For over 20 years Apple’s Logic Pro has been the choice of digital audio workstation (DAW) and MIDI sequencer. This is the case for a myriad of producers and artists. It just got a whole lot better with the Logic Pro X update! Last Tuesday, Apple launched a newer version of its market-leading music production software. The highly anticipated Logic Pro X version 10.7 was released on January 26, 2023. It now offers producers a smoother workflow experience along with many new creative features and tools. Let’s have a look at the latest Logic Pro update in this article.
What Is Logic Pro X?
Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Apps Product Marketing recently described the Mac and Logic Pro X as “essential tools used by the world’s top musicians and producers to create the music that we all love.” She goes on to say: “from those just getting started with Logic, to those already using it to produce Grammy Award-winning albums. We can’t wait to hear what these artists create next.”
“Apple’s music production software has been used for years on many productions and the new version will make it even faster for us to create lasting songs.” — Denzel Baptiste and David Biral of Take a Daytrip, Grammy-nominated producers of Lil Nas X, “Panini”; Sheck Wes, “Mo Bamba”; Travis Scott and Kid Cudi, “THE SCOTTS”; Juice WRLD, “Legends”; Dua Lipa, “Good In Bed”; and YBN Cordae, “Kung Fu.”
What Is The Current Version Logic Pro X?
Logic Pro X 10.7.7 is a powerful digital audio workstation designed by Apple. It features an intuitive interface that makes it easy to create professional-sounding music. It includes a variety of virtual instruments, audio effects, and looping tools.
The current version of Logic Pro X also supports third-party plug-ins and offers advanced mixing and mastering capabilities. The latest version also includes new features such as the Drum Machine Designer, Step Sequencer, and Live Loops.
What Are The Features Of The Current Version Logic Pro X?
I’m sure you are all wondering what the latest features are for the Logic Pro X and we will now go into more detail of each of these for you.
Live Loops
On release, Apple referred to the Logic Pro X 10.5 as ” the biggest update to Logic since the launch of Logic Pro X.” One of the biggest changes to this version is the addition of Live Loops in a range of instruments and genres.
With the addition of Lives Loops, Logic Pro X 10.5 now allows musicians to produce music with full creativity in nonlinear ways. You can order loops, recordings, and audio samples into a new musical table where artists can perform and capture different arrangement ideas into the timeline. Tracks can further be edited using all the specialised production tools in Logic.
The Logic Pro X 10.5 is especially suited for techno, pop, and hip-hop producers. The Remix FX feature improves Live Loops through an updated collection of electronic effects like Bitcrusher, filter, gater, and repeater. You can add all these effects in real-time over an individual track or an entire song mix. The new plug-in Remix FX allows for unique gestural control over Logic Pro X’s main output or any other audio track or instrument. The Live loops and Remix FX features are also available on the free Logic Remote app – giving you multi-touch control from your iPhone or iPad.
Novation Launchpad Possibilities
With the arrival of Live Loops, Logic Pro x 10.5 now also supports Novation’s Launchpad series. Launchpad’s famed colourful 8×8 grid offers cell-based looping playback and performance to Logic Pro. The new hands-on experience offered by combining these two products will definitely make music production a lot more fun!
Release notes:
- Compose music by arranging and triggering cells in a grid using loops, samples, and your recordings
- Perform and capture freeform arrangement ideas into the tracks area
- Add Remix FX to perform creative effects like filters, gates, repeaters, and bitcrusher
- Use Logic Remote on your iPad or iPhone to perform Live Loops and Remix FX using Multi-Touch gestures to trigger several loops or effects simultaneously
Sampler
The Logic Pros’ sampler embodies the next generation of the industry-leading EXS24 plug-in, however, the new software also comes with an all-new modern design and expanded sound-shaping controls. Just about anything is possible with the sampler; creating tracks, editing sophisticated multi-sampled instruments, using elegant drag-and-drop workflows that automate complex production tasks and so much more. Release notes
- Create and edit sophisticated multi-sampled instruments using a drag and drop workflow
- New modern design provides synthesis, mapping, and zone editing in a single-window interface
- Integrated zone editor offers detailed control over start, end and loop points
- Mapping editor enables fast and flexible assignment of samples across the keyboard
- Flex Time has been integrated into Sampler allowing sounds to be played at the same length, regardless of pitch
- Auto Sampler automates the process of converting MIDI-enabled hardware and software instruments into Sampler instruments
- Supports all existing EXS24 instruments
Quick Sampler
Sounds from within Logic, Voice Memos, and audio files from the Finder are just a few examples of the sounds that can be turned into a playable instrument using the Quick Sampler. You can cut down, edit and loop, every downloaded sample as well as mix it with different creative sound-shaping tools, and play it across a keyboard controller in just a few clicks. This tool can even turn sounds directly recorded into Quick Sampler into a playable instrument.
