Skip to main content

Logic

See All Stories

MacBook Pro Touch Bar support for Logic Pro X coming early next year

Site default logo image

touch-bar-garageband-macbook-pro

Apple impressed me with the apps it had ready for the new MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar at launch. It’s not just limited to button replacements or system functions, which you can customize, but will also support Final Cut Pro, Terminal, GarageBand, Maps, iTunes, Calendar, Djay Pro, Photoshop, and lot of other Apple and third-party apps when customers start receiving the first orders in the weeks to come.

But as a daily Logic Pro X user, I noted the lack of mention for Apple’s pro audio suite at the unveiling of its new Pro notebook. The good news: we’ve learned from a source familiar with the company’s plans that the Logic Pro team is currently targeting early next year for Touch Bar support.


Expand
Expanding
Close

First look: Using Apple’s new Audio Unit plug-ins in iOS 9

iOS-9-AU-plugin-remaster

With iOS 9 released late last month, Apple introduced a full-fledged audio plug-in framework for the first time on its mobile devices, allowing iPhone and iPad apps to implement support for third-party audio plug-ins just like on a Mac.

In fact, the audio plugin framework comes in the form of Audio Unit version 3, an updated version of the file type Apple has long used on the Mac for audio plug-ins in professional-class apps like Logic Pro.

Now that iOS 9 is available to all, we took the feature for a test drive using a couple of the very first apps to update with support…
Expand
Expanding
Close

The Logic Pros: Moog Sub 37 is one of the best hardware synths for the money

In this week’s episode of The Logic Pros, we are taking a look at the Moog Sub 37. Another analog instrument from legendary synth powerhouse Moog, the Sub 37 takes it up a notch offering a much deeper feature set and refined workflow compared to its baby brother, Sub Phatty.

In last week’s review we found that Sub Phatty was a more than capable instrument that brings Moog’s world famous sound at an, all things considered, affordable price tag. While the Sub 37 will certainly be reaching into your pockets a little deeper, it comes with just about everything the Sub Phatty has to offer, and then some. I might even make the argument that in some ways, for the price, it outshines Moog’s $3,000 – $5,000 Minimoog Voyagers:
Expand
Expanding
Close

The Logic Pros: Automate tedious MIDI edits into a single-click with Logic’s Transform feature

In this week’s episode of The Logic Pros, we will be looking at ways to speed up our editing and song creation with LPX’s MIDI Transform feature. In many cases, manually working Logic’s Piano Roll editor will get the job done, but there are certainly times when editing MIDI performances/events can be a very tedious process. Getting those extended performances just right or zeroing in on problem areas for complex passages can’t take hours (or days) to get right in some cases. But with LPX’s MIDI Transform features we can get many of these types of arduous tasks done in just a few clicks:


Expand
Expanding
Close

The Logic Pros: How to create Retro Synth patches with custom wavetables and multi-voice stacking

The Logic Pros-Retro Synth-01In this week’s episode of The Logic Pros, we will take one final look at some of the new additions to Logic Pro X 10.1. We have already gotten a taste of a number of very helpful new features including custom plug-in menus, Track Stacks, the Brush Tool and the powerful new Drummer features, but today Retro Synth is on tap.

While Logic already had a number of classic synth-inspired virtual instruments like ES1, 2 and more, we are talking about instruments that have been around for 10 years+. A serious breath of fresh air for Logic users, Retro Synth (RS) wraps all the major synthesis disciplines of yesteryear – classic subtractive, hard sync, FM and more – into one, neatly packaged virtual instrument. Not only does RS standup to many of the basic analog synth emulations out there, but the LPX 10.1 wavetable updates just put it toe-to-toe with many of the $200+, third-party flagships:
Expand
Expanding
Close

Logic Pro X 10.1 arrives w/ tons of new sounds, AirDrop sharing, redesigned plug-ins, & editing improvements

Site default logo image

Logic Pro X 10.1

Apple today released a new version of Logic Pro X, its professional audio editing software, bringing the current version to 10.1 and adding a long list of new features. Among the new additions to Logic Pro X in version 10.1 includes 10 new Drummers, the intelligent beat profile feature, focused on hip hop and electronic styles. OS X Yosemite users will appreciate the ability to share projects from Logic Pro X to other users using both Mail Drop, which lets you send large files over email using iCloud storage, and AirDrop, which lets you share files wirelessly between nearby Macs.

