Logic Pro for ipad!!!!

[paisleywookiee]

I'm so deeply disappointed in the lack of software progress on iPadOS that I can't get excited about this. I can expect that it will require a ton of awkward workarounds to perform things that are totally easy on a Mac and probably has plenty of limitations.

A12/M1/M2 iPad Pros which are required for this cost similar money to a Macbook Air. Just buy the Air instead and not have to deal with subscription bullshit.

Personally I won't buy another iPad probably ever again. I moved to a Samsung Galaxy Fold 4 and it serves my phone and tablet needs so well that there's no point having a dedicated tablet. I can even hook it up to a display and it turns into basically a slightly crappy desktop computer.

A Samsung Galaxy Fold won't do barely any music-related stuff though, and it's crazy expensive.

My 8th gen iPad, which I paid $329 for, will run Logic for iPad. That's not similar money to a MacBook Air. An iPad Air M1 will run both Logic and Final Cut, which is also cheaper than a MacBook Air.

I don't disagree that it could be problematic to use in a lot of cases, and when you DO insist on going to an iPad Pro, you really need to have a reason why you want a tablet over a plain laptop. But that's also largely subjective.

For me, I literally paid less than a Galaxy Fold 4 for my iPad AND iPhone 14, and can do Amplitube, ToneX, all that stuff, all of the photography-related stuff for websites, all of the CMS stuff, remote support of servers, etc.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go agree with you on TheOtherPlace.

 

[Fireproof]

of all the things apple charge a premium for, and especially for all the peripheral bullshit you’d need to get things working nicely (USB hubs, cables, stands, cable management, MIDI controllers) it’s hilarious that $50 a year is suddenly absolutely unacceptable to some.

Logic Pro X costs next to nothing for what’s included, and they haven’t charged anything since it’s release (how long ago now? 10 years?) for some ridiculously substantial features. I don’t even use Logic except for some occasional projects that get sent to me in it but it’s really insane value for money.

If the money is a problem, use the alternatives. Not sure how it can get any cheaper than $1 a week.

good point and I agree. $50/year is really a bargain for what you get. If that’s overkill for the money, you can use GarageBand which is still free!

 

[laxu]

A Samsung Galaxy Fold won't do barely any music-related stuff though, and it's crazy expensive.

I got an insane deal on mine. Galaxy Fold 4 + Galaxy Watch 4 + Galaxy Buds for about the cost of an iPhone 13 Pro. I do agree it's not for music related stuff but for me it replaced my iPhone 12 Mini and 2017 iPad Pro 12.9" so that's totally worth it.

My 8th gen iPad, which I paid $329 for, will run Logic for iPad. That's not similar money to a MacBook Air. An iPad Air M1 will run both Logic and Final Cut, which is also cheaper than a MacBook Air.

Ok, I thought only the expensive Pros had the A12+/M1/M2. Haven't been following these too well.

I don't disagree that it could be problematic to use in a lot of cases, and when you DO insist on going to an iPad Pro, you really need to have a reason why you want a tablet over a plain laptop. But that's also largely subjective.

Yeah the base level iPads are honestly the only ones worth buying, the Pros tend to be way overpriced for what you get in return - basically similar hardware to the Macbook Air but shittier experience because iPadOS can't make any sensible use of it.

That's why I don't bother with the iPad anymore. Other reasons are Apple eventually locking you out of OS updates so that device that worked perfectly fine eventually stops getting OS updates, then applications that also worked fine before start adding a base requirement for a newer iOS/iPadOS version and now can no longer update on your older device or might not even install if you have to reset the device. At least on Android you can dig up an old version .APK file and install that.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Other reasons are Apple eventually locking you out of OS updates so that device that worked perfectly fine eventually stops getting OS updates, then applications that also worked fine before start adding a base requirement for a newer iOS/iPadOS version and now can no longer update on your older device or might not even install if you have to reset the device. At least on Android you can dig up an old version .APK file and install that.

You can't be serious.

• iPhone 7, released in 2016. supported by OS updates for over five years, still getting security updates.
• iPad 5th gen, released March of 2017. Still supported with OS updates.

Samsung devices are among the longest supported at an average of four years, but generally Android OS/security patch update support is abhorrent, and frankly shameful. Even friggin' Google Pixel devices are usually two years of support.

 

[laxu]

You can't be serious.

• iPhone 7, released in 2016. supported by OS updates for over five years, still getting security updates.
• iPad 5th gen, released March of 2017. Still supported with OS updates.

Samsung devices are among the longest supported at an average of four years, but generally Android OS/security patch update support is abhorrent, and frankly shameful. Even friggin' Google Pixel devices are usually two years of support.

I have already seen apps require specific versions of iOS and not allowing install on an old iPad where a newer iOS is not available. Even for apps that have no real performance etc reason to not work, the developer has simple chosen that support starts at this iOS version. I am not talking about Samsung vs Apple here, purely Apple and 3rd party apps for that platform.

