Apple's Logic Pro X gets massive update with new effects, tools, AirDrop support and more

Posted:
in Mac Software edited January 2015
Apple on Wednesday released a huge update to its Logic Pro X professional digital audio workstation, complete with fresh drum and synth effects, redesigned plug-ins, an expanded sound library and support for new OS X features like AirDrop and Mail Drop.




Among the many highlights of Logic Pro X version 10.1 are new Drummers, a feature introduced with Logic Pro X in 2013 that gives users access to an automatically generated virtual session player. Today's update packs in ten new Drummers covering electronic and hip hop styles including Techno, House, Trap, Dubstep and more.

Drummer also comes with refreshed sound and performance controls for tuning electronic or hip hop beats.

"I've seen everything out there, but I use Logic Pro X because it gives me everything I need to tackle every phase of music production," said Dave Tozer, who produces music for John Legend, Jay-Z, Kanye West and other big-name artists. "People are blown away by how fast the new version of Logic lets me work, and?how quickly I can generate ideas, perform sophisticated edits, and create awesome sounding mixes."

New functional plug-ins include a revamped Drum Machine Designer with new sounds and features tailored to electronic kits, while a redesigned Compressor plug-in boasts a scalable, Retina display-ready interface and 7 models including the new Classic VCA. A new plug-in manager keeps everything organized with customized menu views.

As for instrument additions, Apple built in Retro Synth functionality for creating wavetables from imported audio, stackable up to eight voices. The standard sound library has been extended to include more than 200 new synth patches and 10 Mellotron instruments.

Other new features include:
  • 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 realtime
  • Smart Quantize proportionally corrects the timing and length of notes to preserve the musicality of your original performance
  • 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
  • Realtime rendering of fades allow them to work with Flex Pitch and speeds up project load times
Finally, Logic Pro X now supports Mail Drop and Air Drop for transporting large files in OS X Yosemite.

Logic Pro X version 10.1 is a free update for existing users, while new customers can buy the app for $199.99 from the Mac App Store.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 29

    So the new Mac Pros are finally coming?

  • Reply 2 of 29
    hexclockhexclock Posts: 1,243member
    I hope new Mac Pros are coming. I'm in the market for an updated machine and still on Logic 9. This update only strengthens my resolve to acquire a new one.
    I am so glad that Apple continues to develop Logic because it is a fantastic program.
  • Reply 3 of 29
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Not yet showing in updates in west Florida ... I am excited!

    EDIT

    It still isn't showing in updates for me but it is available here

    https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/logic-pro-x/id634148309?mt=12
  • Reply 4 of 29
    judasjudas Posts: 14member
    I've heard mention of Trent Reznor working on secret projects at Apple since the Beats acquisition... I'm curious if this is one of them. It would make sense to get him on that end of it. He did his first album on a Mac Plus!
  • Reply 5 of 29
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,310moderator
    brlawyer wrote: »
    So the new Mac Pros are finally coming?

    Intel released Haswell EP chips at the end of last year, there was a rumor about 14-core but they actually go up to 18-core:

    http://ark.intel.com/products/81059/Intel-Xeon-Processor-E5-2697-v3-35M-Cache-2_60-GHz
    http://ark.intel.com/products/81061/Intel-Xeon-Processor-E5-2699-v3-45M-Cache-2_30-GHz

    These would support DDR4 memory so higher than 64GB. AMD has new GPUs they can use too. However, I think the next move is to go Retina to bring the Mac Pro up to par with the 5K iMac. Thunderbolt 3, which has 40Gbps per port will support 5K displays but only comes with Skylake. There's Broadwell-EP between Haswell and Skylake but Intel could ditch Broadwell EP just like they can ditch Broadwell H for the MBP.

    Apple made a $100m investment to bring the updated Mac Pro out. If they sold 50k units per quarter at an ASP of $4k, that's $800m revenue, which should cover the investment. They might even have room to lower the entry price back to $2499 like before once the investment cost is paid off or they can put a 6-core or 8-core at the entry price.

    They can put Haswell EP and new AMD GPUs in any time but I reckon the Mac Pro will still be on a 2 year upgrade cycle so that the upgrades are compelling.

