Apple announces Logic Pro for iPad

[Docbop]

10 minutes ago, ElmerJFudd said:

I wonder if someone is going to hack the Apple TV (the one with the A15) to run Logic Pro.  

 

Talk floating around is since the someday released Apple headset supports iOS that somehow you can use FC or Logic with the headset.  Apple also hinted at use and air keyboard, so maybe control FC and Logic with a giant virtual headset screen.   

 

 

[Nievski]

What do you think about Logic Pro memory requirements?

 

1. Current entry level iPads have 4GB RAM (9th and 10th gen.)

2. The M1/M2 iPads all have 8GB RAM (Air 5, and 2x Pro models)

3. And there are 16GB RAM options, at the higher end

 

Seems like there'd be an advantage to multi-tasking or working with a fully loaded project. If you work with Final Cut Pro or Davinci Resolve, they require the higher end iPads. But a MacBook Air becomes more and more cost-effective as the price approaches US$1000.

[ElmerJFudd]

51 minutes ago, Nievski said:

What do you think about Logic Pro memory requirements?

 

1. Current entry level iPads have 4GB RAM (9th and 10th generations)

2. The M1/M2 iPads all have 8GB RAM (Air 5, and 2x Pro models)

3. And there are 16GB RAM options, at the higher end

 

Seems like there'd be an advantage to multi-tasking or working with a fully loaded project. If you work with Final Cut Pro or Davinci Resolve, they require the higher end iPads. But a MacBook Air becomes more and more cost-effective as the price approaches US$1000.

Yes, spec’ing an 11” M2 iPad with 1TB drive and 16gb of RAM is $1499.  (12.9” is $1799).  

 

M2 MacBook Air 1TB and 16gb is $1799.  
 

Add a keyboard to the iPad to make it more like an Air and the price becomes very similar (or actually more expensive in the case of the 12.9” model).   But Apple is unrelenting thus far on putting a touch screen on a convertible Air.  Until - perhaps macOS and iOS become more and more similar.  Notice the iOSification of Ventura.  
 

 

[ErrkaPetti]

8 hours ago, Nievski said:

 

Apple likes to push technology into the consumer space and that's pretty exciting because the consumer side tends to breed a lot of innovation. It will be fun to watch pros, who don't mind coming up with new workflows, using re-purposed consumer tools. And of course amateurs, who don't know any better, just doing what comes naturally with the new tools! 

 

In contrast, professional tech tends to hit a hard plateau for stability & reliability and I think the dividing lines will be Logic Pro projects thet seriously require:

1. Screen real estate

2. Horsepower

3. Connectivity

4,. Storage

 

THE BIG QUESTION:

Will it be actually usable as Logic Pro Mobile?

OR will it be known as GarageBand Plus, because functionality isn't as good expected.

 

That still remains to be determined.

 

1. Screen real estate - just like a Macbook, iPad can be connected to an external monitor…

2. Horsepower - Macbooks with M1/M2 cpu is capable running LPX on desktop - iPads with M1/M2 will do the same performance…

3. Connectivity - iPads with M1/M2 cpu has Thunderbolt 4/USB-C port and can be connected to every item you like…

4. Storage - as above, easy to connect fast SSD thru Thunderbolt 4 or USB-C

 

In about ten days we will see the power of iPads running big projects…

[ElmerJFudd]

3 hours ago, ErrkaPetti said:

1. Screen real estate - just like a Macbook, iPad can be connected to an external monitor…

2. Horsepower - Macbooks with M1/M2 cpu is capable running LPX on desktop - iPads with M1/M2 will do the same performance…

3. Connectivity - iPads with M1/M2 cpu has Thunderbolt 4/USB-C port and can be connected to every item you like…

4. Storage - as above, easy to connect fast SSD thru Thunderbolt 4 or USB-C

 

In about ten days we will see the power of iPads running big projects…

“2. Horsepower - Macbooks with M1/M2 cpu is capable running LPX on desktop - iPads with M1/M2 will do the same performance…”

will they?  Close I think.  the iPad variant is likely optimized for longer battery life and running in battery power all the time. 

[AnotherScott]

11 hours ago, Nievski said:

What do you think about Logic Pro memory requirements?

