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.
John Brownlee is a writer for Fast Company, and a contributing writer here at CoM. He has also written for Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, VentureBeat, and Gizmodo. He lives in Boston with his wife and two parakeets. You can follow him here on Twitter.
2 responses to “Logic Pro X just got its biggest update yet”
Given what other compatible DAWs cost, $199 is a steal.
I started out with Pro Tools LE way back, went to GarageBand when it got good enough, and moved to Logic Pro X when I updated to Mavericks. It’s wonderful. As easy to use as GarageBand, but with tons of features under the hood for those who need them.