Rating: 
Summary: The Portal to Logic Universe (including Express)
Review: I bought Logic Express 6 one month ago, and like many first timers in sequencing softwares I was shocked at how non-intuitive this program was. I searched for help in the users manual, and that was another major disapointment. It is spectacurlarly badly written and breaks all boundaries in how to disorient a user. Later when I found that there wasn't alternative literature for Logic Express a real feeling of regret came over me. Before I gave up completely I bought this book in a last desperate act of saving my investment...and what a surprise!!!!
At the beggining of every chapter there is an estimate of how long each lesson takes, so if you have a really crowded schedule (like me) it is easy to plan your advances. The lessons are extremely well paced, the text is fun and encouraging, every exercise is fully illustrated with screenshots and accompaned with specially designed media in the CD-ROM package - THRE IS NO WAY YOU CAN GO WRONG!!
Many readers are decieved by the title: "Apple Pro Trainning Series: Logic 6" and think it is a comprehensive course to master Logic, but it isn't!! It's written right on the cover: "Certification Level 1". This book is a portal to Logic universe and that's exactly why every (new) Logic user, including express users, can profit from it. This course is too basic to point out the real big differences between versions, in my opinion, this book is perfectly suitible for both kinds of users.
It's a must have for newbies!!
The only reason that i haven't given maximun rating is due to the undeserved attention to the score editor. I rely quite a lot in musical notation on my day-to-day activity and the fact that this editor is not explored properly is a real downer for me. But if you don't care about musical notaion stop reading this review and buy it now!
Rating: 
Summary: Don't Bother...
Review: After ordering this book some weeks ago, I am STILL waiting for the hardware key to unlock the 30 day demo disc. If you already have Logic 6 then I'm sure you'll learn something from it but if you want to use the demo disc... forget it.
Rating: 
Summary: WARNING: 30-day demo of Logic does NOT come with book!
Review: contrary to what the book cover says, the 30-day demo of Logic Platinum 6 is NOT included in the book -- you have to order the hardware key from Peachpit
Press' website. I've been waiting to receive mine for over 2 weeks and haven't received a response from Peachpit Press regarding the status of my order. why is this such a big deal? because the book is intended to be read/used while sitting in front of Logic - it's tutorial based. without an XSKey you can't run Logic. without running Logic you can't really participate fully in the tutorials the book presents.the main reason i purchased this book was to evaluate Logic and see if it was enough of a worthwhile investment to switch platforms (I currently use MOTU's Digital Performer). i was so excited to finally receive the book (ordered it from Amazon), so imagine my disappointment when i found out I couldn't really use Logic until I received the hardware key. why on earth Peachpit Press decided to do it this way is beyond me. surely i'm not the only one they [ticked]off. i really don't see why they didn't include the key WITH the book. surely they've heard of shrinkwrap. other than the annoying problem of not being able to do the tutorials and use Logic, the book looks promising in terms of the content covered and the authors' writing style. it seems to be intended for those with little to no experience using Logic, though it does assume familiarity with using a DAW/sequencer. perhaps if i finally receive the hardware key I'll consider changing my review to something more positive. as it is now, i'm still miffed at Peachpit Press.
Rating:
Summary: Peachpit ran out of XSKeys! Can't run Logic software!
Review: Greetings,
For all of those who are considering buying this book for the 30-day demo of Logic Platinum, I suggest against it.
I purchaced my Apple Pro Training Series: Logic 6 book 6 weeks ago, and have not yet recieved the hardware key (XSKey) from Peachpit Press to enable the Logic Platinum software that comes with the book.
Without this software, as others have pointed out, the book looses much of its value. The book is written with the intention of having the reader work through the lessons with the demo version of Logic Platinum.
I have been able to communicate over the phone with Peachpit Press, but all emails to them in the past 4 weeks have gone unanswered so far. The person I've been speaking with at Peachpit Press has been very helpful. Confused as to why I have not recieved my XSKey, she discovered that Peachpit Press has ran out of XSKeys and eMagic, the makers of those keys, are not planning on sending more.
Apparently, Peachpit Press required no proof of purchace to recieve an XSKey in the past, and the URL for requesting the key was made public on the internet. Unfortunately, it sounds like Peachpit Press shipped most of their keys to individuals who never purchaces the Apple Pro Training Series: Logic 6 book.
