Subscription-based "Final Cut Pro", "Logic Pro" coming to iPad
After years of waiting for the iPad Pro to get pro apps, these two are finally coming out this May. How much do they cost and which devices support them? Surprisingly, both apps are supposed to release on May 23rd as Apple has decided not to wait for the WWDC conference to annouce them.
After we've been waiting for years for the iPad Pro to receive actual pro apps from Apple, it is now happening. It was surprising Apple has waited this long to utilize the M1 and M2 architecture of the new iPads to port Mac apps to these powerful devices. Especially a proper video editing tool has been missing as iMovie just doesn't provide the professional tools of Final Cut Pro. There is a downside however, these will release as a subscription-based service. Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro are available as a one-time purchase on the Mac which is definitely a nice touch in today's sea of subscriptions as many companies have decided to move to this business model, e.g. Adobe with their programs including Premiere Pro and After Effects.
Both apps will be available on May 23rd for the price of $4.99 per month or $49 per year with a free one-month trial period.
What's new?
According to Apple, both apps have been completely reworked to accommodate the touch-controls of the iPad and are designed to be used by professionals instead of being a version with fewer features.
Final Cut Pro
General improvements
A new jog wheel in Final Cut Pro is designed to make video editing easier. According to Apple, it is used for navigating through the timeline, moving clips, and making frame-accurate edits. With Live Drawing, users can draw and write directly over video content using the Apple Pencil. On the iPad Pro with the powerful M2 chip, the Apple Pencil's hover feature allows for previewing film material without touching the screen. In addition, workflows can be accelerated by using a Magic Keyboard or Smart Keyboard Folio and keyboard shortcuts. Of course, you don't need to use a Magic Keyboard necessarily as any keyboard will work.
In the Pro Camera mode, videos can be recorded in portrait or landscape mode. On the iPad Pro with M2, this can even be done in ProRes video resolution. Like on the Mac, multicam video editing allows clips to be automatically synchronized and edited together.
Machine learning
Machine Learning (ML) in Final Cut has the potential to significantly speed up certain processes in your video editing workflow. For instance, it allows for the quick removal or replacement of a clip's background, without the need for a greenscreen. With automatic cropping, footage can be adapted to fit vertical, square, or other aspect ratios, and noise reduction can help eliminate background sounds from recorded audio.
Supported media can be imported from files or photos. Final Cut Pro for iPad also enables users to import projects created in iMovie for iOS, while iPad users can export their Final Cut Pro projects to a Mac.
Thanks to these features, video editors using the Apple platform that wish to utilize their iPad more can streamline their workflows and save time, while also achieving a more polished final product.
Logic Pro
Logic Pro for iPad has a brand-new sound browser that displays all available instrument and audio patches, plug-in presets, samples, and loops in one easy-to-use location. According to Apple, there are over 100 instruments and effects plug-ins available. Furthermore, instruments can be played using multi-touch which should be expected since you otherwise couldn't play chords.
An exciting new feature is Sample Alchemy, a tool not yet seen before on the Mac which is designed specifically for editing samples, giving producers the ability to modify any audio sample with a simple touch.
Logic Pro for iPad offers a range of beatmaking and production tools that allow users to break down and reverse samples, program beats and basslines, and create customized drum kits. One new plugin, Beat Breaker, allows music producers to radically transform sounds by morphing time and pitch through swiping and pinching gestures. Quick Sampler allows users to break down audio samples into fully playable instruments, while Step Sequencer can be used to program drum patterns, basslines, and melodies, as well as automate plugins with just a few taps. With the Drum Machine Designer, users can create custom drum kits by assigning samples and plugins to any drum pad. Live Loops allows users to create arrangements by mixing and matching musical loops.
Apple also touts a full-featured mixer with channel strips, volume faders, pan controls, plugins, sends, and precise automation.
Logic Pro for iPad supports roundtrip functions, enabling projects to be moved between Logic Pro for Mac and iPad. Finished songs can be exported in various compressed and lossless audio formats, as well as single audio track streams. Soundtracks can also be exported to Final Cut Pro for iPad. Logic Pro for iPad also supports opening projects created in GarageBand for iOS.
Which devices are compatible?
Final Cut Pro is compatible with iPads featuring an M1 chip or newer, while Logic Pro will be available for iPad models with an A12 Bionic chip or newer.An A12 Bionic (or A12X, A12Z) chip is built into these iPad models: iPad Mini (5th gen), iPad Air (3rd gen), iPad (8th gen), iPad Pro 11" (1st and 2nd gen) and iPad Pro 12" (3rd and 4th gen).
