This post is my own slant on a couple of new features and changes in logic 9. If you haven't used logic before, or are just starting out this might not mean a great deal - but if you've been a user for a while and are considering upgrading, read on!


It's not the big things...

Well, it's been about 2 months now since Apple finally let all the unsuspecting logic users loose on the latest version of Logic Pro.. (yes I know it's officially Logic Studio, but I'm an old fashioned kind of guy!) and most people are agreed that this upgrade is in line with what Apple have done to OSX with their release of Snow Leopard, ie. Evolution and not Revolution.

Having said that, I for one am heartily glad that they have kept the heart of the program entirely intact and sought to work on those areas that have annoyed long-time users due to faulty or poor implementation; systems not being compatible with software issues; 3rd party applications not being able to address enough system RAM through logic, and other seemingly small bits and bobs. However, it's the improvement of the small extras (at least they appear that way to many) that make the life of a pro-user so much easier. "What's that?" I hear you cry....

Yes, I know...

There is a great Flex time addition - Apple would have seriously fallen behind Avid/Digidesign, Ableton and (God forbid) Steinberg if they had not implemented an incredibly similar audio editing-in-time algorithm (finally some audio quantising that actually works) and I know that there are 900 new guitar amps (well not quite, but you know what i mean), but it's the extra changes, like....ready?

Deep breath....

• Being able to edit the contents of audio take folders in time (and without glitches);
• Having a bounce in place feature - allowing MUCH quicker "striping" of midi to convert it to audio and placing it back in the song where it was previously;
• Being able to add effect tails to bounces without guessing
• Being able to seamlessly move channel strip setups and the contents associated with them between projects (this one's invaluable if, like me, you create millions of versions of the same song as a type of backup mechanism and then fancy having a bit of MIDI from 10 versions ago that got lost along the way...);
• Being able to add written notes to tracks; having a sensible way to replace poorly played or recorded drums with a "replace with sampler instrument" feature (I know this could be done before, but it was a pain the backside, and now it's SO quick!);
• Knowing that when i load up my CPU hungry audio units, logic will allow snow leopard to do it's thing and not get in the way of RAM being allocated where necessary - with no limit (that I am aware of); having menu items... well... in the right menu for a change; being able to see an image of the last saved screenshot as the image next to the song on your hard drive, so that quick view allows you see which version to open...
• Have much, much faster project load times...period;
• Having sensible white boxes around the window containing "key focus" (in apple-speak)
• Having a much improved fade-tool;
• Having logic tell me when it's about to have a crash, or have low-memory issues, so I can save it just in time;
• NOT removing access to editing the deeper elements of the program (like the environment) that some doom-sayers said might be made impossible to access

Breathe out....

To be honest, I'm not even half way through that list - I could go on and on (I think we all know that...), but it's just my way of saying - It's not always the largest feature changes that make the biggest difference in our lives as pro-users: In fact it's nearly always the smaller changes to areas that are long time niggles that put a smile on my face, and for that, in this case - I'm heartily grateful!

I'd like to see...

So what needs sorting out next? Well I think that this is a question I'd like to throw open to readers of this blog - as I think we all have our own agendas...

My top three issues:

1. Give the EXS24 a fairly radical overhaul. I have become an advocate of Keymap which is the sampler editor that the EXS24 should be - but as the platform leader for MIDI work (in my opinion), I find myself working in software instruments with their own GUI's and integrated Midi implementation as the EXS24 feels a bit outdated and not a patch on those other instruments - like Kontakt for example....
2. Update the piano roll (we all know it's a matrix editor... sigh..) to make it quicker and easier to use. Make velocity editing (I can't believe i'm going to say this) more like cubase - more linear and easy to change quickly. (This might seem a small change, but if you've read this far...)
3. Make a more obvious integration between the automation event editor (only available by key command - ridiculous!!) and the event editor. All that needs to be done in the event editor is to add a tab next to "additional info" that says "automation" - this can be already forced into this window by a complex series of opening one window and closing the other with a secret handshake, but it should be straightforward and would make automation editing MUCH easier.

Conclusion

So - more of the same please..... continuing revolution to an already great product - and long may the revolution continue - otherwise, consultants and trainers are obsolete!

What would you add to the list?

Send me an email to tell me what your list would be, and I'll post the sanest ones in a later blog.

Bye for now

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