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Apple's Logic Pro X 10.5 features Live Loops, new beat-making tools for musicians

The music-making software got a major update earlier this year.

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Apple says Logic Pro X 10.5 adds "powerful creative tools for musicians, producers, and beatmakers."

Apple

Apple  in May unveiled Logic Pro X 10.5, a major update to the music-making software that added new workflow, drum beat and sampling tools. The company quickly followed things up in June with Logic Pro X 10.5.1, which addressed stability issues and added even more to Live Loops. Apple touted the updates as the most significant release for the music recording and production platform since the launch of  Logic Pro X .

"Logic Pro X 10.5 represents the biggest update to Logic since the launch of Logic Pro X, with powerful new tools that will inspire every artist -- from those just getting started with Logic, to those already using it to produce Grammy Award-winning albums," said Susan Prescott, Apple's vice president of apps product marketing, in a release on May 12.

One of the new features in the 10.5 update is Live Loops, a new way for musicians to quickly sketch out arrangements. "Loops, samples, and recordings can be organized into a new musical grid, where musicians can spontaneously perform and capture different arrangement ideas into the timeline," Apple said. 

Apple also added a Quick Sampler tool, which can use a Mac's built-in mic to grab audio samples to manipulate, and a handful of new beat-making tools. Apple said that the new Step Sequencer makes it easier to "program drum beats, bass lines, and melodic parts using an interface inspired by classic drum machine workflows," and that the Drum Machine Designer lets musicians "edit and shape individual sounds within a drum kit."

Logic Pro X 10.5 is available as a free update for existing users. The software costs $199.99 for new customers.

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