Using Logic Pro

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Getting to grips with Logic Pro isn’t as complicated as it might first appear – and the creative rewards make it well worth the effort! Mark Cousins gets you started.

With the release of Logic 8, Apple has achieved the seemingly impossible feat of making a DAW as vast as Logic fi t with the intuitive, easy-to-use workfl ow that

characterises many of its other applications. However, if you are new to computer music production in general – maybe having migrated from GarageBand – or if you are more used to working with another audio application,

there’s still a lot to get to grips with, and the task of putting together your fi rst track can be an occasionally fraught experience. In this feature, therefore, we’re going to explore Logic from a fi rst-time user’s perspective, showing you the quickest and easiest ways to take a project from the seeds of an idea to a complete mix. A new project All tracks in Logic begin from the New Project window (File>New Project). The term ‘project’ actually brings

There are two types of Apple Loops: standard audio-based loops and those that use virtual instruments and MIDI fi les.

in this feature, we’re going to explore logic from a fi rst-time user’s perspective .

together all the various media fi les – along with the song fi le – that are associated with a track. When you create a project, therefore, Logic is effectively creating a folder, inside of which there will be an Audio Files folder, your song data, samples fi les and so on, all neatly organised for archiving later on. The New Project dialogue box contains a number of pre-assigned templates that provide some starting points for certain styles of music or production

14 Logic Pro MusicTech Focus

www.musictechmag.co.u k Introduction Using Logic Pro

activity, though in most cases the Empty Project option is probably your most suitable starting point.

Once you’ve created an empty project – and assuming Logic has prompted you already – remember to create your fi rst save using the Save As… option in the File menu. Given that you’re working with a blank canvas, Logic will also ask you to create your fi rst track. This could be an Audio track, if you intend to record from an input on your audio interface; a Software Instrument track, if you intend to use Logic’s own virtual instruments, such as the EXS24 Sampler; or an External MIDI track, if you intend to use Logic to control hardware synthesizers or samplers. Of course, you can add any type of track into a project at any point simply by using the small plus sign on the top of the track list. The Arrange window Logic’s Arrange window is where the majority of your production activities will take place. Operationally, the main things to notice about the Arrange window are the various functional areas and editors that spring up to the left, right and bottom of the main window. For example, we have the Inspector to the left of the Arrange area, which enables us to inspect aspects of our song such as individual channels of our mixer and information relating to each track or region in the project. To the bottom, alongside the transport controls, there are tabs for each of the principle editors, such as the Piano Roll Editor, the

Logic’s main interface has four areas: a central Arrange area, an Inspector to the left, Editors at the bottom, and Media Files to the right.

STUDIO OR EXPRESS? At £319, Logic Studio is certainly good value, especially when you consider the added applications beyond Logic Pro, such as MainStage and WaveBurner, and all the audio content in the form of the Jam Packs. Logic Express (£129) is the ‘Logic-only’ alternative, without all the added content – though there are other notable omissions, such as 5.1 mixing and a few plug-ins. But if you are only interested in the main Logic application, Express isn’t too much of a compromise.

Score Editor and, of course, the Mixer section, which brings the different elements of your track together.

To the right of the Arrange area you can fi nd what is called the Audio Bin (Window>Audio Bin). This is principally used to display a long list of the audio fi les associated with your project. It is also a good place to

logic’s arrange window is where the majority of your production activities will take place .

STEP-BY-STEP Recording and editing audio in Logic.

1

To record audio into Logic, you must first create an accompanying audio track using the small plus sign on the top of the track list. Select Audio from the list of possible track types and choose the input that corresponds to the input your instrument is plugged into.

2

Once you’ve created your track, you can name it by double-clicking on the track’s name in the track list. Record-enabling the track – which is done by using the small R – will enable you to set the level of your input using the mixer’s meters as a guide.

3

To begin recording, simply locate the area of the song you want to work on and press Record on the Transport bar. You will get a one-bar count-in before recording begins. You might also want to activate the click using the Metronome icon on the Transport bar.

4

If you want to do another take, simply drag back the Song Position pointer and record directly over your first take. Though this looks destructive, you will still be able to go back to the original recording, or even use different parts of each take.

5

By overdubbing, you will have created a Take folder. To unpack this and see its contents, click on the small arrow in the top left corner of the region. By ‘swiping’ across the various regions you can build up a comp of components from each take.

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6

If you’re happy with your comp, you can close it down using the same arrow that you used to open the folder. Alternatively, you can use the arrow on the right to permanently ‘flatten’ the comp so you can adjust the crossfades and so on.

MusicTech Focus Logic Pro 15