Macbook Pro 13 vs 15 - Garageband/Logic

[whatusername]

Putting aside my absolute frustration with Apple for currently selling outdated hardware for a premium price I ask.

Has anybody had a good experience using Garageband or Logic to record guitar tracks, etc on Macbook Pro 13 or 15. Per my discussion with some, people seem to suggest only the 17, but its too big for my needs.

Your input is appreciated.

Also, if you are using a PC laptop for recording, please let me know what system and software has worked well for you. As much as I want to go Apple, I'm resisting paying the price for the current hardware.

 

[mikes70mustang]

You should pick garage band or logic, there's quite a difference between the two, just to start.

 

[cluthz]

If you play to multitrack i'd go for a 15" for the screen size alone.
I believe the 13" have a shared input/output for audio and the 15" has both an input and an output.

If you are gonna use a USB/FW audio interface that won't matter anyway, but if you sometimes have to hook up an optical or analog audio mixer directly to your MBP you want both an input and an output, unless u plan to listen thru the built in speakers...

 

[MikeyJ57]

Putting aside my absolute frustration with Apple for currently selling outdated hardware for a premium price I ask.

Has anybody had a good experience using Garageband or Logic to record guitar tracks, etc on Macbook Pro 13 or 15. Per my discussion with some, people seem to suggest only the 17, but its too big for my needs.

Your input is appreciated.

Also, if you are using a PC laptop for recording, please let me know what system and software has worked well for you. As much as I want to go Apple, I'm resisting paying the price for the current hardware.

I'm also switching from a PC (Dell laptop) to a 15" Macbook Pro as soon as the refresh becomes available (.....starting to wonder! ). I am a guitar player and I've been using Band in a Box (BIAB) for a couple of years now. I like it because it lets me enter chords to create backing tracks pretty easily. I also have a Line 6 Tone Port hooked up to the PC, into which my speakers are plugged. I believe the TP acts as an external sound card too. TonePort comes with Gearbox software, which let's me choose a variety of amp setups. In order to record, I use Audacity, a simple to use, free software product. It lets you create your own tracks, or record a track (or multiple tracks - voice or instrument) over a tune (mp3, wav or other format). I talked to the folks at BIAB regarding the Mac version, and they said it's actually not as good as the Windows version, so I'm probably going to have to go with Logic or Garageband, although I haven't been able to figure out if I can create backing tracks by entering chords like I'm able to do in BIAB.

 

[iSax1234]

I actually was using logic pro on my white macbook, and def more screen real estate is always a plus. I have used garageband and logic to record some saxophone stuff just off my internal mic and the logic interface is great. Also mainstage in logic studio offers you the ability to experience with the sounds of different pedals and amps. The 13 and 15 will probably due the job its just how fast you want to do it.

What are you buying the computer as well? What are you looking to use your computer for? The discrete graphics in the 15 inch will probably speed up things in mainstage which as i understand actually requires some graphics processor. Its all what you are looking to use the computer before.

 

[Comma]

I have a 2006/2007 Macbook. 2.0GHz/2GB Ram and I use Logic Pro 9.

It's more than adequate for a lot of the tracking I do, which is primarily about 15-20 track demoing. Occasionally I'll freeze tracks, but it handles most of my real time processing just fine. I only input 1-2 tracks at once through my Audio Interface. At home I'll connect my 24" LCD up, so Screen Real Estate isn't a huge problem, and I use Mainstage for when I perform Live, and I've never had a problem with it.

Basically, for the Home Studio/Casual user most Macbooks will be more than adequate to do what you want as long as you know what you're doing (Track Freezing, etc)

 

[shaneocybin]

Yet another Mac newbie here. That aside, I've been working with a PC since I've known how to use a computer, and have been producing music for about 3 or 4 years with Pro Tools/Ableton/Reason. I'm running a Dell Dimension E510, Pentium 4 3.0 GHz, 1.5 GB of RAM. Most of the time I'm running a lot of plug-ins and virtual instruments at a time, the playback will start to glitch and pop. I decided to make the switch to Mac for Christmas, but figured I'd wait for the refresh on the Macbook Pros. Since I planned on using it in live instances, I was also wondering if the 13" vs. 15" would make a difference.

 

[shaneocybin]

bump.