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Welcome
- What’s new in Logic Pro for Mac 11.1
- What’s new in Logic Pro for Mac 11
- What’s new in Logic Pro for Mac 10.8
- What’s new in Logic Pro for Mac 10.7.8
- What’s new in Logic Pro for Mac 10.7.5
- What’s new in Logic Pro 10.7.3
- What’s new in Logic Pro 10.7
- What’s new in Logic Pro 10.6
- What’s new in Logic Pro 10.5
- What’s new in Logic Pro 10.4
- What’s new in Logic Pro 10.3
- What’s new in Logic Pro 10.2
- What’s new in Logic Pro 10.0
- Get started overview
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- - Piano Roll Editor
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- What is Logic Pro for Mac?
- Logic Pro project basics
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- Overview
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  - Uses for Remove Silence
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- Overview
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- Overview
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- The Session Player Editor
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- Flex Time and Pitch overview
- Use Varispeed to alter the speed and pitch of audio
- Logic Pro for Mac advanced editors overview
- Mixing overview
- - Channel strip types
  - Channel strip controls
- Set channel strip input format
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- Mute and solo channel strips
- Reorder channel strips in the Mixer
- Work with channel strip settings
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- Automation overview
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- Smart Controls overview
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- Live Loops overview
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- Step Sequencer overview
- Use Step Sequencer with Drum Machine Designer
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- Step record Step Sequencer patterns
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- Share a project to GarageBand for iOS
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- Overview of surround and spatial audio
- - Overview of spatial audio with Dolby Atmos
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    - Rendering a Dolby Atmos mix in Logic Pro for Mac
- - Surround Panner overview
  - Surround Panner parameters
- - 3D Object Panner overview
  - 3D Object Panner parameters
- - Bounce surround audio files
  - Export ADM BWF files
- Video and synchronization overview
Touch Bar shortcuts
- Environment overview
- Common object parameters
- - Environment Layers overview
  - Create, name, delete, and switch layers
- Customize the Environment
- - Effects overview
  - Add, remove, move, and copy plug-ins
- - Instruments introduction
  - Add, remove, move, and copy plug-ins
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  - Edit pane
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- - Drum Machine Designer overview
  - Drum Machine Designer interface
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  - - Pad controls bar
    - Use pad controls
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- - Synthesizer basics overview
  - Synthesizer fundamentals
Glossary
Copyright

Use Drum Machine Designer pad controls in Logic Pro for Mac

Move your pointer over, or click, the icon or pad background of any of the 16 pads shown on each grid page to access pad parameters and to view Drum Machine Designer Kit Piece Controls in Logic Pro for Mac. Use the pad controls bar below the grid to access editing options and to navigate between pad pages.

Use the kit controls bar above the grid to view and edit kit parameters in the Smart Controls pane, when visible.

Figure. Drum Machine Designer with a pad selected, showing kit piece Smart Controls parameters.

