Now, it has to be noted right from the start that this is not exactly a fair fight. GarageBand comes free when you buy a Mac and Logic will set you back a couple of hundred dollars. So why would we do a comparison of the two in the first place? Well, because Apple have kind of made it difficult not to. While the previous versions of these programs each have a look and feel that is quite distinct from one another, when you open up the latest version of GarageBand, immediately you can see it basically looks like a smaller version of Logic Pro X. Not only does the GarageBand interface have almost the exact same style and feel as Logic Pro X but looking at the control bar across the top of the screen, you might notice it even includes some of the exact same features. One of the notable comparisons straight away for guitar players is the inclusion of the same improved guitar tuner we saw released with Logic Pro X. The other standout thing you might notice in GarageBand’s control bar is that, like Logic, they have now included Smart Controls (a single interface that can seamlessly control multiple mix parameters) which is definitely an interesting addition in terms of workflow. Delving a touch deeper, guitar players will quickly notice that the latest version of GarageBand also includes both the Amp Designer and the Pedalboard (options for amp simulation & guitar effects) that were previously only available in Logic Pro. In fact, very quickly, people that are familiar with Logic Pro X will notice a number of new features in the latest release of GarageBand that many are going to find extremely useful. When you start adding up all of the features now included in GarageBand, there certainly does appear to be some pretty significant upgrades here for GarageBand users compared to the previous version. This is especially true when you take into account a few other additional features like the inclusion of Drummer, which was really one of the big talking points around the Logic Pro X release. Subsequently, this now brings us back to our initial question, how does GarageBand actually compare with Logic Po X? Well, despite this release obviously being an intentional step closer to Logic, it seems that Apple have been equally as intentional with what they have left out as they have been with what they have included. If we revisit the Smart Controls within GarageBand for example, one of the best things about this feature in Logic is how highly customisable they are. That same functionality doesn’t seem to exist in GarageBand. While the versatility of Smart Controls has admittedly improved in the most recent update (10.0.3) with now being able to tweak and adjust the plugins they are actually controlling, the complex and creative mapping that someone can set up in Logic is not something that can be done within GarageBand. Additionally, some of the other popular new features in the latest Logic Pro release have also been left out of GarageBand such as Flex Pitch (a built in pitch correction tool) and Track Stacks (an intuitive way to create submixes and stack midi instruments). Despite some of the obvious steps forward in the latest version of GarageBand, ultimately it is this reoccurring theme of limited functionality that really holds GarageBand back in its versatility and usefulness when compared to other major DAW’s. For example, although we can access the master track within GarageBand, not having a dedicated mixer where we can create sub mixes or get creative with our auxiliary sends and so forth, really does create huge limitations for serious projects. Having said all of that, there are a couple of additional things worth noting. Firstly, the EQ interface which was initially only available in GarageBand is an extremely nice looking plugin and has subsequently been added to Logic Pro X as a result. There also seemed to be some confusion surrounding GarageBand's release late last year, over whether or not you could still use third party plugins. The good news is that this feature is definitely still available in GarageBand (make sure you have the ‘Audio Units’ checkbox selected in the preferences) and has again seen improved functionality in the most recent update (10.0.3). To conclude, as already eluded to, with a lot of the limitations that are found within GarageBand, many people may certainly struggle when it comes to workflow, especially in the context of mixing bigger projects. However, ultimately it is hard to criticise GarageBand for it’s limitations. It comes free with your Mac, it is not intended to compete with more advanced software like Logic & Pro Tools and what it is intended to do, it actually does quite well. Having previously said that Apple seem to have been quite intentional with what they haven’t included in GarageBand, you could also say that they have been reasonably generous with what they have included. Personally, if I didn’t already use Logic, as a guitar player I’d have no issues with using GarageBand as a tool to get ideas together or create simple backing tracks. The simplicity of GarageBand goes a long way to making things easy and intuitive for people, especially for those who are just starting out with home recording. Additionally, while some might see GarageBand simply as a first step towards a more advance software package like Logic, it must be said, anything that makes it easier for people to be creative, is still a viable alternate in its own right. Check out the video: Comments are closed.
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