I agree that Android can be it's own mess. Mobile is just not something I want to rely on for anything long term.

 

[paisleywookiee]

I have already seen apps require specific versions of iOS and not allowing install on an old iPad where a newer iOS is not available. Even for apps that have no real performance etc reason to not work, the developer has simple chosen that support starts at this iOS version. I am not talking about Samsung vs Apple here, purely Apple and 3rd party apps for that platform.

I agree that Android can be it's own mess. Mobile is just not something I want to rely on for anything long term.

Okay, but how is that Apple’s fault? That happens with literally any OS.

 

[mbenigni]

My 8th gen iPad, which I paid $329 for, will run Logic for iPad. That's not similar money to a MacBook Air. An iPad Air M1 will run both Logic and Final Cut, which is also cheaper than a MacBook Air.

*Cough*Jam Origin MIDI Guitar*cough*.

 

[paisleywookiee]

*Cough*Jam Origin MIDI Guitar*cough*.

It’s on iOS. Is it on Android? With like a half hour’s latency?

 

[laxu]

Okay, but how is that Apple’s fault? That happens with literally any OS.

Sure, the difference is that afaik Apple doesn't do something like "well, looks like version 2.0.5 of this software does not support the last version of iOS compatible on your device, so we will install 1.9.0 instead" but instead will just refuse to install the app. On Android, Windows, MacOS or Linux you can just dig up an old version of the software and install that.

Of course if you keep upgrading your devices along the way you will never run into this, but I am already seeing my 2017 iPad Pro becoming "device non grata" for features like Stage Manager - or Logic Pro for that matter. 2017 sounds old, but functionally there is absolutely nothing wrong with it, it still gets the latest iOS so I have seen no incentive to upgrade. This was what Apple marketed as a super capable device back then, yet nothing ever made use of its capabilities either. Garageband runs just fine on it, but I guess Logic Pro with fewer tracks/plugins than the latest ones is a too big ask.

The next step for Apple is going to be "M1 and up" limitations as those start trickling down to the cheaper tiers. Apple used to be the company I could trust to support their devices for a long time but now they are starting to bring segmentation to push more iPad sales. It's a feature here, feature there until it becomes some feature you care about.

I'm willing to bet the iPad version of Logic Pro will be full of limitations that don't occur running Logic Pro on MacOS even on a very old Mac.

Being a subscription service also does not bode well for future versions of Logic Pro on the Mac, I fully expect they will suddenly go "now it's subscription on MacOS too, but hey it costs you only this much! What a bargain!" Except you have to pay it every year instead of a one time purchase.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Being a subscription service also does not bode well for future versions of Logic Pro on the Mac, I fully expect they will suddenly go "now it's subscription on MacOS too, but hey it costs you only this much! What a bargain!" Except you have to pay it every year instead of a one time purchase

I am absolutely no fan of subscriptions, but $5 a month is so cheap. Its less than Splice costs month to month, less than basically any plugin subscription thats available, less than Pro Tools, less than music streaming services or Youtube without ads or Netflix. I'd rather a fixed price but thats not where things are headed and I think its just easier for me to accept that and factor it into my decisions on where to spend money. At least this software can be used to generate money. If it helps to have more stable software with better updates then I think I'd prefer that to paying a bit less and having a worse experience.

I'm certainly not for subs but unfortunately they aren't going away any time soon, and $50 a year for software that contains TONS of plugins, instruments, samples, updates, support is so negligible (not least when Garageband is an option, or other "pay once" software).

I work in Pro Tools 99% of the time, and as well as paying for the software, the yearly support prices are significantly more than $50 a year. I'd obviously much rather never pay anything at all, but I also understand that adding support for new OS's, new features, fixing existing bugs, support for problems all cost money and these companies need to make their business viable. I pay for what I can afford, and more often than not there is always a good cheaper (or free alternative).

 

[paisleywookiee]

Sure, the difference is that afaik Apple doesn't do something like "well, looks like version 2.0.5 of this software does not support the last version of iOS compatible on your device, so we will install 1.9.0 instead" but instead will just refuse to install the app. On Android, Windows, MacOS or Linux you can just dig up an old version of the software and install that.

Of course if you keep upgrading your devices along the way you will never run into this, but I am already seeing my 2017 iPad Pro becoming "device non grata" for features like Stage Manager - or Logic Pro for that matter. 2017 sounds old, but functionally there is absolutely nothing wrong with it, it still gets the latest iOS so I have seen no incentive to upgrade. This was what Apple marketed as a super capable device back then, yet nothing ever made use of its capabilities either. Garageband runs just fine on it, but I guess Logic Pro with fewer tracks/plugins than the latest ones is a too big ask.

The next step for Apple is going to be "M1 and up" limitations as those start trickling down to the cheaper tiers. Apple used to be the company I could trust to support their devices for a long time but now they are starting to bring segmentation to push more iPad sales. It's a feature here, feature there until it becomes some feature you care about.

I'm willing to bet the iPad version of Logic Pro will be full of limitations that don't occur running Logic Pro on MacOS even on a very old Mac.

