Ridiculously powerful. Seriously creative.

Live LoopsFor spontaneous composition.

RecordPad Sound Recorder is a general music, mp3 and voice recording program that lets you record sound quickly and easily. Designed for simplicity and robustness, it supports background recording and adjustable record times and formats. Download for Windows Download for Mac Learn more about voice and vocal recording. Cockos Reaper 6 — Mac/PC. Advanced audio editing for the beginning user. When it comes to customization, Reaper is about as robust as they come. An unlimited range of custom track and lane visuals to cherry-picked mixer views and beyond, all homegrown and generously supplied by other Reaper users, supply a custom layout for any type of workflow you find yourself engrossed in: audio, video.

Live Loops is a dynamic way to create and arrange music in real time. Kick off your composition by adding loops, samples, or your recorded performances into a grid of cells. Trigger different cells to play with your ideas without worrying about a timeline or arrangement. Once you find combinations that work well together you can create song sections, then move everything into the Tracks area to continue production and finish your song.

Remix FX

Bring DJ-style effects and transitions to an individual track or an entire mix with a collection of stutters, echoes, filters, and gating effects.

Logic Remote

Control features like Live Loops, Remix FX, and more from your iPad or iPhone using Multi-Touch gestures.

Step SequencerPure beat poetry.

Step Sequencer is inspired by classic drum machines and synthesizers. Using the Step Sequence editor, quickly build drum beats, bass lines, and melodic parts — and even automate your favorite plug-ins. Add sophisticated variations to your pattern with a wide range of creative playback behaviors. Use Note Repeat to create rolling steps, Chance to randomize step playback, and Tie Steps Together to create longer notes.

Logic RemoteTouch and flow.

Logic Remote lets you use your iPhone or iPad to control Logic Pro X on your Mac. Use Multi-Touch gestures to play software instruments, mix tracks, and control features like Live Loops and Remix FX from anywhere in the room. Swipe and tap to trigger cells in Live Loops. And tilt your iPhone or iPad up and down and use its gyroscope to manipulate filters and repeaters in Remix FX.

Multi-Touch mixing

Control your mix from wherever you are in the room — whether that’s next to your computer or on the couch — with Multi-Touch faders.

Pair and play

Use a variety of onscreen instruments, such as keyboards, guitars, and drum pads, to play any software instrument in Logic Pro X from your iPad or iPhone.

Sampler

We redesigned and improved our most popular plug-in — the EXS24 Sampler — and renamed it Sampler. The new single-window design makes it easier to create and edit sampler instruments while remaining backward compatible with all EXS24 files. An expanded synthesis section with sound-shaping controls brings more depth and dynamics to your instruments. Excel app for mac. The reimagined mapping editor adds powerful, time-saving features that speed the creation of complex instruments. Use the zone waveform editor to make precise edits to sample start/end, loop ranges, and crossfades. And save hours of tedious editing with new drag-and-drop hot zones.

Quick Sampler

Quick Sampler is a fast and easy way to work with a single sample. Drag and drop an audio file from the Finder, Voice Memos, or anywhere within Logic Pro X. Or record audio directly into Quick Sampler using a turntable, microphone, musical instrument, or even channel strips playing in Logic Pro X. In a few steps, you can transform an individual sample into a fully playable instrument. And with Slice Mode, you can split a single sample into multiple slices — perfect for chopping up vocals or breaking up and resequencing drum loops.

Drum Synth

This powerful but easy-to-use plug-in creates synthesized drum sounds. Choose from a diverse collection of drum models and shape their sound with up to eight simple controls. Drum Synth is also directly integrated into the bottom of the Drum Machine Designer interface — giving you a focused set of sound-shaping controls.

Drum Machine Designer

Redesigned to be more intuitive and integrated, Drum Machine Designer lets you effortlessly build electronic drum kits. Apply individual effects and plug-ins on each discrete drum pad to experiment with sound design and beat-making in new ways. You can also create a unique layered sound by assigning the same trigger note to two different pads. To help you quickly edit sounds, Quick Sampler and Drum Synth are directly integrated into the Drum Machine Designer interface.

DrummerCompose to the beat of a different percussionist.

Using Drummer is like hiring a session drummer or collaborating with a highly skilled beat programmer. Create organic-sounding acoustic drum tracks or electronic beats with the intelligent technology of Drummer. Choose from dozens of drummers who each play in a different musical genre, and direct their performances using simple controls.

Compositions and PerformancesYour studio is always in session.

Logic Pro X turns your Mac into a professional recording studio able to handle even the most demanding projects. Capture your compositions and performances — from tracking a live band to a solo software-instrument session — and flow them into your songs.

The ultimate way to record.

