Apple made Logic Pro, and Logic Pro X. We’ll let you in on a little secret: they’re both overkill for podcasting, but that’s what makes them so future-proof.
We did a view on Adobe Audition and talked about how it’s a little more than you’ll need, but great for the future in the event that bandwidth increases and certain audio capture methods become more complex. Logic Pro X is two cuts above that, and we have a lot to say about it.
Logic Pro X is a software that helps you edit your podcasts by using tons of features, effects, and special tools to turn your audio into a finalized product.
The question is, what can you not do with Logic Pro X? We’ll go over its features, the pros and cons (of which, there are relatively few), and break it all down for you right now.
What is Logic Pro X?
Logic Pro X is an Apple software product that’s used for audio editing, live looping, MIDI recording and multi-track editing for productions both small and large.
It feels like a parent to the Pro Tools family on iOS devices, and brings a lot of similar UI and capability with it. Logic Pro X rivals large-scale production software, and while it doesn’t have a video editing element to it, there’s no better way to edit your audio on the market right now.
Pros
- Limitless (Almost): Somehow, Logic Pro X is able to roll out more and more features, yet their product feels as though tghere’s nothing else to improve upon. There’s near limitless capabilities, so you can use Logic Pro X to do nearly anything in the audio engineering space, regardless of what that is.
- Live Music Mixing: You can mix and display music completely live, which makes it incredibly powerful for a multitude of businesses. Whether or not this is a feature you see yourself using, it’s available, and that’s extremely powerful for a lot of businesses.
- Large Library of Virtual Instruments: You have an entire world at your fingertips, allowing you to mix and master with tons of different sound effects. Effectively, you could be the next Hans Zimmer just by using Logic Pro X and a MacBook without any additional instruments, which is what’s so amazing about it. In podcasting, you can apply these for laugh tracks, fake cymbals for “ba-dum cha” moments, and find ways to utilize some effects to enhance your podcast and make it come to life.
- Time Stretch: In an audio-only podcast, sometimes you have a certain tempo that your show represents. Maybe the regular cast speaks rather quickly, but your guest this time around is speaking really, really slowly. You can stretch the tempo and time for the slow-talking guest to bring their voice up to par with the speed of everyone else, if it makes the production value better (and, of course, if you have permission and final say from the guest).
- Clean UI: The user interface is clean and clear, making it simple to access many of the features. There’s still a learning curve because of what Apple calls some features (which can be confusing depending on what you’re used to), but it makes the transition a little bit easier so you don’t get so overwhelmed right away.
Cons
- Only Available on iOS: If you’re a hardened PC user, you’re going to be stuck with Adobe Audition as your top-of-the-line audio editing software, because Logic Pro X is designed by Apple and exclusive to their iOS devices. While there are alternatives (which we’ll talk about in a little while), it’s important to know that Logic Pro X is a league above most audio editing software out there. SInce we’re talking about it in the realm of podcasting, and it’s a bit overkill for podcasts, you can still achieve the same level of quality for podcast productions on PC with similar software. When you break out of podcasting into other productions, that’s when Logic Pro X makes its differences known.
- Steep Learning Curve: The problem with Logic Pro X is that it assumes you alreaedy know Pro Tools and some level of iOS maneuverability. Professionals switch to iOS for their production-level software at a fairly regular rate, and as a result, it can be a little jarring to find your footing with Logic Pro X right out of the gate. The learning curve can be quite steep at first.
- Designed for Music Editing: While it’s useful for podcast editing, it’s not designed for it. Logic Pro X is, first and foremost, a music editing software and the quick access features definitely represent that. WHile you don’t need to do a ton of maneuvers when you edit podcasts, some of the tools can be a little out of reach.
How to Use Logic Pro X for Editing a Podcast
This absolutely depends on the DAW you use, but either way, let’s go through some quick tips on how you can edit your podcast using Logic Pro X.
- Record or import your podcast audio directly into the track in Logic Pro X.
- Find the plugin section. In the dropdown menu, find a legacy plugin and select “Speech Enhancer.” This helps you remove background noise, which is great if you record in a less than state-of-the-art studio. Set this to -40 dB.
- In the same menu, find the equilizer labeled “EQ.” This is where you can set up your compressor. This doesn’t compress the audio in the sense of WAV vs. MP3: it compresses the peaks in higher frequencies in your audio.
- Turn off “Auto Gain” because it can mess with your feedback.
- Tweak your gain settings on the compressor if there are still “poppy” sounds.
That’s the most basic way to process your audio for podcasting. You want to keep it nice and clean
Which DAW to Use
DAW stands for digital audio workstation, which basically outlines the interface you have to use for a certain program. Thankfully, Logic Pro X allows you to change how you interact with it, so you can change the DAW.
It’s a program that’s been out for a while, so while this isn’t the most comforting answer, the best DAW to use will be one that’s specifically designed for podcasting. There are different DAWs that incorporate different quick access tools depending on what type of production you’re working on; you just have to find the right one that works for you. Simply search for and download the DAW you want to use.
Logic Pro X Alternatives
If you can’t afford the high-ticket price tag associated with Logic Pro X, or the program just doesn’t fit your needs, there are alternatives (most of which are available on PC).
- GarageBand: Completely free and easy to use, GarageBand is an app that many people use before they upgrade to Logic Pro X. It gets you familiar with the interface, splicing tracks together, and using effects with your audio. Consider GarageBand to either be the training wheels before you upgrade, or produce your entire podcast in it; either way, it works as a full-service audio editing platform.
- Audacity: This is another free bit of software that allows you to do just about everything you need. It’s commonly used in small-scale productions for YouTube, and has all the fixings that you need to compress and equalize audio to make it easier on the ears and a little faster to edit than most other free software. The UI could use some work, but all the necessary working parts are there.
- Adobe Audition: This paid-for software is another one that we’ve reviewed, and it comes with a ton of features that any podcaster would find useful. If we had to crown something as the Logic Pro X equivalent on Windows operating systems, this would be as close as we could get.
- Ableton Live: Ableton can be used to edit audio (hence the name doesn’t mean it has to be live). This has its own curves to learn, but it’s arguably one of the best options besides Logic Pro X. There are some limitations, however you’ll find that on just about any program that isn’t Logic Pro X.
The Ultimate Audio Editing Program
So is Logic Pro X right for you? It very well might be, but it’s also a little more than most people would ever need for a podcast production.
Keep in mind that your production may grow and include audio engineering for a video podcast, or an eventual YouTube channel/video series based on the subject of your podcast. The sky’s the limit, so with Logic Pro X, you at least have a ton of space and time to grow before you would need to make the leap to professional, higher-capacity software.