Logic Pro 12 is out

[paisleywookiee]

Apple Releases Logic Pro 12: When Chords Start to Collaborate

In Apple’s new Logic Pro 12, a few chords can give rise to entire soundscapes that seem to develop almost on their own. Out now!

www.gearnews.com

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Glad it’s a free update as it doesn’t seem too substantial. The major increments in version numbers seem to have more to do with which computers they’re severing updates for, than introducing any major upgrades. Things have kind of trickled along since X (which was really the last major change, IMO).

 

[paisleywookiee]

Glad it’s a free update as it doesn’t seem too substantial. The major increments in version numbers seem to have more to do with which computers they’re severing updates for, than introducing any major upgrades. Things have kind of trickled along since X (which was really the last major change, IMO).

Agreed. That being said, I've loved Logic for quite awhile, so I'm happy with its progression.

 

[gonzoknife]

Downloading. The chord id feature is something I've wanted for a while.

 

[Genghis]

Downloading. The chord id feature is something I've wanted for a while.

I just used it to fill out an arrangement around a guitar riff I laid down. Dragged the audio up to the chord track to get the chords, then set the bass player and a couple of keyboard tracks to follow the guitars track along with the chords. Chord ID made one error, but I fixed that. Bass track is much better than I expected and far better than I could do myself for a quick demo.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Most underwhelming update. Several bugs still not fixed. Still no working ARA. Meh.

 

[TheTrueZoltan!]

I have been using Logic since the late nineties, when it did not yet belong to Apple. However, its development during this decade simply does not meet my wishes and priorities in any way, and I am very happy that I switched to Cubase a few years ago. I still have Logic installed so that I can open old projects, but whenever I open it, it just seems laughably bad compared to Cubase.

 

[Sascha Franck]

and I am very happy that I switched to Cubase a few years ago.

Should've done that myself. Now it's possibly too late to switch (too invested in Logic for a variety of reasons, not getting younger, either).

 

[TheTrueZoltan!]

Should've done that myself. Now it's possibly too late to switch (too invested in Logic for a variety of reasons, not getting younger, either).

The problem is that it is unlikely to get any better, quite the contrary. Apple will continue to tailor Logic to the needs of beatmakers and social media content creators, while old-school musicians like us will be completely ignored. It was already obvious with Logic 11, but 12 is now the final confirmation of this direction.

Perhaps you should just give it a go and install the 60-day trial version of Cubase. You could use it alongside Logic at first to see how you get on. I'm not the youngest anymore either, but I quickly learned how to use it. Holger Steinbrink's excellent tutorials were a great help.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

The problem is that it is unlikely to get any better, quite the contrary. Apple will continue to tailor Logic to the needs of beatmakers and social media content creators, while old-school musicians like us will be completely ignored. It was already obvious with Logic 11, but 12 is now the final confirmation of this direction.

As much as I share your wishes, from Apple's perspective, why wouldn't they go that route? I'd imagine the vast majority of Logic users aren't guys recording live sessions or rock bands etc. Logic has always been pretty atrocious for audio editing, but aside from getting that sorted, I'm not sure there's really much else to do on that side? Maybe you have some things you'd like to see them implement?

A few years back there was a pretty wide margin between what someone could do in Ableton vs Logic, and IMO closing that gap a bit was the right way to go. I guess they've also put quite a big focus on the iPad version, which even though I don't use, they're probably the furthest ahead on vs the competition in that area.

But yeah, I say this as a former logic user who moved on years ago.

 

[laxu]

Perhaps you should just give it a go and install the 60-day trial version of Cubase. You could use it alongside Logic at first to see how you get on. I'm not the youngest anymore either, but I quickly learned how to use it.

I went with Cubase because I need something that works with Windows and MacOS. Having used mostly Logic before it, I found a lot of things a bit annoying but have gotten used to how the Cubase way works. Thankfully there's tons of YT tutorials for it.

Saying this as someone who records as a total hobbyist.

 

[TheTrueZoltan!]

As much as I share your wishes, from Apple's perspective, why wouldn't they go that route? [...]

