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Apple today released updates for Logic Pro for iPad and macOS, adding Mastering Assistant, the Sample Alchemy plugin, Beat Breaker for reshuffling audio in real time, 32-bit recording and more.

New in Logic Pro for Mac 10.8:

• Mastering Assistant – Mastering Assistant is an effect plug-in that offers a quick and easy way to add final professional polish when you’re creating a release-ready mix. Mastering Assistant, which is available in the stereo output channel of a project, analyzes the audio and fine-tunes the sound through dynamic adjustments, frequency-balance corrections, and timbre enhancements.
• Sample Alchemy – With the Sample Alchemy instrument plug-in, you can transform a single audio sample into a playable instrument using a variety of synthesis techniques, including granular, additive, and spectral synthesis. You can create a wide range of sounds, such as unique sound beds, pads, effects, and rhythms. .
• Beat Breaker – With the Beat Breaker multi-effect plug-in, you can radically reshape and reshuffle audio in real time, slicing audio, rearranging it, and adding scratching effects. In addition to playing back slices in a different order, you can set the speed, direction, and volume with a given number of repeats for each slice. All these slice playback features define patterns that you can change on the fly.
• Slip and Rotate tools – The Tools menu in the Tracks area and time-based editors now includes Slip and Rotate tools, which you can use to move content in audio and software instrument regions without moving the region boundaries. See Tools common to multiple working areas.
• 32-bit recording – You can record at 32-bit depth (floating point) with a compatible audio interface. The advantages of 32-bit recording are that you can later remove digital clipping that occurred during the recording simply by lowering the gain of the audio region, and you can increase the gain of a recording made at a low level without increasing the noise floor.
• New sound packs – Two new sound packs are available: the Hybrid Textures sound pack contains 70 patches as well as over 80 Apple Loops featuring Sample Alchemy. The Vox Melodics sound pack contains a diverse collection of over 475 lyrical phrases, hooks, layered harmonies, FX and one-shots. You can download these and other sound packs using the Sound Library Manager.

New in Logic Pro for iPad 1.1:

• Mastering Assistant – Mastering Assistant is an effect plug-in that offers a quick and easy way to add final professional polish for a release-ready mix. Mastering Assistant, which is available in the stereo output channel of a project, analyzes the audio and fine-tunes the sound through dynamic adjustments, frequency balance corrections, and timbre enhancements.
• Quick Sampler Recorder mode – The Quick Sampler plug-in features Recorder mode, that lets you create instruments and drum kits by directly recording audio with the built-in microphone or a connected audio input. You can set when recording starts and turn on monitoring to hear the signal while recording.
• Interact with other apps using Split View and Stage Manager – Move seamlessly between Logic Pro and other apps with added support for Split View and Stage Manager.
• Add multiple audio files using drag and drop – Select and drag multiple files from the Files app to quickly build drum kits or add stems to a project.
• Preview multiple patches, loops, or samples in the Browser – Quickly preview multiple samples, loops, or instruments in the Browser by touching and holding a Preview button, then dragging up or down. See Overview of patches, Add Apple Loops to your project, and Work with samples in the Browser.
• 32-bit recording – You can record in 32-bit depth (floating point) with a compatible audio interface. The advantages of 32-bit recording are that you can later remove digital clipping that occurred during the recording later by lowering the gain of the audio region, and that you can increase the gain of recordings made at a low level without increasing the noise floor.
• New content, including in-app Lessons and sound packs – Logic Pro features new Lessons covering a broad range of topics, including the Mastering Assistant, Sample Alchemy, and Beat Breaker plug-ins, beat making, automation, sound packs, and Play Surfaces. Two sound packs are now available: the Hybrid Textures sound pack contains 70 patches as well as over 80 Apple Loops featuring Sample Alchemy. The Vox Melodics sound pack contains a diverse collection of over 475 lyrical phrases, hooks, layered harmonies, FX, and one-shots.

For details see the Apple website.

Apple today unveiled Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for iPad, applications that establish the iPad as a content creation platform on a par with traditional desktops.

Since the device was introduced by Steve Jobs in 2010, many have considered the iPad primarily to be a device for consuming media, rather than authoring media. With the iPad now using the same powerful processors as Apple’s desktop computers, though, interest has grown in running desktop applications on it.

With Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for iPad, Apple is bringing industry-standard professional media applications to the iPad, but with new multi-touch interfaces.

Logic Pro for iPad puts the power of professional music creation in the hands of the creator — no matter where they are — with a complete collection of tools for songwriting, beat making, recording, editing, and mixing. Apple says that it “combines the power of Logic Pro with the portability of iPad to unlock an all-in-one professional music creation app”.

With Multi-Touch gestures, music creators can play software instruments and interact naturally with controls, as well as navigate complex projects with pinch-to-zoom and swipe-to-scroll. Plug-in Tiles put the most useful controls at the creator’s fingertips, making it easy to quickly shape sounds. With the built-in mics on iPad, users can capture voice or instrument recordings, and with five studio-quality mics on iPad Pro, users can turn virtually any space into a recording studio.

Creators can also make precision edits and draw detailed track automation with Apple Pencil, and connect a Smart Keyboard Folio or Magic Keyboard to utilize key commands that speed up production.

Diving into the detail, an all-new sound browser puts all available instrument patches, audio patches, plugin presets, samples and loops in a single location, and you can tap any sound to audition it before you add it to a project.

And there’s certainly plenty of content to play with: Logic Pro for iPad ships with more than 100 instruments and effects, with the multitouch-capable interfaces enabling you to bring them to life.

New Sound Browser

A new sound browser uses dynamic filtering to help music creators discover the perfect sound whenever inspiration strikes. The sound browser displays all available instrument patches, audio patches, plug-in presets, samples, and loops in a single location, and users can tap to audition any sound before loading it into a project to save time and stay in their creative flow.

Professional Instruments and Effects Plug-Ins

Creators can shape the sonic qualities of their music with over 100 powerful instruments and effects plug-ins in Logic Pro. Effects like vintage EQs, compressors, and reverbs let users tweak and fine-tune their tracks. With Multi-Touch, creators can play instruments using a variety of play surfaces. Logic Pro on iPad comes with a massive collection of realistic-sounding instruments and powerful synths including Sample Alchemy — a new sample manipulation instrument that can transform any audio sample with the tap of a finger.

Beat Making and Production Tools

Producers can chop and flip samples, program beats and bass lines, and craft custom drum kits with a set of beat making and production tools. Beat Breaker, a new time and pitch-morphing plug-in, lets music creators swipe and pinch to radically reshape and shuffle sounds. Quick Sampler can chop and transform audio samples into entirely new playable instruments, and Step Sequencer lets users program drum patterns, bass lines, and melodies, and even automate plug-ins with just a few taps. Drum Machine Designer enables the creation of custom drum kits by applying samples and unique plug-ins to any drum pad. With Live Loops, users can capture inspiration and quickly build arrangements by mixing and matching musical loops.

Pro Mixer

A full-featured mixer — complete with channel strips, volume faders, pan controls, plug-ins, sends, and precise automation — gives users everything they need to create a professional mix entirely on iPad. Multi-Touch enables creators to mix intuitively and move multiple faders at once, and the mixer meter bridge lets them quickly navigate an overview of track levels, all from iPad.

Import and Export

Logic Pro for iPad supports roundtrip capabilities, making it easy to move projects between Logic Pro for Mac and iPad.

iPad users can export their finished songs in a variety of compressed and lossless audio formats, as well as individual audio track stems. Music creators can make a soundtrack in Logic Pro for iPad and export it into Final Cut Pro for iPad — providing flexibility for working across music and video.

Logic Pro for iPad also supports the ability to open projects created in GarageBand for iOS, so users can take their music to the next level with pro features and workflows.

Final Cut Pro for iPad

In addition, Apple introduced Final Cut Pro for iPad, which introduces a powerful set of tools for video creators to record, edit, finish, and share, all from a portable device.

Final Cut Pro for iPad introduces a new touch interface and intuitive tools that allow for new workflows for video creators. A new jog wheel makes the editing process easier enables users to interact with content in new ways. They can navigate the Magnetic Timeline, move clips, and make fast frame-accurate edits with a tap of a finger.

With Live Drawing, users can draw and write directly on top of video content using Apple Pencil. On iPad Pro with M2, Apple Pencil hover unlocks the ability for users to quickly skim and preview footage without ever touching the screen. They can also speed up their workflows by adding a Magic Keyboard or Smart Keyboard Folio to utilize key commands. Creators can view and edit HDR video and apply color grades with accuracy using Reference Mode.