Release Notes:
- Import a single audio file to instantly build a playable sampled instrument
- Quick Sampler automatically identifies the root note, optimal loop points, and matches your project tempo
- Use Slice mode to chop a vocal or drum sample into multiple slices that can be triggered on a keyboard
- Record live samples using a microphone, external hardware, or from any track or bus
Drum Synth And Drum Machine Designer
An electronic drum kit is crucial to DAWs so it’s no surprise Apple significantly upgraded the Drum Synth sounds and its tool for building electronic drum kits. The drum synth for Logic Pro X 10.5 includes many classic and unique percussion sounds such as kick drums, snares, toms, etc. – all generated entirely by software! Not only is there a variety of drums sounds at your disposal, each sound can also be altered using sound-shaping controls. This should help producers really fine-tune the best parts of their projects.
The drum machine designer is now integrated with the new sampling and beat-programming workflows. Shaping and editing individual sounds within a drum kit is much easier now that Apple has enabled users to host the new Quick Sampler and Drum Synth plug-ins from each drum pad. You can play and program the drum kits in real time. You can also use the Drum Synth sounds on any pad in the Drum Machine Designer. Finally, you can even blend these sounds with samples for creative sound design options.
Release notes:
- Use Drum Machine Designer to build custom drum kits by dragging and organizing samples
- Directly access Quick Sampler or Drum Synth controls on any pad
- Easily assign any instrument or third-party plug-in to a pad
- Perform any sound chromatically to create bass lines or other melodic parts
Step Sequencer
Step Sequencer is also an entirely new feature for version 10.5. Apple implementer this editor in Logic to make it easy for producers to add in and programme drum beats, bass lines, and melodic parts using an interface inspired by classic drum machine workflows. Beat Creation is an essential part of hip hop and electronic music production, so Apple has redesigned Logic Pro with exactly this in mind. For creating original parts, the Step Sequencer combines a pattern-based style of music creation with powerful editing options. This tool is great for providing detailed control over note velocity, repeat, gate, skip, playback direction, and randomisation.
Release notes:
- Build your own beats, melodies and effect automation using an interface inspired by classic drum machine workflows
- Create and edit patterns with discrete control over velocity, repeat, chance, offset, step rate, skip and tie for each row
- Use any patch as a sound source, including custom kits made with Quick Sampler and Drum Machine Designer
- Includes a library of over 150 rhythmic and melodic patterns
Optimised Performance For The Mac
When it comes to working with the most demanding projects with thousands of tracks and hundreds of real-time plug-ins, you will hardly experience lagging or system crashes. Apple has optimised Logic Pro X to take advantage of the latest Mac hardware and the power of macOS, providing producers with incredible performance.
Current Version Logic Pro X – Additional Features
- Over 2,500 new loops in a variety of instruments and genres covering modern and classic hip-hop, electro house, reggaeton, future bass, techno, and transition effects
- 17 Live Loops starter grids covering a range of electronic and hip-hop genres
- More than 70 new Drum Machine Designer kits
- Over 1,500 new patches
- Original multi-track project of Billie Eilish’s “Ocean Eyes”
- The Drum Synth plug-in generates synthesized kicks, snares, toms, and hi-hats with dedicated sound shaping controls
- You can drag individual or multiple audio files or software instrument regions into an empty track header. This provides instant options for creating Sampler, Quick Sampler, Drum Machine Designer, or Alchemy instruments
- Multiple additional enhancements and stability improvements
Current Version Logic Pro X – 10.7.7
Now if you really want to take an even deeper dive into the Logic Pro X, then by all means, watch this release party stream to get more info. It was released 2 months ago, but everything is still relevant.
Conclusion – Current Version Logic Pro X
As far as DAWs go, there isn’t much that Logic Pro doesn’t already do. The sheer number of instruments and effects already included in the base program did lead to many users of the software wondering why it even needed to be updated and how it would affect its usability.
However, instead of adding in more complex features, many of the changes for version 10.5 of Logic Pro focus on GUI and workflow. All to make it easier for the user! Even new features, instruments, and effects such as Live Loops or Alchemy are very easy to use and get to grips with – you will be laying down beats and producing hit tracks in no time!
If you aren’t already using this top-notch DAW we strongly recommend you look into purchasing it! Logic Pro X is available from the Mac App Store for $199.99, with a 90-day trial available. For existing users, version 10.5 is available now as a free update.
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