New Features in Logic Pro 9 (Logic Studio 2)

So we've all been using Logic 8 for a while now, and even though it hasn't been that long since the release of Logic 8.0.2, I know we're all excited about the new possibilities in Logic Pro 9 and Logic Studio 2. There are almost no major surface and interface changes, which is a very good thing. Logic 8's interface was smooth and clean and 9 has only improved on that. The internal changes reflect a great change of mentality for the developers of Logic. They are seemingly focused on creating tools that are built in to Logic that would literally cost you hundreds of dollars in aftermarket plug-ins. Great examples of this that we will cover are Flex Time and it's extensive toolset, the newly redesigned Amp Designer and the brand new Pedalboard, the new Selective Track Import functions, the Drum Replacer and the ability to Comvert Audio to Sampler Tracks. There is tons more to talk about, but these stand above the rest in improving your experience and speeding up your workflow in Logic.

My goal is to examine each of these tools and their relative usefulness and functionality as well as their applications in pro-quality audio. They have taken time out of my "computer work" and allowed me to put that time into music, which is all one can ask for I suppose.

Flex Time. This feature alone may make Logic Studio 2 worth the somewhat hefty price tag ($499) for some. Flex Time is an umbrella term covering all the new "time tools" in Logic Pro 9. The most prominent is the Flex Tool, which allows you to edit and stretch individual pieces within a complete audio file. The tool itself has several modes that dictate how it will analyze and process the sound; Slicing, Rhythmic, Monophonic, and Polyphonic. Depending on the source of the file, these can vary immensely the way Logic "chops" your audio file and the success of the Flex Tool. For instance, using a Polyphonic algorithm of "flexing" will not yield as quality results on a drum track as Rhythmic flexing. Whereas, the opposite is true for a rhythm guitar part. For anyone who's used it before, this feature is akin to "Time Stretch" or "Elastic Audio" in DigiDesign's Pro Tools systems.

Another new Flex Time feature that I found very interesting was the Audio Quantize option. Before this, quantization of audio in Logic was limited to the placement of the audio file in the arrange window. Never before could we edit audio's timing from within the file and then move individual transients along the grid separate of the whole piece. In a word, amazing. If you've ever recorded with a drummer who was just slightly off, this is your savior... No re-recording, no cut-and-paste amateur work to make the drums line up, just a few clicks and you're good to go.

Varispeed functions are also quite cool and almost seem too easy to be true. Using complex algorithms and programming I couldn't hope to understand, audio files and MIDI files alike can be stretched in real time, together! This way you can speed up or slow down a project at will from within the transport window without being destructive to your automation data and tempo-synced plug-in parameters. Not to mention being able to do all the functions of the Transform Window in Logic 8 in a much simpler manner. You can control Speed, Pitch, Speed and Pitch or Pitch and MIDI, depending on the situation. The stretching is great, even staying faithful after a 50% decrease in speed on a guitar part. It's just another great way in which Logic 9 feels a little less restrictive and a little more musical.

Let's not forget Speed Fades either. You can whip up DJ-style quick starts and stops no problem. It's included as a parameter in the Region menu or in the Inspector. Just choose your style of fade (speed up, Xfade, fade out, etc..) and the number of milliseconds in which you want the fade to occur and Bam! There's a a speed fade. It's only limitation is that it can only do audio, not MIDI files. But any of the same effects can be accomplished via Varispeed and automation on MIDI files, so it's not a dealbreaker. Very cool effect, hugely useful in hip-hop and DJ-based music especially.

All things considered, you have most of the same options and limitations with the Flex Time tools as you would with any $500+ plug-in, but packed into Logic and native to Logic. Another addition making computer music, more musical. You can't go too far out of the original range of the song, but you may be surprised how far you really can go. I've done stretches on guitar parts that sounded good almost 3 times their length, while some vocals just can't be taken much farther than the original recording. It's just a little button above the arrange window but it makes a world of difference.

Amp Designer. Another big wow here and a huge improvement on Guitar Amp Pro (which is still included so you can still use your old settings). Being a fan of micing old tube amps myself, I am consistently skeptical of any amp simulation be it software or hardware. At least I was. After trying the new Amp Designer on a few of it's cool presets, Black Face Crunch and Half-Stack Lead and so on, I was surprised at the warmth of the low end. This seems to be the most lacking feature in low-quality amp simulators and Logic 9 has got it in spades. So after playing with that for a bit and getting some interesting sounds going with the mic placement options and (thank God!) separate Amp Output and Gain Settings, I felt like a had a real amp set-up in front of me. What's missing? What's next?

Pedalboard. Here's another great new area for Logic to shine. Recreations of vintage pedal abound, Pedalboard has got everything from a Happy Face Fuzz to a BluEcho to a Roswell Ringer ring modulator right back to a Squash Compression Pedal and everything in between. I damn near got held back writing this because I was still playing with effects chains and multiple delays and splitters, the possibilities may boggle your mind. The routing options are great and the fact that both Pedalboard and Amp Designer are AU native plug-ins makes everything smooth and easy on your CPU. The recreations of the pedals are great, however, the fuzz tones could use a little more bite. But it's that kind of bite that you only get from imperfect, analog circuitry so I guess I can't hold that against a perfect digital system.

