Getting Started With Logic
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1 Preface 5 5 6 Contents An Introduction to Logic What Is Logic? About This Guide Chapter 1 9 9 11 12 Setting Up Logic MIDI and Audio Connections The Logic Setup Assistant Templates Chapter 2 13 13 14 15 17 19 20 28 Getting Started With Logic What Is Logic? Loading and Starting the Tutorial Song Getting to Know Logic’s Arrange Window Tracks and Regions The Arrange Area Parameters Area Key Commands Chapter 3 31 31 Navigating the Song The Transport Window Chapter 4 37 37 38 39 40 40 41 42 Edit
49 49 Saving the Song MIDI Event Editing Chapter 6 57 58 59 61 62 Audio Regions Creating Audio Tracks in the Arrangement Sample Editor The Audio Window Making Your Own Audio Recordings Chapter 7 65 65 66 70 77 80 Mixer, Instruments, and Effects Track Mixer Mixer and Audio Objects in the Environment Using the Mixer and Plug-ins Automated Mixing Bounce—the Final Mix Chapter 8 83 83 85 86 The Environment Concept The MIDI Artery External Control From Arpeggiators to Step Sequencers Appendix A 87
Preface An Introduction to Logic Recent years have seen a revolution in the use of personal computers for creating music. Music projects that until recently would have required an array of professional studio equipment can now be completed in a home or project studio, using a personal computer and readily available resources.
• Make use of the integrated software instruments, or third-party Audio Unit instruments. • Load songs or channel strips from Apple’s GarageBand application, and edit them, making use of the additional processing and editing possibilities afforded by Logic. • Mix your MIDI and audio tracks, including effects and software-based instrument • • • • • settings, via a sophisticated total recall mix automation system. Logic includes highquality effects plug-ins that you can use in your projects.
If you wish to learn more about digital audio and the elements of a music project, read Appendix A , “Audio and MIDI Basics,”. Appendix B provides information about Audio and MIDI in Mac OS X. Appendix C will guide you through the connection of Logic to a mixer and using Logic as a mixer. Appendix D will help you to optimize your computer for music production. Additional, more comprehensive information can be found in the reference manuals and in Logic’s Online Help system.
Key Commands Many Logic functions can be activated or accessed with key commands—computer keyboard shortcuts. The key commands mentioned in this guide are based on the standard Key Command Set, assigned by the Logic Setup Assistant. Where possible, we have also included the standard key commands for PowerBook users. These are based on the PowerBook Key Command Set, assigned in the Logic Setup Assistant.
1 Setting Up Logic 1 Setting up Logic is easy: When you launch Logic for the first time, the Logic Setup Assistant automatically starts. The Logic Setup Assistant will guide you through the process of setting up Logic for use with your installed audio and MIDI hardware. The following section provides information on MIDI and audio hardware setup. Further to this, the initial settings that can be specified—with the aid of the Logic Setup Assistant—are explained.
If you don’t have a MIDI keyboard handy, Logic allows you to use the computer keyboard for MIDI note entry. Just press the Caps Lock key to activate this mode, and to display this onscreen keyboard. Connecting Audio There are countless optional audio interfaces available, and at least as many ways that they can be set up and used with Logic and external audio gear.
The Logic Setup Assistant Note: As a tip, we recommend that you write down the MIDI input and output connections of all of your MIDI devices before launching Logic/the Logic Setup Assistant for the first time. You can start Logic by double-clicking on the Logic icon in the Applications folder. The first time Logic is launched, the Logic Setup Assistant will run. It will guide you through the process of setting up Logic for use with your installed audio and MIDI hardware.
2 Check the Use song template option in the dialog that appears. 3 Select the desired template from the Template pull-down menu. m Logic also allows you to save your own songs as templates: Simply choose File > Save as Template and type the desired song name in the Name field. Note: Please take a look at the supplied templates. They might provide you with some ideas on possible Logic song customizations that will best meet your needs for future projects.
2 Getting Started With Logic 2 This chapter provides a basic overview of Logic’s main working window and the tools that are used for data interaction and editing. Before beginning, we’d like to briefly cover what Logic will bring to your computer. What Is Logic? Logic incorporates the functionality normally found in an entire professional audio production studio. All within an intuitive user interface, and all within your computer. It is an integrated system for composing and producing music.
Loading and Starting the Tutorial Song Copy the “Tutorial” song file and “Tutorial ƒ” folder from the Logic DVD to your hard disk, if you haven’t already done so. To open the Tutorial song: 1 Launch Logic. 2 Choose File > Open. The Open dialog appears. 3 Choose the Logic Songs item in the Open File Type pop-up menu, to ensure that only Logic Songs appear in the file selector. 4 Browse to the location of the Tutorial song, select it, and press the Open button.
Getting to Know Logic’s Arrange Window The Tutorial song is compact and only contains a small arrangement fragment. It is principally intended to introduce you to some important elements of Logic. After loading the Tutorial song, you will see the following onscreen: Track List Bar Ruler Local menu bar Transport field Zoom control Arrange area with Regions Toolbox Region Parameter box Arrange channel strip Transport window Transport Field This is where you control the operation of Logic.
Arrange Area with Regions This is the workspace when arranging with Logic. It may contain MIDI and/or audio tracks with any number of MIDI or Audio Regions, respectively. MIDI Regions contain notes and controllers, used for playing MIDI and software-based instruments. Audio Regions are pointers to underlying audio files that are played back from the hard disk of your computer.
Tracks and Regions Logic works on the basis of tracks, much like a multitrack tape machine. You can see and access these tracks in the Arrange window’s Track List—shown below. Narrow rectangles known as MIDI Regions or Audio Regions appear in the Arrange area—horizontally aligned with the tracks listed in the Track List. An Audio Region represents an underlying audio file. A MIDI Region represents an individual recording, or take of MIDI data.
