Logic Pro
Essential plug-ins for beginners using Logic Pro
The question Which plug-ins does a beginner using Logic Pro actually need to buy?
Short answer
Very little, at first. Logic Pro includes a full set of instruments and effects, including Channel EQ, Compressor, ChromaVerb and Alchemy. Learning those well is worth more than any purchase.
When you hit a specific limit, free plug-ins fill the obvious gaps: TDR Nova for dynamic EQ, Valhalla Supermassive for very long ambient spaces and Vital for visual wavetable synthesis. Pay only when you can name what a plug-in does that these don't.
Whatever you add, Logic Pro uses Audio Units plug-ins, so check that any purchase lists an AU version for macOS.
How Logic Pro handles plug-ins
Logic Pro uses Apple's Audio Units format. Apple's documentation covers Audio Units plug-ins (AUv2) and Audio Unit Extensions (AUv3), and lists both in Logic's Plug-in Manager, where you can rescan and activate them. Apple's tech specs list support for Audio Units effect, instrument and MIDI plug-ins.[1][2]
In practice: when a product page lists VST, VST3 or AAX only, it will not load in Logic. Look for 'AU' or 'Audio Units' in the format list. Every third-party plug-in recommended on this page lists an AU version.[1][3][4][5][6]
Learn these four stock plug-ins first
Your everyday EQ
Channel EQApple
Eight bands, including high- and low-pass filters, and a built-in analyser. Most corrective and tonal EQ in a beginner's mix can be done here.
[7]From the manufacturer's documentation
- Eight colour-coded bands: low-pass and high-pass filters, low and high shelves, and four parametric bands.
- Built-in FFT analyser that shows the frequency curve in real time.
Your everyday compressor
CompressorApple
Seven circuit types let you hear how different compressor designs respond, which is an education in itself. It also has a side-chain section for kick-triggered ducking.
[8][9]From the manufacturer's documentation
- Selectable circuit types: Platinum Digital, Studio VCA, Studio FET, Classic VCA, Vintage VCA, Vintage FET and Vintage Opto.
- Threshold, Ratio, Knee, Attack, Release and Auto Release controls.
Your everyday reverb
ChromaVerbApple
14 room algorithms with editable damping and an output EQ. Start on an aux send rather than inserting it on each track.
[10]From the manufacturer's documentation
- 14 discrete room type algorithms.
- Main view controls: Attack, Size, Density, Distance and Decay.
A deep synth you already own
AlchemyApple
Alchemy combines additive, spectral, granular, sampling and virtual analogue engines. Exploring its presets and then editing them is a good introduction to synthesis.
[11]From the manufacturer's documentation
- Additive, spectral and granular synthesis and resynthesis, sampling, and virtual analogue engines.
- Up to four sources per preset, each using one or more synthesis engines.
A first mix using only stock plug-ins
Editorial Before adding anything, try a mix with only these four plug-ins. It shows you which limits are real and which were a matter of learning the tool.
Editorial
- On each track, use Channel EQ's high-pass filter and analyser to remove low end the part doesn't need, then make broad tonal moves with its shelves and parametric bands.
- Use Compressor on parts whose level jumps around, such as a bassline or vocal. Switch circuit types on the same settings and listen to how each responds.
- Use Compressor's side-chain section on a bass or pad with the kick as the trigger, so they duck when the kick plays.
- Put one ChromaVerb on an aux send and send several tracks to it, instead of a separate reverb on every track.
- For sounds, start from Alchemy presets and edit them before building patches from scratch.[7][8][9][10][11]
Common beginner problems, stock first
These examples show how documented features could be applied to problems beginners commonly describe. They are not test results.
