Neat....although sad that it's via a subscription model, rather than buying the program outright.
That said, what's the point of this? Everyone works off laptops already, even people new to A/V production. Especially in the audio world, laptops are just so much more convenient because you can host 3rd party plugins and other stuff like sample libraries. Can't do that on an iPad, can you?
I work in the video world, and video editors have been asking for something like Final Cut Pro on the iPad for ages. They often used iMovie but wanted something more, so they'd start in iMovie on their iPad because they had it on them, then later when they hit something they couldn't do in iMovie, they'd move the project to their Mac and import it into FCP. It was a bit of a pain. And obviously Apple isn't the only one who thinks that. Davinci released an iPad app a few months ago. (Or announced it, anyway. Not sure if it's available yet.)
For fun, I've used GarageBand on the iPad, and it's great! I use Logic on my Mac for actually writing and recording, but I do think it would be great to have something more powerful than GarageBand on my iPad. Sometimes I hit a wall on the iPad and have to move over to Logic on the computer. It would be nice to not have to switch like that right when I'm in the middle of working.
To a certain extent you have to ask what does a one-off purchase of an App mean any more. We got to a point on desktop where you could buy a windows XP application and it'd last forever, and that's fine. Or even a OS X application for several years. But mobile operating systems are still a treadmill. If you buy the app what are you getting? This version and no updates? That's not how iOS works. Will it support future iOS versions? Do you get the new features? Can you install it on a new device if you buy a new device? You bought it one off, if a new version of iOS comes out and the old app isn't supported what do you do?
I've seen a trend of recording studios using ancient computers with versions of Logic from like 2005, with big signs taped to the wall warning against connecting to the internet or installing any updates.
In some ways, the lack of updates can be a feature. I'm sure we've all been frustrated by updates that break our workflows, deprecate useful functionality, or inadvertently degrade performance.
A lot of them are still on Final Cut Pro 7, Soundtrack Pro, Color which don’t work on newer macOS’s. That version of FCP was the last before the magnetic timeline redesign IIRC. Perhaps also the last to work with DV tapes?
This probably builds a brand reputation for the product of being old and shit. While the subscription product is always delivering the newest and best experience to everyone.
This is only an issue on one operating system. Purchasing an application on Windows still comes with absolutely none of this worry. You can still use applications that are decades old on Windows 11. It's very odd that this is now accepted as a norm that is inevitable, rather than an obvious and avoidable disadvantage of Apple's ecosystem.
This is only the norm on Windows 11 because Microsoft has dedicated themselves to backwards compatibility, something that very much hampers the rest of the OS - in that Windows 11 uses much fewer resources if you rip out WinSxS and 32 bit application support https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34654649.
There is a whole audio plugin ecosystem on iOS (AUv3), but I think your point still stands.
Anecdotally, I use my iPad for music production, but it’s a very different kind of context and process from what I do on my Mac. On the laptop, I’m typically producing full tracks in Ableton Live, while on my iPad, it’s more “jamming” in apps like Drambo or AUM, something closer in spirit to a “DAWless” hardware setup.
Logic Pro on iOS doesn’t hold any appeal for me as that’s just not the kind of workflow I value the iPad for.
I use iMaschine, GarageBand and occasionally FL Studio Mobile on my iPhone. All great apps, but all are limited. Can't beat using Live on the desktop/laptop.
Great for getting one's feet wet, or for ideas that spring to mind when you hear something cool on the street or on the train or whatever. Hear something, record it, manipulate it, and make a quick beat or riff on the spot.
However, like you, that's just a small part of the process, and if one wants to do something more with the sound they recorded, it needs to be moved to a more powerful platform - in this case a laptop. A DAW on the iPad is neat, but kind of stuck between usecases.
I have the same workflow as you, using Drambo or AUM, but I do love the idea of being able to "finish" a track on the iPad. Granted the laptop will probably always be more powerful and perhaps a better interface for precision editing, but to be able to do it all on the go on one very portable device would be pretty cool IMO.
I doubt the truth of this statement, especially for younger people. When you look at iPad revenue compared to Mac revenue it's plainly obvious that Apple sells more iPads than Macs.
I subscribe to a YouTube vlog where the creator is seen editing their videos on an iPad, not a laptop or desktop computer.
I learned how to get work done on a personal computer because my parents had a family personal computer. There were no tablets or smartphones.
That's not how kids today are growing up: they're growing up with tablets and phones, and even their schools are mostly providing tablets for schoolwork.
Well, yes you can, and this move hopefully will relax whatever limits are on the AUv3 hosts now. You already have FabFilter, Klevgrand and many more, Modartt has anounced Pianoteq for iOS, so plugin situation is good (and prices are way lower than on desktop). AUv3s such as Pure Synth or AudioLayer already support streaming sample libraries from external SSDs. So that situation is not bad either. Of course there is no Kontakt, Serum, Melodyne or RX, but until now there was no serious DAW either (Cubasis and Auria Pro lack a lot compared to Logic or Bitwig)
Actually having equivalent tools on iPad and Macbook, i'd pick ipad for two reasons: stability (newer MacOS versions are not fantastic) and touchscreen (can't map everything)
Now, if only Apple would finally make iDAM full duplex, so that it would be possible to use either ipad or mac as a plugin host.
That said, what's the point of this? Everyone works off laptops already, even people new to A/V production. Especially in the audio world, laptops are just so much more convenient because you can host 3rd party plugins and other stuff like sample libraries. Can't do that on an iPad, can you?