The most unfortunate fact is that I am unable to return the book, because the Logic Platinum software sleeve (CD in the back of the book) has been opened. Ironically, one must open the CD to get the URL to order the XSKey.
I hope others benefit from my expense. I found no notices regarding this on the Peachpit Press website nor in the Amazon reviews for this book, and wanted to get the word out before others find themselves in my situation.
Fortunately, the woman I've been speaking with at Peachpit Press claims they will "make good" on this situation. And possibly offer a rebate/refund at some as-of-yet undetermined future date. That's the most I have to look forward to.
Best wishes,
Joe
Rating: 
Summary: Not a pro manual, but adequate for Logic newbie
Review: I bought this Apple manual because the Logic Platinum 6 full manual is downright bad (max 1.5 stars out of 5): language poor, layout poor, index awful, repeats itself.
So, now I've finished this Brock & Sitter tutorial; I did it straight through, as recommended; and I'd say the pluses and minuses are as follows:
Pluses:
1. Tutorial material (example songs) all worked and were well co-ordinated with the text.
2. Major orientation of me to Logic's layout happened (which is what I was aiming at). Now I can go ahead and do recording, editing, etc., without having those annoying 'what the hell is an Environment Object'? and such-like questions gnawing at me, which I couldn't seem to solve using the Emagic manual.
3. Writing is adequate for what it attempts, and does not waste words (well, a little...see below).
4. Good illustrations in the book that helped the flow of information and often helped me find the right place on the screen and do the right thing when I did. Minuses
1. If I knew anything at all about Logic, I'm pretty sure I'd have been disappointed. It's not a pro manual.
2. In order to get my understanding of how Logic operates, I had to line one complete chapter with handwritten notes and essentially write my own analysis of the deep abstract structure of Logic (which I may post on the web some day). While this manual gave me enough...um...condudrum structures...to work with to achieve this analysis, it sure didn't do it for me. (On the other hand, the real Emagic manual didn't even give me a place to start from; it was hopeless trying to get oriented from it).
3. Whoever added the marketing jargon, inane pleasantries and idiot-level enthusiasms into the text (thankfully usually only at the end and beginning of chapters), spoiling the otherwise sparse and efficient descriptions, deserves to have their keyboard revoked for a week. (Example from page 312: "This arrangement is complete! You just did a lot in 12 steps. But that's how fast things go when you get good at using Logic!")
4. As with every Apple manual I've ever had (and lots of others), it smelled like toxic inks. I left it open in the sun each day to air out before using it. Interestingly, peripheral Mac books (like Pogue's Secrets, or the Emagic Logic manual) usually smell like almost nothing, and are probably made of soy-based inks on uncoated paper. (Reminds me that the SF bay area is now discovering computer-industry source Brominated toxins in the Bay water at alarming rates.)
Bottom line: if a better book comes out, get it. If not, this is a better place to start than the Emagic manual (if you're new to the program).
sr
Rating:
Summary: Very Nice .... Now How About a Book for Express Users?
Review: I bought this book with the intention of using it to learn Logic Express, Emagic's budget version of their flagship audio production tool. At present there are really no books out there to learn Logic Express, and I was banking on the possibility of the two versions being similar enough to prove this tutorial a worthy aid. And that it is, for the most part. As most users will attest, Logic is no picnic to learn, and Express users be warned: there are in fact enough differences in many menu commands to render later exercises in the book undoable. The space bar doesn't start and stop files playing (which is weird, that works in most other apps), and the user is instructed to do this regularly throughout the book. These are just examples to consider if you're thinking of using this volume and its accompanying CD rom to learn Logic Express To the book's credit, I did get enough of a sense of using the program to try to figure some functions out on my own, with occasional success. It is better written than some of the other Pro Training Series titles, and truly strives to make a very complex program comprehendible, if not easier to learn. I got through it quickly enough .... but that is unfortunately because I ended up skipping some exercises I couldn't complete, or in some cases, even start. Once again, this review comes from the experience of one who purchased the Express version of Logic 6, with advise to others: you will probably find this book 70% useful in getting a grasp on the application, and be forced to fill in the blanks with your own gray matter. And maybe that's not such a bad thing. Hopefully Apple Pro Training will soon come up with a Logic tutorial "for the rest of us".