In addition to updating Logic Pro X, Apple released version 1.2 of its Logic Remote iPad app with a new plug-in view for remotely controlling parameters and adding or rearranging plug-ins. The new version also allows you to adjust mic and input settings with compatible audio interfaces from the app. Apple’s MainStage 3 Mac app ($29.99) updated to version 3.1 as well. You can read our full review of Logic Pro X here, and see the full change log of new features below:


Expand
Expanding
Close

Review: Apple wireless keyboard for Logic Pro X from EditorsKeys

Site default logo image

Logic-Pro-X-keyboard-02

There are a few companies that make skins specifically for Apple’s keyboards to add icons for the various shortcuts that pros use daily in apps like Logic Pro and Final Cut. I’ve tried a few in the past, but the benefits never seemed to outweigh the tradeoff of putting a clunky rubber skin over Apple’s masterfully built keyboard. The latest Logic keyboard I received in for review from EditorsKeys, however, has actually won me over and proven up to the task of permanently replacing my stock Apple keyboard.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Editors Keys turns Apple’s wireless keyboard into the first Logic Pro X shortcut keyboard

Site default logo image

Logic-Pro-X-wireless-keyboard-01

Editors Keys today announced the first ever wireless shortcut keyboard for Apple’s recently released Logic Pro X audio suite.  The keyboard sports 150 shortcuts and the company notes it was also able to fit in some extra shortcuts as icons sitting behind the text on each key. Perhaps the best part of the new Logic Pro X keyboard is the fact that Editors Keys used an actual Apple wireless keyboard for the product, which means you’ll be able to swap out your current Apple keyboard without sacrificing the look and feel. The company says it worked with the Logic Pro X community to develop the best experience possible for users: 
Expand
Expanding
Close

Gift Guide: The complete guide to home music production on your iPad or Mac

Site default logo image

MUSIC_GIFT_GUIDE_HERO

With an iPad and few accessories, these days anyone can have a functional recording studio in their home for less than the cost of a Mac. Whether you’re just getting started and want a modest iPad recording setup in your living room, or you’re looking to setup a full-blown home studio with your Mac, our comprehensive gift guide below will walk you through all the essentials and save you some cash in the process.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Logic Pro X review: Powerful new features & a simplified UI with no compromises for pros

Site default logo image

Logic-Pro-X-01

Apple’s new release of Logic Pro X marks the first time in nearly six years that the company has completely overhauled the app’s UI. It’s been a long time coming for pros like myself that rely on the application, and to make things even sweeter, Apple is promising more than just a fresh coat of paint this time around.

There’s no ignoring the backlash Apple experienced just two years ago with its redesign of Final Cut Pro X and the removal of pro features in return for an elegant, streamlined interface. The question is, does Logic’s slick new interface come with compromises for professionals? Or has Apple learned from its mistakes with FCPX?
Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple releases OS X 10.8.3 to the public with Mac App Store camera gift card redemption, Boot Camp improvements & fixes

Site default logo image

Screen Shot 2013-03-14 at 4.21.32 PM

Following the release of OS X Mountain 10.8.3 build 12D78 to developers earlier this week, Apple today released 10.8.3 to the public with a number of new features and enhancements. One of the more notable new features is the ability to redeem iTunes gift cards using the Mac’s built-in camera within the Mac App Store. It’s a feature that Apple originally introduced with iTunes 11 in November.

Other improvements in today’s release include support for install Windows 8 in Boot Camp and Boot Camp support for Mac’s using 3TB hard drives. Users had previously been using workarounds to utilize Boot Camp on Macs with hard drives larger than the utility’s old 2.2TB limit.