The illuminated M on a track indicates that all Regions on the track are muted—all Regions aligned horizontally on this track are silent. Muting/unmuting of MIDI or audio tracks is achieved by clicking the Mute button on each track in the Track List, or by use of the Mute Track key command (Control-M) on a selected track. Give both a try. The orange indicator you see to the left of a track is a level/activity meter.
The Arrange Area The large gray area next to the Track List is the Arrange area. This is where your Regions are arranged into a song. You can freely drag and drop your Regions from position to position, make loops, copies, and more. Audio and MIDI data can be recorded directly into the Arrange area, as mentioned earlier. You can add Audio Regions—in AIFF, WAV, SDII, MP3, ReCycle, or Apple Loops formats—directly to the Arrange area by dragging and dropping audio files from any folder on your hard disk.
Parameters Area There are three boxes in the Parameters area to the left of the Arrange area. They are, from top to bottom, the Region parameters, the Toolbox and the Track/Instrument parameters. You’ll also see the Arrange window’s channel strip—a mixer fader for the selected track. Region Parameters This Parameter box is directly related to the Regions which appear as rectangles in the Arrange area to the right of the Track List.
To change a parameter value, simply click-hold to the extreme right of the Region Parameter box—alongside the desired entry. This will open a pull-down menu for some parameters, and for others will change the cursor to act as a slider. Drag the mouse on the vertical axis (up and down) to change the value of these parameters. Please select a Region, and give this a try for each parameter—to familiarize yourself with the methods used to interact with each of them.
The Toolbox is context-sensitive. This means that different tools will appear for particular tasks in the various individual edit windows. As an example, there is no Crossfade tool in the Score window as audio is not handled in this editor. There is, however, a Voice Separation tool in the Score window, which would be of no use in the Arrange window, for example. You can change the currently active tool by clicking on the appropriate tool in the Toolbox.
About the Tools There are additional tools to those outlined below, found in specific editing windows. The following are the primary tools used in song construction and editing. The window-specific tools are discussed in the Logic reference, in conjunction with topics and examples covering their use. Pointer The Pointer is the default tool. The mouse cursor also takes on this shape outside the working area when you are selecting from a menu or entering a value.
Scissors The Scissors are used to split Regions—before copying or moving individual sections, for example. Glue Tool The Glue tool performs the reverse action of the Scissors tool: all selected Regions are merged into a single Region, which is given the name and track position of the first Region on the time axis. Solo Tool Click-holding with the Solo tool allows you to isolate and listen to selected Regions. This function works during playback or when the sequencer is stopped.
Magnifying Glass The Magnifying Glass allows you to zoom in on a section by rubber-band selecting it, right up to the maximum possible window size. To revert to a non-zoomed view, click on the background of the active window with the Magnifying Glass tool. Crossfade Tool In the Arrange window, the Crossfade tool allows you to simply click-hold and drag across the section where two Audio Regions meet. A crossfade will automatically be created between the Audio Regions.
Marquee Tool In the Arrange window, you can use the Marquee tool (looks like a crosshair, or plus sign) to select a portion of an individual Region, or a horizontal selection of multiple Regions. To use the Marquee tool, select it from the Toolbox and drag from left to right across the desired Regions. As you do so, you will see a Marquee box (shaded area) appear onscreen, indicating the range of the Marquee selection.
The Channel Strip of the Selected Track At the lower left border of the Arrange window, a mixer channel strip is displayed. This channel strip corresponds to the selected track in the Arrange window’s Track List. If the lower portion of the channel is obscured, you can click on the small arrowheads at the top left of the Region and Object Parameter boxes to collapse one, or both, of these panels. This will allow you view the entire channel strip.
Key Commands You can activate most of Logic’s functions via key commands. A key command is a computer keyboard shortcut for a function or task in Logic. A number of functions are only available as key commands. The Key Commands window is used for the assignment of key commands to your computer’s keyboard. The use of key commands allows you to customize Logic to suit your own working style, and will speed up your use of the program.
To assign a function to a key: 1 Click on the Learn by Key Label button. 2 Select the desired function in the list by clicking once on it with the mouse. 3 Press the desired key on your computer keyboard, plus any modifier key(s)— Command, Shift, Control, and Option—that you wish to use as part of the key command. 4 To create further key commands, repeat steps 2 and 3. 5 Deactivate the Learn by Key Label button! To delete key command assignments: 1 Click on the Learn by Key Label button.
Controlling Windows—Screensets Every song created in Logic can have up to 90 Screensets. Screensets are window combinations that can be customized by you, and stored to a specific numeric key/ combination of keys on your computer keyboard. To recall a Screenset, you simply need to press the appropriate key or key combination. Each Screenset remembers the type of edit or Arrange window(s) opened plus their individual size, position, and zoom settings.
3 Navigating the Song 3 In this chapter, you will learn how to move to different parts of the song, start and limit passages, and to isolate and audition specific portions and components within the song. In short, you’ll learn how to navigate through the song. As you’re reading, follow the steps and try out the functions. You can’t break anything. Please load the Tutorial song, if you haven’t already done so.
Note: Clicking on the downwards pointing arrow beside the Song End box will open a menu of Transport bar display options, which allow you to customize the appearance of the Transport bar to meet your requirements. We suggest that you select the Legend menu option, which will turn on the function titles, as shown in the image above, while learning Logic. • The SMPTE/Bar Position area indicates the current bar number occupied by the Song • • • • • • Position Line (more on this in the next section).
Moving to Different Song Positions There are several ways to “jump” to specific song positions. At the top of the Arrange window, you can see the Bar Ruler. • Click at various spots in the lower half of this ruler and you’ll immediately jump to that position. As you click, a vertical light gray line will appear in the Arrange area aligned with the point selected on the Bar/Beat Ruler. This is the Song Position Line (SPL). • Engage Play via the Transport bar or by pressing Enter.
