Logic Pro X 10.6 vs Ableton Live 11

The two DAW titans are parking tanks on each other’s lawns. But what does it mean for users, and which one comes up trumps?

With the arrival of version 10.5 (now updated to 10.6), Apple made serious moves into Ableton Live’s turf. While the key features weren’t lifted from Live wholesale, it doesn’t take a DAW connoisseur to see similarities between Logic’s Live Loops and Live’s Session View, or between Apple’s new Sampler and Quick Sampler combo and the Sampler/Simpler counterparts in Live. Clearly, the free 10.5 update was aimed at winning over electronic producers who might previously have leant more towards the nontraditional, loop-based workflows of Live or Bitwig Studio.

Now, as 2021 rears its head, we’re greeted with the imminent arrival of Live 11. While it certainly wouldn’t be accurate to say this latest update is a direct response to Logic 10.5, one of its core additions – recording take lanes – does see Live playing catchup to Logic (amongst others), by adding a key feature beloved by more traditional studio musicians. So where does that leave Logic and Live as we move into

2021? Let’s put them side by side and see what’s what…

Clip launching

The most obvious point of comparison between the two DAWs lies in their respective clip launchers – Live’s Session View and Logic’s Live Loops. At the basic level, these work in broadly the same way. In both, audio and MIDI can be dragged into the clip cells and triggered with its timing automatically synced to the project tempo. Both allow for triggering of individual clips or full scenes, and can make use of a range of pad-based MIDI controllers (including Novation’s

Launchpads and, in Logic’s case, an official companion app).

There are points of difference though. For one, the two are arranged at different rotations – Live has scenes down the right and Logic’s are placed along the top edge. More significantly, Logic allows the clip launcher and traditional timeline to sit side by side in one window (as Bitwig does too). This is a really slick arrangement in Logic, making it easy to drag elements from one to the other. In another nice touch, individual cells in Logic’s Live Loops can host instances of the DAW’s new Step Sequencer.

Live’s clip launching goes deeper though, thanks to the inclusion of Follow Actions, which have been enhanced for Live 11. These are commands that let individual clips – and as of Live 11, full scenes – dictate what happens when the current clip reaches its end point. These can be set up to create fills and progressions, automate the structure of a live performance or even create generative, evolving musical progressions.

Audio and MIDI

Traditionally, Live has always been the better of the two DAWs for creative audio editing – due to its variety of stretching algorithms and easy-to-use warp markers – while Logic has been better for traditional multitrack recording and clean edits (thanks to its excellent Flex Pitch technology). Prior to Live 11, the lack of comping tools made editing multiple vocal or instrument takes within Live somewhat cumbersome, but the addition of Take Lanes brings the two in line. Broadly speaking, Logic still has a few more audio editing tools than Live, but there’s not much in it and both will get the job done.

On the MIDI front, once again, Live 11 catches up with Logic’s already extensive tools. Additions include MPE compatibility, without the need to route multiple MIDI tracks, plus velocity randomisation and note probability. These latter two features make it far easier to humanise MIDI clips, which is something that used to be easier in Logic thanks to longstanding tools such as MIDI Transform.

Instruments and effects

There are pros and cons to each

DAW. Prior to Live 11, we preferred Logic’s reverbs to the one included in the base version of Live (setting aside the excellent Max Convolution Reverb). However, Hybrid Reverb in the forthcoming Live 11 update, which combines algorithmic and convolution processors, is quickly becoming one of our favourite software ’verbs full stop.

On the sampling front, Logic’s Sampler/Quick Sampler are obviously similar to Sampler/Simpler, and if we had to pick we’d say Logic’s take on the format is just that little bit slicker, thanks to the modern UI and easy-to-use tools.

On the synth front, Logic’s Alchemy (formerly a standalone

Camel Audio plugin) is the most powerful instrument across either DAW, but we have a lot of love for Live’s Wavetable and Operator.

Logic’s toolkit is arguably more well-rounded in all, but what Live has on its side is creativity, particularly as of Live 11. The new Spectral Resonator and Spectral Time processors are extremely fun, powerful effects. For Live Suite users too, Max For Live now provides a fully-integrated, open-ended source of creative effects, instruments and sequencers, which outgun anything in Logic.