Pad parameters

Pad: Move the pointer over the pad to view Mute, Solo, Input, Output, and Action pop-up menu options. Click the speaker icon to play the sound. Drag the pad to reorder it in the grid. Double-click the pad to rename it (and the subtrack). You can also exchange the kit piece sound assigned to the pad.
Note: When you click a pad icon or pad background, the Smart Controls pane updates to show parameters specific to the sound. Click the disclosure arrow at the lower left of the grid if the Smart Controls pane is not visible.
Note: The kit icon in the kit controls bar displays a muted speaker icon when you move the pointer over it during playback. This can be used to immediately stop playback of all kit pieces. This is useful when you want to silence a long One Shot sample that you are previewing in a Quick Sampler-based kit piece, for example.
Unassigned pad: A pad without a corresponding subtrack is called an unassigned pad. You can recognize it by the missing icon, missing kit piece name and missing kit name, and by the “+” icon that appears when you move the pointer over the pad. Click the “+” icon to create a new, empty subtrack and channel strip, or click the pad and choose a kit piece in the Library. You can also drag an audio sample or a region onto the pad.
Note: In cases where you have used the Clear Pad command, the pad will have no assigned sound, but will have a corresponding subtrack, so the “+” icon is not displayed.
Mute button: Use to silence the subtrack assigned to the pad. Multiple pads can be muted.
Solo button: Use to hear the sound in isolation. This solos the subtrack. All other pads are muted, indicated by a flashing Mute button. Multiple pads can be soloed.
Input pop-up menu: Choose, or learn, an input note number for the pad. You can assign multiple pads to the same input note, allowing you to create layered sounds consisting of multiple channel strips with different instruments.
Output pop-up menu: Choose, or learn, an output note number for the pad.
Note: MIDI notes received on the main track are distributed to subtracks, according to the input and output notes assigned to the pads. This is true for notes from regions on the main track, and for notes played in real time when the main track is the focused track. For example, if the pad assigned to the first subtrack is set to input note C1 and to output note G2, a C1 played on the main track is converted to a G2. This note value is passed to the first subtrack and plays a G2 on the instrument inserted in the subtrack channel strip.
Action pop-up menu: Choose a command for the pad.
- Exclusive Group: Choose a group for the pad. You can assign multiple pads to the same group. As soon as one drum sound in the group is triggered, all other sounds in that same group are stopped. For example, you could group three pads with open, semi-closed, and closed hi-hat sounds. Only one of these sounds can be played at a time, mirroring the behavior of real hi-hats.
  Note: The group number is shown at the top right of each pad in the group when any group member is selected.
- Open/Close Library: Open or close the Library pane. Click a patch name in the Library to exchange the assigned kit piece.
- Resample Pad: Choose to initiate a resampling process. This sends the input note of the selected pad to Drum Machine Designer, which plays the assigned instrument, inclusive of all channel strip and main track plug-ins. The resulting Drum Machine Designer output is resampled, and loaded into a new Quick Sampler instance on a new channel strip and subtrack, which is automatically assigned to the first available (lowest numbered) unassigned pad.
  Note: If multiple pads are assigned to the same input note, the mixed sound of all pads is resampled. This allows you to combine the sounds of multiple pads onto one pad.
- Update Kit Name for this Kit Piece: Choose to apply the current kit name to the selected kit piece.
- Set Output Note based on DMD Pad instruments: Choose to assign the kit piece output note according to the Root Key of the Quick Sampler or other instrument. This ensures that the sample is triggered at the original speed in Quick Sampler and at the correct pitch in other instrument sounds.
- Assign Track Icon: Choose to open a window where you can choose a kit piece icon from several categories. Select a category from the list and click an icon to assign it to the kit piece.
- Clear Pad: Remove the kit piece assigned to the pad. This clears the channel strip of the pad subtrack.

Add kit pieces to unassigned pads

In Logic Pro, move the pointer over an unassigned pad.
Do one of the following:
- Click a kit piece patch in the Library to add the kit piece.
- Drag a MIDI or audio region, or an audio file from the Finder, Audio File Browser, or Loop Browser, onto the pad. You can use any audio file type that Logic Pro supports.
  A resampling process takes place when a region is dropped onto a pad and a new Quick Sampler instance is inserted on a new subtrack, which is automatically assigned to the first available (lowest numbered) unassigned pad.
- Click the “+” icon that appears to create a new, empty channel strip and subtrack.
  Note: In cases where you have used the Clear Pad command, the pad will have no assigned sound, but will have a corresponding subtrack, so the “+” icon is not displayed. Click the pad background to assign a sound to the pad and subtrack.

Add samples to unused pads on a Drum Machine Designer main track or subtrack

You can quickly add samples to unused pads by dragging content to the main track header, or you can replace the sample for a pad by dragging content to the corresponding subtrack header.

In Logic Pro, drag one or more audio files, regions, or Apple Loops to a Drum Machine Designer main track or subtrack header.
- When adding an audio file, the “Add Sample to” dialog appears in the track header. Drag the items to the Drum Machine Designer zone.
  The items are added to the first (lowest numbered) unassigned pads.
- When adding an audio or software instrument region, a resampling process is triggered, with the region bounced offline as an audio file.
- When adding a Step Sequencer region, a resampling process is triggered, with the region bounced offline as an audio file.
  Note: The resampling process that takes place when a region is dropped onto a pad inserts a new Quick Sampler instance on a new subtrack, which is mapped to the first available (lowest numbered) unassigned pad.

