Published
Tue, Aug 2, 2011, 12:00
- We play the guessing game as to what the latest version of Apple's flagship DAW might include.
With many of us dependent on Logic Pro for our sequencing needs, this week's piece is dedicated to the art of second-guessing. What might Logic 10 (or Logic X as it seems likely to be called) look like? And when will Apple release it? Now that Final Cut X has arrived and Lion, OS X 10.7 is also available, it does seem likely that Logic will be updated sooner rather than later. What might we Logic devotees expect to find once the update takes place?
Taking both Lion and Final Cut X as a template, it seems probable that Apple will want to use its App Store as the means by which Logic X will install and this, in turn, has implications. Logic 9 ran to 64GB of data, once you factor in the program itself and the vast array of additional loops and samples which made up the "Media" component of its package. Clearly, a similar download size would be impractical for most users, so the first likelihood is that lots of additional space-filling content will either be omitted or will be purchasable separately.
Secondly, it's worth remembering that among the foremost technologies introduced in Logic 9 were Amp Designer and PedalBoard, which helped make Logic a go-to choice for guitar-playing producers. As MainStage was radically updated (and has also been upgraded in subsequent software downloads since), it also seems likely that both guitar and "live" technologies won't be at the forefront of Logic X. I wouldn't be surprised to see Logic X include new studio-led content, with additional instrument plug-ins, partly also because there was no update to the instrument side of Logic 9, save for additional presets and, as mentioned, additional content for the EXS24 sampler.
A couple of Logic's synths are starting to look a little long in the tooth, whereas others, such as Sculpture, are deep enough to require a serious amount of research time to glean the best results. Again, it wouldn't surprise me if a couple of performance-based instruments are launched which are ready to instantly map controllers to key parameters, so that live manipulation is more immediate, especially as slider and dial-heavy controllers have become so popular in recent years.
Final Cut X has been greeted with mixed reviews. Generally, its low price and more intuitive interface have been popular with iMovie users craving extra depth, whereas those wedded to Final Cut Studio feel a little patronised by what they consider a slight dumbing-down of the feature set.
If Apple pursues a similar line with Logic X, perhaps we'll see more of GarageBand's modus operandi incorporated into Logic, probably in the form of additional templates which include content, ready for you to substitute in the sounds you want; for instance, a house music template which incorporates a four-to-the-floor kick pattern, appropriate sound sets for synth and bass parts but lets you immediately pick each of these components from a list. There's a precedent here in the form of the drum replacement sample lists introduced in Logic 9 whereby a long list of kicks and snares were available for those wishing to replace "weak" audio hits from recorded drum tracks.
I'd personally love to see additional randomising parameters added to the existing plug-in line. Features like the Morphing and Randomising in Absynth 5 would be a great additional component for Sculpture and/or new instruments, while the rise in popularity of Maschine, Spark, Geist and other software drum machines might lead Apple to conclude that Ultrabeat would benefit from an overhaul too, possibly including the facility to import audio loops and extracting component hits to individual keys and pads.
Lastly, it will be interesting to see if the announcement of iCloud has implications for Logic. I suspect the idea that it'll be capable of full online operation, whereby a project can be saved online and developed from any compatible computer, will be too much at present, but there are other possibilities. For instance, iCloud could be used to make sharing and transferring projects online much easier, which will make remixes and productions carried out between collaborators separated by large distances much more straightforward.
Apple are famously so secretive that second-guessing decisions in software programs is perhaps folly but, operationally, Logic faces a big test when it's next updated. I'd argue that Version 9 made Logic the most feature-packed studio-ready DAW on the market at the time of its launch. Since then, plenty of ground has been covered by its competitors. Whether Apple decide to rein in its range to appeal more to GarageBand users needing to take the next step or expand its pro side more significantly remains to be seen but, taking Final Cut and Lion into account, you'd assume that Logic X isn't too far away. That said, Lion's release has raised compatibility issues for a number of third-party developers, so Logic X could be delayed to make it a more attractive option for pro-users unwilling to wait for their suites of Lion-compatible plug-ins to fully integrate. Watch this space.