 

1. Current entry level iPads have 4GB RAM (9th and 10th gen.)

2. The M1/M2 iPads all have 8GB RAM (Air 5, and 2x Pro models)

It's hard to do an exact comparison. On one hand, iOS has an advantage in that the OS itself does not use up as much of the device's physical RAM as MacOS does. OTOH, MacOS can use more virtual memory than iOS can. At least that is my understanding.

[ErrkaPetti]

2 hours ago, ElmerJFudd said:

“2. Horsepower - Macbooks with M1/M2 cpu is capable running LPX on desktop - iPads with M1/M2 will do the same performance…”

will they?  Close I think.  the iPad variant is likely optimized for longer battery life and running in battery power all the time. 

I have an Macbook Pro 16” with M1 Pro chip, so, have been able to do certain speed comparison between my both M1 devices - iPad Pro 12.9’ M1 is very powerful and I’m pretty sure we will be able to run Logic Pro as good as equivalent M1 Macbook Air/Pros…

[ElmerJFudd]

2 minutes ago, ErrkaPetti said:

I have an Macbook Pro 16” with M1 Pro chip, so, have been able to do certain speed comparison between my bot M1 devices - iPad Pro 12.9’ M1 is very powerful and I’m pretty sure we will be able to run Logic Pro as good as equivalent M1 Macbook Air/Pros…

Yes agreed.  It’s powerful enough for Logic Pro.  When they run the benchmarks we’ll see the iPad is not quite as powerful, but more than capable.   Now, just remember you only get 8gb of RAM if you choose less than 1tb of storage.   They 1tb iPad pros have 16gb RAM which of course makes them just as expensive as a MacBook Air with the same specs.  Less than a MacBook Pro though. 

[RABid]

On 5/9/2023 at 10:13 AM, RABid said:

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.

Okay. I'm old, retired, crotchety, and have the right to change my mind on a whim. A few days ago I reserved a Polyend Tracker Mini on Sweetwater and am told they are a couple months away. Looking at the screenshots of Logic on iPad I'm thinking that my need and desire for the Tracker Mini can be covered by Logic. I have a 12.9" pre M1 that I bought 2 months before they announced the M1 model. It is the 512GB version and I've only used 1/4 of that. Will try Logic for a month and if I like it I may use my Sweetwater savings from GearExchange to get the M2 iPad Pro.

 

One big factor for me will be how other companies handle iPad versions of their software instruments. I will miss not having NI Komplete, my U-He collection and SugarByes complete. I don't want everything as I have no desire to connect an external drive to the iPad. I do want some variety and hopefully things will transfer well to the Notebook. And hopefully companies that make their software available on iPad will not charge full price. I understand that it takes development time and maintenance support to convert to iPad and I'm willing to pay up for that.

[CyberGene]

Owning many plugins I find myself only using the U-He Diva and Re-Pro. I like the Arturia V-Collection and the Waldorf PPG 3.X but I can live without them. As a matter of fact I think I may live entirely with the Logic Pro plugins, especially Alchemy and the Retro synth (and other patches from various internal plugins). With that in mind I believe Logic Pro on the iPad will be a complete audio environment and DAW even in itself and even for pro users. 

[Paul Woodward]

As long as the trial is free (don’t have to sign up) I will give Logic a whirl on an M2 iPad and see how it performs.

[Docbop]

Nice thing about Logic on the iPad is it supports some of the Pre-M series chips too.   So performance on a M-series should be good. 

[o0Ampy0o]

18 hours ago, Docbop said:

 

Talk floating around is since the someday released Apple headset supports iOS that somehow you can use FC or Logic with the headset.  Apple also hinted at use and air keyboard, so maybe control FC and Logic with a giant virtual headset screen.   

 

 

Arguably not as common or popular but air keyboard, like air guitar, has been around a while with no concerns for OS, CPU power, amount of RAM or headsets. Out of the air line, air vocals is my favorite. There is no Autotune and you never have to endure listening to someone who believes they have a singing voice sing along with the radio in a car.

 

I was dabbling in the app design market but have since directed my energy towards the air line. I am currently marketing air composer. All those hits you author and the wealth you accumulate from them are safe from copyright lawsuits. PM me if you would like advanced notice of my IP. A preview of what is coming: air mansion, air exotic sports car, air personal fashion line and air private label alcoholic beverage.

