Logic Pro is now on iPad!
And why these are huge news!
I’ve been dreaming of having a full-blown DAW on an iPad for years. And now Apple has announced that Logic Pro is coming on the iPad in just a few days (alongside Final Cut Pro). While I’m not still sure if the iPad version will have all the features of the MacOS but from Apple's description and videos looks like a fully functional version to create songs from start to finish.
It comes with over 100 instruments and effect plugins and support iOs plugins from FabFilter, Moog, and many more so it looks like it’s not just a stripped-down version of Logic (like the Note app from Ableton) but a very capable app for music producers.
You can sample, sequence, use drum machines, and mix using your hands on a very hands-on mixer section that looks amazing. And that’s just the start. Unfortunately, it will be a subscription-based app costing $4,99 per month or $49 per year with a 1-month free trial which is relatively cheap but I would much prefer to have it as a one-time purchase for let’s say 60-80$.
Why is this such a big deal?
I believe that this is the first step to the future for many reasons. There are already a lot of apps for music production, even some sort of DAWs, but as Apple decides to step into the game, everything is going to change. More and more plugin manufacturers will start taking this seriously and produce iOS-compatible plugins to be a part of this new ecosystem. And we’ll slowly get to the point where using an iPad will be just as powerful as using a laptop or a desktop for music production.
While laptops, and especially Macbooks, are quite portable nowadays the iPad is the perfect portable device. The Pro models have a huge amazing screen, their batteries last for hours and you can use them anywhere you are. Plus, the iPad enables you to use your hands to control it which is a lot more intuitive and fun compared to using a trackpad or a mouse so this will open a new path for plugin design. The plugins will be much more interactive and easy to program since you’re not limited to just one click but you can do multiple things at once. We are so used to using our hands on our phones, that it almost feels awkward to use an actual computer so touch interfaces are definitely going to be the norm in the near future.
Recording instruments in the studio and then mixing and finishing up the production on your couch or on your way to work will be easier than ever using an iPad. While an actual studio with instruments, hardware gear, and effects will always be a thing, having the ability to have your DAW on such a small and portable device gives you much more freedom and makes your life easier.
And if Apple invests in it, more companies will follow. And maybe we’ll see the day when Ableton Live becomes an iPad app (I’m begging you). On the other hand, we still have a long way to go. File management and storage is certainly an issue with iPads since making music (or editing videos in Final Cut) requires a ton of storage and an easy way to access samples, plugins, etc. Plugin compatibility will require a lot of time to be on par with desktops and laptops, and hardware instruments & controllers will start to embrace the new way of working by making devices optimized for this.
If you’re already a Logic user, I would suggest giving this a try and seeing if it works for you. For all the other DAW users, we will patiently wait and see when our favorite DAW goes live on iPad and slowly make the transition to the new age. Exciting times!!
