We put Apple’s Logic Pro X 10.5 update up against Ableton Live Suite 10 to see how the competing digital audio workstations stack up. CNET video podcast producer Stephen Beacham gives both DAWs a test drive.
Logic overview: 1:29
Producing a song in Logic: 4:08
Recording a synth in Logic: 6:50
Recording Drums in Logic: 8:38
Ableton Live overview: 11:12
Producing a song in Ableton Live: 14:40
Recording Bass in Ableton Live: 17:58
Recording Guitar into Ableton Live: 19:37
And the winner is……. 20:46
Apple’s Logic Pro X 10.5 update adds Live Loops, new beat-making tools
You can buy Logic Pro X and Ableton Live here…
Logic Pro X :
Ableton:
Ableton Live 10:
*CNET may get a commission from this offer/these offers.
Produced at Moondog Studios in Alameda, Ca
#Logic #Ableton #musicproduction #musicproducer
Ashiko Yamada
August 17, 2020 at 5:02 pm
I’m 1st I think
Martin William
August 17, 2020 at 5:06 pm
Second I guess
CNET
August 17, 2020 at 5:07 pm
Let me know what your favorite DAW is in the comments. Also if you’re looking for headphones to use while making beats on a laptop then watch Galaxy Buds Live vs. AirPods Pro: Best wireless earbuds
Hannibal Hector
August 18, 2020 at 12:39 am
*FL Studio has entered the chat
gusti77
August 19, 2020 at 1:33 pm
FL studio is waaaaay better than both. FL studio is the best, hands down.
keytogeteverything
August 17, 2020 at 5:22 pm
Ableton is much better ..
But logic is just hype ..created by different big studios
Gunther McCullough
August 17, 2020 at 5:41 pm
@Nexus Edits Nobody buys Macs for gaming. Most people you see with them are producers/musicians. Why? Core Audio. Any interface works out of the box and it has really low latency. I’m a windows user as well…
sandy candy
August 17, 2020 at 5:50 pm
@Nexus Edits mac is too be productive not waste time
Nexus Edits
August 17, 2020 at 6:00 pm
@sandy candy sure, but you can be just as productive on a windows pc. I don’t get your point.
sandy candy
August 17, 2020 at 8:47 pm
@Nexus Edits I have never seen old pc running as great as mac even the os update is well optimised
sandy candy
August 17, 2020 at 8:48 pm
@Nexus Edits mac is better value for money in long run
Phivos Theodorakis
August 17, 2020 at 5:23 pm
My favorite music production software is definitely logic.
DJJustFrank
August 17, 2020 at 5:26 pm
You have to turn off the auto when recording live and the latency will not be there. There’s a whole video about it
DJJustFrank
August 17, 2020 at 5:26 pm
CNET
August 17, 2020 at 5:30 pm
Good to know. Will def try that. Thanks
TheFooFighter
August 17, 2020 at 5:37 pm
CNET there’s also a “reduce latency when monitoring” knob in a drop down menu, can’t remember which one right now…
FORGIVEMAN MacMola
August 17, 2020 at 5:36 pm
GTA 6 ThemeSong confirmed
mdpro2er
August 17, 2020 at 5:38 pm
Its all about your workflow. If you are new to this and trying to make a choice between these 2 then I would say Logic X will give you the most bang for your buck. While Ableton has a steep learning curve its amazing for live performances and manipulating sounds.
T-Soft Technologies
August 17, 2020 at 5:53 pm
Nice video… Ableton is more flexible… And instead of recording the sessions into the arrangement, u can easily drag and drop your loops from the session view into the arrangement view which makes its creativity unbeatable… That’s my opinion
Mdpro2er
August 17, 2020 at 7:45 pm
I use both almost everyday. Logic and Ableton can drag and drop from both windows. Logic’s advantage is that you can use both work flows at the same time or individually. With Ableton it’s either or
Salu omnidentidade
August 17, 2020 at 6:01 pm
i think you downplay ableton. my favorite is still ableton live. yes the circular loops and split window looks cool but is not that usefull if you dont have a widescreen and ableton has loops as well just not in that fancy round form.
you were biased i dont think is fair for ableton that you were very happy with some logic functions that ableton have as well. you can arrange windows in several ways and add tracks on the fly . you really think you have to go to the menu to add a track?
Hify Tech
August 17, 2020 at 9:56 pm
I think he is just a Logic pro user because he mentioned some things like Ableton doesn’t have it too. He doesn’t seem experienced with Ableton.
For example, to view split screeen on Ableton, just click “second screen” under the “view” tab, but he said you can only toggle one screen at a time, whereas you can actually view anyhow you want
Salu omnidentidade
August 18, 2020 at 8:59 am
@Hify Tech well that I didn’t know, thanks will have a look. And yes definitely he seems very comfortable with logic, and either is a clickbait thing or is a sponsorship . Doesn’t feel fair. Nothing against logic it’s really the lack of knowledge while showing Ableton.
