Apple Logic Pro 11 Review: AI-Powered Production Hits the Mac

TL;DR

Logic Pro 11 adds AI Session Player (bass and keys), built-in Stem Splitter, and ChromaGlow saturation. The Session Player is genuinely useful for sketching ideas, Stem Splitter rivals iZotope, and it's still just £199 one-time. Best value DAW on the market.

What's Actually New in Logic Pro 11

Apple announced Logic Pro 11 at WWDC 2024, and for once the hype is mostly warranted. The headline features are Session Player — an AI musician that plays bass and keyboard parts in real-time — and a built-in Stem Splitter that can isolate vocals, drums, bass, and other instruments from any audio file.

There's also ChromaGlow, a saturation plugin with five different warmth models, and a bunch of workflow improvements that make the daily grind of production smoother. But let's be honest — you're here for the AI stuff.

Session Player: Your New AI Bandmate

Session Player is essentially a virtual musician who plays along with your project. You choose a style — anything from Motown bass to jazz piano to synth pads — set the complexity and intensity, and it generates parts that follow your chord progression in real time.

The results are surprisingly musical. We threw it a moody minor progression and the bass player nailed a walking line that actually breathed with the track. The keyboard player was equally capable — comping chords with the kind of voicings a session musician would choose.

Is it replacing real musicians? Absolutely not. But for sketching out arrangements, building demos, or adding parts when you can't afford to hire session players? It's genuinely brilliant. And for bedroom producers who play one instrument, it opens up arrangement possibilities that used to require collaboration.

Stem Splitter Changes the Remix Game

The built-in Stem Splitter is the feature that'll have the most immediate practical impact. Drop any audio file onto a track, right-click, and separate it into vocals, drums, bass, and other. The quality rivals dedicated tools like iZotope RX and LALAL.AI — and it's free, built right into your DAW.

For DJs, remixers, and sample-based producers, this is massive. No more bouncing between apps. No more subscription fees for stem separation. Just drag, split, and start creating. We tested it on everything from dense EDM to sparse acoustic tracks and the separation quality was consistently impressive.

Still the Best Value in Professional Production

Here's the thing that keeps Logic Pro at the top of our recommendations for independent artists: it's £199. One time. No subscription. No annual renewal. And it comes with a library of sounds, instruments, and effects that would cost thousands if bought separately.

Compare that to Ableton Live Suite at £539, or Pro Tools at £299/year. Logic Pro 11 isn't just competing — it's embarrassing the competition on value. The only catch is you need a Mac, but even that equation is changing with increasingly affordable MacBook Air models.

For emerging artists watching their budget, Logic Pro 11 is the most powerful production tool you can buy at this price point. The AI features are the cherry on top of an already extraordinary sundae.