Display Current Song Position If you manually enter and jump to positions, the song overview displayed can, on occasion, not correspond to what you hear. m To ensure that the current song position is always displayed: Activate the Catch button (see picture below) found to the upper left of the Arrange window. The song overview will update to follow the SPL. This facility ensures that when the SPL exits the visible portion of the song overview, the display will update to follow it.
• Move it by grabbing it in the middle, and dragging your mouse to the left or right. • You can also change the area borders by grabbing either the bottom left or right corners of the highlighted section on the Bar/Beat Ruler, and moving the mouse left or right. • By clicking anywhere in the upper part of the Bar/Beat Ruler, the cycle can be deactivated. Another click reactivates it. Press Play and allow the area to cycle over the selected song section.
Oh … and congratulations are in order! You’ve just mastered the most essential of Logic’s techniques—the selection of MIDI Regions, notes, Audio Regions … you name it! 36 Chapter 3 Navigating the Song
4 Editing Regions 4 In this chapter, you will learn how to edit Regions with Logic’s tools. We will also introduce you to Logic’s Loop function and the Loop Browser. Try everything described below with the Tutorial song Regions. Should something unexpected happen while you’re experimenting, you can easily restore the song to it’s original state by reloading it. Simply select File > Revert to Saved from the main menu bar to do so.
Moving Regions In the Arrange window, the Pointer tool can be used to move Regions onto other tracks, or to other positions. To move a Region in the Tutorial song: 1 Choose the Pointer in the Toolbox. 2 Position the cursor over the middle area of a Region. When it changes to a hand with five outstretched fingers (see figure below), click once, hold the mouse button, and drag the Region to the desired position.
Undo/Redo Did you make a mistake, such as not selecting all of the MIDI Regions, or perhaps you moved them to the wrong place? If so, this would be a good time to become acquainted with one of the most important functions in Logic—the Undo. The Undo function allows you to undo the previous editing step, should things go wrong. m m To use the Undo function, Select Edit > Undo “edit function name”.
Copying Regions In the Arrange window, you can use the Pointer tool to copy MIDI and Audio Regions. The procedure is quite similar to moving Regions. To copy one or more Regions: 1 Select one or more Tutorial song Regions (using the rubber-band or shift-click methods discussed earlier). 2 Press and hold the Option key while moving these Regions to a new position, and release the mouse button. A copy of the Regions is placed at the target position.
Loops The Loop function enables you to repeat a Region automatically, without needing to copy it. The Loop switch can be found in the Region Parameter box. In the Tutorial song, you can see a looped MIDI Region on the ES1-2 track, between measures 13 and 17. The loops are displayed as gray segments, following the original MIDI Region. These loop repetitions are always the same length as the original MIDI Region. To switch off looping: 1 Select the original MIDI Region.
To copy a looped Region: 1 While pressing Shift, click on the original MIDI Region, and—if used and desired—the Stop Region for the repetitions. 2 When both have been selected, release the Shift key. 3 Press and hold the Option key, click on the original Region, and drag the entire section to the desired position. Release the mouse button and Option key.
So let’s add an Apple Loop to our Tutorial song: 1 Choose Audio > Loop Browser to launch the Loop Browser. In the Loop Browser, you can use the buttons in the upper half of the window to show your loops by category, by instrument, genre, or mood. 2 As an example: to add an electronic drum loop to our Tutorial song, simply click on the Drums button and then on the Electronic button. All Apple Loops that match these criteria are shown in the lower half of the Loop Browser.
3 Drag a green Apple Loop to the Apple Loop track. Place the left edge of the loop at the point in the timeline where you want the loop to start playing. The appropriate instrument, effect, and input settings are automatically loaded into the empty channel strip. You can check this out further by pressing Control-2. The Track Mixer will open, with one channel strip selected (highlighted), and configured to match the original Apple Loop settings.
5 MIDI Regions 5 MIDI Regions are containers for MIDI events. They offer a number of additional editing possibilities over Audio Regions. In the following chapter we will look at these more flexible aspects of MIDI Regions. We will also explore Logic’s event editors. Transposing MIDI Regions Transposition is a pitch change of either a MIDI event or Region by a number of semitones. The Transpose parameter is found in the Region Parameter box.
A nice feature of Logic is that global adjustments made to multiple MIDI Regions work relatively. In other words, this means that individual transposition differences (the relative pitches) between MIDI Regions are maintained, even if all MIDI Regions are transposed.
4 In the Region Parameter box, click on the 16th note text alongside the Quantize entry. In the pull-down menu which opens, select the Off setting. This quantize value will then be displayed as the Quantize value. As the MIDI Region continues to play, you’ll discover that it now sounds out of time, rhythmically, as this is a less than perfect recording.
2 Check the Auto Mute in Cycle Record box. Selecting this setting causes each previous take to be automatically muted when the cycle repeats. This way, you can record one passage after another, without being distracted by (that is hearing) your previous takes. 3 If you would like to hear the metronome while recording, you should enable it now in the Transport window. To start recording: 1 Select the ES1-4 Track List entry by clicking on it. Simply selecting the track will arm it for recording.
7 Press Stop when you’re done. To select the best take: 1 Press Play, and use the Mute tool, to audition the individual takes, one by one. Once you’ve decided on a favorite take, simply delete the unwanted takes by clicking on the corresponding tracks in the Track List. Once selected, use the Track > Delete menu option repeatedly, until all unwanted tracks are removed. 2 If you accidentally delete the good take, don’t forget the Undo function.
The Matrix Editor Although it looks very different, the Matrix Editor is quite similar to the Arrange window. Unlike the Arrange window—MIDI note events, rather than MIDI Regions—are displayed as horizontal bars in the Matrix editor. Editing, you’ll discover, is quite similar. The illustration above shows a MIDI Region with chords displayed in the Matrix Editor. The keyboard along the left edge of the Matrix Editor indicates the pitch of the notes/ keys played in the display.
