7 Exciting New Features in the Logic Pro X 10.5 Update
Music producers across the world already use Logic Pro X to create their tracks. It has been used for everything from demo tapes to Grammy Award-winning albums.
And with the latest Logic Pro update, Apple’s DAW is better than ever.
Logic Pro X 10.5 introduces a new Sampler, Step Sequencer, Drum Machine Designer, Drum Synth, and Live Loops function. Find out all about these new Logic Pro features below.
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1. Live Loops
Click the grid of nine squares above the track headers to open the Live Loops view. This grid lets you create music non-linearly by working with a grid of loops that you can arrange into sets of columns.
Add audio, MIDI, and pattern regions to the Live Loops view by dragging and dropping them. Then click a loop to make it play.
Add multiple loops to the same column and click the column number at the bottom to make them all play together.
It’s easy to chop and change between loops by clicking them. Logic Pro uses beat detection to ensure each loop starts on the beat so your music is always in time.
When you find the perfect arrangement, hit the Performance Recording button and track those loops into the timeline. Switch back to the session view to see your loops and edit the arrangement however you see fit.
2. Remix FX
This plug-in was already available in GarageBand. But it proved so popular that Apple added it as a new feature in the Logic Pro X 10.5 update as well.
The Remix FX plug-in is available for any of your tracks from the Multi Effects folder. You can add this plug-in to individual tracks, but it works best when strapped across the stereo output.
Click and drag across the two pads to warp your music with Filter, Repeater, Wobble, Reverb, Orbit, or Delay effects. Then use the central controls to adjust the Gater, Downsampler, Reverse, Scratch, and Stop effects as well.
Install the Logic Remote app on an iPhone or iPad to control Remix FX using your mobile device. This plugin works great with a touchscreen making it easy to perform your music much like a professional DJ would.
3. Step Sequencer
Alongside Live Loops and Remix FX, Logic Pro X 10.5 also adds a new Step Sequencer. Use this specialized edit window to create MIDI melodies, bass lines, and rhythm sequences easier than ever before.
Select a MIDI region and open the Functions menu to create a pattern region. This automatically opens the Step Sequencer, which appears as a series of boxes in different rows.
Each box represents a note and time. Click in a box to add a note there. You can adjust the step timing from the drop-down menu on the right. It doesn’t take long to create original loops from this window.
Open the drop-down menu at the top of the Step Sequencer to adjust other parameters for each note. These parameters include the velocity, octave, chance of playing, and more. After choosing a parameter, click and drag on a note to adjust the percentage, shown by a color filling the center of the box.
4. Sampler
Apple has finally retired the EXS24 software instrument sampler and replaced it with a new one, simply called Sampler. This new sampler features a sleek design with a customizable interface and more options than ever before.
The rack-like modular design of Apple’s Sampler lets you view the exact controls you need by switching different sections on or off. Inside each module, you’ll find all the sampler controls you need to create unique sounds for your music.
The Sampler is also backward compatible with existing EXS24 sound libraries. That means you can still enjoy the legacy EXS24 sound libraries that come with Logic Pro X. You can also use Sampler with any EXS24 sounds you created yourself.
5. Quick Sampler
The Quick Sampler is a simplified version of the Sampler which makes it easier to get up and running with new sounds in no time at all.
Import sounds to the Quick Sampler by dragging in sounds from your Logic project, Finder, or even the Voice Memo app. You can also track samples directly into Quick Sampler using your Mac’s built-in microphone.
After importing a new sample, use the intuitive controls to trim, loop, and map your sample in no time at all. Use the slice option to make Quick Sampler slice a sample into distinct sounds using beat detection.
The controls at the bottom of the Quick Sampler let you tweak all the sounds at once. Edit the LFO, pitch, filter, and amp settings as much or as little as you need.
6. Drum Synth
The Drum Synth is a new software instrument in Logic Pro X 10.5 that lets you create your own synthesized drum sounds using a set of incredibly simple controls.
Apple includes a selection of drum sounds covering kick, snare, cymbals, and other percussion instruments. But it doesn’t take much to adjust the settings and create your own drum sounds as well.
The Drum Synth doesn’t sound like a real drum, but it’s not supposed to. Use this instrument for a vintage-sounding electronic drum kit.
After creating the perfect sounds, map them to an electronic drum kit with the Drum Machine Designer.
7. Drum Machine Designer
The Drum Machine Designer lets you assign different sounds to each pad on an electronic drum kit. You can then use simple editing tools to tweak the individual sounds and create the perfect kit.
One of the easiest ways to create a drum machine is by using the Quick Sampler. Import a drum loop to the Quick Sampler then slice it into separate beats, then open the menu and choose to Create Drum Machine Designer Track.
This adds each slice to a separate pad in the Drum Machine Designer. You can then edit the slices, move them around, or replace them with different sounds.
When you’re finished, use the Step Sequencer or an electronic drum kit to create a loop using your drum machine sounds.
How to update to Logic Pro X 10.5
Logic Pro X is available to purchase through the Mac App Store for $199.99. This might seem expensive, but it’s actually very good value for a professional DAW of this quality.
The update to Logic Pro X 10.5 includes enough new features that Apple could have released it as a paid add-on. But it’s available as a free update instead.
If you already own Logic Pro X, update to 10.5 and get all these new features for free. All you need to do is open the App Store and install new updates using the option in the sidebar.
If you don’t own Logic Pro X and it feels like too big of a purchase, consider GarageBand instead. GarageBand is Apple’s consumer-level alternative to Logic Pro. It offers only a fraction of the features but is totally free. You can try out GarageBand on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
He spent two years supervising repairs as a Genius Admin for Apple Retail and uses that knowledge to keep our troubleshooting guides up to date.
Long before that, Dan turned to Apple products from a musical background. Having owned iPods for years, he bought a MacBook to learn sound recording and production. It was using those skills that he gained a first-class Bachelor of Science in Sound Technology.