Play a drum or kit piece

In Logic Pro, do one of the following:
- Place the pointer over a pad, then click the speaker icon. The sound is played from start to end.
- Place the pointer over a pad, then click-hold the speaker icon. The sound is played and stops immediately when you release the button.

Mute a kit piece

In Logic Pro, place the pointer over the pad to view available options, then click the Mute button that appears.
The muted pad is dimmed and the Mute button on the dimmed pad is highlighted. This silences the subtrack assigned to the pad.

Solo a kit piece

In Logic Pro, place the pointer over the pad to view available options, then click the Solo button that appears.
All other pads are dimmed, and the Solo button is highlighted. This solos the subtrack assigned to the pad.

Edit the sound of a kit piece

You can use Smart Controls parameters to process and affect the overall kit or selected kit piece.

Note: If the Smart Controls pane is not visible, click the disclosure arrow at the lower left of the grid.

In Logic Pro, click the icon or a pad background of the kit piece you want to edit.
Click the Pad Controls button in the pad controls bar.
Adjust the Smart Controls parameters for the kit piece.
To learn more about how each control affects the sound, see Drum Machine Designer Kit Piece Controls in Logic Pro for Mac.
Note: If a Drum Machine Designer subtrack or pad uses a Quick Sampler or Drum Synth plug-in, you will see additional Q-Sampler Main, Q-Sampler Details, or Drum Synth view buttons alongside the Pad Controls button below the grid. Use these to access the respective instrument plug-in interface and parameters directly at the bottom of the Drum Machine Designer window. See Quick Sampler overview and Drum Synth overview for details on editing parameters that you can view in the lower portion of the Drum Machine Designer interface.

Save an edited kit piece sound as a kit piece patch

In Logic Pro, click the icon or a pad background of the edited kit piece you want to save.
Click the Save button at the bottom of the Library pane. If the Library is not visible, click the Action pop-up menu on the pad, then choose “Open Library”.
In the Finder window:
Browse to the file location you want to use. The default folder location is User Kit Piece Patches. If required, create a new folder.
Type the kit piece patch name, then press the Save button.

Reorder kit pieces

In Logic Pro, you can reorder kit pieces in the following ways:

Drag a pad to an empty location in the grid.
Drag a pad between two pads in the grid. A vertical blue line is shown to indicate the target location. The pad is placed between the target pads. Adjacent (and other) pads move to accommodate the dropped pad.
Drag a pad between pages in the grid. An arrow is briefly shown at the left or right edge of the grid, which then moves to the target page. Drop the pad at the location you want to use on the page.
Drag a pad onto another pad in the grid to swap their positions.
Note: Dragging behavior is affected by the option you chose in the “Reorder Pads” submenu in the kit controls bar Action pop-up menu.
- Change Sounds: Changing the pad layout moves the sounds of the pads, but pad input and output note settings are not changed: The sounds will appear in a different order when played via a MIDI keyboard or by a recorded region.
- Visual Only: Changing the pad layout moves the pads and sounds together, so reordering will only have a visual effect: The pads will appear in a different order, but assigned sounds are still played by the same MIDI notes.

Replace kit pieces using pads

In Logic Pro, click a pad icon or pad background to select it.
Do one of the following:
- Click a kit piece patch in the Library to exchange the kit piece. If the Library is not visible, choose Open Library from the Action or shortcut menu. Use Control-click to access the shortcut menu.
- Drag a MIDI or audio region, or an audio file from the Finder, Audio File Browser, or Loop Browser, onto the pad. You can use any audio file type that Logic Pro supports.
  Note: A Replace with Quick Sampler message is shown on the pad.

Replace kit pieces using Drum Machine Designer subtracks

In Logic Pro, drag an audio file, region, or Apple Loop to a Drum Machine Designer subtrack.
When the Replace Sample dialog appears, drop the item.

Download the guides:

Logic Pro User Guide: PDF

Logic Pro Instruments: PDF

Logic Pro Effects: PDF

Control Surfaces Support Guide: PDF

Helpful?

Logic Pro User Guide for Mac