Apple's New Logic Pro X Features Drummer, Flex Pitch, and Other New Goodies

Logic Pro just got a big update to Logic Pro X, which adds features and simplifies the interface. Don't worry though pro users, it's still a beast of a program.

Today, Apple unveiled Logic Pro X, the newest version of the Apple's digital audio recording and creation software. Along with a new interface, Apple says the new Logic Pro will feature powerful new tools for musicians, and an expanded collection of instruments and effects. That includes a new instrument called "Drummer," and a new editing option called "Flex Pitch."

"Logic Pro X is our most powerful version yet, with advanced tools and a modern new interface designed to streamline the process of creating professional quality music," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "Musicians are going to love creative new features like Drummer, Flex Pitch, Track Stacks and the Arpeggiator."

Drummer

Drummer is supposed to provide professional quality - and realistic - drum tracks for songs. Apple says Drummer can "respond to your direction and can perform millions of unique grooves in rock, alternative, songwriter and R&B genres." Behind Drummer are the recorded sounds and skills of elite studio musicians and engineers, including a producer that has worked with the likes of the Rolling Stones and David Bowie.

Drummer is also more flexible and customizable than previous drum tracks. For example, you can bring up a representation of the drum kit, according to MacWorld, and pick and choose the symbols and drums that you want in the track - as well as adjusting the amount of each part of the kit and the amount of drum fills and swing that a particular drum track has. You can also switch out parts of the drum kit for more exotic or particular drums and symbols. For each drum, you can also adjust the tuning and dampen or brighten them.

The actual rhythms in Drummer are also flexible. They can play in "nonstandard" time signatures, like 7/8 or 5/4, and can also switch time signatures measure by measure, if you're really trying to get rhythmically complicated. Finally, using the "Follow" feature, Drummer will analyze the beats of other instruments and tracks, and try to pick out appropriate rhythms based on the rest of the virtual "band." Basically, with Drummer, Apple is trying to make the drum instrument sound like a real drummer, with variation and flexible timing, instead of just a drum track.

Flex Pitch

Flex Pitch is meant to fix the little imperfections in a recorded track, without having to cut, re-record, paste, or just redo the whole track. With Flex Pitch, according to Apple, you can "fix out-of-tune vocals and even change the melodies of recorded audio by manipulating individual notes within an audio waveform." It sounds really useful, and even like fun, but remember not to go crazy and auto-tune the whole performance.

Other Changes

The "X" in Logic Pro X may worry some who remember when Final Cut Pro X came out a couple years ago, receiving mostly negative reviews from video editing professionals. Logic Pro X does look a lot more like Final Cut Pro X, and it has moved some of the controls around, including some - like the volume and pan controls now being within the track list - that borrow from the more user-friendly (and less professionally feature-rich) GarageBand. But don't worry, there are still the full command menus and panes that are deep with options and advanced features. And there are some improvements that simply make sense. Like Track Stacks, a feature that lets pro users - who can have several dozen tracks going at once - put multiple tracks into a single collapsible group and get them out of the way.

Logic Pro X is available now at the Apple app store for $200.00, and unfortunately there's no discount for users who have previous versions of the digital audio workstation software.