If you change the length of multiple notes simultaneously, they will retain their relative length differences. It is possible to override this behavior, and force all notes to have the same end point by pressing Shift, while dragging the right corner. This method will even work on note events selected across multiple bars. You can also adjust the start point of any selected notes by click-holding and dragging the bottom left corner.
In all versions of Logic, you can make volume and panning changes using the Hyper Draw function, within the Matrix and Score Editors. Logic Pro also allows the drawing of controller curves for other types of continuous controllers. In the illustration above, you see the Matrix Editor with Hyper Draw volume curve. Using Hyper Draw in the Matrix Editor 1 To access the Hyper Draw function within the Matrix Editor, select View > Hyper Draw > Volume (or Pan, or another controller type in Logic Pro).
The Event List The Event List shows all data contained within a selected MIDI Region as an alphanumerical (a collection of numbers and letters) listing. To open the Event List: 1 Select the last “Bass” MIDI Region—between bars 25 and 29, on track 1. 2 Select Windows > Event List or press the E key. Note: You can close the Event List by pressing the E key again (Toggle Event Editor key command).
The Hyper Editor The Hyper Editor is useful as a graphically-based drum grid editor, and also for the graphic input, and editing, of MIDI controller data. There are two predefined Hypersets that can be selected from the pull-down menu below the Toolbox (GM Drum Kit and MIDI Controller). You can freely alter these Hypersets, and can also define completely new ones. Here’s a brief explanation on the use of the Hyper Editor. To insert note or controller information: 1 Select the Pencil tool.
The Transform Window The Transform window is a very powerful editor that can be customized to build your own preset transform operations. It can be used for dramatic MIDI data changes, or for subtle alterations. As an example of the latter, it could be used to reduce the amount of filter modulation—with values ranging between 97 and 105—by a fixed percentage. While this type of change could be performed in other editors, it would need to be done on each individual modulation event.
6 Audio Regions 6 Logic allows you to record not only MIDI data, but also audio parts. This enables you to integrate acoustic instrument or vocal performances into your songs. More on this can be found in the following chapter. As with MIDI recordings, audio recordings are made and displayed in the Arrange window on tracks. These are Audio, rather than MIDI tracks. Once captured, audio recordings can be mixed and processed with realtime effects.
Creating Audio Tracks in the Arrangement In the following section, you will learn how you create a new audio track in the Arrange window, and how to import an audio file into audio tracks. To create an audio track in the Arrange window: 1 In the Arrange window, select the ES1-6 track in the Track List, and create a new track via the Track > Create menu option, or by pressing Shift-Enter. A new track will appear below the previously selected track in the Track List.
If you enlarge the display through use of the Zoom controls, you will see a waveform display in the Audio Region that was just imported. The audio file name is displayed above this waveform overview. A symbol indicating whether the file is mono or stereo will be shown at the end of the file name. Stereo files are indicated by two interlocked rings and Mono files, by a single ring. Start playback from measure 17.
Below the waveform display, you can see three markers that can be dragged with the mouse. These are: The S arrow pointing to the right indicates the start point of the Audio Region. If you move it from, say, the kick drum at the beginning of the drum loop to a snare beat, the loop will start with the snare when the arrangement is played back. When you move the S marker, you will also move the upwards-pointing black triangle. You can also grab the triangle directly, and move it separately.
The E to the right of the other two markers represents the end of the Audio Region. If moved, you will also alter the Region’s length in the Arrange window. The Audio Window Put simply, the Audio window allows to you to manage all audio files used in the open song. Press Command-9 to open this window, or browse to it via the Audio > Audio Window menu option. Alternately, you can switch to Screenset 7 in the default song created by the Logic Setup Assistant.
Audio File Menu This menu provides a range of file handling tools, including delete, backup, conversion, and more. These tools can aid you in housekeeping tasks for all of the audio files used in the song. Please refer to the Logic reference or Onscreen Help system for detailed information on each function. Making Your Own Audio Recordings First, connect the sound source—a mixer, CD player, or microphone, for example—to the audio inputs of your system. Create a new audio track, if necessary.
Stereo Recording To make a stereo recording, you must first configure the selected track’s Arrange window channel strip as stereo. The symbol on the button indicates the current status as follows: A single circle—mono. A pair of interlocked circles—stereo. The level meter will also divide into two discrete meters, when a channel strip is set for stereo operation. Levels As soon as you arm an audio track, you will hear any signal being sent to the audio inputs of your system.
Important: Please do not forget to disarm the track after recording has finished. Do this by clicking on the illuminated (red) Record Enable button which will then turn gray. If the track is not disarmed, you will not be able to listen to the Audio Region on this track.
7 Mixer, Instruments, and Effects 7 This chapter provides an overview of Logic’s mixing facilities and the use of software-based instruments and effects. Logic offers three ways to view and access mixer channels, where you can set volume, pan, instrument, and effect parameters. The fastest way to access the mixer channel of a track is by simply selecting the desired track in the Arrange window.
Note: The updating of Track Mixer channels is entirely automatic, so as you add or delete tracks from the Arrange window’s Track List, the Track Mixer will show or hide the corresponding MIDI or audio channel faders. To the left of the Track Mixer window, you will see a collection of buttons, as shown. These buttons will toggle (hide/show) the display of particular classes of channel strips.
The cabling between Audio Objects—which deals with the audio signal flow—is automatically and invisibly connected by Logic, as new Audio Objects are created and assigned. This invisible cabling follows a fairly standard signal path, normally found on a mixing console with audio channels, busses, master faders, and so on. As such, the Logic mixer will immediately be familiar if you’ve had any experience with mixing consoles.
