Logic Pro for iPad version 2.1 is here!
From a completely new plugin, to new sounds and long awaited quality of life improvements, here’s everything you need to know.
Quantec Room Simulator
The original Quantec Room Simulator was created back in 1982 by Wolfgang “Wolf” Buchleitner.
Capable of incredibly transparent and realistic recreations of room acoustics the QRS digital reverb effect quickly became a favourite in the music industry. It went on to be used by loads of artists like Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush.
In 1997, Wolfgang followed up the QRS with the Yardstick 2402 which featured an updated version of his famous QRS algorithm in a fully digital package.
Apple aquired Quantec and their tech a while back and have now turned these rare and coveted hardware effects into an easily accessible plugin inside Logic Pro for iPad.
And it is absolutely incredible.
The kind of transparency, accuracy and depth of control that this plugin offers is the kind of thing people would pay a pretty penny for. In fact some unofficial plugin recreations of the QRS and its reverb algorithms go for upwards of $150 on desktop.
To have something of this quality added to Logic Pro for iPad as a free stock plugin is amazing.
The standout features of the Quantec Room Simulator include:
Reverb time in both the QRS and Yardstick versions of the plugin is tied directly to the room size control. The larger the room size, the more reverb time you’ll be able to add.
Both versions also have a freeze control, which will capture a snapshot of the current reverb tail, creating lovely drone-like effects.
Finally, if you tap on the Quantec logo in either version of the plugin, you’ll be able to learn about Wolf Buchleitner and the story behind Quantec Room Simulator.
It’s fantastic that Apple have chosen to preserve the legacy of Wolfgang and his inventions in this way.
Sample Folders
Since the 1.0 release of Logic Pro for iPad back in 2023, one of the biggest issues users have faced is the clunky way the apps handles importing samples.
Previously users had to use the Files App and Slide Over or Split View to get their files into Logic Pro for iPad. There was also no way to audition the files before importing them. It was a frustrating experience.
In Logic Pro for iPad 2.1 you can access your own collections of samples directly from the app’s Browser.
When you open the Browser in Logic Pro for iPad 2.1, where the “get more sounds’ section used to be is now the ‘Your Sounds’ section. Here you can quickly access any recently used sounds and access your Sample Folders.
Adding your samples to Logic pro’s browser is simply a case of tapping Add a Sample Folder, selecting your sample folder from the Files App pop up and hitting ‘Add’.
You selected samples will now be available directly from Logic Pro for iPad’s Browser, where you can even audition them in real time.
It’s a brilliant addition and proof if it was needed that the music production team at Apple do actually listen to user’s feedback.
Modular Melodies
Modular Melodies is an all new Sound Pack that arrives alongside the 2.1 release of Logic Pro for iPad.
This pack includes over 250 Apple Loops and more than 20 Alchemy Synth patches.
Evolving arpeggios, complex textures and hypnotizing sequences are the name of the game here and Apple are keen to point out that the sounds from this pack pair well with the samples, loops and drum kits found in the previously released Modular Rhythms Sound Pack.
The Loops here are really good if you like that sort of thing and include a nice mix of modular synth samples and patterns, which of course you can jump in and fine tune using Logic Pro for iPad’s excellent step sequencer.
The 22 Alchemy patches here are particularly interesting. As usual, each patch allows you to use Alchemy’s transform pad to adjust its sound in real time. However, each of the 8 sections in these patch’s transform pads offer such different sounds that it’s almost like having 8 sub-presets for each Modular Melodies patch you load up.
New Sound packs are always welcome, especially when they contain new instrument sounds that are as good as these.
Quality of Life Improvements
There are some other new features and quality of life improvements in this update that are worth talking about.
- You can now reorder channel strips in Logic Pro for iPad’s mixer by tapping, holding and dragging them. You can even select multiple channel strips at once and reorder them together.
- You can also re-order Plugin Tiles directly in the plugins area without opening edit mode – again by tapping, dragging and dropping them.
- The Bounce in Place dialog now includes a Destination File pop-up menu with options to bounce regions to a single file, one file per track, or one file per selected region.
- In the Session Player Editor, the “Perform Again” button is now called “Regenerate.” The name is shown as text on the button.
- In addition to using the Loop switch in the Region inspector, you can loop and unloop a selected region using the Loop command in the region shortcut menu.
- The Lesson browser now includes two new lessons. One serves as an intro to the new Quantic Room Simulator plugin and the other introduces the user to some of the new features in Logic Pro for iPad version 2.1. An ‘in progress’ row has also been aded to the lesson browser which shows lessons that have been started but not completed.
Logic Pro for iPad version 2.1 is available right now from the iPadOS App Store for $5/£5 a month or $49/£49 a year here.
