Apple Intros Logic Pro, Final Cut Pro For iPad

Apple today unveiled Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for iPad, applications that establish the iPad as a content creation platform on a par with traditional desktops.

Since the device was introduced by Steve Jobs in 2010, many have considered the iPad primarily to be a device for consuming media, rather than authoring media. With the iPad now using the same powerful processors as Apple’s desktop computers, though, interest has grown in running desktop applications on it.

With Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for iPad, Apple is bringing industry-standard professional media applications to the iPad, but with new multi-touch interfaces.

Logic Pro for iPad puts the power of professional music creation in the hands of the creator — no matter where they are — with a complete collection of tools for songwriting, beat making, recording, editing, and mixing. Apple says that it “combines the power of Logic Pro with the portability of iPad to unlock an all-in-one professional music creation app”.

With Multi-Touch gestures, music creators can play software instruments and interact naturally with controls, as well as navigate complex projects with pinch-to-zoom and swipe-to-scroll. Plug-in Tiles put the most useful controls at the creator’s fingertips, making it easy to quickly shape sounds. With the built-in mics on iPad, users can capture voice or instrument recordings, and with five studio-quality mics on iPad Pro, users can turn virtually any space into a recording studio.

Creators can also make precision edits and draw detailed track automation with Apple Pencil, and connect a Smart Keyboard Folio or Magic Keyboard to utilize key commands that speed up production.

New Sound Browser

A new sound browser uses dynamic filtering to help music creators discover the perfect sound whenever inspiration strikes. The sound browser displays all available instrument patches, audio patches, plug-in presets, samples, and loops in a single location, and users can tap to audition any sound before loading it into a project to save time and stay in their creative flow.

Professional Instruments and Effects Plug-Ins

Creators can shape the sonic qualities of their music with over 100 powerful instruments and effects plug-ins in Logic Pro. Effects like vintage EQs, compressors, and reverbs let users tweak and fine-tune their tracks. With Multi-Touch, creators can play instruments using a variety of play surfaces. Logic Pro on iPad comes with a massive collection of realistic-sounding instruments and powerful synths including Sample Alchemy — a new sample manipulation instrument that can transform any audio sample with the tap of a finger.

Beat Making and Production Tools

Producers can chop and flip samples, program beats and bass lines, and craft custom drum kits with a set of beat making and production tools. Beat Breaker, a new time and pitch-morphing plug-in, lets music creators swipe and pinch to radically reshape and shuffle sounds. Quick Sampler can chop and transform audio samples into entirely new playable instruments, and Step Sequencer lets users program drum patterns, bass lines, and melodies, and even automate plug-ins with just a few taps. Drum Machine Designer enables the creation of custom drum kits by applying samples and unique plug-ins to any drum pad. With Live Loops, users can capture inspiration and quickly build arrangements by mixing and matching musical loops.

Pro Mixer

A full-featured mixer — complete with channel strips, volume faders, pan controls, plug-ins, sends, and precise automation — gives users everything they need to create a professional mix entirely on iPad. Multi-Touch enables creators to mix intuitively and move multiple faders at once, and the mixer meter bridge lets them quickly navigate an overview of track levels, all from iPad.

Import and Export

Logic Pro for iPad supports roundtrip capabilities, making it easy to move projects between Logic Pro for Mac and iPad.

iPad users can export their finished songs in a variety of compressed and lossless audio formats, as well as individual audio track stems. Music creators can make a soundtrack in Logic Pro for iPad and export it into Final Cut Pro for iPad — providing flexibility for working across music and video.

Logic Pro for iPad also supports the ability to open projects created in GarageBand for iOS, so users can take their music to the next level with pro features and workflows.

Final Cut Pro for iPad

In addition, Apple introduced Final Cut Pro for iPad, which introduces a powerful set of tools for video creators to record, edit, finish, and share, all from a portable device.

Final Cut Pro for iPad introduces a new touch interface and intuitive tools that allow for new workflows for video creators. A new jog wheel makes the editing process easier enables users to interact with content in new ways. They can navigate the Magnetic Timeline, move clips, and make fast frame-accurate edits with a tap of a finger.

With Live Drawing, users can draw and write directly on top of video content using Apple Pencil. On iPad Pro with M2, Apple Pencil hover unlocks the ability for users to quickly skim and preview footage without ever touching the screen. They can also speed up their workflows by adding a Magic Keyboard or Smart Keyboard Folio to utilize key commands. Creators can view and edit HDR video and apply color grades with accuracy using Reference Mode.

