A year and a half after Logic Pro X hit shelves, Apple has released the biggest update to its pro music software yet. The 10.1 update focuses on electronic dance music and hip-hop, adding new tools, drummers and more for the would-be Kanyes and Skrillexes out there.
Apple released Logic Pro X in July 2013, touting it as the most advanced version of its digital audio workstation and MIDI sequencer app for OS X. It’s a hard-core app for music professionals who need more advanced functionality than GarageBand can offer them.
Here’s what is new in today’s update:
• 10 new drummers that produce beats in a variety of electronic and hip-hop styles including techno, house, trap and dubstep.
• Drummer provides specialized sound and performance controls for dialing in electronic or hip-hop drum grooves.
• New Drum Machine Designer plug-in offers new sounds and features for customizing electronic drum kits in a variety of styles.
• Create a sequence of notes with a single mouse gesture using the new Brush Tool in the Piano Roll Editor.
• New view options in the Piano Roll Editor let you see more notes in less vertical space and help identify drum sounds by name.
• Easily compress or expand the timing of selected notes with new time handles in the Piano Roll Editor.
• Note Repeat and Spot Erase modes allow classic drum-machine-style techniques for creating beats in real time.
• Smart Quantize proportionally corrects the timing and length of notes to preserve the musicality of your original performance.
• Redesigned Compressor plug-in features scalable, Retina-ready interface and seven models including the new Classic VCA.
• Retro Synth can now create wavetables from imported audio and is able to stack up to eight voices.
• Expanded sound library includes more than 200 new synth patches and 10 classic Mellotron instruments.
• Automation can now be part of a region, not just the track, which makes it easier to use effects creatively.
• Manage large-scale mixes more easily with the addition of console-style VCA faders.
• Relative and Trim Automation modes extend the options for fine-tuning existing automation.
• Mixer now allows remote control of microphone and other input settings for compatible audio interfaces.
• Real-time rendering of fades allow them to work with Flex Pitch and speeds up project load times.
• The Plug-in Manager now allows you to customize the organization of your menu.
• Support for Mail Drop and Air Drop in OS X Yosemite makes it even easier to share your Logic projects.
Logic Remote gets an update too
Logic Remote, the official remote-control app for iPad, has also just seen an update, adding a new plug-in view for Logic and more to the free app.
If you’re already a Logic Pro X user, the 10.1 update should be pushed to you automatically through the Mac App Store. New users can buy it from the same place, but expect to spend a fair amount: It costs $199.