Free additions that fill real gaps
These are worth adding only once you know what you are missing. Each is free and lists an AU version for macOS.
| TDR Nova | Valhalla Supermassive | Vital | DC1A | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Equaliser | Reverb | Synthesiser | Compressor |
| Pricing | Free | Free | Free tier + paid tiers | Free |
| Plug-in formats | VST2, VST3, AU, AAX | VST2, VST3, AU, AAX | VST2, VST3, AU, LV2 | VST2, VST3, AU, AAX |
| macOS | Mac OS X 10.9 or higher | OS X 10.9 to macOS 10.15, Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, Sonoma, Sequoia and Tahoe; Intel and Apple Silicon (M1 to M5) | macOS 10.15 or later, Intel or Apple Silicon; 64-bit; OpenGL 3 or higher | Supported (AU, VST, VST3, AAX); minimum macOS version not stated |
| Gap it fills in stock LogicEditorial | Dynamic EQ | Very long, modulated reverb/delay | Visual wavetable synthesis | One-knob character compression |
When you need dynamic EQ
TDR NovaTokyo Dawn Labs
Logic's Channel EQ applies static cuts and boosts. TDR Nova adds four dynamic bands, so a cut only happens when a frequency becomes a problem, which is useful for taming harsh notes or managing kick and bass overlap.
Its documentation also covers external side-chaining in Logic: you assign a bus as the side chain in the plug-in window and select EXT SC, so a band on the bass can react to the kick.
[3][12]From the manufacturer's documentation
- Parallel dynamic equaliser.
- Four dynamic EQ bands plus separate high-pass and low-pass filters.
When you want huge spaces
Valhalla SupermassiveValhalla DSP
Supermassive specialises in very long, modulated reverbs and echoes, the kind of effect ChromaVerb is not primarily designed for.
[4]From the manufacturer's documentation
- 22 reverb/delay modes, including Gemini, Hydra, Great Annihilator, Andromeda, Lyra, Capricorn and Sirius.
- Controls for Mix, Width, Delay, Warp, Feedback and Density.
When you want to learn wavetable synthesis
VitalVital Audio
Vital's free tier includes the full synth. Its visual design makes wavetable movement and modulation easy to see, which helps when learning.
[13]From the manufacturer's documentation
- Spectral warping, which acts on a waveform's harmonics.
- Built-in wavetable editor, plus conversion of your own samples into wavetables.
When you want quick character compression
DC1AKlanghelm
Two main controls and a few switches. Useful for adding density without learning every compressor parameter first.
Worth knowing
- Klanghelm doesn't state minimum macOS versions or Apple Silicon support, so check compatibility with your system before relying on it.
- It has no attack or release controls. When you want to learn those, go back to Logic's Compressor.
From the manufacturer's documentation
- Two main controls: input and output.
- Deep switch engages a high-pass filter to reduce pumping on bass-heavy material.
When it makes sense to spend money
Editorial Paid plug-ins make sense when you can name the specific limitation they remove. For example: needing more than four dynamic EQ bands, or per-band side-chain and mid/side control (FabFilter Pro-Q 4); wanting a dedicated bus compressor (The Glue); or wanting pitch-shifted shimmer reverb (ValhallaShimmer).[3][15][16][17]
Editorial
- Signs you are ready: you can describe the problem in words, you have tried the stock and free options above on a real project, and a trial of the paid plug-in solves it.
- Signs you are not: you are buying because a preset or tutorial used it, or you hope it will make mixes sound better by itself.
- Remember that Logic's stock plug-ins only run inside Logic. If you might change DAW later, third-party plug-ins with AU and VST3 versions travel with you.[9]
Our guides and comparisons go into those choices in more detail:
Questions
- Can Logic Pro use VST plug-ins?
- Apple's Logic Pro documentation describes support for Audio Units plug-ins and Audio Unit Extensions, and does not list VST. Choose the AU version of any plug-in you buy for Logic.[1][2]
- Do I need to buy plug-ins to start producing in Logic Pro?
- No. Logic Pro includes an EQ, compressor, reverb and several synths, including Alchemy. Free third-party plug-ins cover most remaining gaps.[11]
- Should a Logic Pro beginner buy FabFilter Pro-Q 4?
- Usually not first. Channel EQ covers static EQ, and the free TDR Nova adds dynamic EQ. Pro-Q 4 is worth a trial once you regularly need more dynamic bands or per-band side-chain and mid/side control. See FabFilter Pro-Q 4 vs TDR Nova: is the paid EQ worth it?.[7][3][15]