Pro Camera Mode and Multicam Video Editing

Pro camera mode brings greater control to the creation process on iPad. Video creators can shoot high-quality video in portrait or landscape orientation, monitor audio and available recording time, and manually control settings like focus, exposure, and white balance.

Creators can capture, edit, and publish from a single device while in the field, and on iPad Pro with M2, users can even record in ProRes. With multicam video editing, clips can automatically be synchronized and edited together, and users can even switch angles in a multicam clip with just the touch of a finger.

Fast Cut Features with Machine Learning

Final Cut Pro for iPad harnesses the power of Apple silicon and machine learning to speed up time-consuming editing tasks. With Scene Removal Mask, creators can quickly remove or replace the background behind a subject in a clip without using a green screen. Auto Crop adjusts footage for vertical, square, and other aspect ratios, and with Voice Isolation, background noise can easily be removed from audio captured in the field.

Scene Removal Mask uses machine learning to analyze a shot and isolate a subject, removing the background with just a tap.

Pro Graphics, Effects, and Audio

Video creators can choose from a vast library of professional graphics, effects, and audio. These include HDR backgrounds, customizable animated patterns, and professional soundtracks that automatically adjust to the length of a video.

Import and Export

Editors can import supported media from Files or Photos, and save it directly inside a Final Cut Pro project. Final Cut Pro for iPad also supports the ability to import projects created in iMovie for iOS,4 and iPad users can export their Final Cut Pro projects to Mac.

Pricing and Availability

Starting Tuesday, May 23, Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for iPad will each be available on the App Store for $4.99 (US) per month or $49 (US) per year with a one-month free trial.

Final Cut Pro is compatible with M1 chip iPad models or later, and Logic Pro will be available on A12 Bionic chip iPad models or later. Final Cut Pro for iPad and Logic Pro for iPad require iPadOS 16.4.

67 thoughts on “Apple Intros Logic Pro, Final Cut Pro For iPad

  1. Here we gooooooo! Whole rental thing kinda sucks which is probably why its $5 bucks. Can see that being increased in the future. Starting to feel like no new software will be for sale, all rentals.

    1. lol
      Oh no $50 a year.
      My wife and I spent that on lunch yesterday.
      Even if I pay it for 10 years that’s $500.
      We can blow that at the casino in one night
      and not think twice and have fun.
      TE will charge $2500 for wooden dolls,
      $1600 for a hipster table…but Apple is evil for $50 a year.
      lol

  2. What’s with all these companies with the rental nonsense? Why are they trying to squeeze as much money out of us?

    1. Biggest reason for rental probably is because it gives Apple a more continuos income stream which makes updating Logic financially viable and makes it easier for people to have updated software and instruments . 5 bux a month is dirtcheap considering what is and will be included and compared to Logics competition.

    2. So because you’re so against subscriptions, it means that you also don’t have Netflix, Prime, Disney and others?

      1. Many people hate subscriptions precisely because they have too many of them already. They hate managing them, and hate the monthly money drain. And canceling them is often a real pain.

        Fragmentation is also annoying. I’d like to watch The Mandalorian, but there’s no way I’m going to subscribe to Disney plus just for one program. Amazon is only worth it as a bonus on top of prime shipping. And Netflix is looking worse all the time – all while trying to squeeze more money out of subscribers.

        I regularly use dozens of apps … and have absolutely no desire for that to turn into dozens of app subscriptions. It’s just not scalable and it isn’t sustainable.

  3. So Logic on my iPad is less than $1 a week to use… finally a decent iOS DAW that’s practically free. I’m in!

  4. You also have to own a recent M1 pad and have bugged os 16 on it, the rental part was already a no go for me , the rest makes it easy to pass
    And knowing apple , you will be obliged to update to 17…18…or M2 , M3 …. if you want to go on using the updates or the software
    Learned the lesson with tomtom go, need recent os ,pad or iphone if you still want updates

    1. It actually says in the description above that Logic for iPad also will run on older iPads wirh A12 Bionic etc…

    2. It will work on my iPad 8 and I’ve never had an issue with iOS 16. What’s not to like? No iOS DAW’s ever met my needs. I’m looking forward to this.