Drum Replacer. Another killer app that has helped me several times already. I'm not a drummer, plain and simple. So when I rely on a drummer to do some session recording, I have to get what I can before they have to leave. Sometimes, the micing situation is less than stellar or the recording just doesn't have that "punch" that you were looking for when you look back on it. So what do you do? Do you call him back in for another session and pay him again? Do you just get used to the sound and try to mix and EQ your way into happiness? No. Now you just click a few buttons in the Track menu, choose Drum Replacement/ Doubling and then find an acceptable sound to either mix in or replace your original sound. You can access Logic's great built in library or your own samples. You can even sample the original track and use a doubled version of your original recording. Too fun, too useful, an all-around great feature. It's only limitation that I noticed, was that if you have a really unique drum sound or percussive element that you have no other match to blend into the mix, you're pretty much S.O.L. But the fact that this can all be accomplished in less than 30 seconds with a few clicks and a little pre-mixing is unbelievably cool.

Convert to Sampler Track. This is a completely new one. I've only seen a similar feature in one other program and it uses a proprietary format that is not compatible with many other programs. You can now take an audio file and chop it (based on transients) and then assign it to a sampler instrument which pumps out a MIDI track with your file already there in the arrange window in about 4 clicks. Amazing. With all the routing and ASDR and envelope settings in the EXS24 sampler, you can really go nuts with this one. Each individual word in a vocal part can be made into a sample, each "chug" in a driving guitar part, each drum hit from an external loops package... anything. Any audio file, instantly converted to a EXS24 instrument and laid out for you. Simply awesome and a huge time saver. In fact, this has actually made it worth it for me to buy packages of loops that I wouldn't have before. I've never wanted to take the time to chop them up myself and make them usable and musical. Now, it's something I look forward to, like a kid on Christmas who wants to play with a new toy.

Workflow/ Productivity Tools. I've saved these for last. Not because they are the least important, but because they are possibly the best new additions to Logic 9. I know, all the other stuff sounds great, but with tools like these you will find yourself looking at projects in a new way. The first improvements that helped me in the quickest way were the Selective Track Import and the Tempo Information Import with Quick Swipe Comping and Bounce-in-Place at a close second and third.

Selective Track import allows you to import entire tracks, or just portions of tracks from different projects. You can choose which elements you will import from which track with ease in the Browser. You can choose Content, Plug-Ins, Sends, I/O information and Automation or any combination of those elements from any track in any project. This makes mastering from within Logic 9 a breeze. Just open a new project, import everything you want to use and leave out everything you want to experiment with and now you have an instant mastering project custom-suited to your song and preferences. Want to make a remix of an old project? Just import all your content and conform the tracks to your new tempo and settings and you're ready to get started. Another great use for this feature is that if you are worried about messing up your old projects from Logic 8 by opening them with Logic 9, you can just import everything into a new Logic Pro 9 project and have a "reliable" version and an "experimental" version. Pretty sweet, right?

Tempo Information Import. Importing audio that's not at exactly 110BPM on the dot? Usually. Using a loop in a song that's not at the tempo of the song and don't want it to sound awkward? Of course. So what do you do? Tempo Information Import, of course! You can either conform your song tempo to the loop, or conform the audio to your song tempo. Works like a charm, even when you don't know the tempo of the original audio.

Quick Swipe Comping/ Bounce in Place - Ever tried to use the take folders to make a vocal comp? I have, it wasn't that fun. Before Quick Swipe Comping, you basically had to chop each section of the audio that you want manually and then recombine them into a new audio track. Now, you just enable Quick Swipe, "swipe" the parts that you want and close the take folders. It will automatically play your comped version and keep all the audio files intact. Great for vocals, guitar solos and any other improvised takes. With Bounce In Place, effects rendering is instant and (big surprise) done in place. You can bounce regions individually, or together as a track. You can also combine multiple audio sources into one new track, also very useful for projects with way too much clutter and massive track counts.

General Improvements. There have also been some general improvements to the user interface that are much appreciated. First and foremost, there is a white, highlighted border around whichever window you are operating in. It's a simple addition that makes you a little more confident when pressing CMND+Delete or using other window-specific shortcuts and is just generally nice to know. You also now have access to guitar tablature in your scoring window, including custom guitar chord grids and a massive library of standard chords. Another great feature for those that need it. Especially those who score in Logic and send the scores out to musicians for studio production.

Logic 9 is amazing, just like Logic 8 was when it came out. With everything considered, I would rate this as the top DAW right now. Above Pro Tools, way above Cubase and Nuendo and miles above Audition. Do yourself a favor and check out this upgrade if not just for the new Flex Tools, but all the other great improvements as well. You will find yourself working faster, smarter, smoother and getting more music done in less time. That's what you want, right?