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Final Cut and Logic Pro make the iPad a true post-PC device

When Apple launched the iPad all those years ago, it was billed as eventually being a laptop replacement. Steve Jobs called it a “post PC” device.

Since that time, Apple has built the iPad towards that eventuality. There are great versions of powerful desktop apps, an iPadOS operating system that’s always becoming more like the Mac, desktop class processors built by Apple and a cloud infrastructure that enables fast access to all files, no matter how large they are.

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However, there have been certain elements of the equation missing; namely two of the applications Mac-using creatives swear by – the video editing suite Final Cut Pro and the audio editing software Logic Pro. Apple has announced that changes today.

Final Cut Pro for iPad is the first designed for touch, while users will be able to draw directly on top of video using an Apple Pencil. The same peripherals ability to hover above the screen will enable footage to be previewed and skimmed without touching the display.

Apple-iPad-Final-Cut-Pro-multicam-video-editing_big.jpg.large_2x

You can record directly from the iPad (in ProRes with an iPad Pro M2) and use multicam editing, while machine learning capabilities can help you remove the background without the need for a green screen.

As for Logic Pro, you’ll get the same multitouch gestures, plug-in tiles, and use the built-in microphones to capture audio directly to the iPad. Apple says there are five “studio quality” mics built in to the iPad Pro, and that any space can become a recording studio. Whether that plays out in practice is another matter.

The pro-grade mixer makes the cut, along with a series of advanced production tools, professional instruments and effects and an all new touch-optimised sound browser.

Logic Pro

Both apps are coming to iPad via a subscription service, rather than as standalone apps you can purchase outright. Released on May 23, they will cost £4.99/$4.99 a month or £49/$49 a year, with a one-month free trial.

Final Cut Pro requires an iPad with an M1 chip, while Logic Pro will run on models with an A12 Bionic chip or later. Both require iPadOS 16.4. All in all, it’s a big upgrade on the iMovie and GarageBand apps iPad users have had access to since the first-generation device.

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