Master Object This, as the name suggests, is a Master Volume control for the entire mixer. It is Logic’s equivalent to the Control Room fader on a mixing desk. Note: The Master Object is only available in Logic Pro, not in Logic Express. In the illustration above, you see some different Audio Objects in the Environment view. Creating Audio Objects If you need more Audio Objects than the Logic Setup Assistant created, you can add them manually.
5 Clicking on the Channel entry in the Object Parameter box will allow you to select the Audio Object type via a hierarchical menu, as shown in the following diagram. Important: It is vital that no two Audio Objects are assigned to the same Track, Instrument, and so on. In other words, don’t create two Audio Objects that are assigned to Track 1, or Instrument 3, for example. The MIDI Channel entry determines the channel used by the Audio Object.
Using the Mixer and Plug-ins Logic offers two types of plug-ins: software instruments and effects. Software Instruments Audio Instrument Objects are designed for use with software-based synthesizers such as those delivered with Logic and/or Audio Units instruments from other manufacturers. Note: Coverage of all Logic instruments can be found in the Logic Pro 7 Plug-In Reference or Logic Express 7 Plug-In Reference (depending on where you are using Logic Pro or Logic Express).
• Double-clicking on the label opens a closed Plug-in window, allowing access to the plug-in’s parameters. Recording software instruments is just like recording MIDI instruments: 1 Simply select the desired Audio Instrument track in the Arrange window, and press Record in the Transport Bar (or use the * key). 2 Start playing your MIDI keyboard. 3 Once you’re done, press the Stop button in the Transport Window, or use the 0 key command.
Each audio channel in Logic features a number of parametric (and other) EQ options. You may also insert further EQ’s in other available Insert slots, if desired. All EQ parameters can be automated. If the Track Mixer or the Arrange channel strip is visible, you’ll notice a small thumbnail graphic of the Channel EQ at the top of the strip. This provides an instant overview of the Channel EQ settings.
• Click-holding on the desired parameter in the parameter area below the graphic display (Frequency, Gain/Slope or Q): Moving up increases, and down decreases, the value. In order to prevent accidental changes, this is the only way to change the Slope value of the high and lowpass filters. As long as your mouse cursor is in the access area of a band, its individual curve will be graphically inserted over the resulting curve of the entire equalizer. The Bypass button is used to bypass or activate the EQ.
How Effects Are Grouped Logic hierarchically groups effects as follows: • Audio Channel Type—either Stereo, Mono/Stereo or Mono. To explain: • Stereo: Stereo in, stereo out (True stereo). Both input signals are processed separately, so the stereo qualities of the signal remain unchanged—this is important for summed or stereo bus signals used as inserts. • Mono/Stereo: Mono in/Stereo out. For use with mono signals only, but the effect output is stereo.
The Plug-in Windows and their Parameters You can edit the effect’s parameters by double-clicking on the (active) Insert slot, which will launch the Plug-in window. Many of Logic’s effects feature an enhanced graphical interface—as you’ve already discovered with the Channel EQ. Note: By default, the Plug-in window will automatically launch as soon as any plug-in is inserted. A double-click on the Insert slot will reopen the window if you have closed it.
Additional Plug-in Window Options The gray area at the top of the Plug-in window displays a Link button and a Bypass button. Follow these steps to see how the Link button can be used: 1 Insert a plug-in into the first Insert slot of the first Audio channel, if you have not already done so. This will launch the Plug-in window. 2 If the Plug-in window doesn’t automatically launch, double click on the illuminated Insert slot. 3 Activate the Link button to the left of the gray Plug-in window area.
3 To adjust the amount of send level, click-hold on the knob and drag your mouse to the right. You may also press Option and click on the knob which will automatically set it to a value of 0.0 dB. Insertion of an effect on a Bus channel works in the same way as inserting an effect in one of the other audio channel types. Dynamics processing and equalization is generally applied on a per-channel basis.
7 Return to the beginning of the newly-recorded automation track, using any of the navigation methods you learned earlier, and press Play. Note that the fader on the Track Mixer (and the Arrange window fader—assuming the same track is still selected) is now replaying your recorded automation movements. This automatic playback of changes to the Track Mixer’s channel parameters is often referred to as flying fader automation.
Handling Lines Lines are created automatically between nodes. The following node functions are pertinent to lines. • a short click on, or just outside, a line (not on an existing node) will add a new node on the line. • a long click on a line allows you to move the line, along with its two endpoints—the nodes that encompass the line. • a long click outside a line will create and select a new node, allowing you to move this new node immediately.
Bounce—the Final Mix Bounce is a realtime or offline (faster than realtime) digital process. The entire song—or a section of it defined by the left and right Locators—is combined into a single mono or stereo file. Note: In Logic Pro it is also possible to Bounce to a number of discrete files for Surround sound purposes. Please consult the Logic reference for further information. To bounce all tracks routed to Output 1-2: 1 Choose File > Bounce from the main menu bar. The Bounce dialog will launch.
Note: If the Offline Bounce mode is selected, you will not hear the audio being played during the process. 6 Once completed, the bounced file will be available for your use in CD-burning programs, Logic itself or other applications. Note: If you have audio hardware with more than one output pair, you can also bounce the signal routed to the other Output Objects. Logic features a Bounce (labeled Bnce) button in the lower left corner of Output Objects.
8 The Environment Concept 8 Logic’s Environment window—accessible from the Windows menu—is Logic’s “brain”. Its primary purpose is to get MIDI and audio information into, and out of, Logic. You were introduced to the Environment when you defined and configured new Audio Objects for use as audio tracks, busses, and instruments (see the “Mixer and Audio Objects in the Environment” section on page 66). As you know, these Objects can show up as tracks in the Arrange window.
2 Choose the Click & Ports layer from the pull-down menu to the left, and take a close look at the Objects shown. On the left-hand side you can see an Object named Physical Input. Only one of these Objects exists in the Environment. It represents the inputs of your MIDI interface, and is where the MIDI data from your keyboard is received and fed into Logic’s Environment. If you play a few notes on your MIDI keyboard: the onscreen Keyboard should reflect the notes being entered.
