Apple have announced Logic Studio 2 today. The release is a full upgrade of every component within the Studio bundle, and now contains Logic Pro 9, Mainstage 2, Soundtrack Pro 3, and Production Utilities. The latter comprises the Impulse Response Utility, Apple Loop Utility, Compressor 3.5 and an upgraded version of WaveBurner (now version 1.6)
New features in Logic Pro 9
The biggest new feature in Logic Pro 9 is Flex Time, which is actually a collection of tools enabling you to re-time and re-groove audio simply by dragging within a region. This feature really brings Logic up to par with ProTools 8 and Cubase 5, both of which added this feature in their last release. It offers multiple modes for rythmic and melodic content and allows for beat slicing and mapping of audio to tempo (and vice versa). Y-ou can even effortlessly varispeed an entire song in one go.
Under the heading of Production Tools, Logic Pro 9 now offers a track interchange facility between sessions complete with channel strip settings. Coupled with Flex Time this means that tracks can be moved between sessions and automatically conformed to the new tempo! There are expanded take folder options that sit alongside the quickswipe editing that was introduced in Logic Pro 8; you can now move audio about within the take folder, cut and paste and make use of the Flex Time feature. A Drum Replacer allows you to create a MIDI track that generates trigger events from the transients of an audio track and even gives you a list of appropriate samples to trigger from that transient, automatically loading them into the EXS24 sampler. Snare drum replacement has never been that easy!
Convert to Sampler pretty much brings Propellerhead's ReCycle technology into Logic, allowing you to take any audio region, slice it and assign it across the keys of the EXS24 to allow parts to be played in a custom order. Bounce In Place brings much-needed audio rendering functions that users typical had to perform in SoundTrack Pro before. Finally, Logic Studio 9 adds the Voices jam pack, additional chord boxes for scoring and over 450 warped and ethereal impulse responses for Space Designer that will no doubt be of interest to sound designers.
MainStage 2 has been been given a huge overhaul in this release. An often overloked element of the Logic Studio bundle, MainStage is a pretty revolutionary piece of software that allows you to play any of Logic's Instruments (and other AU instruments) and effects live with extremely low latency, creating a monster synth arsenal. MainStage 2 adds more control, the ability to link parameters, multi-mapping and grouping of controls, audio playback of backing tracks, full rewire support, a live audio looper, and a recording option. With version 2 MainStage has become the mother of all synths!
Mainstage also allows you to use the new Guitar Amp Modeler live. Amp Designer allows you to mix and match 25 guitar amps, 25 cabinets and 3 different mics to create a custom rig. And you can add to that the Pedalboard - a collection of 30 stomp box guitar effects.
Lastly, what of Waveburner? The new version streamlines the user inteface and adds the Mix Lane - a graphical overview of all your edits.
Logic Studio 9 is a major and frankly rather exciting upgrade. You can place advance orders for the full vesion and upgrade versions now at www.jigsaw24.com or by giving us a call on 03332 400 222.