Apple Logic Studio is a complete music creation environment, a virtual music studio. It is an indispensable tool when creating music for video and motion pictures, and even presentations. Logic Studio is a software bundle that includes Logic Pro 8, SoundTrack Pro 2, Apple Sound Loops, and a completely new application for on-stage artists called MainStage. I had the opportunity to test Logic Pro for the first time when Apple had just acquired the application. Back then I found Logic Pro to be extremely powerful, but also extremely difficult to use.

Apple has since done what the company does best: pack more power in an easy to manage package. Logic Pro today is much more intuitive to use, although still not really easy. Upcoming musicians and artists without much formal musical education will probably be best off by starting with GarageBand and then step up to either Logic Express or Logic Studio. In my opinion, you’re better off stepping up to Logic Studio directly, as you’ll get access to Apple’s high-quality sound loops, and not to forget: MainStage. You’ll also get support for CAF files, which can be larger than 4 GB.

The Logic Pro interface has changed considerably. All the features available in the application can now be accessed from one unified window. The resemblance with Apple’s other Pro applications such as Final Cut Pro and SoundTrack Pro is striking. Nevertheless, the good parts of the previous versions are still there: multiple screen sets, for example.

Tracks and Channels

Track and channel creation has been streamlined and simplified. The Recording setup and experience has been improved. Mixing has become more efficient and simpler due to a change in window setup, but also as a result of the new surround sound capabilities. There’s better support and more intuitive automation facilities. Control Surfaces support has been expanded and in some areas, dramatically changed.

A new Follow Tempo option has been added to the video project settings. A number of instruments have been redesigned, with many of them now having surround sound capabilities. Space Designer --a hard to improve upon effect generator-- has been made fully surround sound capable.

One of the most obvious improvements Apple made to Logic Pro’s interface is the startup screen. You can start Logic with an empty project that you fill up yourself, totally autonomously, but you can also base your work on templates, and the latter is especially useful when you’re starting out with Logic, or if you like to have some basic material to start working with.

Templates are included that hold a project for creating a music score to go with a movie or video track. That’s the setup I used for the review. The template comes ready with some assets set up, and some preferences already set for you. If you’re happy with them you can go on with the real job immediately.

Except for the fact that you get a much more flexible Logic Pro in the (very beautifully designed and Final Cut Studio box matching) Logic Studio box, you’ll also immediately see new interface elements such as the Library. The Library is new to version 8 and provides access to all settings files --for all channel strip, effect and music plug-in settings. The Logic Pro Library reminded me of the Library found in other Apple Pro applications.

The Library can also integrate with MIDI devices and active ReWire applications. Another new element in the interface is the Browser, which provides direct access to all supported media files on any device connected to the Mac, including locally networked storage. The Inspector replaces the old Parameters area of previous versions. Needless to say, it is more intuitive and better organized --at least to someone who didn’t use Logic Pro intensely before. That’s the main problem users could have with the new interface: no matter how much more logical the whole organisation may be, if you’re used to working with older versions, you’ll have to give yourself some time to get used to the new Logic Pro.

Arrange Window as Central Hub

To people like myself Logic Pro 8 is much more user-friendly. For example, a second channel strip has been added to the Arrange area Inspector. It shows the primary destination channel strip for the track channel strip. This enables you to change the settings of the bus, output, or master channel strip associated with a track or channel without ever leaving the Arrange window.

The Transport bar is no longer a floating thing that got in your way more than you cared. It’s now embedded in the lower part of Arrange window, but remains fully customisable. It also has a new Master Level fader that acts as a remote control for the Master Fader in the mixer.

The Piano Roll Editor button provides two states: On and Off. If you select a region in the Arrange area, the Piano Roll editor only displays the content of this region. With multiple regions selected, it will show the contents of all selected regions. The Piano Roll editor used to be called Matrix Editor.

Almost everything you can do with audio you can now do in the Arrange window. You can visually time stretch or compress an audio region directly in the Arrange window by option-dragging its end into the desired direction. The currently selected Time Machine algorithm is used.

Time-saving appears to be on the mind of musicians as well, or at least that’s what Apple believes: dragging a media file into a blank Arrange window area simultaneously creates a new track, and a new channel strip. If it’s a Software Instrument Apple Loop you’re dragging, the channel strip will also automatically have the appropriate channel strip settings (effects...).

One of the most important novelties in Logic Pro 8 is the capability to create take recordings. Apple’s experience with video/movie post-production is clearly visible in Logic Pro as well. A take is a recording that you repeat until you get it just right. When the recording setting is in Cycle mode, takes will automatically be added to our project by recording repeatedly over the same area. Such recordings automatically create take folders which hold each audio file --each recording-- ready to be selected as the final take.