This week Apple released Logic Pro 12.0, the latest update to their flagship DAW application.
Logic Pro 12
Logic Pro 12 remains available as a standalone purchase from the Mac App Store - but is also now available in a monthly subscription bundle - Apple Creator Studio - alongside a number of other applications from Apple:
MainStage - live music performance tool;
Final Cut Pro - professional-grade movie editing;
Motion - video graphics and effects tool;
Compressor - video compression and encoding utility;
Pixelmator Pro - image editing software;
Additional intelligence features and content for:
Pages - word processor;
Numbers - spreadsheet;
Keynote - slide presentation software;
Freeform - brainstorming and collaboration tool.
Apple Creator Studio bundle
Apple Creator Studio bundle costs £12.99 per month or £129 per year.
The headline new features for Logic Pro 12 don't have a lot of relevance for professional composers and producers - but include:
Synth Players for Keyboard and Bass
New 'AI-powered' Synth Player styles for Logic's Session Players;
Chord ID for audio and MIDI regions
Automatic analysis of chords for entry into the Chord track;
Sound Library
Expanded library content, with new management interface and storage options;
Step Sequencer enhancements
Several additional tool options for working with chord degrees, adding randomisation, and other additional parameters;
Spatial Audio playback for QuickTime Audio files
QuickTime Audio (QTA) files can now be added to a Logic Pro project;
Quantec Room Simulator plug-in surround version
The Quantec Room Simulator plug-in now supports up to 7.1.4.
Logic Pro 12 - Synth Session Player Controls
Logic Pro 12 requires macOS 15.6 Sequoia or newer, and continues to support both Intel-based Macs and Apple Silicon Macs, which also support Rosetta mode (Intel-based Macs and Macs running Logic Pro in Rosetta mode do not support features which require an Apple Silicon processor).
As always, there are reams and reams of minor bugfixes and enhancements in the release notes - which are always a welcome addition. Some of the higher-profile and historic problems remain unchanged however, including ARA not being supported in Apple Silicon mode - compromising the ease of using Melodyne, VocAlign, RX11, etc
So far, it appears that version 12.0 is no less stable than the previous release - though some users have found that their saved Presets or custom Apple Loops libraries have gone missing in the new version. As always, we'd advocate caution in upgrading to the new release - especially if you're approaching deadlines!
One new characteristic - though this may just be a feature of being a .0 release - is that a regular internet connection appears to be required in order to launch Logic Pro. We don’t yet know if this is an intentional change, or just a bug of the initial release.
Of course, many users are not yet running macOS Sequoia, so upgrading to Logic Pro 12 is not yet an option for them. As is often the case, it's taken time for the macOS release to become a viable proposition, with many of the major audio developers only recently supporting it.
For those users not yet running macOS Sequoia, we'd strongly urge against upgrading on the spur of the moment! Upgrading a macOS installation can be fraught with compatibility and stability issues if it's not done thoroughly - a process which can typically take a number of days for a system with a lot of installed software.
If you do want to take the plunge, then please contact us to discuss your requirements