Logic Pro is a digital audio workstation (DAW) and MIDI sequencer software application for the macOS platform. It is widely used by music producers, sound designers, and musicians for creating, recording, editing, and mixing music. Here’s a cool tips for improve your workflow!
Customize Your Workspace
Adjust Logic Pro X’s interface to suit your workflow. Right-click on the screen and choose “Customize Control Bar and Display”. Use the 'Screensets' feature to save and recall your favorite layouts for different tasks like mixing, editing, or arranging.
Writing Automation
Automation in Logic Pro allows for dynamic control over various parameters within your project. You can automate volume, pan, effect sends, plugin parameters, and more.
How to Use: To write automation, first select the track where you want to apply it. Then, press 'A' to open the automation lanes. Choose the parameter you want to automate from the drop-down menu. You can write automation in real-time using a control surface or by drawing automation points directly into the automation lane.
Shortcut: A
Chase Notes
Chase Notes is a feature designed to ensure that MIDI notes are played back correctly, even if playback starts after the note's start point.
How to Use: Go to Logic Pro X's preferences and select the MIDI tab. Enable 'Chase Notes'. This setting ensures that if you start playback from the middle of a long MIDI note or after a series of notes, all MIDI notes will still be triggered correctly from the last note-off command.
Using Sends for Reverb and Delay
Sends are an efficient way to apply effects like reverb and delay to multiple tracks without having to use individual plugins for each track. This not only saves CPU resources but also helps to create a more cohesive sound space.
How to Use: To use sends for reverb or delay, first create an auxiliary channel strip and insert your desired reverb or delay plugin. Then, from each track you want to apply the effect to, use the send control to route a portion of the signal to the auxiliary channel. You can adjust the send level to control the amount of effect applied.
Quantization
Quantization is the process of aligning notes to a grid, either to correct timing issues or to apply a specific rhythmic feel.
How to Use: In the Piano Roll or the Score Editor, select the notes you want to quantize. Then, use the Quantize drop-down menu to select a note value that represents the timing grid you want to align the notes to. You can also choose to apply swing or other quantization settings to give your music a particular groove.
Shortcut: Q
Note Repeat and Spot Erase
Activate Note Repeat to hold down a note or drum pad and have it repeat at a specific rhythmic value. Use a MIDI controller's modulation wheel or a chosen key to control the repeat rate.
How to Use: Access Note Repeat by enabling it on your MIDI track and mapping it to your controller. For Spot Erase, use it while recording to immediately delete any note you play by pressing a designated key on your MIDI controller.
Shortcut: Control (⌃ ) + Option (⌥) + Return
Flex Time
Adjust the timing of audio clips with Flex Time, which lets you stretch or compress audio without affecting its pitch.
How to Use: In the track editor, enable Flex Time by clicking on the Flex button. Then, choose the appropriate Flex Time algorithm for the material you're working on. You can now drag audio regions to the correct timing manually.
Flex Pitch
Fine-tune pitch issues within an audio take, whether it's for a vocal track or a solo instrument line.
How to Use: Open the Audio Track Editor and select the ‘Flex’ view. Choose ‘Flex Pitch’ from the Flex Mode options. You'll see a graphical representation of the pitch for each note. Click and drag the notes to correct the pitch manually.
MIDI Transform
Use MIDI Transform to make comprehensive edits to MIDI data, such as fixing velocities or quantizing notes.
How to Use: Select the MIDI region you wish to edit, then go to the main menu and choose MIDI > Transform. This opens the MIDI Transform window where you can select a preset or create custom settings for transformations.
Shortcut: Needed to setup in a preferences (Choose Logic Pro > Key Commands > Edit)
Step Input
Enter MIDI notes one step at a time with exact rhythmic and pitch values, perfect for creating complex sequences or when you don’t have a MIDI keyboard handy.
How to Use: Open the Piano Roll and enable the Step Input Keyboard (red button) from the Piano Roll's local menu. Select the note value and pitch, then click the 'Step Input' button to place the note in the sequence.
Shortcut: Option (⌥) + I
