Friday, May 27, 2011

Logic Pro 9.1.4 update - now opens Garageband/iPad projects


About the Logic Pro 9.1.4 update
 Compatibility
  • Logic can now open songs created by GarageBand for iPad.
Performance and Stability
  • Logic now provides more specific messaging when playback is stopped because of hard drive performance issues.
  • Resolves an issue in which Logic sometimes performed very slowly after a project that was saved without assets was consolidated.
  • Logic no longer quits unexpectedly when copying, pasting, or swapping voices between slots in Ultrabeat.
64-bit Mode
  • Resolves an issue in 64-bit mode in which a generic interface for some 32-bit plug-ins was displayed.
Automation
  • Resolves an issue in which moving a region to a different Arrange track assigned to the same channel strip could cause automation to be deleted.
  • Drag-copy of automation curves now works as expected on grouped tracks.
  • Moving an automation node that lies between two other nodes of the same value to the left or right no longer causes it to decrease by -0.1 db in value.
  • Resolves an issue introduced in Logic 9.1 in which performing Undo after using the "Move Visible Track Automation to Region" command would delete the automation.
Audio Editing
  • Resolves an issue in which performing Undo after creating an alias for a region would shorten the region in No Overlap mode.
  • Audio Regions that contain slashes in the name can now be successfully merged using the Glue Tool or Merge command.
  • Quantization of audio regions that have stretched or compressed and contain tempo information now works reliably.
  • Quantize and Q-Strength now work properly on regions created by exporting a Comp from a Take Folder.
  • Resolves an issue where lengthening an audio region could sometimes cause the audio to unexpectedly stretch.
  • Performing Undo after flattening Takes on a group of flexed tracks now works as expected.
  • Takes no longer sometimes display as soloed when their parent Take folder is disclosed but not selected.
  • Fixes an issue in which dividing a take region that had been created by merging several take regions together could cause the area to the right of the edit to disappear.
  • Resolves an issue in which moving a take region with Quick Swipe Comping disabled sometimes did not move the corresponding take region(s) in tracks within the same Edit Group.
  • Fixes an issue in which dividing a take region that had been created by merging several take regions together could cause the area to the right of the edit to disappear.
  • Resolves an issue in which importing a Take folder into a project with a matching track could cause existing takes to be removed from Take folders in the original track.
Control Surface Support
  • Resolves an issue introduced in Logic 9.1.2 in which pickup mode for generic control surfaces did not work as expected.
General
  • Resolves an issue in which the key commands Next Screenset and Previous Screenset were reversed.
  • If the Startup Action preference is set to “Ask,” it is again possible to open a project by dragging it onto the Logic icon while the Startup window is open.
  • The default region quantize setting is now maintained after importing channel strips from another project.
Download the update here.
For more info on Logic Studio Pro visit http://www.apple.com/logicstudio/

Harrison Mixbus 2.0



Harrison updated their MixBus Software (first released in '09) to Version 2,0 today. They've added many features requested by their 
users and "refined the operation of Mixbus to make it faster, easier, more stable, more creative and more FUN to use."




Here's a summary of the most-requested features that can be found in Mixbus 2.0:

Editor Improvements:
  • New, improved Crossfade, Layering, and Automation editing.
  • "Smart Object" Mode :  Allows a combination of object and range mode.
  • Ripple Editing mode : Greatly speeds up the process of spoken-word and radio edits.
  • Regions are transparent while being dragged, but switch to opaque when you drop them in place.  Line up transients on overdubs with ease!

New Mixer Features:
  • 8 Mix Bus Sends!  We doubled the mixbuses so there are enough for groups as well as FX returns.  Even more of what made Mixbus special!
  • Plugin Effect Control Sliders allow you to map plugin controls directly to controls on the mixer strip.  Give your plugins the Mixbus treatment!
  • Input Trim, Makeup Gain, Sidechain, and Master Limiter controls are now available directly from the mixer window.
  • Improved Mixer navigation and display, including narrow mixer strip and the ability to show/hide Mix Buses as needed.
  • New Phase-Correlation meter on the Master Bus displays mono compatibility of the stereo mix.
  • Polarity (phase) buttons for every mixer strip.
  • Plugins, sends, inserts and the fader now appear in a single redirect box at the top of the mixer strip.  This allows easier signal reordering and allows more space for Mixbus controls.

Other Improvements:
  • New, better documentation and easier installation.
  • More keybindings such as mute/solo/record for selected tracks.  Keyboard power-users never have to touch the mouse for recording & editing.
  • Taller, higher-contrast faders on the mixer strips.
  • Many user-suggested menu tweaks which make the most-used functions easier to find.
  • Range-selection behavior now allows you to drag down across multiple tracks at once - while also supporting edit groups.
  • Realtime automation recording is much more robust; you can even record automation while looping!
  • Automation and Region Gain Line editing is much faster.  You can now grab a range of time and drag the automation line for quick level rides.

Listening Challenge: Pro Tools “In the Box,” Neve 8048, and Pro Tools HEAT










Avid has posted a listening challenge on their website comparing a Protools ITB mix with a ITB mix summed on a Neve 8048 and an ITB mix with their very own HEAT plugin. It would be interesting to see which option is the most popular choice.

From the website:

"Many audio professionals believe that certain Neve consoles are the Holy Grail of analog mixing supremacy and are key to getting that coveted warmth in your digital recordings. Many others believe that you can get the same sonic richness mixing in Pro Tools, using plug-ins and no analog gear whatsoever. Still others believe that the answer lies somewhere in between, using analog inserts or summing boxes with an “in the box” Pro Tools mix.
We thought you’d be interested in finding out if your beliefs are in tune with your actual preferences. So, we did a fun experiment (similar to one we did several years ago with a vintage SSL console) at the world famous Village Studios in Los Angeles to see how closely a Pro Tools “in the box” mix being summed on a vintage Neve 8048 console compares with a mix done only “in the box” in Pro Tools—and “in the box” with our new HEAT software add-on, which brings the warmth and character of vintage analog gear to Pro Tools|HD mixes. We invite you to hear the results and judge for yourself."

Good Morning!