• You can insert Objects between the Physical Input Object and the Sequencer Input Object, alter the MIDI data and record the results (as shown by the note transposition and velocity increase in the example above).
4 To connect the Instrument directly to one of your computer’s MIDI ports, you need to define the Instrument Object’s Port setting. To do so, click on the All menu option in the Object Parameter box Port setting, and select the MIDI port that connects this Instrument Object to the actual hardware MIDI device. As mono-timbral MIDI devices can only receive data on one MIDI channel at a time, you must set the Instrument Object’s MIDI channel to match the MIDI channel of the device it represents.
A Audio and MIDI Basics A This appendix offers a brief overview of MIDI and digital audio basics. If you want to know what an audio file is, how audio is converted into and from computer information and what this MIDI thing is all about, you’ll find it here. MIDI MIDI is an acronym for Musical Instrument Digital Interface. To break this down further—the “Musical Instrument” part of MIDI refers to electronic musical instruments such as synthesizers, samplers, and even MIDI guitars.
The MIDI Connection MIDI, as mentioned, is also a hardware “interface” which consists of a standardized set of connectors labeled IN, OUT, and THRU. MIDI connectors consist of a round socket with 5 holes arranged in a semicircle. MIDI cables, used for connecting MIDI devices, have a matching plug that features 5 pins. Only three of the pins actually carry information. MIDI only works in one direction on each connector.
MIDI Channels MIDI is divided into 16 logical “channels”. Each channel is identified by a special channel number message that is sent with the other MIDI messages. Most keyboards can generally be set to transmit on any one of the 16 MIDI channels. A MIDI sound source—such as your synthesizer or sound module—can be set to receive on a specific, or multiple, MIDI Channel(s). Devices capable of receiving on multiple MIDI channels simultaneously are said to be “multi-timbral”.
Audio Audio, as a term, basically refers to any sound that you can hear. In the physical, as opposed to computer world, this is known as Analog Audio. When Logic records analog audio signals via an audio interface connected to, or installed in, your computer, the audio is converted into digital information. This information is stored as a Digital Audio file on your computer’s hard disk. As with MIDI, the Digital Audio part sounds technical, but really isn’t.
On a more practical level, digital audio files stored on hard disk have the following advantages over analog audio stored on tape. • Digital audio can be cut, copied, and pasted freely from location to location.
The sampling resolution—expressed as bit values—determines the precision of the measuring scale used to store (the numbers of ) each sample. Remember that computers store audio files as digital information—a series of ones and zeroes. There are three audio file resolutions commonly in use: 8, 16, and 24 bits. 24 bit systems are more expensive and are used extensively in DVD audio and film production. To give you an idea of the relevance of the sampling resolution, imagine two people are building a house.
The reason for this huge difference in size is that MIDI is, as discussed earlier, a language that describes what notes to play. The actual sounds themselves are generated by a connected MIDI device.
B Audio and MIDI in Mac OS X B This chapter covers the audio and MIDI facilities of Mac OS X. You will learn how to set up, and optimize, your audio and MIDI hardware for use in Mac OS X. Core Audio All audio devices are accessed via Core Audio in Mac OS X. Core Audio is a flexible, high-performance, low-latency audio system. Logic is compatible with any audio hardware that is supported by a Core Audio driver. Sound Preference Pane From Mac OS X 10.
Please note that you can set an independent level for the alert beep. It is recommended that you reduce this to the minimum level, or even deactivate alert beeps entirely, when working on compositions. Audio MIDI Setup (AMS) Apple’s Audio MIDI Setup application is integrated into the operating system. It was introduced in Mac OS X, version 10.2. The AMS application is found in the Applications > Utilities menu. Note: You may find it useful to move the AMS application into the Dock.
Core MIDI MIDI data is handled by the Core MIDI system of Mac OS X. Compatible MIDI interfaces for connecting a keyboard, MIDI fader unit or external sound generators are recognized and activated automatically. The MIDI Page of AMS The AMS application offers a MIDI page that allows you to see all installed MIDI interfaces, and make connections between them, if necessary. Please note, however, that you don’t need to change any settings in this page if you want to use the MIDI interface(s) with Logic.
When using the keyboard with a sequencer, however, this is not desirable. In this scenario, the keyboard is used as the computer’s input device, and the computer will play the various connected tone generators, be they the keyboard’s own sound generator or any other connected sound modules. If you wanted to control and record another sound module with your keyboard, its own sounds would get in the way— which is why the keyboard must be separated from its own internal sound generator.
C Connecting Logic to a Mixer C Dependent on your audio hardware and working routines, there are a number of possibilities available for the use of Logic in conjunction with a mixing board or on its own. The following section introduces three approaches to setting up your Logic system. The first, using Logic as a mixer and the others discussing the use of an analog mixing console with Logic. Using Logic as a Mixer It is possible to completely bypass the use of a Mixing console with Logic.
Given that the audio interface has sufficient inputs to handle all of the studio’s equipment, you would connect your devices as follows: • • • • • • • • • • • • input 1—microphone (phantom power active) input 2—guitar (phantom power active) input 3—synthesizer 1 left output input 4—synthesizer 1 right output input 5—synthesizer 2 left output input 6—synthesizer 2 right output input 7—unused input 8—unused digital input—DAT digital output digital output—DAT digital input master output—into your amplifier an
Note: Adjustment of the Audio Input Object levels only affects the incoming audio stream when Logic is monitoring audio. When recording you need to adjust the input levels at the source. In other words, you need to increase or decrease the level of the synthesizers connected to inputs 3/4 and 5/6 if you wish to record their output as audio into Logic. This type of level adjustment doesn’t need to take place on the DAT machine connected to the digital input.