[analogika]

On 5/12/2023 at 3:05 PM, D. Gauss said:

if i'm gonna do DAW work on an ipad, chances are it will be while i'm on a plane.  Perhaps you've never recorded a live 24 track show to a card, removed it and popped it into your laptop and instantly been able to rough mix it on the flight home (with no drives,dongles etc hanging off the box other than headphones into a HEADPHONE jack)...Then pop out the card and pop it into your studio rig to finish when you get home?  

 

Wait — what are you saying? Just earlier, you were complaining that you wanted a MICRO-SD card slot. The only mixer I could find that records to microSD is a tiny Røde mid-level semi-prosumer dinghy. 

When people whine about missing microSD on iOS/iPad devices, they're usually complaining about the lack of expandable storage. Which is why I addressed external storage with 10Gbps, vs. the 120 Mbps maximum of microSD (that's a speed factor of about x100). 

 

Now, you're talking about data transfer. Did I misunderstand you? 

The way it works here is that my laptop IS my studio rig, and whatever I need to transfer goes on one of several tiny little Samsung T7 SSDs or gets AirDropped when I need to. 

I see no reason why this would be any different with a different portable computer. 

 

On 5/12/2023 at 5:15 PM, D. Gauss said:

exactly. i thought i made it clear that that is what i do now. Given that an ipad is supposed to be that much "more" portable it ideally should be less encumbered by adapter thingies having hang off all over it.

 

That is SO not the point of iPad, and it never has been. The point is that it is a touch-first interface built upon the locked-down security model of iPhone. That's where it comes from. It's not about portability, which is obvious when you compare a 12.9" iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard to an old 11" MacBook Air, or even a current M2 MacBook Air. 

Based upon that "Post-PC" foundation, iPad is now growing in capability to fill the needs of future platform users. 

 

On 5/12/2023 at 5:22 PM, D. Gauss said:

as mentioned as nauseum, who wants crap hanging off their nice, sleek ipad? it's bad enough now trying to do midi in, power in, and audio in/out in a tidy manner.

 

The same kind of user who currently wants crap hanging off their nice, sleek MacBook. 
Current iPads Pro come with MORE internal storage than the 2TB I have in this MacBook Pro. If you don't want a "crap" minijack or USB-C headphone cable hanging off your nice, sleek iPad/MacBook, there's wireless headphones, if you can deal with the lossy compression algorithms. 

Once you walk in through the studio door, it's all moot, anyway, since you're invariably plugging into all manner of external peripherals, hubs, and docks. 

 

On 5/12/2023 at 5:29 PM, HammondDave said:

You guys don’t get it. Apple is marketing this to the new generation of creators, not us. Just watch their advertisements on their website regarding this new software on iPads.  No one is above 25 years old. 

 

THIS. 
 

At present, there's still old fogeys (my generation) yapping on and on about how iPad is just a content consumption device, and not a content creation device. That hasn't been true for a decade, now, but I find it difficult to embrace, because I've spent thirty years building my skillset and workflows on a complex mouse/keyboard-based platform. 

As mentioned, my daughter is growing up in a "Post-PC" world, and may only ever encounter a traditional PC in an office somewhere. She got basic training in elementary and middle school, but has been iPad-only for years now. 

She will be using "Post-PC" devices for anything and everything she can get away with before ever touching a traditional computer in her life. 

For US, the question — as this thread shows — is "What does Logic on iPad offer over what we have now?". 
For her generation, the question is "What does a Mac/PC offer over what I can do on iPad now?"
The answer is "not much, and ever less". 

[analogika]

To me, one of the major reveals of this announcement to me is that they finally answered the question, "Whom the hell is a $2000 M2 iPad Pro aimed at?" 

 

They've been establishing Mac-equivalent hardware at Mac-equivalent prices, but didn't have Mac-equivalent software to justify it. 

We're starting to get there.

[AnotherScott]

An advantage to the subscription model that happened to have just come up... Someone may want to send me a Logic Pro file to play with. Instead of saying sorry, I don't have Logic, or spending $200 to get it, I could conceivably work on it for $5.