  5. Sorry I refuse to pay Apple to buy the same app each month. I assume they are going to come up with lame updates each month to justify the cost. I find it interesting that the Login Pro I own on my MBP never sees updates like that.

    1. It is pretty simple, actually. This is obviously the acquisition model people want. Hell, since we no longer own our own DNA, why should we assume that we can actually “own” anything? Isn’t owning stuff racist?

    2. what on earth are you talking about? I bought Logic like 10 years ago and it has gone through major upgrades throughout the years for free!!! no DAW has received these kind of updates for free for so many years.

      1. Reaper. Cheaper, more updates, more flexible.
        Let me elucidate:
        A $60 Reaper license covers you for all updates for 2 major revisions.
        Buying Reaper 4.0 covered you till Reaper 6 was released. That’s 8 years and 2 months.
        Reaper 4 had 51 updates
        Reaper 5 had 77 updates.
        Reaper 6 has had 79 updates so far.

    3. So wait. you want to return to the days of paying hundreds of dollars for software that you’ll use for about a year or two then move on to something else with minimal updates because they already have you money? What an unbelievable horrible take. $5 a month is nothing and look at it this way,they don’t have your money so it motivates them to have substantial updates. This is great for the consumer whether you know it or not.

      1. I don’t like the idea of not being able to open a project because I cancelled my subscription.
        There is zero incentive for Apple to update Logic because you’re already over a barrel paying for the that very privilege.
        The correct model that incentivizes developers is the one that Loopy Pro, Bitwig and Cantabile uses:
        You own outright and get 12 months of updates.
        Afterwards you can buy 12 month of updates if you think the devs have added value.
        You can always open your projects and do work.
        Your software doesn’t feel like ransomware!
        Simple and fair.

  6. I purchased an M1 Mini ans all of the additional shit you have to get to make it do anything last year, just so I could get access to Alchemy back (with my current vision, I can’t even read the labels on the Camel version I can run on my 4K PC monitors). If a full version of Alchemy runs on this iPad version, I’d be happy to rent it for $200/year!

  7. Awesome… now a whole new generation of people can be disappointed by limited touch interfaces. Because a laptop with a keyboard was SO inconvenient, especially for people with oh so important work to do any old where. And paying a monthly fee for that set of delights… wow.

      1. iPad connectivity has always been diabolical, don’t try to pretend otherwise.
        Show me a person doing real work on an iPad and I’ll show you a person with a drawer full of clagnuts.

  8. You had me but then lost me with rental

    “People have told us over and over and over again, they don’t want to rent their music,” said Jobs emphatically.

  9. A worry is that if Apple get away with rental, as they might well do, it will become more normalized and other companies will follow suit.

    Logic Pro on the Mac has been incredible value. Pay once (for the software, anyway) and so many brilliant updates. I know that they probably run it as a loss leader.

  10. I’m in, can’t wait to try it out.
    Btw; I’m subscribing to Roland and Reasonstudios and couldn’t be happier.

    1. Agreed! Its coming. Release a massive update and then..WHAAAAAM! Sub only. If you dont want to sub, keep your crummy old Logic Pro but Logic Pro XI, sub only.

  11. So years after they release these “pro” devices that were supposed to replace laptops (and have the same computing power by now), they finally deliver watered-down versions of their desktop software – But you can’t even buy it, but have to rent it? It almost seems as if Apple actively wants to discourage people taking iPad serious as a creative tool.

  12. Have been an iPad user since the beginning with the focus, and hopes, on music apps (synths, sequencers, drum machines). It has been an interesting ride but mostly disappointing. High quality apps for sure and I have always wanted Logic for the iPad. Wha La…it is finally here and I could give two shits less. I have since moved onto Live and I try from time to time to utilize Logic somehow but I am alway like blah. The only thing I go to Logic for through the need is the audio editing capabilities.
    All I need for my iPad, music creation wise now, is Midi Designer Pro 2. Without that app I don’t know what I’d do, my centerpiece for customizable performance control.

      1. A boring life due to not subscribing to services? That doesn’t even make any sense at all, there’s more to life than subscriptions for media consumption

      2. This is setting up a bizarre and false dichotomy. If you subscribe to netflix already, you’re not a hypocrite for not wanting *more* subscriptions. If you don’t subscribe to netflix, that may very well be because your life *isn’t* so boring and empty that you feel the need to watch more television.

