Updated Logic Pro X + Mac Pro Combo Handles Up To 2,000 Tracks

Apple has released a new version of Logic Pro X, its professional music production software, with performance optimizations for all users and updates to take advantage of the potential of the company’s recently introduced Mac Pro systems.

Logic Pro X 10.4.5 will now support up to 56 processing threads on the Mac Pro, allowing you to run up to five times the number of real-time plug-ins. Logic Pro X 10.4.5 also increases the available track and channel count for all users, now supporting up to 1,000 audio tracks and 1,000 software instrument tracks, four times what was previously possible.

Additionally, Logic Pro X now supports 1,000 auxiliary channel strips, 1,000 external MIDI tracks and 12 sends per channel strip. Users can also expect improved responsiveness of the Mixer and Event List when working with large sessions, and projects with numerous Flex Time edits and tempo changes perform more efficiently than ever.

The company showcased the new Logic Pro X 10.4.5 at their recent World Wide Developers Conference, running 2,000 audio and software instrument tracks:

The updates could simplify systems for musicians with very demanding requirements, by allowing more tracks per machine, and minimizing the need for secondary machines.“

In addition to the performance enhancements, the new version delivers several feature updates:

  • The loop browser can filter by loop type and allows drag and drop of multiple loops into your project simultaneously.
  • The redesigned DeEsser 2 plug-in provides more options to reduce sibilance on audio tracks.
  • MIDI beat clocks can be sent to individual ports, each with unique settings like timing offset and plug-in delay compensation.

Pricing and Availability

Logic Pro X 10.4.5 is available now as a free update for all existing users, and is available on the Mac App Store for $199.99 (US) for new customers.

29 thoughts on “Updated Logic Pro X + Mac Pro Combo Handles Up To 2,000 Tracks”

    1. A colleague of mine has done a number of works that involve over 50,000 tracks. This took him months if not years to complete the mixdown of thousands of subsubgroups, then of groups of subgroups. He is very excited about this news. But his workflow is somewhat rare. Still, to the question of who would need this, well, there’s some people for sure.

        1. I don’t want to doxx him without his consent given his technical details were conveyed in private, but he’s an internationally renowned contemporary classical composer who has received dozens of high profile international music awards, has been declared by reputable publications as one of the top composers of the 20th century, and who has published his work extensively on high profile labels.

          He’s going to get the new Mac Pro, fully loaded, with at least 3 monitors and those famous silly stands. And I don’t know a single other person who is going to buy that. But it’s available, for those who need it, and he genuinely does. Which is kind of cool that such power is available, though at a cost.

  4. Oh the contrabass? I think that’s either on track 1,548 or track 1,549.
    It’s one of the two.
    Just scrooooooooooooooooll down …. keeep going, keep going,
    keeeeeeeeeep going, yep, keeeep going. just scrooooooooooo …
    wait, I think you missed it. You are on track 1893,
    scroll up. up up. keep going. keeeep going. up. up a bit. up a bit.
    No. I was wrong. That’s the slap bass. Hmm.

    1. More tracks can make life so much easier, because you don´t have to squash everything you need onto just a few tracks and make compromises. It is easier to try out different sounds and variations, layer them etc. etc. So, sometimes it actually is about how many tracks you have 🙂

  8. I use Logic for short films and with multiple dialogue sources, Foley, sfx and a music score, even a 15 minute film can use hundreds of tracks. Perhaps the aim of pairing this with the Mac Pro is to equip Pixar with tools to future proof them. For a while.
    I don’t think it’s for bedroom producers.

  9. Lots and lots of users complained about the lack of a successor of the Mac Pro. Now Apple is delivering the same people are complaining it is too much Mac Pro?

    1. The “Pro” users Apple has built this new machine for are only a fraction of the actual Pro users out there. These machines are built with Video, Graphics and Design in mind. Not audio. Absolute overkill for any other Pro applications. Plus the base model is just stupidly expensive. For music and audio production it doesn’t serve as a cost effective solution. So unless you’re rich or your work buys one for you, you probably won’t be getting one. While I’m at it, “how many tracks” your daw can playback is an absolute bullshit metric. Audio and Midi playback are not CPU intensive processes. Gives no indication of how well the system performs

      1. “Logic Pro X 10.4.5 also increases the available track and channel count for all users, now supporting up to 1,000 audio tracks and 1,000 software instrument tracks, four times what was previously possible.”

        Did you miss that?

        1000 software instrument tracks is in now way a “bullshit” metric – that would kill most DAWs and machines – and shows that this can handle whatever most people could ever throw at it.

        1. I have to agree with iMan. While I also concur with Zach in the sense that these machines are video powerhouses, it is extremely foolish and short-sided to not think this thing is a beast for audio
          Production.

          Also Zach, audio playback while these days can rely on ram, playing back audio is very much handled by the CPU. Especially when you load native plugins on a track. Unless you have UAD, Waves Grid, Or an Avid HD system, playback is totally CPU reliant.

          1. I never said it wasn’t a beast for audio production. I said the base model, which would be perfect for the modest needs of most audio producers, is not cost effective. And Cubase has been supporting unlimited track count for quite some time. I don’t particularly like Windows but you could have a 12 core machine and a rack of audio servers for less than the base model. Or even a 2012 Mac Pro running High Sierra. These new Mac Pros might be beastly but they are a complete rip off

            1. Cocker

              The Mac Pro is clearly not designed for audio producers with “modest needs”.

              Apple has gone out of its way to position the Mac Pro as a machine for people doing demanding work professionally. And for those type of people, with workstation needs, it’s a cost-effective option.

              I’d venture that you’re not going to be doing anything that would cause a new iMac to break a sweat, let alone an iMac Pro. I’m actually considering a Mac Mini for my next studio machine, because they are so powerful now and rock solid.

    2. > Anyone else enjoying the irony of buying a $6,000+ machine to run a $200 software application?

      You can run 1000 instances simultaneously of your $200 plugin.

      That is the same as having 1000 separate hardware instances of the device, plus the mixers etc to manage it.

      A $200 plugin will typically be equivalent to a $2500 hardware device.

      So you can run 1000 of those at once. That’s 1000 * $2500 = $2,500,000 in value.

      For $6200.

      You seem to think this is a poor value.

      Well it is if you’re just a dilly dallier, not serious, run once instance at a time of a freebie download.

      Not everyone though is a committed amateur.

  12. I recently moved from Mac to PC because of the price difference in the machines, the only thing I miss is Logic Pro, I really loved that program. Could I ask for some advice on a equivalent program for PC?, I’ve tried Audition, which I thought was terrible and I’m currently trying Cakewalk which doesn’t seem to offer the same quality of effects. Its mostly for mixing wav files, no midi involved, but I do like a comprehensive range of effects and filters.
    Any advice appreciated.

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