Logic Pro 10.4 Press

[musiclover55547]

Not a bad showing from the folks at PC Mag:

https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2401411,00.asp

Still the Logical Choice

There are hundreds of other features I simply don't have the room to discuss here, many of which have been with the program for years. With the latest update, Apple keeps Logic Pro at the forefront of the DAW market. Any quibbles with the program—and some are to be expected, given the sheer breadth and depth of what Logic Pro offers—pale in comparison with its virtues. And as is more and more the case these days, you don't need a desktop machine for professional work. Add Logic Pro X 10.4, a USB MIDI keyboard, and a pair of headphones to a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro—plus an audio interface like the wonderfully designed (and very Logic-friendly) Apogee Duet$595.00 at Amazon, and some microphones if you're recording live instruments—and you've got a portable music studio that was simply impossible on this scale even just a few years ago, let alone using the same software the pros use on a regular basis.

The competition is well established and fierce, but much of it costs more. Avid Pro Tools, MOTU Digital Performer, and Steinberg Cubase—what used to be considered the other four major established DAWs years ago that are still around today—all remain hundreds of dollars more expensive than Logic, and require either hardware copy protection, subscription fees for support, or some combination of those. Perhaps the most compelling higher-end DAW is Ableton Live, which commands a rabid following for its unique composition and live performance-oriented UI. On the lower end, Logic does see some stronger competition from PreSonus Studio One, the utilitarian-but-bargain-priced Cockos Reaper, and long-standing electronic-dance-music favorites FL Studio and Reason.

Logic has been around for several decades now, and by this point it's got some serious celebrity cred; Adele's Hello was recorded in Logic Pro, along with the score of the Academy Award-winning La La Land. Many commercial studios in the US remain committed to Avid's Pro Tools. But it's getting tougher and tougher to justify the costs, given how capable Logic Pro X has become, especially when coupled with high-end Apogee hardware. The need for outboard processing gear (as you'd find with Pro Tools HDX) is basically gone except for the absolute largest of projects. And now Pro Tools has a monthly subscription fee. Regardless of your opinion of Apple products and their pricing, it's tough to argue with the value here. There's no denying the company packs in a couple grand worth of plug-ins with Logic, easy. And it's a stellar recording, editing, mixing, and post-production environment.

PCMag awards Logic Pro X a rare five-star rating—not because it's perfect, but rather it's an outstanding product and an amazing value at just $199.99. If you have a Mac and haven't decided on a proper songwriting, recording, or mixing program yet, or if you're aching to upgrade from an earlier version of Logic or even GarageBand (project files from which, incidentally, still open seamlessly in Logic), Logic Pro X 10.4 is your best bet.

[Bombadil]

Apogee... pffft. I had a firewire Duet, and it would often become unstable, causing it to sound crackly and tinny. Even iTunes did it. I would either have to reboot the computer, or reinit Core Audio. It was also mushy on the lower end, integration with Logic got dropped somewhere in an LP9 update. That is my experience, but I have seen the same issues posted by other users. In the portable setup, I'd go with an RME Babyface.

Having said that, I agree with all the rest. Logic is an amazing program, far more than I'd ever dreamed of at my fingertips.

[keyman_sam]

I wish I was a logic user. The Cubase upgrade alone costs me $199.

[Tj Shredder]

Depends a lot what you do with it. As audio editor Logic is a usless toy, but there is an even cheaper and better alternative called Ardour, open source, running on any operating system, even better than ProTools, but also different...
If you are on a Mac and do beat based music, Logic is not only a powerful DAW, you get a bunch of high quality synths and effects which alone would be worth 5 times the money. On top of that, you can get just the synths with Mainstage for as low, its not worth to call it a price. Only drawback, those synths and effects are not available in any other host, you would have to route their signal, which is a pain...

[Zexila]

Logic is awesome, it's suitable for majority of tasks and needs, also very well resource optimized.

[Bombadil]

Depends a lot what you do with it. As audio editor Logic is a usless toy, but there is an even cheaper and better alternative called Ardour, open source, running on any operating system, even better than ProTools, but also different...
If you are on a Mac and do beat based music, Logic is not only a powerful DAW, you get a bunch of high quality synths and effects which alone would be worth 5 times the money. On top of that, you can get just the synths with Mainstage for as low, its not worth to call it a price. Only drawback, those synths and effects are not available in any other host, you would have to route their signal, which is a pain...

