New in Logic Pro 8

Powerful and approachable music production.

Logic Pro 8, Apple’s professional music production application, provides musicians with the powerful, easy-to-use tools they need to write, record, edit, and mix. It features an interface that has been redesigned for fast, intuitive control, with all the key functions organized in a unified workspace. Time-saving recording and editing tools combined with end-to-end support for surround make Logic Pro 8 perfectly suited for everything from a scratch recording to a full-scale symphonic production in 7.1 surround.

New features in Logic Pro 8 include:

• Next-generation interface

• Simplified setup

• Effortless multitake recording

• Revolutionary Quick Swipe comping

• Powerful audio editing features

• Comprehensive surround

• Network-based save and share

• XSKey-free operation

 

Next-Generation Interface

A new workspace features a single-window design with retractable panes, customizable toolbar, shortcut menus, built-in browsers, and dual channel strips. This streamlined layout eliminates clutter and lets you focus on your music.

Consolidated Arrange window

The Arrange window consolidates edit and browser windows. You can record multiple takes; cut, move, or stretch audio with sample accuracy; apply channel strip settings; automate a group fade; or drop chords onto your lead sheet—all from one central location, without managing multiple windows.

The Arrange window lets you selectively display three additional areas:

• Editing, horizontally tiled below the Arrange area; used for the Mixer, Sample Editor, Score Editor, Piano Roll Editor, and Hyper Editor

• Media or Lists, vertically tiled to the right of the Arrange (and editing) area; used to display media browsers and list-based editors

• Inspector, vertically tiled to the left of the Arrange (and editing) area; used to display region and track parameters as well as the new dual channel strips for the selected track

Built-in browsers

Built-in media browsers give you intuitive, rapid access to your content without opening additional windows or leaving the workspace. The Media area includes tabs for four media browsers, including the Loop Browser and the Audio Bin.

Two additional browsers are new to Logic Pro 8:

• Library Browser, for channel strip settings, plug-in settings, EXS instruments, and all possible MIDI destinations

• File Browser, including Spotlight search, for accessing any Logic-related file on your system or on any connected media volume—without going out to the Finder

Dual channel strips

The Inspector window features dual channel strips that provide streamlined access to all of the channel strips related to the selected track. The left channel strip lets you monitor and control the output and other settings for the current track. The right channel strip varies based on your selection in the left channel strip; click any Send or Output slot on the left to display the destination channel strip on the right. This feature allows you to access all of the channel strips used by a given track without opening the Mixer.

Optimized Mixer views

Two new options let you easily see the signal flow routing in the Mixer.

In the Arrange view, you can choose a setting—Add Signal Flow Channel Strips—to see not only the channel strips assigned to tracks, but also the auxiliaries and outputs used as send or routing destinations for each track.

In the new Single view, you see just the channel strip for the selected track, along with the auxiliaries and outputs used as send or routing destinations for that track. Focusing on the signal flow of one track at a time allows you to mix with greater efficiency and control.

Simplified Setup

Logic Pro 8 lets you start making music right away, with production-ready templates, one-step track setup, dynamic channel strip creation, and seamless integration of ReWire-compatible applications such as Ableton Live and Propellerhead Reason.

Production-ready templates

Start making music fast by choosing from a variety of templates designed for different music styles—such as electronic, hip-hop, orchestral, R&B, rock, and songwriter—and professional production scenarios ranging from multitrack stereo production to surround mastering. You can easily modify and save templates or create your own.

One-step track setup

Logic Pro 8 allows you to create and configure multiple audio, instrument, or external MIDI tracks from a single, simple setup window.

Dynamic channel strip creation

Logic Pro 8 streamlines recording and mixing by automatically creating channel strips for you as you work. Anytime you create a bus send, Logic Pro creates an auxiliary channel strip with that bus as its source. Similarly, if you add a multi-output software instrument, you can create preconfigured auxiliary channel strips with a single click.

Streamlined ReWire support

Integrating ReWire-compatible applications with Logic Pro is dramatically streamlined. You can now manage all setup and configuration in the Arrange window, with no need to open the Environment or create special “ReWire Objects.”