I actually agree with you completely. My post wasn't intended as a demand to Apple. I just think that we old-school musicians aren't really their target group anymore, and as a result, they aren't developing Logic to include or improve features that might be important to most of us. It's perfectly fine that they tailor Logic to a specific group. I simply don't belong to that group, that's all.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

I actually agree with you completely. My post wasn't intended as a demand to Apple. I just think that we old-school musicians aren't really their target group anymore, and as a result, they aren't developing Logic to include or improve features that might be important to most of us. It's perfectly fine that they tailor Logic to a specific group. I simply don't belong to that group, that's all.

Ha yeah. I think so much of what I actually want to see from Logic would require a total overhaul that its pretty unlikely to happen regardless and sort of why I just opted to move on. Very occasionally I'll do some writing or preproduction in Logic and I dont mind it for throwing ideas about quickly. Using it what its good for, and using other software for everything else really isn't a bad option.

I feel somewhat similarly with all DAW's - I can basically do everything I need to in Pro Tools, but Logic has more synths and instruments and things, so if I know I'll be reaching for a lot of that stuff anyway, I might spend more time in Logic while doing that. LUNA just felt like it needs a ground up re-write from the off to me, I really dont like it (which is odd as it sounds like they wanted to follow Pro Tools fairly closely). I think they just massively missed the mark on it. Reaper is like that too - I think for certain tasks it's hard to beat but for things I need to do day in day out, it's a total chore. Could say the same for Ableton - some stuff is so fast and efficient to do in Ableton but other things are a chore (if even possible).

I suspect Cubase and Studio 1 are better rounded these days, but probably at the expense of not being particularly strong in any one area like the others are. They have some small features I like, but absolutely nothing that makes me keen to dive in.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Perhaps you should just give it a go and install the 60-day trial version of Cubase.

You know, I'm pretty familiar with many things in Cubase already. Stayed up to date until version 5.
I just don't get along with Steinberg's UIs. I own their Absolute bundle and it's just horrible how they seem to try their best to populate absolutely everything with tiny menus, buttons and what not.
I'm fully aware that it's developed much more along the lines that I'd consider sensible, but that still doesn't make me enjoy it.

 

[László]

So much of this 'which DAW floats your boat' question is subjective, what meets your needs, what entertains your eyeballs in the GUI, how its workflow meshes with yours, and so on.

I love Logic and think it's great. It's my main DAW, as it is for lots of media composers. And of course, there are lots who use other DAWs.

I switched from Digital Performer and Pro Tools around 2010. I didn't switch because I thought Logic was better. I switched because I started using Performer in 1987, long before it was Digital Performer, and used analog tape for my live tracks, sync'd via SMPTE > MTC time codes. I simply wanted to look at a different interface (this was before DP offered multiple GUIs).

I started using Pro Tools when it was Sound Designer II (!), Honestly, it's a great mixing tool but as a composer to picture it didn't suit my workflow as well.

I'm also very familiar with Cubase, and have used it as recently as a couple of years ago with a partner on a project. It's fine, too. So are Luna and Mixbus 11 Pro, which I also use for various things. They're all great! My son has written/produced gold records using Ableton.

In the last few years Logic added something that works like Ableton, added their own surround processing thing that works with Apple Music, obviously, added some interesting plugins like Quantec, and have done other things that are pretty darn interesting.

At this point, I don't know WTF a DAW can possibly do that DAWs like Logic aren't already doing -- other than providing users with hookers and blow.

It's a mature technology, and added features at this point are going to be incremental, not revolutionary. So it's just what floats your boat.

 

[Chocol8]

other than providing hookers and blow.

That would be a HUGE upgrade to the DAW using experience IMHO.

I am debating doing the creative suite subscription and picking up Logic through there. I hate subscriptions, but the subscription cost would take a number of years to catch up to the one time costs so not necessarily a bad deal here.

 

[László]

That would be a HUGE upgrade to the DAW using experience IMHO.

I am debating doing the creative suite subscription and picking up Logic through there. I hate subscriptions, but the subscription cost would take a number of years to catch up to the one time costs so not necessarily a bad deal here.

Sometimes subscriptions make a lot of sense!

Other times, not as much, but it's always user/personal reqiuirements-dependent. It's kind of like leasing vs buying a car. Each makes sense depending on the buyer's situation, and we're all different!