Pratik Raul
August 17, 2020 at 6:08 pm
Airpods are great
sherri moquin
August 17, 2020 at 6:32 pm
Don’t forget galaxy buds plus
Oliver Kerr
August 17, 2020 at 6:28 pm
Live loops was in garage band a long time ago. Still probably took inspiration from abelton live
Matthew Datcher
August 17, 2020 at 6:32 pm
I can’t afford Pro Tools or its hardware accessories. So, I’ve been using REAPER. So far it’s done everything I’ve needed.
Salvati
August 17, 2020 at 7:59 pm
This is valid ^
Loris Solic
August 18, 2020 at 12:15 pm
Reaper is king
Christopher Allwood
August 17, 2020 at 6:45 pm
Is this really the state of ‘music creation’ in 2020? Good grief. It’s basically Dance Ejay game from 1997.
TheGreatMosquito
August 17, 2020 at 6:49 pm
Snob
Matt Hogan-Jones
August 17, 2020 at 10:00 pm
Okay boomer
sherri moquin
August 17, 2020 at 6:47 pm
Does anyone know what happened to the 3:59 show from cnet
John Viera
August 17, 2020 at 6:53 pm
They’re both great tools. If you learn both you can be a two headed studio serpent. After 10 years I am still a novice on Ableton compared to these guys I see on YouTube. And I’m just starting to learn Logic Pro.
Bruno cena
August 17, 2020 at 7:40 pm
Logic my love
Peter Jaques
August 17, 2020 at 7:48 pm
did you check your buffer settings in ableton? you show that you changed the sample rate, but not the buffer, which you left at 256… if your system is decently powerful, you should be able to record at really low buffer settings — like 64 samples — which should give you no noticeable latency. same as logic or any other daw basically
Lafemmebear Music
August 18, 2020 at 3:27 am
Sooo this i have to say though true, in logix pro x isn’t necessary. So I wonder if theres a work arouns because thats a super taxing workflow for your machine working at 64 samples and in logic i get no latency while recording and mixing at the same time, while running at 512. I love ableton for live performances and improvising but i dont like its sound drivers much, plus recording live instruments just makes more sense in logic. They sre different but similar beasts, love them both been using both for so many years now.
Nicholas Vivier
August 17, 2020 at 8:03 pm
It sounds like this dude was familiar with logic but not as much with ableton in which case its not surprising he preferred what hes used to….get ableton if you have the money, folks. Theres a reason why the full version of ableton is way more expensive. also, latency has nothing to do with the DAW, lol. And if ur worried about latency- ableton is actually the best because it has latency compensation. U should not be recording at 256 with an mbox level interface…with that said i dont think either one is better you can do almost everything in every daw. but again, theres a reason why ableton costs way more. And theres also a reason why logics newest update essentially copied all the features that make ableton unique and awesome and that have had for years. Logic was literally brought into the 21st century from the stone age with this most recent updates
CNET
August 17, 2020 at 9:19 pm
Never used Logic before this video in my life. Pretty much figuring it out as I went along.
Nicholas Vivier
August 17, 2020 at 9:45 pm
@CNET i stand corrected! i hope i didnt come off as rude! im an abelton convert from pro tools and logic. i feel like if youre using a DAW as a creative tool, and to write and hash out ideas, ableton is leagues above the competition. if youre recording a live band, or already have ideas to just record – the other daws have their merits. but ableton has made working in a DAW fun for me in a way that neither pro tools or logic did. that being said with the 2 recent updates to logic it definitely makes it much more competitive to ableton…one thing in your vid u can use shortcuts to create new tracks (key commands) and if you goto i believe the “view” option tab you can choose to pop out the second window so that you can look at both arrange/session view together. both logic/ableton work alot better with a second monitor though! cheers!
Danny Valentino
August 18, 2020 at 12:07 am
Also, nothing wrong with copying features from a competitor or anyone for that matter. That’s what sampling is, isn’t it. Also, every car and motorcycle company and any other company that makes products that use a wheel, is copying a caveman from 10,000 BC or something like that.
Salu omnidentidade
August 18, 2020 at 9:04 am
@CNET what daw you used?
Ripsnorter Media
August 17, 2020 at 8:32 pm
jesus, that is trippy
John Ebner
August 17, 2020 at 9:04 pm
I have been doing this comparison for a while now, and I am really torn between the two! Ableton can use VSTs with MIDI out. Logic cannot – it has AU support only. This is a big disadvantage for Logic; however, the AU timing is perfect. Ableton can modulate automation, Logic cannot (easily). I like the Drummers in Logic – Ableton does not have this. I like the Logic event editor – Ableton does not have this. Ableton hides plugins when you make another application active (on Mac) – I really hate this!!! I keep going back and forth between the two, and I tend to end up in Logic, even though I love Ableton. Logic 10.5 was really a game changer!