Pro Camera Mode and Multicam Video Editing

Pro camera mode brings greater control to the creation process on iPad. Video creators can shoot high-quality video in portrait or landscape orientation, monitor audio and available recording time, and manually control settings like focus, exposure, and white balance.

Creators can capture, edit, and publish from a single device while in the field, and on iPad Pro with M2, users can even record in ProRes. With multicam video editing, clips can automatically be synchronized and edited together, and users can even switch angles in a multicam clip with just the touch of a finger.

Fast Cut Features with Machine Learning

Final Cut Pro for iPad harnesses the power of Apple silicon and machine learning to speed up time-consuming editing tasks. With Scene Removal Mask, creators can quickly remove or replace the background behind a subject in a clip without using a green screen. Auto Crop adjusts footage for vertical, square, and other aspect ratios, and with Voice Isolation, background noise can easily be removed from audio captured in the field.

Scene Removal Mask uses machine learning to analyze a shot and isolate a subject, removing the background with just a tap.

Pro Graphics, Effects, and Audio

Video creators can choose from a vast library of professional graphics, effects, and audio. These include HDR backgrounds, customizable animated patterns, and professional soundtracks that automatically adjust to the length of a video.

Import and Export

Editors can import supported media from Files or Photos, and save it directly inside a Final Cut Pro project. Final Cut Pro for iPad also supports the ability to import projects created in iMovie for iOS,4 and iPad users can export their Final Cut Pro projects to Mac.

Final Cut Pro is compatible with M1 chip iPad models or later, and Logic Pro will be available on A12 Bionic chip iPad models or later. Final Cut Pro for iPad and Logic Pro for iPad require iPadOS 16.4. Starting Tuesday, May 23, Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for iPad will each be available on the App Store for $4.99 per month or $49 per year with a one-month free trial.

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Apple recently announced that it’s Spatial Audio technology – which is powered by Dolby Atmos – can now be experienced via Apple Music.

However, the potentially bigger news for music makers is that “immersive audio” authoring tools are coming to Logic Pro later this year.

The news was confirmed in a blog post extolling the virtues of Spatial Audio written by Apple Music’s co-head of Artist Relations, Zane Lowe.

“Music in modern times has often been all about innovation,” says Lowe. “From multichannel recordings, to electric guitars, mics, and synthesizers, to tape echo and samplers, to MIDI and iPod – so many technologies have been invented to play, capture, record, mix, and share music.

“With Spatial Audio musicians, engineers, and producers have this amazing new tool to bring a new 3D experience to millions of people. It all starts from one new tool for artists to experiment with and then eventually you end up with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band; you end up with Pet Sounds.”

Confirming the news of the forthcoming Logic Pro update, Lowe says: “Apple is building immersive music-authoring tools directly into Logic Pro later this year. So any musician will be able to create and mix their songs in Spatial Audio for Apple Music – whether they’re in the studio, at home, or wherever.”

It remains to be seen whether Dolby Atmos-fuelled ‘3D audio’ technologies such as Spatial Audio will become the norm – to be fair, Lowe also makes it clear that “no one is coming in and canceling stereo, just like they didn’t cancel mono” – but Apple’s support will certainly provide a big boost in profile, and possibly in uptake, too.

Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, Speaking to Billboard, he said:

“I’ve been waiting for something in music that was a real game-changer,” he says. “The quality of audio has not been able to really rise because there hasn’t been anything out there that when you listen to it, it truly is differentiated to everybody. It doesn’t matter whether you’re eight years old or 80 years old, everyone can tell the difference and everyone knows this one sounds better than the other one.

“And the analogy to that is obviously the first time you ever saw HD on television: you knew which one was better because it was obvious. And we’ve been missing that in audio for a long time. There really hasn’t been anything that’s been substantial. We’ll talk about lossless and other things, but ultimately, there’s not enough difference.

“But when you listen for the first time and you see what’s possible with Dolby Atmos with music, it’s a true game-changer. And so, when we listened to it for the first time, we realized this is a big, big deal. It makes you feel like you’re onstage, standing right next to the singer, it makes you feel like you might be to the left of the drummer, to the right of the guitarist. It creates this experience that, almost in some ways, you’ve never really had, unless you’re lucky enough to be really close to somebody playing music.”