    I'd say Skylake EP would be a huge upgrade because that would be two generations above 18-core Haswell. Consider:

    24-core/48-thread Skylake EP
    128GB, possibly more DDR4 RAM
    2TB SSD running at 3GB/s
    AMD GPUs with double the performance of D700s with 16GB video memory
    6x Thunderbolt 3 with 40Gbps allowing 3x 5K ($1499?) Thunderbolt displays as well as full USB 3 bandwidth

    That would likely be in 2016 sometime but it could be early 2016, only a year or so away. A Haswell upgrade could come just now but it's not an impulse buy and a 2 year upgrade cycle makes more sense for that line IMO.
  • Reply 6 of 29
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,695member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post





    Intel released Haswell EP chips at the end of last year, there was a rumor about 14-core but they actually go up to 18-core:



    http://ark.intel.com/products/81059/Intel-Xeon-Processor-E5-2697-v3-35M-Cache-2_60-GHz

    http://ark.intel.com/products/81061/Intel-Xeon-Processor-E5-2699-v3-45M-Cache-2_30-GHz



    These would support DDR4 memory so higher than 64GB. AMD has new GPUs they can use too. However, I think the next move is to go Retina to bring the Mac Pro up to par with the 5K iMac. Thunderbolt 3, which has 40Gbps per port will support 5K displays but only comes with Skylake. There's Broadwell-EP between Haswell and Skylake but Intel could ditch Broadwell EP just like they can ditch Broadwell H for the MBP.



    Apple made a $100m investment to bring the updated Mac Pro out. If they sold 50k units per quarter at an ASP of $4k, that's $800m revenue, which should cover the investment. They might even have room to lower the entry price back to $2499 like before once the investment cost is paid off or they can put a 6-core or 8-core at the entry price.



    They can put Haswell EP and new AMD GPUs in any time but I reckon the Mac Pro will still be on a 2 year upgrade cycle so that the upgrades are compelling.



    I'd say Skylake EP would be a huge upgrade because that would be two generations above 18-core Haswell. Consider:



    24-core/48-thread Skylake EP

    128GB, possibly more RAM

    2TB SSD running at 3GB/s

    AMD GPUs with double the performance of D700s with 16GB video memory

    6x Thunderbolt 3 with 40Gbps allowing 3x 5K Thunderbolt displays as well as full USB 3 bandwidth



    That would likely be in 2016 sometime but it could be early 2016, only a year or so away. A Haswell upgrade could come just now but it's not an impulse buy and a 2 year upgrade cycle makes more sense for that line IMO.

    I agree.  Better for Apple to wait till Skylake with 5K display support. 

  • Reply 7 of 29

    I think a MacPro update depends on when Skylake is due to come down the pipe.  It will bring with it Thunderbolt 3, with 40Gb/s connectivity.  That has been rumoured to come out near the end of 2015- if that's the case, then i don't see Apple updating the MacPro again in the interim.

     

    • edit- see Marvin's post

  • Reply 8 of 29
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Marvin View Post





    Intel released Haswell EP chips at the end of last year, there was a rumor about 14-core but they actually go up to 18-core:



    http://ark.intel.com/products/81059/Intel-Xeon-Processor-E5-2697-v3-35M-Cache-2_60-GHz

    http://ark.intel.com/products/81061/Intel-Xeon-Processor-E5-2699-v3-45M-Cache-2_30-GHz



    These would support DDR4 memory so higher than 64GB. AMD has new GPUs they can use too. However, I think the next move is to go Retina to bring the Mac Pro up to par with the 5K iMac. Thunderbolt 3, which has 40Gbps per port will support 5K displays but only comes with Skylake. There's Broadwell-EP between Haswell and Skylake but Intel could ditch Broadwell EP just like they can ditch Broadwell H for the MBP.



    Apple made a $100m investment to bring the updated Mac Pro out. If they sold 50k units per quarter at an ASP of $4k, that's $800m revenue, which should cover the investment. They might even have room to lower the entry price back to $2499 like before once the investment cost is paid off or they can put a 6-core or 8-core at the entry price.



    They can put Haswell EP and new AMD GPUs in any time but I reckon the Mac Pro will still be on a 2 year upgrade cycle so that the upgrades are compelling.



