Best of the rest
UNDO… EVERYTHING!
Well, pretty much. Though Logic has always offered undo/redo functions for most operations, there was no similar safety net for the mixer. That has changed with this update. Plugins opened in 10.4 now have undo/redo buttons up top – and some third-party plugins are included – plus, the mixer’s Edit menu likewise offers undo/redo commands. Now any mixer actions you perform will be easily reversible. Sweet!
AUDITIONING LOOPS
In previous versions, the browser was, well Apple-centric. While you could audition audio loops that had been saved in any popular format, only Apple Loops would sync to the project’s tempo when selected in the browser. Now, non-Apple loops can be auditioned at the projects tempo before dragging them in. This makes it a heck of a lot easier to figure out if a given loop will work with a track. Oh, and they can actually be played back looped in the browser. Handy!
UNTAGGED LOOPS
Logic now offers a means to more easily manage your library of older, untagged loops – that is, loops not already embedded with metadata such as tempo, loop markers, etc (Apple Loops would be considered tagged loops). Right-clicking allows untagged loops – or entire folders full of untagged loops – to be added to a specific untagged loops folder on the hard drive. All such loops are then available via a tab at the top of the Apple Loops browser.
BOOKMARKS
We can’t begin to express our appreciation for this singular, simple feature. Logic’s browser now offers the ability to instantly bookmark any location on your drive and add a widget next to those already included at the top of the browser itself.
NEW ARTICULATION EDIT WINDOW
We’ve already lavished praise upon the new Studio Strings and Studio Horns instruments and their astonishing realism. Much of that comes from the many articulation options written into the instruments. However, these sorts of advanced articulations aren’t limited to the new Studio instruments, but can be applied to any instrument you like, thanks to Logic’s brand spanking new Articulation Set editor. Here, you can key assign switching inputs and external MIDI controllers to apply various articulations to your performances. Any articulations you’ve set up dutifully appear in the Piano Roll.
KEY COMMANDS WINDOW
You’ll want a quick way to call up your favourite new features. If you’re a fan of shortcuts, you’ll love Logic Pro 10.4’s newly revamped Key Commands editor. It’s similar to the old version, but with filter tabs across the top for zeroing in on commands that meet specific requirements such as modifiers, unused, customised and those associated with the Touch Bar.
RETRO SYNTH FILTER UPGRADE
There are now a whopping 18 different filter types available within Retro Synth. These run the gamut from Creamy and Gritty variants of LP, HP, BP, and BR modes to four different Lush lowpass jobs. Interestingly, the knob formerly dedicated to Filter FM now changes function depending on which filter is selected, becoming a Drive parameter when more aggressive filter modes are called up.
MELLO’D OUT
Yeah, we know we could’ve played Mellotron samples with Logic’s sampler, but it’s really nice to see this gorgeous, dedicated ’Tron instrument included in Logic’s bundle. There are ten different sets of tapes from which to choose, and you can set up two different tapes at any time and blend between them. There are other modern niceties like velocity and basic envelope functions. All of them are looped, so points off for that – and there’s no bass accordion tapes, so you won’t be playing that spot-on rendition of ‘Watcher of the Skies’. Still, you won’t find a groovier retro choir sound.
THE ALCHEMIST’S VISIONS
Film-goers might have noticed that film composers love Alchemy, Logic’s built-in powerhouse additive synthesiser. Well, they’ll love it even more when they get a taste of the new Visions sound library. A vast collection of instruments, atmospheres, and incidentals, Visions was designed with film scores in mind.
BEST OF THE REST
There are plenty of other additions and tweaks we haven’t room to describe, but shouldn’t go unnoticed. For instance, Logic now supports the ARA standard, so Melodyne integration will be easier (once Melodyne is updated, too). Additionally, the Audio Track Editor can now operate as a standalone window. Also, the Transformer, Transform Window, Environment Faders and Step Editor can all now edit MIDI fader events. Oh, and Logic can now automatically set a new colour for each audio and MIDI track you instantiate. The list goes on and on. We will doubtlessly be exploring all the new features for a good long while – maybe even beyond the next point update!