NAMM 2017: Logic Pro and Garage Band receive new updates.

Apple has just announced some major updates coming this way for its music creation apps and what the new features mean across iPhone, iPad and Mac. Here’s what they had to say in their press release…

GarageBand for iOS 2.2 now features the powerful creative synthesizer Alchemy and a new sound browser that makes searching through instruments and patches easier than ever. Logic Pro X 10.3 becomes an even more powerful tool for pros with a modern interface, new features for professional audio production as well as support for the revolutionary Touch Bar on the new MacBook Pro, putting intuitive, context-sensitive controls right at users’ fingertips.

Logic Pro X users can also remotely add new tracks to their Logic sessions from their iPhone or iPad when they’re away from their Mac. With a new share option, users can upload a special GarageBand-compatible version of a Logic project to iCloud, which they can then open on their iOS devices and add new recordings whenever inspiration strikes. When the project is saved back to iCloud, any newly added tracks will automatically appear in the original Logic project the next time it’s opened on a Mac.

“Music has always been part of Apple’s DNA, and we are excited to deliver yet another fun and powerful update to our music creation apps, GarageBand for iOS and Logic Pro X,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Applications Product Marketing. “These updates bring a wide range of new and highly requested features to both hobbyists and the community of pro musicians and audio engineers who rely on our software and hardware to create amazing music.”

“Logic Pro X is an indispensable part of the creative process for me and the artists I work with. I’m thrilled to see all the new professional features that have been added,” said Grammy- and Academy Award-winning producer and composer Paul Epworth. “As a huge fan of the Alchemy synthesizer, I love that I can grab my iPhone or iPad and use GarageBand to keep coming up with new tracks for my Logic sessions when I’m traveling and away from my studio.”

GarageBand for iOS brings even more sophisticated music creation options to iPhone and iPad, while still remaining fun and easy to use. It features a redesigned sound browser that makes it faster than ever to explore Touch Instruments and quickly find the exact sounds the user wants.

Alchemy, one of the world’s most innovative modern synthesizers and a favorite of Logic Pro users, comes to iOS and includes a rich collection of over 150 Apple-designed patches from a wide variety of genres, including EDM, Hip Hop, Indie, Rock, Pop and more. And with Alchemy’s Transform Pad, users can morph between eight sonic snapshots in real-time, to create expressive synth performances.

Recording music in GarageBand for iOS also gets easier with Multi-Take Recording, giving users multiple passes to capture their best performance and the ability to audition and switch between their favorite takes.

The release also features a redesigned Audio Recorder that adds fun, one-tap vocal effects and provides users with even more sophisticated studio effects like pitch correction, distortion and delay. Seasoned users looking for even more control over their mixes can use a new collection of advanced audio processing tools, including an interactive graphic Visual EQ and the ability to use third-party Audio Unit plug-in effects for expandable, creative sound design.

Logic Pro X includes advanced new features that make Logic an even stronger tool for audio production, giving musicians and audio engineers even more control over editing and mixing their music. The latest release features a new modern design that improves legibility in a variety of working environments.

Logic Pro X also adds support for the revolutionary new Touch Bar on MacBook Pro, providing the ability to view and navigate projects in a timeline overview, along with convenient access to volume and Smart Controls for any selected track. New performance controls let users play and record software instruments with the Touch Bar using a piano keyboard that can also be customized to a variety of musical scales, or by tapping drum pads to create beats. Assignable key command buttons allow users customize the Touch Bar controls to keep favorite keyboard shortcuts readily available.

Track Alternatives let users create and switch between different playlists of regions and edits on any track. This feature makes it easier to experiment with various creative ideas or evaluate different versions of a track as it evolves. Selection-based Processing allows users to apply any combination of Logic or third-party effect plug-ins onto any selection of one or multiple audio regions. It is useful for optimizing sound quality and a great tool for creative sound design.
Logic Pro X becomes more powerful for professional mixing, with a 64-bit summing engine, 192 additional busses and true stereo panning, providing discrete control of stereo signals.

GarageBand 2.2 for iOS is available now in the App Store as a free update for all existing and new iOS users and will cost £3.99/$4.99 (US) for new customers/older and non-qualifying devices.

Logic Pro X 10.3 is available now as a free update for all existing users and £150/$199 for new customer and can be found in the Mac App Store.