Mixing Desk With Sub Groups If your mixing desk has sub groups, use them for recording. Connect the first sub group output to Logic input 1, and the second sub group output to Logic input 2. The recording level is controlled with the sub group faders. If your audio hardware supports more audio inputs, connect more sub group outputs to them as needed. Connect the Logic outputs to the first few channels’ Line or Tape inputs. Connect the rest of your sound sources (effect processors, microphones etc.
D Optimizing Your Audio Computer System D Logic is known for its stable and reliable operation. You can further enhance your system performance by optimizing your computer configuration for music applications. Outside of music, a well-configured and well-maintained computer performs more reliably, with fewer crashes, and that’s got to be a good thing! On the following pages you will find tips and tricks, which help you optimizing your computer configuration.
Audio applications place high demands on the disks and mechanical parts of a hard drive. Regular hard drive maintenance is particularly important for ensuring stable, and consistent, drive operation. This includes de-fragmentation and performance checks. Frequent de-fragmentation has a positive effect on the life of a hard drive. The hard drive tools that ship with the operating system are a safe choice but these may not detect, or repair, all problems.
Troubleshooting They may be rare, but every computer user inevitably experiences seemingly severe computer problems at some point. These may be crashes where the mouse freezes, the screen locks up, or the display is plastered with error messages. Even mature, wellwritten operating systems cannot protect you completely from hardware conflicts, bugs, or other problems. Experience has shown that such system problems are rarely caused by a defect in our programs or hardware products.
If Disaster Strikes… … your first priority should be to make a backup of your most important documents. Attempt to copy your files (lyrics, songs, tax records) to other hard, or removable drives, without launching their associated applications. You can skip this step for CD-ROMs, but be aware that even CDs require a little care when handling: neither of its two sides should be scratched. Once you have made backups of your files and programs, the chances of a true disaster are all but eliminated.
Does the problem persist? Hard Disk Checking and File Structure Repair Logical file structure errors can be diagnosed and repaired with suitable software; hard disk hardware defects can also be diagnosed. The boot drive (Start Volume) cannot generally be repaired if a critical error occurs. If you usually start your computer from the internal hard drive, you will need to choose another Start Volume, which will boot the computer from another drive.
Another common problem is loose internal computer connections, which commonly occur after transporting the computer. Keeping the possible consequences to your warranty in mind, as well as all safety precautions, you may wish to refasten the internal connectors, with care. Be careful though: disconnect the power cable first, and wait for the high voltage to drop. Ground yourself to the computer with an anti-static strap, or by touching the metal components of the case.
Reinstall Logic after installing the operating system. If the problem still persists, a hardware conflict, or conflict between the program and the operating system is the most likely situation. If the problem only occurs with a specific program, you will need to get in touch with the software manufacturer, so if the problem lies with Logic, please contact AppleCare. AppleCare Support can be reached online at http://www.apple.com/support/logic.
Glossary Glossary AD converter or ADC Short for analog/digital converter; a device that converts an analog signal to a digital signal. AIFF Abbreviation for Audio Interchange File Format. A cross-platform file format supported by a large number of digital video and audio editing applications. AIFF audio can use a variety of bit depths, but the two most commonly used are 16 bit and 24 bit. alias A pointer to a MIDI Region in the Arrange window. An alias does not contain any data.
audio file Any digital recording of sound, stored on your hard drive. You can store audio files in the AIFF, WAV and Sound Designer II formats. All recorded and bounced WAV files are in Broadcast Wave format. Audio Instrument Logic supports the use of software based instruments. Software instrument plug-ins are inserted into Audio Instrument Objects. Software instrument recording takes place on Audio Instrument tracks in the Arrange window. Playback of these tracks is routed via the Audio Instrument Object.
Audio Units (AU) Audio Units is the standard format for real-time plug-ins running on Mac OS X. It can be used for audio effects and software instruments. The Audio Unit format is part of the Mac OS X operating system. Once installed, Audio Unit plug-ins can be accessed by all programs simultaneously. Logic supports all Audio Unit format plug-ins. Audio window Logic window used for a number of audio file handling and conversion tasks. Autoload Song Song with your favorite settings and preferences.
bpm Abbreviation for beats per minute, a measure of the tempo of musical piece. As an example: 120 bpm means that in one minute, there will be 120 musical beats (quarter notes). bus The term bus is used to describe a send/return routing scheme for audio channels. In Logic, effects can be sent to/from Bus Objects for processing or submixing tasks. Bus Object Audio Object in the Environment’s Audio layer. Usually used to route the signal of an individual send bus to Output Objects. See also bus.
clipping (in digital recording) Feeding too much signal through a channel strip, thereby exceeding the limit of what can be accurately reproduced results in a distorted sound known as clipping. Logic’s Audio Objects feature a clip detector, which indicates signal level peaks above 0 dB. controller MIDI data type. As examples; sliders, pedals or standard parameters like volume and panning. The type of command is encoded in the first data byte, the value in the second data byte.
distortion The effect produced when the limit of what can be accurately reproduced in a digital signal is surpassed, resulting in a sharp, crackling sound. drag & drop Grabbing objects with the mouse, moving them, and releasing the mouse button. driver Drivers are software programs that enable various pieces of hardware and software to be recognized by other programs in a computer, and also to have the appropriate data routed to them in a format they can understand.
EQ Shortened form of equalizer. Equalizers are used to boost or cut frequencies in an audio signal. There are several types available in Logic. equalization See EQ Eraser A tool used for deleting items. Click a selected item to delete it. All other currently selected items are also deleted. event Individual MIDI command, such as a note on command. Continuous controller movements (modulation wheel, for example) produce a quick succession of individual events with absolute values.
