Apple announces Logic Pro for iPad

[CyberGene]

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/05/apple-brings-final-cut-pro-and-logic-pro-to-ipad/

[ChrisDespo]

Glad to see it finally on iOS, albeit for a monthly/annual fee rather than the one-time charge of the desktop versions.   I’ve been holding out upgrading my 1st gen iPad Pro (which runs everything I use today just fine) but this might get me to open my wallet sooner rather than later.   I’ll probably wait until the .1 release to make sure they’ve shaken some of the bigger bugs out of it though.

[CyberGene]

The good news is it runs on A12 Bionic and later, so some old iPads are also covered. In that same announcement they also introduce Final Cut Pro for the iPad but it requires an M1 CPU. 

[PianoMan51]

No purchase. It’s a subscription.

[D. Gauss]

just.say.no.to.subscriptions.

[CyberGene]

I just gave away my iPad Pro 9.7 (incompatible with the Logic Pro for iPad) to my daughter. Wondering if a new iPad Mini 6th generation is any good for live playing, has anyone tested it? I prefer a smaller footprint so that it can stay on my Numa X Piano 73. I currently bring my MacBook Air with Logic Pro for gigging but I have to use a separate stand, so I would gladly switch to an iPad Mini if it runs Logic Pro and is OK as size. 

[Joe Muscara]

I have the iPad mini (6th generation) and I love it, but I haven't used it for live playing yet. The audio apps I've noodled with (Ravenscroft, PianoTeq, Animoog, OB-Xd, VB3m, Model D) have all been fine though.

 

I'm very happy to see this announcement from Apple, and hoping that means some version of MainStage isn't far behind.  

[lightbg]

Here’s what I gig with:

Works fine live, although I bring a Reface YC for a backup.

 

[HammondDave]

Looks very interesting.  Subscription? It’s all a tax write-off anyway. 

[RABid]

Interesting, but too many negatives for me. Subscription. No dedicated audio out. Trying to run all attachments and power through a single USB C. I'd much rather use a MacBook.

[TommyRude]

Would LOVE it if they brought Mainstage to the iPad.  I'm curious how folks will incorporate this to their rigs?  Anyone already using Logic Pro (Macbook) in their live setup?

[allan_evett]

Glad that Apple finally did this. It'll be a big help when sketching out ideas on a compact rig. My teaching space is quite small; with two keyboards (88-key DP and 76-key synth/controller), Mac/interface and mixer/powered cabinets, it's often a trip/stumble hazard .  So Logic Pro for iPad will definitely help there too.

[Reezekeys]

DAWs don't seem the logical choice for a live rig, though it can be done; create an instrument track, put in record standby and you can play it. Seems like an enormous waste of resources for this application though. The current guys like AUM and Camelot are much better for live playing imo.

 

Looks like my cheapo 9G iPad iPad will run Logic, though I have no need to have a portable DAW. A refurb M1 MacBook Air isn't much more to carry around than an iPad, although there may be some cool new UI things possible with touch rather than trackpads or mice.

[Ibarch]

No mention of third party AU support? 

[Reezekeys]

1 hour ago, CyberGene said:

Wondering if a new iPad Mini 6th generation is any good for live playing, has anyone tested it?

 

That has the A15 chip. My iPad 9G has the A13 and handles live playing easily - multiple instruments at a 128 buffer, no issues at all. You should be fine.

[Reezekeys]

Just now, Ibarch said:

No mention of third party AU support? 

 

AUs don't exist for i-devices. AUv3 is the format and I'd be surprised if Logic for iPad didn't support those - since apps like AUM, Camelot, etc. do.

[Stokely]

The only thing that might get my ipad back into play regularly would be if it ran vsts (or AUs).  Even then, I'm pretty happy with self-contained keyboards at this point.  Down the road--depending on how much longer I play!--I might do it.  I still have B-3X on ipad for use with my Modx, but the Modx probably won't be making it to gigs soon other than really down and dirty ones where I fear for my gear (and which we rarely if ever play anymore)...beach gigs if we had one.

[ElmerJFudd]

Finally.  MainStage next please. 
 

The subscription is a money grab.  Surely iPads aren’t that much less profit for apple than MacBooks, certainly not iPad Pros.  And Pro software is only supporting more sales and upgrades.  

[Ibarch]

8 minutes ago, Reezekeys said:

 

AUs don't exist for i-devices. AUv3 is the format and I'd be surprised if Logic for iPad didn't support those - since apps like AUM, Camelot, etc. do

My question is relating to whether my existing libraries such as Keyscape will now be usable on an iPad.

 

Is AUv3 a proprietary format for iPad OS, or the same as the AU format for MacOS? If is is not the same as the MacOS supported version, then the same showstopper is still here. Most existing third party libraries will remain unavailable on ipadOS. I was kind of hoping that this may be the start for 1st class support of the iPad for music. 

[ElmerJFudd]

12 minutes ago, Ibarch said:

My question is relating to whether my existing libraries such as Keyscape will now be usable on an iPad.

 

Is AUv3 a proprietary format for iPad OS, or the same as the AU format for MacOS? If is is not the same as the MacOS supported version, then the same showstopper is still here. Most existing third party libraries will remain unavailable on ipadOS. I was kind of hoping that this may be the start for 1st class support of the iPad for music. 

This all depends on Apple’s intentions for iOS. If they make it more like macOS at some point, then third party plugins are possible. At the moment, no. 
 

But, if Spectrasonics, as example, did release Keyscape as an AU3 app on iOS you could route MIDI to the application and audio back the way iPad owners have been doing for a number of years now. 

