Pattern creation examples in Logic Pro for iPad

The following examples provide steps to follow as well as general guidelines for working with different types of patterns in Step Sequencer in Logic Pro for iPad.

Drum pattern example

For drum and percussion (rhythm-based) patterns, edit modes such as Velocity and Note Repeat can be effective for creating interesting-sounding patterns. You can also create interesting variations by copying the pattern and changing the pattern length of the copy.

In Logic Pro, open the Browser and choose an Electronic Drum Kit patch that uses Drum Machine Designer.
Create an empty pattern region in the Tracks area or an empty pattern cell in the Live Loops grid.
Turn on some steps in the pattern to create a basic beat. It’s often good to begin with a simple kick pattern to set the foundation, followed by a few snare hits and a hi-hat pattern.
Tap the Preview button in the Step Sequencer menu bar to hear the pattern as you work.
Tap the Velocity / Value button in the Step Sequencer menu bar and adjust the velocity of steps.
Choose Note Repeat button in the Step Sequencer menu bar and add note repetition to some steps. This can work especially well with closed hi-hats or other sounds with a quick decay.
Tap the Preview button again to stop the pattern playing.
Choose a different pattern length from the Pattern Length pop-up menu in the step grid header.

Instrumental pattern example

Edit modes such as Velocity, Note, Octave, and Tie can be useful for creating interesting instrument and melodic patterns.

In Logic Pro, open the Browser and choose a patch featuring a relatively fast note attack.
Create an empty pattern region in the Tracks area or an empty pattern cell in the Live Loops grid.
Tap the Preview button in the Step Sequencer menu bar to hear the pattern as you work.
Turn on some steps in the pattern to create the basic feel.
Tap the Velocity / Value button in the Step Sequencer menu bar and adjust the velocity of steps.
Tap the Tie button in the Step Sequencer menu bar and tie some steps to lengthen some notes.
Tap the subrow disclosure arrow on the left side of a row header to show subrows for that row.
In the Gate subrow, choose Note from the Edit Mode menu to change the edit mode for the subrow.
Drag vertically in some steps to change their pitch. The new pitch appears above the step as you edit it.
Note: When you change the pitch of individual steps in a row, the row is labeled Melodic to indicate that the steps in that row no longer trigger the same pitch.

Adding automation example

Using Learn mode to quickly add automation rows by manipulating plug-in parameters for a software instrument simplifies the process of adding automation to a pattern. For more information about plug-ins, see Intro to plug-ins.

In Logic Pro, open Loops in the Browser, choose a melodic pattern, and drag it to a new software instrument track or Live Loops cell.
Tap the Preview button in the Step Sequencer menu bar to hear the pattern as you work.
Tap the Plug-ins button to show the plug-ins for the software instrument.
Tap the Add Row button located above the row headers, then tap Learn (Add) to activate Learn mode.
Manipulate a plug-in control in Track view or Details view and look for the row created for that parameter in Step Sequencer.
Notice how the parameter moves abruptly from one value to the next.
Note that changes to the parameter value will be audible only on steps that are turned on.
In Step Sequencer, tap the Page Switch button in the pattern controls until you see the Automation Mode button, then choose Slide .
Notice that automation parameters now move smoothly between values.

Download this guide: PDF

Helpful?

Logic Pro User Guide for iPad

Pattern creation examples in Logic Pro for iPad

Drum pattern example

Instrumental pattern example

Adding automation example