Uh, no. I do everything from soundscapes for my short videos, to straight-ahead rock, progressive rock, etc. I do NOT do 'beat based music,' lol. You must be thinking of Garageband

I can't compare the audio editing with other DAWs, as Logic is the only one I am familiar with, other than Reaper, which can't hold a candle to Logic n any way that matters to me. Logic does what I need it to do. My background is old school insofar as that means getting things right on the way in, so that I don't need to do a lot of fiddling with the audio files.

The only thing I really hate is Apple's M.O. in making people update their OSes, which have a tendency of slowing down older machines. Given Logic's apparent instability with High Sierra with a significant number of users, 10.4 is likely to my last major (free) upgrade.

[jonljacobi]

I agree Logic is a great program, my favorite in fact, but 5 stars? Dude's not leaving himself a lot of room and in fact, it's hardly perfect. Also, the bargain nature of the program is offset by the cost of a Mac (even used) so if you're not on the platform already, it costs a lot more than say Reaper on a Windows PC. A lot more. That said, if you haven't tried it, you should borrow a Mac and give it a decent shot. Once I did, my third-party plug-in count dropped about 75%. I thought I was going to miss all my VSTs, but it turns out most everything is in AU as well, and the plugins that come with it are very, very good for the most part so I don't even use a lot of third-party stuff I was using. I was also very surprised how configurable the interface and key commands are.

Still. 4.5.

[Zexila]

Also, the bargain nature of the program is offset by the cost of a Mac (even used) so if you're not on the platform already, it costs a lot more than say Reaper on a Windows PC. A lot more. That said, if you haven't tried it, you should borrow a Mac and give it a decent shot. Once I did, my third-party plug-in count dropped about 75%. I thought I was going to miss all my VSTs, but it turns out most everything is in AU as well, and the plugins that come with it are very, very good for the most part so I don't even use a lot of third-party stuff I was using.

As you said there's AU's that comes with it that replace plenty of 3rd party offerings and some of them are worth more than Logic itself (Alchemy), so that should be consideration when comparing to Reaper on PC, Reaper is as bare bones as it gets, to get it close to Logic stock offering you need to spend fine buck too, so it evens out the cost of a used Mac.

[fmr]

As you said there's AU's that comes with it that replace plenty of 3rd party offerings and some of them are worth more than Logic itself (Alchemy), so that should be consideration when comparing to Reaper on PC, Reaper is as bare bones as it gets, to get it close to Logic stock offering you need to spend fine buck too, so it evens out the cost of a used Mac.

Either your used Macs are ridiculolously cheap, or you must be joking. Logic Stock would be easily surpassed with something like Komplete alone, which, on sale, you would buy for $500,00.

What used Mac can you buy for that price? And add to that the difference in cost between Reaper and Logic.

Anyway, are we seriously discussing a review published in PC Mag? What next? A review published in Sports Illustrated?

Logic Pro could be considered a bargain when compared with Pro Tools, but then, which DAW wouldn't?

[Zexila]

You have internet too, find your answers, done discussing anything with you, it's most worthless thing on planet, consider yourself muted from this moment.

(also price difference between buying PC with Reaper and Mac with Logic, not another Mac with Logic as you made it out to be in your pointless argument)

[fmr]

You have internet too, find your answers, done discussing anything with you, it's most worthless thing on planet, consider yourself muted from this moment.

[Zexila]

You have internet too, find your answers, done discussing anything with you, it's most worthless thing on planet, consider yourself muted from this moment.

Seriously, we know how this goes, it's worthless, you have your opinion and nothing will change it, I really don't care about it, let's just not talk to each other and spend our precious time on something else.

[LawrenceF]

I wish I was a logic user. The Cubase upgrade alone costs me $199.

I know right?

Apple has a bit of an unfair advantage when it's comes to pricing Logic, given their vast wealth. They could probably sell it (the full thing, not the upgrade) for $50 and not care at all. I mean, they're like ... the 8th or 9th richest company on the planet and they certainly didn't get to be that by selling copies of Logic.

It's nuts. Apple is like an oil company, many billions in cash on hand.

[chk071]

I wish I was a logic user. The Cubase upgrade alone costs me $199.

I thought a Logic "upgrade" costs 230. You'll have to re-buy the whole thing every time a new major version comes out, right?

Upgrading a major version step is 159 € for Cubase Pro, BTW.

[fmr]

I wish I was a logic user. The Cubase upgrade alone costs me $199.

I thought a Logic "upgrade" costs 230. You'll have to re-buy the whole thing every time a new major version comes out, right?

Upgrading a major version step is 159 € for Cubase Pro, BTW.

Actually, nobody can say that for sure. There was never a paid upgrade since Logic Pro entered the Apple Store. They may as well keep updating it forever for free. Who knows?

What sucks is that older users have to pay full price for Logic Pro X, just like any new user.