Apple Logic Pro 10.5
10.5 is a free update, but as Si Truss discovers, it could easily get away with being called a full release
Although it’s not unheard of for us to review DAW ‘point’ updates within these pages, it’s certainly rare that we’d dedicate a full three pages to anything less than a whole new version. It’s testament to the scope of Apple’s latest free Logic upgrade though, which packs enough new tools and significant workflow changes that its creators could easily have got away with branding it Logic 11 without users feeling too short changed after paying the upgrade fee. Existing users will surely appreciate Apple’s generosity, but it’s not hard to see how it plays into Apple’s business strategy for Logic – you do, after all, require Apple hardware to run the DAW, and by doubling down on the usefulness of the Logic Remote app, version 10.5 gives users even more incentive to buy into the iOS realm.
Along with those enhancements to Logic Remote [see boxout] the headline features here are an overhaul for Logic’s stock sampler, a new step sequencer tool and the implementation of new clip launching view – Live Loops – alongside Logic’s regular timeline. While Apple, naturally, would rather steer away from the comparison, there’s no getting around the fact that several of these features bear a striking resemblance to aspects of Ableton Live. While the comparison is most obvious with the loop-focused clip launcher – a format popularised by Live – its also hard not to see a hint of Ableton’s much-loved Simpler device in Logic’s new Quick Sampler. The big question is whether, for all its perceived generosity, Logic 10.5 is simply a case of Apple playing catchup with the competition?
The Live Loops format isn’t entirely new to Apple’s music making software; the format first appeared in GarageBand for iOS all the way back in 2016, so the look and implementation here will be familiar to many. While Ableton Live is the obvious comparison, the way clip launching is incorporated into Logic is actually more reminiscent of Bitwig Studio, in that Live Loops are controlled from a pop-up UI element that can sit alongside the main timeline rather than being a completely separate workspace.
In Logic’s clip grid, tracks are laid out horizontally and scenes vertically, meaning that Live Loop tracks line up with their counterparts on the main
Version 10.5 gives users even more incentive to buy into the iOS realm
timeline. This works well in practice, letting users play with loops over the top of existing arrangements, with the ability to drag audio or MIDI in either direction from one view to the other.
Functionally, it’s easy enough to use even for those more accustomed to traditional DAW layout – pretty much just drag and drop audio or MIDI and hey presto. Loops automatically sync with one another and trigger in time with the first beat, although there are most of the options you’d expect to adjust trigger behaviour and timings, so it’s not lacking for depth. As an addition to Logic’s workflow, it makes a lot of sense, tying in nicely with existing tools such as the library of Apple Loops and the functionality of Drummer. Crucially though, while it’s a fairly major workflow addition, it doesn’t break anything. By having the Live Loop view contained within a hide-able UI element, Apple have made it easy to completely ignore if it’s of no interest.
The other major addition for 10.5 is a pair of complete fresh sampling tools, replacing Logic’s popular, if rather long-in-the-tooth EXS24.
Again, an Ableton comparison is unavoidable, given how the format of the fully-featured Sampler and its new, stripped-back counterpart Quick Sampler echo the relationship between Live’s Sampler and Simpler.
Sampler fixes one of the biggest issues of EXS24, its muddled and fiddly UI, without compromising on capabilities. The new Sampler features all the capabilities of its predecessor and will happily run your existing EXS24 patches, but also adds depth with integrated sample editing and mapping, additional
LFOs, envelopes and filters, and use of Logic’s Flex Time capabilities.
Quick Sampler, meanwhile, uses the same core format but trims the capabilities down across the board, still including full sample editing but reducing the mod matrix to four slots with two LFOs, three envelopes and a single filter. I like the inclusion of Simpler in Live – you don’t always require full Kontakt-level editing, so a quick, easy alternative is nice. Logic’s version is likely to be equally appreciated, and, if anything, improves on Live’s with a slight touch of added power and better interface.
The final significant new features – Logic 10.5 also includes numerous small quality of life tweaks that we don’t have room to get into – are the Step Sequencer and Drum Synth. Both help bring the Logic Pro feature set more inline with those of more contemporary electronic music toolkits. The Step Sequencer looks fairly straightforward but packs some neat features such as the ability to set independent timing divisions for each track, add note repeats and sequence sound parameters. I particularly like the way Step Sequencer integrates into both the timeline and Live Loops, effectively acting as a secondary sequencer tucked within your arrangement tools. Great for playing around with drum and synth patterns.
Drum Synth, meanwhile, is similar to its namesake in NI’s Maschine software, offering neat, well-designed tools for synthesising electronic drum sounds. Each sounds great and is easy to use. The Drum Synth modules slot nicely into the reinvigorated Drum Machine Designer workflow too, making it easy to pair synthesised sounds with sampled ones.
It could be said that, on the whole, Logic 10.5 is playing catch-up with other DAWs rather than forging new ground. While there may be truth to this, it underplays how well these new features are implemented and overlooks the existing forwardthinking elements of Logic’s workflow, like Smart Tempo, virtual drummers and its powerful synths and effects. What’s undeniable is that the old and new features combine to make Logic Pro probably the most fully-rounded and feature-rich DAW on the market. An essential (and free!) update for existing users, but also a strong case for Mac users considering a switch.