The release also includes Safari 6.0.3 and audio related fixes for Logic Pro and 2011 iMacs:

-The ability to redeem iTunes gift cards in the Mac App Store using Mac’s built-in camera
-Boot Camp support for installing Windows 8
-Boot Camp support for Macs with a 3TB hard drive
-A Fix for an issue that could cause a file URL to quit apps unexpectedly
-A fix for an issue that may cause Logic Pro to become unresponsive when using certain plug-ins
-A fix for an issue that causes audio to stutter on 2011 iMacs
-Includes Safari 6.0.3

Site default logo image

Steinberg brings popular Cubase DAW to iOS with ‘Cubasis’ iPad app

Cubasis-iPad-app-02

Steinberg, makers of popular digital audio workstation Cubase and innovators of the VST format for virtual instruments and plug-ins, this week announced the release of a new iPad app. Not surprising to anyone familiar with Cubase on the desktop, the “Cubasis” iPad app at first glance appears to go well beyond the functionality of Apple’s Garageband. However, the app will also cost a little more at $49.99 on the App Store.

Features include unlimited tracks (48 voices: iPad 2, iPad mini, 64 voices: iPad 3, iPad 4), more than 70 virtual instrument sounds modeled after HALion Sonic, and the ability to “sequence other CoreMIDI apps (MIDI recording only) and run Cubasis simultaneously via background audio.”

You’ll also be able to export projects to Cubase and Cubase Artist 7/6.5. Screenshots and a full list of features are below:

Key features
• Unlimited audio and MIDI tracks (depends on the device used)
• Over 70 virtual instrument sounds based on HALion Sonic
• MixConsole with over 10 effect processors
• Over 300 MIDI and audio loops
• Virtual keyboard and virtual drum pads
• Sample Editor and Key Editor
• Export projects to Cubase, Dropbox, SoundCloud, AudioCopy and email
• Core Audio and Core MIDI compatible hardware supported
• Sequence other CoreMIDI apps (MIDI recording only) and run Cubasis simultaneously via background audio
• Audio import from iTunes music library, AudioPaste, Wi-Fi server and iTunes file sharing
• Audio mixdown and MIDI export

Site default logo image

Apple updates Logic Pro & Logic Express to version 9.1.8

Apple just pushed out updates to Logic Pro 9 and Logic Express, bringing both up to version 9.1.8 and introducing a ton of fixes and performance enhancements. The update is also for the Mac App Store version of Logic Pro.

Release notes for both below:

About the Logic Pro 9.1.8 Update:

General

  • Additional content downloads now behave correctly when installing on OS X Lion and OS X Mountain Lion.
  • Resolves an issue in which the Save As command sometimes resulted in an alert dialog in Logic 9.1.7.

Audio

  • Fixes an issue that caused an Airplay dialog to repeatedly appear.
  • Relaunching the audio driver now reliably applies changes made to the buffer size.

Performance and Stability

  • Resolves performance issues when using plug-ins that provide frequent graphic feedback.
  • Resolves an issue that could cause an abnormally large monitoring delay after a computer wakes from sleep.

Plug-ins and Instruments

  • Fixes an issue with ES2 that could create distortion when a sidechain was used as the modulation source.
  • Tuner now responds consistently when used in a channel strip that also contains plug-ins which introduce latency.
  • The MIDI channel for a multi output software instrument is no longer changed when adding Aux outputs when there are regions on the track.

Compatibility

  • Logic now properly maintains Aux assignments for multi-output instances of Kontakt that are migrated from earlier versions to Kontakt 5.
  • Resolves an issue in which deleting tracks took longer than expected if Melodyne Editor was inserted on a track.

About the Logic Express 9.1.8 Update:

General

  • Resolves an issue in which the Save As command sometimes resulted in an alert dialog in Logic 9.1.7.

Audio

  • Fixes an issue that caused an Airplay dialog to repeatedly appear.
  • Relaunching the audio driver now reliably applies changes made to the buffer size.

Performance and Stability

  • Resolves performance issues when using plug-ins that provide frequent graphic feedback.
  • Resolves an issue that could cause an abnormally large monitoring delay after a computer wakes from sleep.

Plug-ins and Instruments

  • Fixes an issue with ES2 that could create distortion when a sidechain was used as the modulation source.
  • Tuner now responds consistently when used in a channel strip that also contains plug-ins which introduce latency.
  • The MIDI channel for a multi output software instrument is no longer changed when adding Aux outputs when there are regions on the track.

Compatibility

  • Logic now properly maintains Aux assignments for multi-output instances of Kontakt that are migrated from earlier versions to Kontakt 5.
  • Resolves an issue in which deleting tracks took longer than expected if Melodyne Editor was inserted on a track.