John Ebner
August 17, 2020 at 9:06 pm
Logic automatically transposes audio clips with key information when importing – I really hate this!
Lafemmebear Music
August 18, 2020 at 3:36 am
@John Ebner you can turn this off in project settings. I think we all just end up teaching eachother things we miss about these daws even after learming them for years. Its fime use both us one use something different just make music 🎶
Matt Hogan-Jones
August 17, 2020 at 9:59 pm
Ableton is just way better. “stackable loops” – guess it’s this guy’s first go on Live.
Lafemmebear Music
August 18, 2020 at 3:31 am
Why is ableton way better? Could it be they both are great programs and ofcourse have different functions that suit different work flows better than others. Its doesn’t have to be a competition. I have used both programs for 10 years plus, i have gripes with both and love for both, lets just make music and chill, cool?
Salu omnidentidade
August 18, 2020 at 9:09 am
@Lafemmebear Music sure but if they are both unique why one comes after the other with same features? Reason is unique Ableton is unique, but the so loved features here were features ableton had for a while, logic just changed the loops for a round format, that is cool btw. I nevr used logic, but I felt “offended” that there was a lack of know how in Ableton. I don’t think was a fair comparison. You use both what did you think?
Vedraj r.m
August 17, 2020 at 9:59 pm
Loved the way the titles were introduced for different sections
CNET
August 20, 2020 at 9:59 am
Thanks!
Hify Tech
August 17, 2020 at 10:15 pm
It is painful to watch how you switch tabs on Ableton. You can literally press “ctrl + shift + w” on windows or just check the “view” tab for the “second window” to view all your windows at the same time. You forgot to mention the Ableton “capture mode” Also the latency could be due to your selected audio driver. I record without latency.
CNET
August 20, 2020 at 6:55 pm
This is good to know. Will try it for sure.
R2 D2
August 18, 2020 at 12:47 am
Logic Pro is the real Winner, of course.
laujo
August 18, 2020 at 1:05 am
What about FL Studio, which is/was used by people like Martin Garrix or Avicii
푸른바다를 닮은 너
August 18, 2020 at 1:50 am
난 fl쓰는뎅
Juan Sutton
August 18, 2020 at 2:08 am
No push or control surface with Ableton. Your missing the real magic of Ableton. Especially if you had a push 2. Perfect blend of groove box production and a full DAW
Lafemmebear Music
August 18, 2020 at 3:32 am
Both programs do great things , amd and as a user of both for 10 uears plus, they both have strengths and weaknesses depending on your workflow.
CNET
August 20, 2020 at 6:54 pm
I know. I’m kinda shopping around for a controller now.
Bu5hm45t3r
August 18, 2020 at 4:13 am
this is where racism starts..! both daws are unique in their way so dont compare, war never ends 😂😂
AndyM ⚪
August 18, 2020 at 5:44 am
The guy from AppleBytes with Brian 😀 It’s been awhile👍🏻
SuperChiko K&R. 2.3
August 18, 2020 at 2:26 pm
This is a beautiful video 💯💫🌟🌟
CNET
August 20, 2020 at 6:53 pm
Thank you 🙌
Yuge Ji
August 19, 2020 at 1:57 am
Seems like you know logic more than Ableton and this review is slightly biased. Also, probably half of Ableton users on Windows got their software for free. Probably much harder to hack logic.
luka taradi
August 19, 2020 at 9:01 am
Ok. First of all, there is an remote app BOTH for android or ios (im sure there is pc/mac version) called touchAble and it provides much much more than logic remote. Now, with that dual core i5 and 4gb of ram, I’m speechless.. Latency without horsepower can’t be debated. You dare to say that Logic is cheaper but that potato laptop with Ableton on it is still cheaper that Mac with Logic. Where Logic beats hard is visuals and stock plug-ins.
Tiberiu Buta
August 19, 2020 at 10:47 am
Reaper is best.
CNET
August 20, 2020 at 6:53 pm
Never tried it but interested. Isn’t that what Aphex Twin uses?
Fast-Life Shark
August 19, 2020 at 12:39 pm
FL Studio 😀
CNET
August 20, 2020 at 6:52 pm
Solid
Jesse Leepe'r
August 19, 2020 at 10:04 pm
Ummm.. You can open the second window in the view tab of Ableton to view both views on 1 screen. Correct that please. 😂🤣 No ups for Logic.
CNET
August 20, 2020 at 6:52 pm
That’s good to know. Will def try it.
Brian J. Musick
August 20, 2020 at 3:49 am
Is that a Digidesign Control 24? If so, is it fully functional with Logic?
CNET
August 20, 2020 at 6:51 pm
I didn’t have it working with Logic but that would be great. I’m sure there’s a way just don’t know how to right now.
Brian J. Musick
August 20, 2020 at 8:56 pm
@CNET seriously, that’s my favorite control surface that’s ever been created. I would love to get it working with Logic