[CyberGene]

This is a speculation on my side but I believe AU plugins should work without problems on the M1-powered iPad-s if Apple decides to provide that functionality. Maybe it will be enabled in future. The more interesting questions would be regarding licensing and installation since most current plugins rely on software managers/installers/licensers. However I don't see any reason for plugins like the U-He ones to not work if you just copy the plugin file in a corresponding folder on the iPad. But that all depends on Apple.

[ElmerJFudd]

Just now, CyberGene said:

That's a speculation on my side but I believe AU plugins should work without problems on the M1-powered iPad-s if Apple decides to provide that functionality. Maybe it can be enabled in future. The more interesting questions would be regarding licensing and installation since most current plugins rely on software managers/installers/licensers. However I don't see any reason for plugins like the U-He ones to not work if you just copy the extension file in a corresponding folder on the iPad. But that all depends on Apple.

The developers would definitely have to decide to do this as it requires a GUI rewrite on their end and they would have to sell the iPad on the iOS App Store and let Apple take their % cut. 

[CyberGene]

16 minutes ago, ElmerJFudd said:

The developers would definitely have to decide to do this as it requires a GUI rewrite on their end

Not necessarily. It's just a window that receives mouse and keyboard input. Apple can easily provide a bridge to that, so that the window recieves touch input and represents it as mouse and keyboard events. But yeah, it may not be optimal.

[CyberGene]

1 hour ago, TommyRude said:

Anyone already using Logic Pro (Macbook) in their live setup?

I'm not gigging yet, we only practice and currently we compose new songs and prepare repertoire for an eventual gig some day (probably never) 🤣 So, with that in mind I'm not the one who you're asking... But I use MacBook with Logic Pro for these sessions. The reason is we don't have a drummer, so I use the Logic Pro Drummer on a track, a sequenced bass on another track and one (or more) MIDI tracks that I control with my Numa X Piano 73 which also plays a Rhodes piano from its onboard sounds. It's a pretty complicated setup, to be honest (but I'm a software engineer by trade, so no worries here), and I also own Mainstage and was wondering if it could eventually help me once we're settled on the final arrangement and I can then export the Drummer track and the sequenced bass to audio tracks that will be replayed in MainStage. However there's something I am not sure is possible on the MainStage. I often use the Live loop cells in Logic Pro. Not sure how many of you are familiar with that, they are more for modern type of music but I use them also in our creative process. Here's how:

 

So, I lay down some linear regions for the Drummer track, for the bass, etc. But since it's still not a finalized arrangement, I switch to Live Loop mode and drag those regions from the tracks view to the live loop cells. This then allows me to dynamically switch between intro, chorus, verse, etc. (so to speak) and we can loop in any of these parts as long as we want, improvising and creating melodies/lyrics, etc. on the fly until we're happy and then we just move on to another part when we decide so, without having to stop, we just make signs (what was that, non-verbal communication? 😉)

[Docbop]

So maybe that rumour of a 14" iPad coming someday might have some validity going to need some screen real estate for Final Cut and Logic. 

 

Guess this is Apple Marketing idea to  get people to by the more expensive iPads with more storage for all the libraries and files.   iOS file handling could get interesting guess their will be changing coming there too.  Companies selling hubs will be happy they this should increase their sales too. 

 

 

[AnotherScott]

Like some others here, I'm more interested in Mainstage than Logic. Logic works fine on a Mac (and there was already the free Logic Remote app to add touch enhancements if you had an iPad), but for live performance, Mainstage on an iPad would be more convenient than bringing a Mac. I guess the real appeal of this is for people who don't own Macs, but do own iPads. Or those who would prefer to pay $5/month (or $49/yr.), rather than pay $200.

 

In a way, the subscription model addresses the same issue Pianoteq is trying to address with their own "different" pricing model. That is, once you have iPad apps that have effective parity with their desktop equivalent, how do you offer an iPad version without creating either something that seems "over-priced" by iOS app standards (if offered at comparable price to desktop), or something which in a sense devalues your desktop version (by offering the same functionality for a lot less money)?

[Nievski]

Logic Pro iOS is looking really nice ...

 

1. Multi-touch Mixer looks cool.

2. Step Sequencer looks very usable (dare I say, looks fun!)

3. Live Loops (aka Session View) looks live-performance friendly!

 

Multi-Touch Mixer

 

Step Sequencer

 

Live Loops (aka Session View)

[Ibarch]

I use a Windows Surface Pro laptop at the moment. The tablet format is much better than a traditional clamshell laptop. 

 

I'm not in the Apple ecosystem at all. However, an iPad that could run full AUs would be seriously tempting. But unless that happens, it's a no. I'm not interested in a small smattering of iPadOS specific cut down sound libraries . I want access to the full existing ecosystem of all my virtual instruments or I'm staying on Windows. Simples.

[Docbop]

Talks about new feature toward the end.    

 

https://www.macrumors.com/2023/05/09/apple-announces-final-cut-pro-and-logic-pro-for-ipad/

[RABid]

38 minutes ago, Ibarch said:

I use a Windows Surface Pro laptop at the moment. The tablet format is much better than a traditional clamshell laptop. 

 

I ran Sonar and Reason on a Surface Pro for a while, but for me a clamshell laptop makes much for sense. No need for a stand for the tablet as the laptop sits in the open area of my largest keyboard. Surface Pro does have a big advantage over iPas in the additional ports and storage options. Of course, the M2 iPad will run more instruments with less heat generation.