Rating:
Summary: Very Nice .... Now How About a Book for Express Users?
Review: I bought this book with the intention of using it to learn Logic Express, Emagic's budget version of their flagship audio production tool. At present there are really no books out there to learn Logic Express, and I was banking on the possibility of the two versions being similar enough to prove this tutorial a worthy aid. And that it is, for the most part. As most users will attest, Logic is no picnic to learn, and Express users be warned: there are in fact enough differences in many menu commands to render later exercises in the book undoable. The space bar doesn't start and stop files playing (which is weird, that works in most other apps), and the user is instructed to do this regularly throughout the book. These are just examples to consider if you're thinking of using this volume and its accompanying CD rom to learn Logic Express To the book's credit, I did get enough of a sense of using the program to try to figure some functions out on my own, with occasional success. It is better written than some of the other Pro Training Series titles, and truly strives to make a very complex program comprehendible, if not easier to learn. I got through it quickly enough .... but that is unfortunately because I ended up skipping some exercises I couldn't complete, or in some cases, even start. Once again, this review comes from the experience of one who purchased the Express version of Logic 6, with advise to others: you will probably find this book 70% useful in getting a grasp on the application, and be forced to fill in the blanks with your own gray matter. And maybe that's not such a bad thing. Hopefully Apple Pro Training will soon come up with a Logic tutorial "for the rest of us".
Rating:
Summary: Great Tutorial
Review: I purchased this book so I could get the 28 day demo and try out Logic before purchasing. I was possibly switching from another program, and wanted to get a feel for Logic. I had heard how "hard" Logic was, and wanted to see for myself.
This book got me started and much more. I don't believe I would have been able to get going in Logic without this book. The tutorials walk you through the basics, and the information provided is very clear and easy to follow. The book and the included lessons on CD work together excellently, and by the end of the book, I was getting around nicely in Logic. Of course there is a lot more to learn, but I feel like I have gotten a good foundation by working with this book. One disappointment for me was that there wasn't a chapter on the score features of Logic. Since this was one of the reasons I was purchasing the program, this omission was annoying. One problem...though the book and CD demo are supposed to be for both OSX and OS9, the Demo wouldn't open on OS9, the system I'm using. I called the publishers, Peach Pit Press, and they were extremely helpful in getting out to my very quickly a CD for OS9. I was impressed with their customer support.
Rating:
Summary: Great Tutorial
Review: I purchased this book so I could get the 28 day demo and try out Logic before purchasing. I was possibly switching from another program, and wanted to get a feel for Logic. I had heard how "hard" Logic was, and wanted to see for myself.
This book got me started and much more. I don't believe I would have been able to get going in Logic without this book. The tutorials walk you through the basics, and the information provided is very clear and easy to follow. The book and the included lessons on CD work together excellently, and by the end of the book, I was getting around nicely in Logic. Of course there is a lot more to learn, but I feel like I have gotten a good foundation by working with this book. One disappointment for me was that there wasn't a chapter on the score features of Logic. Since this was one of the reasons I was purchasing the program, this omission was annoying. One problem...though the book and CD demo are supposed to be for both OSX and OS9, the Demo wouldn't open on OS9, the system I'm using. I called the publishers, Peach Pit Press, and they were extremely helpful in getting out to my very quickly a CD for OS9. I was impressed with their customer support.
Rating: 
Summary: Should be included with Logic software!
Review: I was first a Studio Vision user, then a Digital Performer user. Then two events occurred that made me want to try Logic: 1) DP was slow to go to OS X & 2) Apple bought emagic (the maker of Logic). So, I picked up Logic Big Box, which is Logic Audio with some added instruments and sounds. I was shocked after I loaded Logic and tried to use it. It's not intuitive at all, the interface is confusing, the help is useless, and simple things are missing like tool tip's (the text that shows up when you hold the mouse-arrow over an icon). I really thought about switching back to DP or over to ProTools. But I thought I'd give it another chance by ordering this book and working through it... Glad I did - I now like Logic. This manual is not only well written and well structured, it's a got great hands-on examples in the lessons. I can't recommend it enough. ***If you are new to Logic (regardless of whether you are new to computer-based recording), get this book!*** Apple should really include it with the software...
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