Seamless punch recording. Automatic take management. Support for pristine 24-bit/192kHz audio. Logic Pro X makes it all easy to do — and undo. You can create projects with up to 1000 stereo or surround audio tracks and up to 1000 software instrument tracks, and run hundreds of plug-ins. It’s all you need to complete any project.

Get the most out of MIDI.

Logic Pro X goes beyond the average sequencer with an advanced set of options that let you record, edit, and manipulate MIDI performances. Transform a loose performance into one that locks tight into the groove using region-based parameters for note velocity, timing, and dynamics. Or tighten up your MIDI performances while preserving musical details like flams or chord rolls with Smart Quantize.

Industry-leading tools

As your song develops, Logic Pro X helps organize all your ideas and select the best ones. Group related tracks, audition alternate versions, and consolidate multiple tracks. Lightning-fast click-and-drag comping helps you build your best performance from multiple takes.

Smart Tempo

Go off-script and stay on beat with Smart Tempo, a way to effortlessly mix and match music and beats without worrying about the original tempo. Record freely without a click track. And easily combine and edit MIDI and audio tracks — from vinyl samples to live instruments to multitrack audio stems — with constant or variable tempo.

Flex Time

Quickly manipulate the timing and tempo of your recording with Flex Time. Easily move the individual beats within a waveform to correct drum, vocal, guitar, or any other kind of track without slicing and moving regions.

Flex Pitch

Edit the level and pitch of individual notes quickly and easily with Flex Pitch. Roll over any note and all parameters are available for tweaking.

Track Alternatives

Create alternate versions of a track or multiple grouped tracks, and switch between them at any time to audition different options. Create, store, and select from different edits and arrangements of track regions to make it easier to experiment with various creative ideas.

Takes and Quick Swipe Comping

Click and drag to choose the best sections of each take to create a seamless comp, complete with transition-smoothing crossfades. Save multiple comps and switch among them to pick the one you like best.

Track Stacks

Consolidate multiple related tracks into a single track. Use a Summing Stack as a quick way to create submixes. Or create layered and split instruments.

Project Alternatives

Create as many alternate versions of a project as you’d like, each with its own name and settings but sharing the same assets — efficiently saving storage space. Load any version to make changes without compromising your original.

Track Groups and VCA Faders

Manage large mixes with Track Groups and VCA faders. Assign any selection of channels to a track group, then control the levels or other parameters of all tracks in the group from any single channel in the group.

Automation

Easily capture changes to any channel strip or plug-in parameter. Just enable automation, press Play, and make your changes.

Even more pro features in the mix.

Logic Pro X is packed with incredible tools and resources to enhance your creativity and workflow as you sharpen your craft — even if you’re a seasoned pro.

MainStage 3

Sound as great onstage as you do in the studio.

Education Bundle

Five amazing apps. One powerful collection.

Should I use Mac vs. PC for music production? Which operating system and type of computer is better for recording and making music? Does it even matter? Not only had we asked ourselves this questions for years, but it’s also one of the most popular questions we receive from our readers. Can we give you a literal answer to save you time from reading this relatively long article? Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be fair. So today we wade into the deep end on the Mac vs. PC debate, joining a battle that has been raging for 30 plus years. This time however, we will discuss only the music production end of the spectrum. Before we begin though, we want to mention that this is simply an overview of the debate between PC vs. Mac in terms of capabilities and the pros and cons of each platform. Production has many facets when it comes to music making equipment with instruments, controllers, mixers and software, so be sure to read our other guides when you’re done if you need further help. While some software will only work on some systems and not others, the hardware of music production is multi-platform, so we won’t get too far into that today.

Everyone talks about the pros and cons of this debate, but they all end up the same way. Some people are Mac fans and others are PC fans. You could literally use either one of them and be happy, and that is a true statement. The fact that this fight has been going on for a generation should tell you just how close the two are to each other in capabilities. Both can deliver a level of performance that any audiophile, musician or producer would want. It really boils down to what you are comfortable with. Some kids grew up on a Mac, others grew up on a PC. Tribalism is an ugly business, but since it makes both sides money it will most likely never end, neither will the debate of PC vs. Mac.

Before our feet can’t touch the bottom anymore, we should talk about production desktop computer vs. music making laptop. When talking about which one is the right one for you, we must first decide how you are going to use it. Is it going to be for a home recording studio? Or is this going to be your mobile laboratory? This is a tougher question than you might think. Maybe you want to go to a friend’s house to work on something together. It’s not very practical to pack up a desktop and haul it across town every time you want to collaborate. Perhaps the best method would be to go dual platform, have both a desktop and a laptop, using the desktop for the bulk of the work and storage and the laptop for mobile work. Since you will already have the software, and with the compact nature of some of the hardware these days, logistics shouldn’t be a problem.

Do I choose Mac or PC for music making?

