Apple’s professional apps are now available on the iPad.

Apple surprises me every now and then. Today, Apple surprised me. The company announced that it will finally bring Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for iPad and the tools needed to create professional videos and music on a touchscreen device. The apps are not direct portings of the macOS versions, but rather built-for iPad applications. Let’s start.

Both apps are appealing because they offer a variety of features. You could theoretically create a music or video project with Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro using just your iPad. Use the device to capture video, which can then be edited using FCP. Write music on the keyboard of the iPad, record audio using the internal microphone, and mix everything together using Logic. It’s true that you will need to bring in more equipment for high-quality projects. But, it is theoretically possible to create something from start-to finish using an iPad and these apps.

The secondary appeal of the iPad Pro is that you can interact with it using your fingers, instead of a mouse and keyboard. is still possible, as you can use a keyboard. But if you have been wanting to edit movies and music using your hands, now you can.

Final Cut Pro iPad: What you can expect

Editors will have to adjust to the “jog wheels” when they fire up Final Cut Pro for iPads. These wheels are designed to replace the scroll wheel of a mouse. You can scroll the jog wheel to move through the timeline and adjust clips. The jog wheels will be interesting for seasoned editors to test, as well as whether they will speed up their workflow.

Apple Pencil is another iPad-only Final Cut Pro exclusive feature. It’s the first time that you can interact with a Final Cut timeline using the pencil. You can now draw on your videos. You can also use “pro camera mode” to shoot videos from your iPad. This includes audio levels, recording times, focus, exposure and white balance. You can shoot ProRes if you have an iPad M2.

It looks like Final Cut Pro to us. You can edit videos with multicam, add graphics and use audio and visual effects. Apple’s tools include Scene Removal Mask which can remove the background without using a greenscreen; Auto Crop which will correct your video for the best aspect ratio; Voice Isolation which will remove background noise in your audio.

Transfer projects between iPad and Mac so that you are not limited to just one device for editing.

What can you expect from Logic Pro iPad?

Logic Pro iPad now has a brand new sound browser. You can audition samples, loops, audio patches and plug-ins to determine if they are right for your project. If it works, add it!

Apple boasts about the 100+ instruments and effects that come with Logic Pro. You can play instruments on the iPad display. This is especially useful for keyboards or drums. Mix and match instrument sounds to find one that suits you. Beat Breaker is a new plug-in that lets you change the sound of things using Multi-Touch. Quick Sampler allows you to transform a sample into an entirely new instrument. You can create your own drum beats using Step Sequencer or Drum Machine Designer.

The mixer is something I am most excited about: it seems like a lot of fun to be able to change the plug-ins, adjust the pans and adjust volume faders using a touchscreen. It will be interesting to see if Logic Pro’s Multi-Touch is more useful than Final Cut. , , and can be used to create soundtracks for Final Cut iPad.

Prices and compatibility are the same: you’ll need an iPad with a higher version.

Even if you have purchased these apps before, you will still need to pay to use them on iPad. Apple charges $299 for Final Cut Pro and $199 for Logic Pro for macOS. However, both apps are available as iPadOS subscriptions, without the option to purchase them outright. Apple does not offer a discounted version for macOS users or a free one.

The subscription rates are not too high. Apple charges $5 per app per month, or $50 annually. This comes with a free one-month trial for all new subscribers. We are all at this stage. I would definitely give both apps a trial over the first month and then decide if they are useful enough for me to pay. The App Store will be releasing both apps on Tuesday, May 23, at the same time.