Logic Pro’s 10.8 Update: Revolutionizing Audio Mastering with AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) is making waves, and the world of audio mixing and music production isn’t being left behind. Logic Pro’s latest update, version 10.8, introduces a tool that could be a game-changer – the Mastering Assistant. This AI-driven tool could seriously shake things up in the world of AI music generation.

The above youtube video will take you on a tour of the Mastering Assistant’s features. We’ll see what it can do and compare it to a pro mastering chain that would set you back a cool $1000.

We’ll be testing the Logic Pro Mastering Assistant on a lo-fi track “Leeyla’s Mood” by Dei. This track’s modern vibe and organic elements make it the perfect candidate to demonstrate what AI-generated music mastering can do for mastering engineers.

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Using the Logic Pro Mastering Assistant

After you’ve updated your Logic Pro, the Mastering Assistant is there for you on your stereo out bus. Just give it a click and it gets to work analyzing your track. Don’t forget to set up the cycle at the top of your tracks – that’s what the Mastering Assistant will be analyzing. If you get it wrong, no problem, you can just run the analysis again.

This is a visual of the DAW screen inside Logic Pro AI generated music Mastering Assistant for music producers

Going Under the Hood of Logic Pro’s Mastering Assistant

Let’s break down the key features of the Logic Pro’s Mastering Assistant:

  1. Character: This is a limiting and compression algorithm that you’ll find in the top left-hand corner.
  2. Auto EQ and Custom EQ: These are your controls for the frequencies.
  3. Dynamics Section: Here you’ll find a dial for increasing loudness meters, a harmonic exciter, and a spread dial for adjusting your track’s width.
  4. Bypass Button: This lets you switch the effect on and off.
  5. Loudness Compensation: This keeps the volume consistent when you’re monitoring what the mastering system is doing to the signal.

Experimenting with AI Mastering in Logic Pro

I decided to dial down the auto EQ, take out the spread, and focus on the character when I was testing the Logic Pro Mastering Assistant. Out of the four options, ‘Punch’ worked best for this track.

In the EQ section, the Mastering Assistant had made some cuts or boosts based on what it thought the balance should be. I adjusted these to get the sound I wanted.

This is a visual example of the DAW screen for Logic Pro AI generated music Mastering Assistant featuring DJ and music producer Noize London.

AI music generation for the win?

After exploring the AI-enhanced features and adjusting them, I exported this track and compared it against my pro mastering chain in a blind test.

Can you tell the difference? Listen and don’t forget to comment your first choice on the blind AB test in the YouTube comments section!