There are more audio and video editing products with “Studio 9″ in their title than you can shake a stick at. Let’s remove some of the confusion, and add a user review punchline for each Studio 9 software product running around out there.
First up: Apple Logic Studio, which contains Logic Pro 9, MainStage 2, and Soundtrack Pro 3, plus a bunch of effects, software instruments, loops, and the like. It’s tough to find a more complete audio recording software solution for the price. We compare this setup to Pro Tools HD in another post, but here’s the rundown:
- Bitchin’: Logic’s unique environment gives you extreme signal path control, if you’re advanced enough a music producer to be concerned about those things, but is simple enough to have neophyte weekend musicians recording tracks in minutes. The user forum is robust and very active, so budding songwriters will easily find answers to inevitable home recording studio questions.
- Bummer: The software is not so simple, however, that a newbie can crank it up and lay down a groove without a bit of elbow grease. Because of signal path versatility, there’s a basic amount of recording engineer education required to get things rolling.
- Bottom line: Plenty of features and beautiful, deep functionality for the experienced professional recording studio veteran, yet imminently accessible for newcomers. Thumbs up for this particular Studio 9.
Next up: Image Line FL Studio 9. A multi-tiered music recording and editing suite with options out the wazoo designed for Windows. It will run on Intel Macs with the Windows impersonator-thingy, if you absolutely have to have it on your Mac.
- Bitchin’: Sweet set of tools. Powerful effects, including a versatile synthesizer design tool, with just about everything you need for end-to-end audio recording and editing. There’s a few folks out there offering FL Studio 9 free download, but do your own due diligence.
- Bummer: The user interface is a bit difficult to get used to, and if you’re like a very good percentage of the artistic world who would sooner chew on broken glass than trade in their Macs for a Windows machine, the Windows-only limitation is a non-starter.
- Bottom line: If you’re not an Apple fanatic and aren’t afraid of learning an unusual user interface, and you’re looking for a full recording and music mixing software toy box, this particular Studio 9 is a great buy.
Last, Pinnacle Studio 9 video editing software. It was unleashed way back in 2004, and has subsequently been rendered obsolete by the march of time and technology. Pinnacle (now “Avid”) has released a number of versions since then, and we’re now on Studio 14. The comments pertain to the latest release as of this writing.
- Bitchin’: Sweet entry-level, bare-bones video editor. Easy to use and imminently accessible for Windows users. Mac users needn’t bother, as iMovie and iDVD show up pre-loaded, with miles more functionality.
- Bummer: The reputation for easy user interface but somewhat buggy execution persists, and Studio 14 suffers from some reliability issues from time to time. And if you’re looking for rich video editing functionality, it’s probably best to look elsewhere. Bare bones, baby.
- Bottom line: Inexpensive, user-friendly entry level video editing software, with a short list of features and a few reports of instability.
“Should I buy Studio 9?” is a confusing question with an easy answer. Weekend musicians of all ilk, particularly those with Macs, would do well to buy Logic Studio 9. If Apple’s flagship audio mixing software suite isn’t up your alley, Image Line’s FL Studio 9 is a great buy as well.
As always, regardless of how you choose to record and mix your music, the best weekend musicians advice is this: just lay your track down, baby! Let the rest take care of itself.