Hi Logic-users! Some people have asked if there was an FAQ for Logic. Well, there wasn't, so I cloned the FAQ from the Cubase Users mailing list (thanks Ian!). Please do send me your additions/corrections/comments! Here it is: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for the logic-users mailing list. =================================================================== Version 0.1 dated Sept 20th 1994. -------------------------------- This file contains questions and answers from the logic-users mailing list. These are in no particular order, and designed to clue you in on some of the most common subjects which have been discussed on the list recently. To join the Logic Users list, send email to: logic-users-request@mcc.ac.uk asking to be subscribed. If you prefer writing to automatic registration daemons (aka LISTSERVers), send the text: subscribe logic-users to the address: majordomo@mcc.ac.uk Depending on whether Majordomo can validate your address, you'll either be automatically subscribed, or a message is sent to the list administrator asking for approval for your request. To talk to the other list subscribers, send email to: logic-users@mcc.ac.uk Please do not send subscription or unsubscription requests to the list itself, or send messages intended for the list to the list maintainer. To subscribe to a digestified version, send email to: logic-users-digest-request@mcc.ac.uk or, if you prefer automatic subscription, send the text: subscribe logic-users-digest to the address: majordomo@mcc.ac.uk <----------> Quick Index: Which computer for Logic? What version of Logic? Unpopular operating systems? Where's the Logic archive? Digestified version of the mailing list? Related materials. <----------> Q: Which computers does Logic run on? A: Logic runs on: Atari STFM/ST/STE/TT and Falcon Apple Macintosh and clones IBM PC and clones (with Microsoft Windows) Q: I want to buy a computer to run Logic; which one should I buy? A: "It depends". If you're planning to use your computer for other things, then buy whichever one the "other things" will run on. If you're restricted by financial constraints, then you can probably buy a second-hand Atari ST for very little money, and Logic will run happily providing it has at least 1Mb of memory. The ST has built-in MIDI connectors, so you don't have to buy an interface. Many people already have a PC. If you already have a PC which can run Windows, then you also need to buy an interface card. Logic supports most of the popular MIDI cards. However, the design of Windows and the PC is not really suitable for real-time programs such as MIDI sequencers, and Windows itself is very, very slow. You may have to buy a PC which is far more powerful than you should really need in order to overcome the design problems of Windows. If you're buying for the first time, then the Macintosh range is likely to be your best bet. This doesn't suffer from the same problems as the PC, and comes in a wide variety of machines, from those not much more powerful than the Atari ST, up to high-end machines at least as powerful as the biggest PC you can buy. The Macintosh is an excellent machine, and prices are coming down all the time. The Atari Falcon also looks like a good machine. Most of the problems with Logic have been ironed out, and a Falcon will also give you a reasonable sampler or direct-to-disk recording system for a good price. It doesn't have a wide range of other software available, as do the Macs and PCs, but as a purely musical computer it is not bad, I think. Q: What are the differences between various computers running Logic? A: They're remarkably similar. This is a great advantage, since you can move from one computer to another and not have to re-learn your sequencer. The main differences are caused by the peculiarities of each type of machine, the essential core of the software is identical. For example, certain of the mouse commands which are used on Logic for the Atari are "stolen" by Windows on the PC, so you have to use a right button click instead of a double left button click to change arrangement names on the PC. On the Mac, where you only have one mouse button, you increment and decrement value boxes by clicking or dragging in various places around the box, rather than using either left or right buttons. There are, of course, also differences which are there because some features supported by one version of Logic aren't in the earlier versions which run on other computers, but these are getting fewer with each new release. Q: What are the current versions of Logic? For the Atari range: 2.0 is the latest version, Falcon included. For the Apple Macintosh: 2.0 is the latest version For the IBM PC and clones: Logic 1.9 is the latest version. Logic 2.0 is due "within reasonable time". Q: What are the current versions of Logic Audio? For the Atari Falcon: Logic Audio 2.0 For the Macintosh: Logic Audio 2.0 For the PC and clones: not yet available. Q: What's the minimum hardware configuration for Logic? A: For the ST, you need an ST. It should have at least 1Mb of memory, and you'll need 2Mb to do anything serious. A hard disk is very useful. For the PC, any machine capable of running Microsoft Windows should be able to run Logic. This means at least a 16MHz '386SX. 2Mb of memory will be a tight squeeze, go for 4Mb if you can. For the Mac, just about any recent machine will do. Without the overhead of Windows, any 68030-based or better Mac is a killer. Interfaces which connect to the serial or parallel ports let you do MIDI with no need for an expansion slot. Q: Where and what is the Logic archive? A: It's a normal Internet anonymous ftp service, i.e. a machine that you can upload and download files to/from using the Internet ``ftp'' command. The name of the machine is "ftp.mcc.ac.uk", and the directory name for the Logic archive is "pub/emagic". There is an "incoming" directory where you can upload things. This directory is world-writable, but NOT readable. This means, that although you can put stuff there, you cannot see what is already there. The archivist prefers to put files in their appropriate directories. To be able to do so, please leave an email message to Fokke.de.Boer@rivm.nl telling that you uploaded something. And please, tell also what it is, how it is called, and where you suggest it be placed... Q: Is there an archive for the logic-users mailing list? Can I get "back issues"? A: Yes, there is an archive containing all the messages posted to the list since the very first day, available through the anonymous ftp server. The messages are stored in "pub/emagic/ListArchive" at ftp.mcc.ac.uk; Messages are put together in so-called mbox-format per month. To save disk usage, they are also compressed using gzip, a public domain compression utility. Q: Can I get the logic-users mailing list in a "digestified" form? A: Yes, subscribe to logic-users-digest-request@mcc.ac.uk, rather than logic-users-request@mcc.ac.uk. Each day's messages are collected and distributed at 15:00 U.K. time. If you're already subscribed to the non-digestified list, and want to be moved, drop a note to the list maintainer (logic-users-request@mcc.ac.uk). Q: Where can I find other MIDI-related materials? A: The Internet has a vast distributed library of all sorts of information, programs and software. Many archive sites have MIDI-related materials. UseNet newsgroups often contain monthly postings with lots of pointers to places where you can download MIDI stuff from. There is a very new archive at: ftp.mcc.ac.uk:pub/MIDIMISC which contains a small but growing number of MIDI-related files. A very large MIDI archive is located at: ftp.cs.ruu.nl:pub/MIDI There are many other MIDI and music-related services on The Internet, and other Internet-accessible networks ("The Outernet"). For useful MIDI and synthesizer information, read the UseNet newsgroup rec.music.makers.synth. If you have a Kurzweil K2000, check out the archive at ftp.uwp.edu. Lots of samples. Want to expand your sample collection? UseNet News has a newsgroup which contains just samples; tune in to alt.binaries.sounds.misc. Standard MIDI files can be found in various places on the Net, see the UseNet group alt.binaries.sounds.midi. --