Glue tool This tool can be used to merge Regions or events by simply clicking on two (or more) of them. grab (an object) Positioning the mouse cursor over an object, then pressing and holding the mouse button down. grid Logic’s grid is represented by vertical lines that are used to map the positions of measures, beats, and sub-beats in various editors. Hand tool A tool used to move Regions in the Arrange window or events in the editors.
interface 1) A hardware component such as a MIDI or audio device that allows Logic to “interface” (connect) with the outside world. You need an audio or MIDI interface to get sound/MIDI into and out of your computer. Also see audio interface. 2) A term that is used to describe Logic’s graphical elements that can be interacted with. An example would be the Arrange window, where graphical interface elements such as Regions are interacted with to create an arrangement, within the overall Arrange interface.
loop An audio clip that contains recurring rhythmic musical elements or elements suitable for repetition. Logic also supports Apple Loops. Loop function Loop is a Region parameter in Logic that creates “loop repetitions” for an Audio or MIDI Region. These repetitions will repeat until the song end point, or until another Region or folder (whichever comes first) is encountered on the same track in the Arrange window.
MIDI message A message transmitted via MIDI consisting of one status byte and none, one, two or many data bytes (with system exclusive commands). See event. MIDI Region Data container for MIDI events which is shown in the Arrange window as a named horizontal beam. In earlier Logic versions MIDI Regions were called sequences.
option 1) Alternative function, often in the form of a checkbox, sometimes also available as a menu entry. 2) Modifier key, in Windows terminology this key is also known as Alt key. Output Object Audio Object in Logic’s Environment controlling the output level and pan/balance for each output on your audio interface. They are assigned to a specific hardware output in their Object Parameter box.
project In Logic, the top-level folder that holds all media associated with a song, including audio files, Sampler Instruments and samples, Video and Settings of various kinds. Quantize button Button labeled with a Q. It opens the pull-down Quantization menu in the Matrix Editor or Event List. See also Quantize tool and quantization. Quantize tool Tool labeled with a Q.
routing Generally refers to the way audio is sent through processing units. Also often used to describe specific input and output assignments. rubber band selection technique for selecting consecutive Regions, objects or events by click-holding and dragging the mouse cursor around the desired items. A rubber band selection envelope (an outline) will span from the start position of the mouse cursor. All objects touched or enclosed by the rubber band selection envelope will be highlighted.
sequencer A sequencer is a computer application that allows you to record both digital audio and MIDI data and blend the sounds together in a software mixing console. There are editing tools that let you control every aspect of the production, down to the finest details. Effect processors and software instruments are increasingly being added to these applications.
stereo Short for stereophonic sound reproduction of two different audio channels. Compare with mono. Swing parameter Alters the rigid timing of a quantization grid by delaying every other note of a specified sub-division by a definable amount. synchronization Method of keeping several recording/playback devices time locked. synthesizer A device (hardware or software) that is used to generate sounds.
Toolbox A section in Logic’s Parameters area that contains tools for editing, zooming, cropping and otherwise manipulating items in the window. Toolbox tools can also be opened at the cursor position. track A horizontal row in the Arrange window that contains either Audio or MIDI Regions that can be played back over time. Each track has a specified destination that data is routed to. Logic allows hundreds of tracks to be used in a song. Track List Situated to the left of the Arrange window’s working area.
zoom An action that enlarges (zooms in on) or shrinks (zooms out from) the display in a Logic window. The Magnifying Glass in the Toolbox, and the Zoom controls found in the lower left and upper right corners of windows, are both used for zooming tasks. Also see Zoom control and zoom level. Zoom control The control that appears at the bottom left and top right of some windows, such as the Arrange. The Zoom control slider allows you to navigate through the entire length of the currently displayed song.
A ADC 111 AD converter 111 Add Last Edit Function to Region Name option 40 aftertouch 111 AIFF 111 alias 111 amplifier 111 amplitude 111 AMS analog 111 audio 90 converting to digital 90 recording 90 Anchor point 37, 60, 111 AppleCare 109 Apple Loops 111 adding 43 Loop Browser 42 speed alteration 20, 57 Transpose function 20, 45 Arrange window 15, 111 Arrange area 16, 19 Bar Ruler 15 channel strip 16, 27 creating audio track 58 Instrument parameter 26 Object Parameter box 26 Parameters area 20 Region Paramet
B backup 104 bar 113 Bar Ruler 15, 19, 113 beat 113 beat per minute. Seebpm bit depth 113 bit rate. See bit depth bit resolution.
Hyper-Editor Hyperset 54 I importing audio file 58 Input Object 118 insert effect 76 Instrument parameter 26 interface 119 K Keyboard Object 84 Key Commands window 28 assigning key command 29 checking function of key 29 deleting key command assignment 29 special key 29 L latency 119 level display of on Audio Object 63 Link function 76, 119 Link button 119 Local Off function 97 Logic connecting to mixer 99 described 13 using as mixer 99 Logic Setup Assistant 11 Loop Browser 42 adding Apple Loop 43 perform
Parameters area 122 Pencil tool 23, 122 Physical Input Object 84 pitch 122 playback 122 plug-in 70 Plug-in window 75 bypass button 76 Link button 76 setting 75 Plug-in window 71, 122 Pointer tool 23, 122 position indicator 122 Preferences Audio Software Monitoring option 100, 102 Display Muted Regions are textured option 24 Global Add Last Edit Function to Region Name option 40 preset 122 pressure 123 program change 17 project 62 saving 49 Q quantization 123 Quantize button 123 Quantize function 46 deactiv
System Performance window 104 T template 126 tempo 126 Text tool 23 thumbnail 72 tick 126 time signature 126 time stretch 126 timing 126 toggle 126 tool Automation tool 25 Curve option 25 Select option 25 changing active tool 22 Crossfade tool 25 default tool 23 effective range 22 Eraser tool 23 Glue tool 24 Magnifying Glass 25 Marquee tool 26 Mute tool 24 Pencil tool 23 Pointer tool 23 Scissors tool 24 selecting numerically 22 selecting second tool for use via Command 22 Solo tool 24 Text tool 23 Velocity