[RABid]

The challenge is to get comfortable with the limitations of the iPad or the Air. I found that it is not worth trying to install Komplete Ultimate on a portable device.  Logic on an iPad will be very different than Logic on a studio computer. I’m going minimal and treating it like an expanded beat box. If all works well it will my MC-707, MPC’s or elektron boxes.

[ErrkaPetti]

1 hour ago, RABid said:

The challenge is to get comfortable with the limitations of the iPad or the Air. I found that it is not worth trying to install Komplete Ultimate on a portable device.  Logic on an iPad will be very different than Logic on a studio computer. I’m going minimal and treating it like an expanded beat box. If all works well it will my MC-707, MPC’s or elektron boxes.

you, and many others, forget about the advantage with iPad - a touch device with tons of good software made for touch behavior, BUT, as you may be doing with an laptop, connect your iPad to an big screen, connect keyboard & mouse to the iPad - voila! You can run Logic Pro for iPad just like you do with your Mac…

 

[o0Ampy0o]

On 5/12/2023 at 8:29 AM, HammondDave said:

You guys don’t get it. Apple is marketing this to the new generation of creators, not us. Just watch their advertisements on their website regarding this new software on iPads.  No one is above 25 years old. 
 

Personally, I will be subscribing to both programs. I use my iPad Pro more than my Macbook Pro. 

 

A friend of mine works for a local university. She says young generations will not use computers at all. Baby Boomers will have experienced the arrival, adaptation and going of computers in everyday life. To the average person everything will be done using other devices. Technically many of these could be considered computers (i.e. smartphones, smart watches, portable digital scanning devices used for inventory and shipping, POS devices, etc.)  but the "home computer and business computer" are becoming obsolete.

[Docbop]

9 minutes ago, o0Ampy0o said:

 

A friend of mine works for a local university. She says young generations will not use computers at all. Baby Boomers will have experienced the arrival, adaptation and going of computers in everyday life. To the average person everything will be done using other devices. Technically many of these could be considered computers (i.e. smartphones, smart watches, portable digital scanning devices used for inventory and shipping, POS devices, etc.)  but the "home computer and business computer" are becoming obsolete.

 

Everything has a computing device and most connect wirelessly to compute farms somewhere.  Basically things are going full cycle from mainframe and terminals to personal computers, and now back to handheld wireless terminals connecting back to "mainframes" in the cloud.   Form factors change but we're all tied to some compute device all the time cars, smart home device, phones, anything with a cpu and network connection. 

[o0Ampy0o]

I have a portable EKG monitor. Cost $100. I can send my cardiologist the data. We talk via hospital app text msg no charge. Amazing to live with this tech when you have lived without it. Still, holding improvements to driver's license / reg and filing taxes highest probably because I have not spent a lifetime doing medical the old tech ways.

[RABid]

1 hour ago, ErrkaPetti said:

you, and many others, forget about the advantage with iPad - a touch device with tons of good software made for touch behavior

I have not forgotten it. I have mentioned it several times in this thread. To run Logic Pro like I do on my Mac I need at least a 4TB drive and Komplete Ultamate.

[D. Gauss]

1 hour ago, o0Ampy0o said:

 

A friend of mine works for a local university. She says young generations will not use computers at all.  

 

how do they type a 50 page term paper then? and if your answer is "they have a bluetooth tactile keyboard," then they in fact, basically now have a laptop. 

[Ibarch]

1 hour ago, o0Ampy0o said:

 

A friend of mine works for a local university. She says young generations will not use computers at all. Baby Boomers will have experienced the arrival, adaptation and going of computers in everyday life. To the average person everything will be done using other devices. Technically many of these could be considered computers (i.e. smartphones, smart watches, portable digital scanning devices used for inventory and shipping, POS devices, etc.)  but the "home computer and business computer" are becoming obsolete.

 

I disagree. Obituaries have been written for the PC for the last 10 years or more. Yet when everyone needed to work from home (not play games or watch videos), home computer and laptop sales went through the roof. Some kinds of work don't bend to the tablet/touchscreen interface. For where is crossover, business already supply touch screen laptop PCs. 

