interfaces to be used with it making it more accessible for the average user.

Logic is only available for the Mac.

This point is not an issue for me since I have been a Mac user for many years. There is a reason for the popularity of Apple computers in the creative industries. Macs have been the superior operating system since 2001 when Apple released OS X. I have found that these systems are much more stable and reliable than Windows and that makes a huge difference if you have an orchestra waiting on you.

Pro Tools works on both platforms which can be an advantage if that is your preferred operating system.

Pro Tools is still the professional recording industry standard.

I believe that this is changing rapidly as the competing products are getting better and more accessible. One thing that I like is that I can use the Pro Tools HD system which is found in any good pro studio to record a rhythm section and then take that session home and work on my LE system to add single instruments and virtual tracks and back to the studio to mix.

Conclusions:

I use both systems for different things. Logic is the better sequencer for what I do because it has more instrument available initially and Pro Tools is the better mix system for me. Both products deliver high quality audio and are now accessible for the average user. With Logic you can get more bang for your buck and with Pro Tools you get the industry standard system is used by the most professional engineers and musicians in the industry.