    1. Add that to all of your other “it’s just 5 dollars a month” explanations and do the math. That 5 ain’t 5 anymore. Glad yer happy having a hole in your pocket but don’t dismiss peoples concerns.

  13. I remember when Logic was something like $1000 and upgrades were paid. $5 a month is an amazing deal for so many features. The other side of subscriptions is the ability to unsubscribe at any time.

  14. If 50,- per year is already too much for some of you than why the hell did you buy an iPad in the first place!? iPads are not cheap devices while 5,- per month for a full DAW (not sure how full it is though) seems like a very cheap bargin.

  15. I don’t think anyone can complain too much about the price of this one. It may even bring other subscription prices down.

    But the worry is not just price, it is more about not being to open files in the future. Maybe your subscription ended because you moved to Cubase. Even if you don’t mind paying 5 dollars now and then to occasionally get at your Logic iPad files, perhaps your ipad no longer supports whatever version or Apple put the price up a lot. Or even perhaps Apple go bust, who knows.

    I can still open ancient Logic files on ancient computers if I want to, to get the audio out or whatever.

    If there’s some good export or backup mechanism, it might all be fine. Probably there is, e.g. export to Logic Mac.

  16. the laptop and the iPad are closer to the merge. we are all pretty much waiting for high quality shells to hold the iPad with a bunch of extra electronics in them to boost performance even more.

    I think overall the iPad needs a total of at least 3 usb c ports

  17. Finally !! Wish it wasn’t only a subscription, but not a deal breaker I suppose… Ok so MOTU, ball’s in your court, when will Digital Performer be available on iOS/iPad? MOTU’s great, but been lagging of late… no update to their Pro line of audio interfaces… where’s the USB-C / FW4 connectivity? 6 years (longer?) since the last update to MOTU pro interfaces…

  18. Fuck rent!

    In ten years you have used $500 (actually more, as the rents never stay down there) and previously you could expand your studio, now you are left empty handed.

    1. That’s what you’d pay for updates to any DAW over 10 years. Version upgrades are usually $150-200.

      The question I have is what the subscription covers. If you cancel your subscription, does your app stop working or do you just stop getting updates?

      1. Some DAWs like Reaper cost around $60 every 8 years and get over a hundred updates in that time.
        With this iPad Logic subscription you can no longer use the app when you don’t pay. You can probably open the file on the desktop version if you have a mac and a license for that.

  19. There are upsides and downsides for either perpetual licenses or subscriptions for both developers and end-users.

    Perpetual licenses give developers larger infusions of cash upon releases and updates. Users get a simple quid pro quo deal and don’t have to think about it much; or keep track of subs. For major upgrades, users can choose to buy new features, or stick with the license/version they have. But income for devs is bumpy, and is more or less proportionate to their direct to make new software or major updates.

    Subscriptions give developers more steady cashflow. Users can try complex or otherwise expensive software without a major initial outlay; and decide if it is worth continuing. However, users do have to keep track of a potentially large number of subscriptions; and consider current and future needs in order to decide which subscriptions to maintain. That could be a complex set of organizational steps and tasks.

    At this point, the number of software titles I subscribe to is one. I begged the developer to offer a perpetual option (even if it fairly high price); the response was that it would be considered for the future. Also, the number of updates since I started that one subscription is zero.

    I prefer when developers offer a perpetual option along with a subscription option. It allows them to set prices where they want them, and users how they prefer to support developers.

    1. There’s a big risk with perpetual licenses. If developers don’t have a steady cash flow, then they have to be conservative in their product planning. They have to plan for the possibility that they can work for two years on a big release, but it might not be as successful as they’d hope for, and then they have to survive for a couple more years until the next big release.

      1. I get the steady part, but risk?

        Perpetual Licence: “Here’s 3 year’s worth of payments, up front. Go nuts.”

        Subscription: “Here’s $5, and I’ll cancel whenever I feel like it.”

        1. Apple makes it easier than many companies to cancel subscriptions, but the advantage is still on Apple’s side because people forget to cancel them anyway.

  20. The big test for me is will it work with Tascam Model 12 in Audio interface [and other audio interfaces] mode up to the same stable and consistent level of laptop,desktop configurations.??
    I have an M1 iPAD pro, and my gripe is that support of external audio interfaces and controllers is largely miss, and occasionally a hit, but not predictable. Hope this Logic Pro for iPAD lives up to its name

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