Being a subscription service also does not bode well for future versions of Logic Pro on the Mac, I fully expect they will suddenly go "now it's subscription on MacOS too, but hey it costs you only this much! What a bargain!" Except you have to pay it every year instead of a one time purchase.

I don’t even keep computers six years, let alone $400 tablets. Apple stuff retains more value than any other brand, so it’s easier to upgrade to faster newer stuff.

Sounds like Windows and Android is better for you. Except for the lack of security patches on the latter.

It’s just weird to me you’re okay with Google and the Android makers to tell people to get fucked after 2-3 years on their $1000-$1500 phones, but Apple iPads getting just 5-6 years is an issue for you. That's actually one of the reasons I use Apple, because they support their mobile devices longer, and I can either sell them, trade them in, or give them to my kids, knowing they'll still be supported with OS and security updates longer than Android.

But whatever floats your boat.

 

[laxu]

I don’t even keep computers six years, let alone $400 tablets. Apple stuff retains more value than any other brand, so it’s easier to upgrade to faster newer stuff.

Sounds like Windows and Android is better for you. Except for the lack of security patches on the latter.

It’s just weird to me you’re okay with Google and the Android makers to tell people to get f****d after 2-3 years on their $1000-$1500 phones, but Apple iPads getting just 5-6 years is an issue for you. That's actually one of the reasons I use Apple, because they support their mobile devices longer, and I can either sell them, trade them in, or give them to my kids, knowing they'll still be supported with OS and security updates longer than Android.

But whatever floats your boat.

I see it more as "why do I need to upgrade when the new thing is basically the same thing but with a better camera which I don't need and more horsepower it can't utilize in any way." Both iPhone and iPad lineups as well as most Android phones have been very stagnant for several years now.

I've been an iPhone user for many years and only recently moved back to Android because I feel Apple is going to the route that Android phones were going: they are becoming unnecessarily large because most people want that. At the same time the prices are going through the roof especially in Europe. For reference, the iPhone 14 costs ~$1128 here, with 24% VAT included.

So when I was able to get at the time the best foldable phone and a good smartwatch and pretty good wireless headphones for the cost of an iPhone Pro, that was a bargain I could not pass by and decided to try and see how I like it, since I could return it if I didn't. Well I do, I have had a very good time with it.

I am absolutely not ok with the limited OS support on Android phones, it's a severe issue on the platform. But I always look at the overall package. To me foldables are the only advancement happening in phones. They are far from perfect, but getting better every few years.

To me the only Apple devices worth the cost now are the Macbook Pros.

 

[Sascha Franck]

I actually don't exactly understand the purpose of a fully featured Logic Pro on an iOS device. Issues:

- No plugin compatibility. So no projects you've started on your macOS device will load properly. And even worse, the same goes vice versa in case you're using AUv3 plugins on iOS.
- Sample Libraries. Where will you be storing them (given there's compatible plugins loading them to start with)? Additional internal storage space is street robbery in Apple land. And there's just one meager USB port to connect external things. But hey, you'll need a HUB anyway to connect your interface, keyboard and drive. There goes all the mobility greatness already.
- Interfaces. No driver support just USB class compliance. Yeah, great.

In the end, running a fullblown DAW on an iPad, apart from some touchscreen niceties, will throw you back 10-20 years in all things organisation. No compatibility, expensive storage, poor connectivity. Something not even worth talking about under any mature computer OS anymore. Yeah, just what the doctor ordered.

 

[Sascha Franck]

To me the only Apple devices worth the cost now are the Macbook Pros.

Personally, I think the Macbook Air is at least as amazing. Zero moving parts inside. That's just fantastic in terms of longevity.

 

[paisleywookiee]

My use case is different, I guess. I’ve already been recording stuff for years on GarageBand, then bringing it into Logic on my M1 Mini to do more stuff. It works great for me.

 

[laxu]

Personally, I think the Macbook Air is at least as amazing. Zero moving parts inside. That's just fantastic in terms of longevity.

The overpriced upgrades ruin it for me. The base spec is miserable especially for disk space.

 

[Sascha Franck]

The overpriced upgrades ruin it for me. The base spec is miserable especially for disk space.

I know. But that's not exactly different for the MBP.

 

[paisleywookiee]

I know. But that's not exactly different for the MBP.

It’s the way everything is, probably Apples fault. I priced out a Thinkpad X series, and all their shit is soldered in now too.

 

[Sascha Franck]

It’s the way everything is, probably Apples fault. I priced out a Thinkpad X series, and all their s**t is soldered in now too.

Yeah, they're all thinking "if Apple can get away with it, we can as well".
Planned obsolescence galore.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Yeah, they're all thinking "if Apple can get away with it, we can as well".
Planned obsolescence galore.

If I could get along with Windows for more than 10 minutes at a time, I’d buy a Framework. Even the motherboards are swappable. But I’m not sure I have the patience for Win11 and audio stuff. I deal with it enough for work.