Open Ableton Live or Propellerhead Reason directly in Logic Pro, then select the instrument you want to play from the list that dynamically appears in the Browser. To monitor or process audio coming from a ReWire application, just select the outputs as the input source for any auxiliary channel.

Effortless Multitake Recording

Logic Pro 8 offers a simple, flexible approach to multitake recording. When you record over existing material, your takes are automatically stored in a take folder. Expand your take folder at any time to see a graphical display of all your takes for easy auditioning and editing. You can move a take folder anywhere in your arrangement and edit it just as you would any other region.

Revolutionary Quick Swipe Comping

Quick Swipe comping dramatically streamlines the process of comping tracks. Rather than cutting, moving, and muting regions, all you have to do is click and drag to select the best sections of each take. This creates a perfectly seamless comp, complete with transition-smoothing crossfades.

Easily change your comp selections by clicking alternative sections in any take. You can save multiple comps and switch among them to pick the one you like best.

Powerful Audio Editing Features

New editing features in the Arrange window allow you to work with greater speed and precision, without opening separate windows.

Snap-to-transient selection

Snap-to-transient selection lets you extend marquee selection borders to the next or previous transient. This feature is particularly useful for fast, efficient drum editing and sound replacement. Extend or reduce the length of the marquee selection by snapping the start or end point of the marquee to transients in audio regions, note on or note off positions in MIDI regions, or region start or end positions.

Graphically time stretch or compress audio

Logic Pro allows you to visually time stretch or compress an audio region directly in the Arrange area—without changing its pitch. Simply Option-drag the end point of the region. You can choose one of the time compression algorithms provided with Logic Pro or use third-party options such as Serato Pitch ‘n Time or iZotope Radius.

Precise editing in the Arrange window

You can now edit waveforms directly in the Arrange window with the same precision previously available only in the Sample Editor. This is especially useful for maintaining phase alignment when making micro-adjustments to live recorded tracks.

Simultaneous edits with the Junction tool

Fine-tune the intersection of two regions by using the Junction tool to simultaneously resize two adjacent regions. Just use the Junction pointer and drag to the left or right; both regions will be resized, with no gap between them.

Comprehensive Surround

Logic Pro 8 offers end-to-end surround capabilities, allowing you to record, edit, mix, and encode projects in surround up to 7.1.

Multichannel file support

You can play, record, and process multichannel, interleaved audio files. Surround level meters let you monitor volumes for all channels within a single channel strip.

Multichannel bussing

Logic Pro supports end-to-end, multichannel signal routing. You can submix surround tracks or use sends to route audio to surround auxiliary tracks.

New Surround Panner window

The new Surround Panner window lets you use a graphical surround field to adjust track output signals to specific speaker positions in a Quad, LCRS, 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1 surround field. Level sliders and fields provide independent control of the Center and LFE channel levels. Additional parameters allow you to precisely control the separation between channels.

True Surround plug-in support

Many of the Studio Instruments and Studio Effects, including Space Designer and Delay Designer, are designed for True Surround. This means that all the processing for surround is handled in the plug-in, to provide particularly rich, immersive effects.

Multi-mono architecture

The multi-mono architecture in Logic Pro 8 lets you use any mono or stereo Logic Studio or Audio Units plug-in in surround, so you can take advantage of all your plug-ins when you create surround projects. For effect plug-ins, the multi-mono architecture offers options for creative processing on a per-channel basis.

Surround encoding

Burn uncompressed audio directly to DVD-A or transfer bounced surround stems to Compressor for industry-standard Dolby Digital Professional AC-3 encoding in 5.1 surround. Use Compressor to preview your surround stems before encoding.

Network-Based Save and Share

Back up personal channel strip settings, plug-in settings, and key commands to your .Mac account for easy access from any computer connected to the Internet.¹ You can also select favorite settings to share across a local or Internet-based network or through your .Mac Public folder.

XSKey-Free Operation

A simple serial number eliminates the need for the XSKey dongle, freeing up a USB port for other uses and allowing you to work without extraneous hardware.