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Pro Audio: Apple Makes a Statement with Logic Pro X 10.5 Update

If you’ve read my earlier post about my favorite DAW software, you’ll know that my personal preference (especially for mixing) is Avid Pro Tools. However, with the recent release of Logic Pro X 10.5, Apple continues to offer an impressive and extensive set of features that makes it easier than ever to bring your musical ideas to life. Apple has called 10.5 a “breakthrough release for musicians and producers,” and after we go through some of the newest features, you’ll see why.

Apple’s Logic Pro X 10.5 update consists of three pillars that enhance the music production workflow. It includes a powerful looping engine called Live Loops, an impressive synthesizer and sampling system duo called Sampler and Quick Sampler, and a suite of beat creation tools that consist of a Step SequencerDrum Synth, and Drum Machine Designer. These new features are a great addition for anyone who uses the Logic platform, but creators of electronic music should be especially pleased.


Live Loops

Apple Logic Loops and Logic Remote Apps on iPhone and iPad

With Live Loops, Logic users can organize and playback loops, samples, and recordings using Logic’s new musical grid. The flexibility of the grid enables performers and producers to be spontaneous and capture virtually limitless ideas right into the Logic timeline. Apple has clearly made an effort to help musicians and producers focus more on creating while trying to make the user interface more transparent. It’s always a great thing when the digital music creation process is improved and made more accessible.

There’s also a feature called Remix FX, which works with Live Loops to offer a host of electronic effects that can all be performed in real-time, either on individual tracks or the entire mix. And of course, you can pair your iPhone or iPad with your Mac for some impressive but often forgotten integration with Logic, which will enable Multi-Touch control over these new capabilities.


Sampler and Quick Sampler

Apple Sampler, the next-gen upgrade to the EXS24 Synthesizer Plugin

In Logic 10.5, Apple’s powerful EXS24 synthesizer plug-in, now called Sampler, receives a major upgrade, with a fresh coat of paint and new, more-extensive controls. If you’re a long time user, you’ll be happy to know that the next-generation Sampler is backward compatible with previous versions of EXS24. Producers and electronic musicians are sure to enjoy using Sampler to create and edit virtual instruments that utilize multiple samples. In keeping with the theme of ease-of-use, Sampler also features simple drag-and-drop capability that makes automated production tasks a breeze.

Quick Sampler, which can be thought of as a sister plug-in to Sampler, allows for a fast and easy way to make any individual sound into an electronic instrument. Using Quick Sampler, Logic offers multiple ways to select a sound — the Finder, Voice Memos, or even the microphone built into your Mac. With the integrated tools inside Quick Sampler, you’ll be able to trim, loop, and use a MIDI keyboard to play your newly created instrument. Because the workflow has been so well executed by the Apple software team, this can literally happen in seconds. It’s pretty cool and pretty fun.


Beat Creation

The third pillar of the Logic Pro X 10.5 update includes impressive tools for beat creation, including a new Step Sequencer, Drum Synth, and Drum Machine Designer.

Step Sequencer

Step Sequencer in Logic Pro X 10.5

This new editor in Logic, modeled after classic drum machines, is designed to make it easy to program beats, bass lines, and other melodies. Step Sequencer makes it easy to create patterns quickly while also offering a full suite of editing options with control over the parameters you might expect, including note velocity, repeat, playback direction, randomization, and more.

Drum Synth

The all-new Drum Synth in Logic 10.5 is an extensive library of synthesized kick drums, snares, toms, and percussion sounds. Logic users can sculpt multiple aspects of each individual sound using “sound-shaping controls” and can use these sounds on any pad within the new Drum Machine Designer. Tinkerers will be able to create all sorts of sounds that can then be blended with other samples.

Drum Machine Designer

Logic Pro X 10.5 – Drum Designer

The upgraded Drum Machine Designer tool can now integrate with the new sampling and beat-programming features described earlier in this post. Each drum pad is incredibly flexible — throw a Quick Sampler on one pad, while using Drum Synth plug-ins on another. You can create the exact kit you want, whether you’re using included presets or designing all of the sounds yourself for a truly custom instrument. Perform them in real-time or use the integrated Step Sequencer to program something complex.


Logic Remote

Lastly, Logic Remote has received a useful update as well. If you’ve never used the Logic Remote app before, it is a free download from the app store that allows you to pair an iPhone or iPad with your Mac to control Logic and various instruments using Multi-Touch. With the newest update, which coincides with LPX 10.5, you can now trigger sounds in Live Loops, browse and add loops, and apply Remix FX to your session. On a more basic level, it’s really handy if you’re a one-person operation and want to control recording and playback while you’re in your vocal booth.


Conclusion

One of the great things about Apple’s handling of the Logic Pro X platform is that each upgrade has been free for existing users. Since its initial release, Logic Pro X has been a full-featured DAW and offers great built-in tools to help you start making music immediately after install. With each incremental upgrade, Apple continues to raise the bar and is likely to attract more up and coming producers and artists to its platform.

I have to admit, I played with the new 10.5 upgrade for a while in preparation for this article, but did so for longer than I expected. Not only are the new features powerful (and essentially free), but the integration between these tools really allows you to focus more on making music and less on figuring out how to make the software do what you want — and that is invaluable.

Logic Pro X is available on the App Store for $199. It’s arguably the best deal for professional DAW software.


Joshua Sularski
the authorJosh Sularski
Josh Sularski is a lifelong musician and audio engineer with over 20 years of experience. He is currently a producer and mix engineer based out of the Indie Room at Covert Station in Brooklyn, NY.
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9 Comments

  • I have seen loads of useful elements on your web site about desktops. However, I’ve the view that lap tops are still more or less not powerful adequately to be a option if you often do projects that require plenty of power, including video touch-ups. But for internet surfing, microsoft word processing, and quite a few other frequent computer work they are okay, provided you may not mind the little screen size. Many thanks sharing your opinions.

  • I like logic but I use it only to record real musicians and singers, so all the electronic music stuff is useless to me. I’m so tired of hearing sounds that start their life in an oscillator circuit.

    • Thanks for reading Steve! It is true that most of the new features in Logic are geared towards those who work more in genres that utilize a lot of electronic elements.

      I think there have been some nice under-the-hood improvements in logic over the years — i like some of their mix automation workflow better than that in Pro Tools. I still think there are occasionally delay compensation issues Logic when you start routing the audio in complex ways.

  • Installs under Mojave.
    Doesn’t seem to work under Mojave
    Going to bone down on the logs to see why, but it would be nice if the installer checked OS if not compatible.

      • Yeah 10.14.6.
        I’m gonna have to break out console and get to the bottom of this.

          • Nah, my laptop is not a big concern. I’m currently consumed with Mojave on my 2013 Mac Pro. It’s completely destroyed the performance of that computer.
            Essentially I cannot get more than 30-45 minutes of anything done before Kernel Task jumps in and starts throttling CPU/GPU.
            Spent the last week trying all the normal (easy) approaches to this kind of issue. Looks like I am going to revert back to High Sierra. If that works than I will have to assume some KEXT I can’t find is not compatible with Mojave.

            • On my Mac Por I rolled back to High Sierra. I obviously have some old Kexts or other codebases that are not running native on Mojave.
              I’ve been running this computer continuously for 6 years so it’s not a huge surprise. However with all the annoying authorizations for software, I don’t want to re-install from scratch on a clean install.
              I still haven’t figured out what the problem with my Mac Air is. It is not a substantial computer, but I would like to be able to work on sequences and stuff while traveling.