All In the tests

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While certain sequencer editors are steadily increasing their prices, Apple has taken the other route and is now offering Logic for under 500€. Would it be wise to spend more?

In the world of audio, when a software release goes from a whole number to another (i.e 6.0 to 7.0), this usually means a big update and sometimes a complete overhaul. If it comes along after a long transitional period, you’d probably expect serious changes, numerous fixes and the granting of users’ wishes. That’s why the long awaited version 8 of Logic (three years after Logic 7!) is supposed to be a real revolution.

We weren’t expecting the complete suite, and since we can’t review everything that’s in the boxed set, we’ll focus on Logic Pro 8 without pretending to cover everything and concentrate on the graphic overhaul, workflow and new features.

Full package

Following Final Cut's example, Logic Pro 8 is now part of a complete suite, dedicated to audio & MIDI production, from the recording process to CD or DVD mastering and burning. This is a pleasant surprise. The second surprise is the price, 499€, which is beyond belief...

For such a low price, you get several applications (a marketing trick) and lots of sound content and utilities. As far as applications go, you’ll find Logic Pro 8 and Soundtrack Pro 2, the latter coming from the Final Cut suite. Then there’s a new one, MainStage, specifically designed for live performances, which will need its own review. You’ll also get WaveBurner again, this time the 1.5 version. Another Apple gift is Compressor, a powerful encoding tool, allowing for advanced handling of audio and video formats. And the icing on the cake is Quicktime Pro, which offers a lot of additional functions. But where’s SoundDiver?

Test Machine Mac PPC G5 2 x 2 GHz OS 10.4.10 4 Gb of Ram ATI Radeon 9600 Pro RME HDSP PCI + Multiface MBox2 Mini 2 internal SATA HD & 5 external HD FW800 TC PoCo PCImkII & FireWire UAD-1

Content-wise, you get 39 GB of loops, samples and presets; this is a real luxury! You’ll find detailed information here. The marketing trick mentioned above refers to the names of the Studio Instruments and Studio Effects. The heading and presentation give the impression that they could be separate packages, when they are actually the very same factory instruments and effects that have been included since version 6, with just a few enhancements and new plugs.

In addition to the Apple Loops Utility, there’s a new one, designed to create your own impulse responses (from mono to 7.1, there are 22 formats available) to use them in Space Designer, Logic’s own convolution reverb. A MacBook, a good audio interface with multiple I/O, the appropriate set of microphones, and you’re ready to capture any ambience or any acoustic environment. Imagine you’re on a movie set: with your laptop you can immediately record the various ambiences, and two clicks are all you need to use them in your future sound editing: one click and they are de-convolved, another and they are transformed into a Space Designer file and preset. Bravo!

Another nice gift from Apple is the huge paper manual, more than 1500 pages...

This article has been written on the 11th of november 2007. Some bugs listed in this review have been fixed by Apple through the recent update of the software. Get more informations on www.apple.com/logicstudio/download/.