In the beginning, it’s going to be all about budget. If you have the means, then go ahead and spend away! If you don’t, then there are some things to consider when comparing the PC vs. Mac. First off, the PC is and expandable device. This means that as long as you have a huge power supply and a large enough box to put it in, you can literally upgrade from time to time forever. This approach favors the lower end budget because you may only need a few hundred dollars at a time, allowing you to stretch the cost over a very long period of time after the initial purchase. This is also a forgiving route because the speed at which technology races forward is going to render your machine obsolete in just a few years, what’s hot tomorrow may not exist yet but with a PC you can be pretty sure it will simply be a matter of plug and play.

For the Mac however, it’s a bit tougher on the budget initially but you get a very powerful and capable machine right out of the box. The way Apple has progressed in recent years has been nothing short of impressive, with technologies and software compatibility the PC is going to be hard pressed to match in the future. Apple has made it a strong point that they want to own the cell phone market and it’s clear that’s what they’ve invested most of their R&D into, but that may be about to change. The Mac Pro Tower back in 2012 was the closest Apple ever got to the PC in terms of hardware upgrade compatibility, and with the rumors of a new Mac Pro on the horizon later in 2018 it may very well be game on in the battle between Mac vs. PC for music production. The software for Apple products is easily transferred from one device to another, making it simple to run audio software on say an iPad and send it straight to the iMac in just a few moments.

Although the PC and Mac look very similar these days, the cost of components inside them is a very real difference. If you have the ability to build your own PC, this may be the cheaper way to go. Make sure you buy with quality in mind though. Very often a newly built PC can suffer from compatibility issues right out of the gate. That’s not to say that Apple doesn’t have their fair share of problems (cooking an egg on the back of your MacBook for example), but a well-built PC with quality components inside can be a very effective tool for your music production. Combine this with a hard drive array and watch your workflow will blossom. Some of the best array’s work with both PC and Mac, and utilize the new Thunderbolt technology. While you may have to pony up some money for dongles and cables, because the iMac only has 4 slots for USB, it also comes with 2 additional Thunderbolt 3 ports making it a bit more worth the money considering buying just one Thunderbolt 3 dock for a PC can cost $250 to $300 US. RAM is also a very big consideration when looking at the PC vs. Mac for music production. 16 GB of RAM should be more than enough to run your software, but if you’re using sample-based instruments with plug-ins and a large library you should consider about 32GB of RAM. The iMac offers a 32 GB version, which will completely serve this purpose.

So, as we swim back towards the safety of the shallow end, let’s discuss some of the drawbacks to both systems.

Music production with a PC

The PC for music production suffers from a few things like sound bleed from the fans and compatibility issues, but those are all relatively simple to fix. The biggest problem for the PC is upgrade. Now we know what you’re going to say here “but the PC can be upgraded countless times!” which is true, but think about the cost of upgrading your system every year. On average, to replace memory sticks, you’re looking at about $100 to $800, to replace an SSD hard drive it can cost between $110 to $700 US. Upgrading to a motherboard with the new Thunderbolt 3 and an Intel i9 CPU is going to run well over $2000. Also not to be out done is the video card. Those have come down in price in recent years, but for a good quality card these days, you can pick one up for about $100. However, the wrong card can bottleneck your system and destroy your workflow. Expect to spend a few hundred dollars on a decent card. At those price points, you can see that the upgrade tree for the PC can be an expensive endeavor. All of that is also before you begin to get into any compatibility issue you might end up with.

Music producing with a Mac

The Mac has obvious drawbacks in terms of out of the box cost, but its’ biggest problem is being able to upgrade. The iMac is really just a thin computer strapped to the back of a monitor and although this is great for keeping your workspace tidy, it’s not so great for adding components like a new video card or hard drive. You’re pretty much stuck with what you have until you decide to go out and get some add-on devices for storage, but that will take up another USB slot on your already scant computer. Of course we can’t forget that should anything ever go wrong with your monitor your entire computer is pretty much useless. One would be forgiven for thinking that kind of design flaw would’ve surely been removed with the combo TV-DVD players that now sit in the dustbin of history.

Free Full Recording Studio Download

In conclusion of the debate

Best Mac For Recording Music

In the end, the range of software available for music production is both large and well-defined. Most companies today make them compatible with both PC and Mac. We have tried to be impartial in this discussion without going too far into the deep end with specs, drivers and hardware devices that will be connected to these computers for music production, but simply give you an overview of their capabilities and flaws. Both platforms are very powerful when it comes to music production and with the exciting new technologies on the horizon for both the PC and the Mac the debate between PC vs. Mac will continue long after these technologies become obsolete. One thing is for certain, however — the future of music production on both platforms is very bright.

Apple Music Software For Mac