 

Just cause the kids haven't had to do any proper work yet won't change that. Your university friend should take a look outside academia and into the business world sometime. 

[RABid]

I just asked my great-niece (high school) and great-nephew (college). They say the kids only want to use phone or pads, typing is no longer taught in school, and the kids who do not have proper typing skills are at a big disadvantage when trying to do school work. Dictation is improving but it is not yet good enough for doing a term paper.

 

As for the workplace, computers and computer skills far outpace pads. The medical field will never leave computers as long as Medicaid, Medicare and insurance companies require detailed notes on every service. They use pads to look at a chart, but extensive changes are done at a computer.

[ElmerJFudd]

17 minutes ago, RABid said:

I just asked my great-niece (high school) and great-nephew (college). They say the kids only want to use phone or pads, typing is no longer taught in school, and the kids who do not have proper typing skills are at a big disadvantage when trying to do school work. Dictation is improving but it is not yet good enough for doing a term paper.

Hmmm. They scrapped cursive writing under the notion that typing was more practical.  In my experience they aren’t great typers, no Mavis Beacons if you get that reference.  But they aren’t bad.   I like swype style on the phones, works great for me… and predictive text saves a lot of swypes or virtual key strikes.  Text to speech works well in the car.  Remember the damage to thumbs from dumb phones with their tiny numeric keyboards for texting.  Another skill made useless rather quickly.  
 

But all of that is getting very good rapidly, AI assisted.  The kidz chatGPT their papers.  I’m not sure if we realize what skills will be useless shortly.  What will the next generations need to know how to do?  Interact with the tech effectively I presume.  
 

I still wonder how bad it would be in a bad situation where everyone would need to garden on their property just to have something to eat. 

[Ibarch]

What interests me is how long it will take for developers to port existing AU plugins to v3 and iPadOS. If they do at all. It has taken Steinberg many years to move the community from VST2 to VST3. Only by refusing to issue new VST2 licenses and lately dropping support for VST2 in their software do they look to be making progress. 

 

Having Logic Pro on iPad is a big step. That may be enough for some developers. However as per VST, the community has shown great reluctance to adopt new formats if they don't see a commercial benefit. Will the iPad market grow sufficiently to persuade them? Will it bring new customers or take existing users away from Macs/PCs, create new revenue or split existing income between more platforms? This could be the defacto starting point of making the iPad a viable new platform. But it is going to need a lot more developers on board to make it happen. 

 

 

[ElmerJFudd]

1 hour ago, Ibarch said:

What interests me is how long it will take for developers to port existing AU plugins to v3 and iPadOS. If they do at all. It has taken Steinberg many years to move the community from VST2 to VST3. Only by refusing to issue new VST2 licenses and lately dropping support for VST2 in their software do they look to be making progress. 

 

Having Logic Pro on iPad is a big step. That may be enough for some developers. However as per VST, the community has shown great reluctance to adopt new formats if they don't see a commercial benefit. Will the iPad market grow sufficiently to persuade them? Will it bring new customers or take existing users away from Macs/PCs, create new revenue or split existing income between more platforms? This could be the defacto starting point of making the iPad a viable new platform. But it is going to need a lot more developers on board to make it happen. 

 

 

I think we just saw how this is going to go for a lot of AU developers with Pianoteq.  
 

MI doesn’t have an audience the size of Flappy Bird.  So we’re not going to see a price reduction on AUs just because they’re on the iOS App Store or the macOS App Store. In fact, Apple’s % cut would only cause prices to go up.  But, there will surely be special pricing and flexible licensing for users that own macOS AUs but want to install them on iOS/iPad OS.  

[D. Gauss]

5 minutes ago, ElmerJFudd said:

  In fact, Apple’s % cut would only cause prices to go up.  

 

yet another reason why the logic subscription is a drag. apple ain't payin' that % like 3rd party devs have too. all this on a DAW that has been mature software for quite awhile with no real new advancements/features to speak of in several years.  easy, extra coin in the big man's pocket.

[HammondDave]

1 hour ago, D. Gauss said:

 

how do they type a 50 page term paper then? and if your answer is "they have a bluetooth tactile keyboard," then they in fact, basically now have a laptop. 

They just ask ChatGPT to do it…