    I'd say Skylake EP would be a huge upgrade because that would be two generations above 18-core Haswell. Consider:



    24-core/48-thread Skylake EP

    128GB, possibly more DDR4 RAM

    2TB SSD running at 3GB/s

    AMD GPUs with double the performance of D700s with 16GB video memory

    6x Thunderbolt 3 with 40Gbps allowing 3x 5K ($1499?) Thunderbolt displays as well as full USB 3 bandwidth



    That would likely be in 2016 sometime but it could be early 2016, only a year or so away. A Haswell upgrade could come just now but it's not an impulse buy and a 2 year upgrade cycle makes more sense for that line IMO.

     

    Where'd you hear the $100 million number?

     

    I also agree we won't see a serious update until Skylake. Apple could up the core counts though, like they did with the 2007 Mac Pro.

  • Reply 9 of 29
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by brlawyer View Post

     

    So the new Mac Pros are finally coming?




    Have the new Intel chips come out yet?  That should answer your question.

  • Reply 10 of 29
    john.bjohn.b Posts: 2,742member

    I don't need a bunch of new features in Logic nearly as much as I need bug fixes.

  • Reply 11 of 29
    canukstorm wrote: »
    I agree.  Better for Apple to wait till Skylake with 5K display support. 

    Apple doesn't wait for Skylake for 5K. The upcoming FirePro/R series baseline GPGPUs come out of the box with H.265 hardware based encode/decode and 5K support.

    Mac Pros aren't waiting on Intel for 5K.
  • Reply 12 of 29
    hexclockhexclock Posts: 1,243member
    john.b wrote: »
    I don't need a bunch of new features in Logic nearly as much as I need bug fixes.
    Hopefully some are quietly rolled in.
  • Reply 13 of 29
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,695member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer View Post





    Apple doesn't wait for Skylake for 5K. The upcoming FirePro/R series baseline GPGPUs come out of the box with H.265 hardware based encode/decode and 5K support.



    Mac Pros aren't waiting on Intel for 5K.

    Doesn't 5K support require Thunderbolt 3 / DisplayPort, which is only going to be implemented on chipsets that support Skylake?

  • Reply 14 of 29
    canukstorm wrote: »
    Doesn't 5K support require Thunderbolt 3 / DisplayPort, which is only going to be implemented on chipsets that support Skylake?

    Apple could simply use a similar 5K solution as that created for the Retina iMac - waiting for Skylake just to have TB3 or a new DP is ridiculous.
  • Reply 15 of 29
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    john.b wrote: »
    I don't need a bunch of new features in Logic nearly as much as I need bug fixes.

    What bugs have you suffered?
  • Reply 16 of 29
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,695member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by brlawyer View Post





    Apple could simply use a similar 5K solution as that created for the Retina iMac - waiting for Skylake just to have TB3 or a new DP is ridiculous.

    Skylake and TB3 are around the corner.  According to Intel, it'll available 2nd half of this year.  It isn't like it's years away.  Jumping on the Haswell-EP upgrade, just for the sake of upgrade, right now, makes no sense.

  • Reply 17 of 29
    Uh...new MacPro....5K display.....Logic Pro X is making a lot of music for me on a mid 2009 C2D 2.8 MacBook Pro!!!
  • Reply 18 of 29
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by brlawyer View Post





    Apple could simply use a similar 5K solution as that created for the Retina iMac - waiting for Skylake just to have TB3 or a new DP is ridiculous.



    No, it's not possible- the Retina iMac uses internal busses and a custom controller chip to drive the 5K display.  Once you're talking about an external monitor it's restricted by the thru-put of the cable, in this case Thunderbolt 2's 20Gbps.  That's fast enough for 4K displays, but not 5K (about 25Gbps needed).  There's simply not enough bandwidth in a single cable.  Some 5K displays are coming out with dual-link Thunderbolt- which would split the signal across 2 Thunderbolt busses, but that has it's own downsides.

     

    Thunderbolt 3 will with it's 40Gbps thru-put will more than meet the needs of any 5K display (or multiple 5K displays) for the MacPro, and any future Macs.  This is why there's currently no Retina Apple Cinema Display, cause there isn't a Mac that could make any use of it until Skylake comes out.

  • Reply 19 of 29
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by John.B View Post

     

    I don't need a bunch of new features in Logic nearly as much as I need bug fixes.




    The release notes show a long list of fixes and improvements.

  • Reply 20 of 29
    Looks like an awesome update.
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