Apple brings award-winning synth back from the dead

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logic-pro-x
The new Alchemy synthesizer is center-stage in today's updates to Logic Pro X and MainStage 3.
Photo: Apple

Apple released updates today for Logic Pro X and MainStage 3, adding a famous synthesizer and other fun goodies. This synthesizer, called Alchemy, for the most part isn’t an Apple original – it was previously an award-winning piece of software from Camel Audio, which Apple acquired at the beginning of the year. Now it has officially resurfaced in Apple’s professional audio apps.

Alchemy includes several sound generators and over 3,000 presets for various genres of electronic music, including dance, hip hop and rock. It also comes with a whole bunch of other treats that musicians and producers will no doubt celebrate like a preset browser, new tools for creating instruments and new sound effects.

Outside of Alchemy, the Logic Pro X 10.2 and MainStage 3.2 updates deliver new features like over 1,000 new Apple Loops for a number of instruments. Both apps also now support the Force Touch trackpad on the new MacBook and newer MacBook Pros. Artists using Logic Pro and Apple Music can share their work directly to their followers in Connect, too.

The Logic Remote, free in the iOS App Store, received an update today as well to support Alchemy in Logic Pro X.

Apple updated GarageBand in June with similar new features revolving around Apple Music and more EDM and hip-hop influences. Disappointingly, neither GarageBand nor Logic Pro X (or MainStage) have gotten Yosemite-style redesigns yet, though the design of Alchemy individually does suggest a refresh is coming eventually.

The Alchemy synthesizer and additional new features come today as a free update to Logic Pro X 10.2 and MainStage 3.2. They’re both available in the App Store for $199.99 and $29.99 respectively.

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