Logic Pro X User Guide
- Welcome
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- What is Logic Pro?
- Workflow overview
- Logic Pro project basics
- Advanced tools and additional options
- Undo and redo edits
- Manage Logic Pro content
- How to get help
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- Projects overview
- Create projects
- Open projects
- Save projects
- Delete projects
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- Play a project
- Set the playhead position
- Control playback with the transport buttons
- Use transport shortcut menus
- Use transport keyboard shortcuts
- Customize the control bar
- Change the LCD display mode
- Monitor and reset MIDI events
- Use the cycle area
- Use the Chase Events function
- Control Logic Pro using Apple Remote
- Control Logic Pro projects using Logic Remote
- Preview projects in the Finder
- Close projects
- View project information
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- Overview
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- Before recording software instruments
- Play software instruments
- Record software instruments
- Record additional software instrument takes
- Overdub software instrument recordings
- Spot erase software instrument recordings
- Use Note Repeat
- Record to multiple software instrument tracks
- Replace software instrument recordings
- Record multiple MIDI devices to multiple tracks
- Record software instruments and audio simultaneously
- Use step input recording techniques
- Use the metronome
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- Overview
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- Regions overview
- Select regions
- Select parts of regions
- Cut, copy, and paste regions
- Move regions
- Add or remove gaps
- Delay region playback
- Loop regions
- Repeat regions
- Resize regions
- Mute and solo regions
- Time stretch regions
- Split regions
- Demix MIDI regions
- Join regions
- Create regions in the Tracks area
- Normalize audio regions in the Tracks area
- Create aliases of MIDI regions
- Clone audio regions
- Change the color of regions
- Convert audio regions to Sampler sample zones
- Rename regions
- Delete regions
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- Overview
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- Add notes
- Select notes
- Snap items to the grid
- Move notes
- Copy notes
- Change the pitch of notes
- Resize notes
- Edit note velocity
- Quantize the timing of notes
- Quantize the pitch of notes
- Change note articulations
- Lock the position of events
- Mute notes
- Change note color
- View note labels
- Delete notes
- Time stretch notes
- View multiple MIDI regions
- Split chords
- Automation/MIDI area in the Piano Roll Editor
- Open other editors
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- Flex Time and Pitch overview
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- Flex Pitch algorithm and parameters
- Edit the pitch of audio in the Audio Track Editor or a zoomed in track
- Edit the pitch of audio in the Tracks area when the track is not zoomed in
- Correct the timing of audio regions with Flex Pitch
- Quantize the pitch of audio regions
- Create MIDI from audio recordings
- Change the gain of audio regions
- Use Varispeed to alter the speed and pitch of audio
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- Mixing overview
- Set channel strip input formats
- Set channel strip pan or balance positions
- Mute and solo channel strips
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- Plug-ins overview
- Add, remove, move, and copy plug-ins
- Insert a plug-in on a track using drag and drop
- Activate plug-ins on inactive channels
- Use the Channel EQ
- Work in the plug-in window
- Work with plug-in settings
- Work with plug-in latencies
- Work with Audio Units plug-ins
- Support for ARA 2 compatible plug-ins
- Use the Plug-in Manager
- Work with channel strip settings
- Surround panning
- Use the I/O Labels window
- Undo and redo Mixer and plug-in adjustments
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- Smart Controls overview
- Show Smart Controls for master effects
- Choose a Smart Control layout
- Automatic MIDI controller assignment
- Map screen controls automatically
- Map screen controls
- Edit mapping parameters
- Use parameter mapping graphs
- Open the plug-in window for a screen control
- Rename a screen control
- Use articulation IDs to change articulations
- Assign hardware controls to screen controls
- Compare Smart Control edits with saved settings in Logic Pro
- Use the Arpeggiator
- Automate screen control movements
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- Live Loops overview
- Start and stop cells
- Work with Live Loops cells
- Change loop settings for cells
- How the Live Loops grid and Tracks area interact
- Edit cells
- Edit scenes
- Work in the Cell Editor
- Record a Live Loops performance
- Change Live Loops grid settings
- Control Live Loops in Logic Pro with other devices
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- Overview
- Add notes
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- Part box overview
- View score symbols
- Select score symbols
- Add notes and rests
- Add notes and symbols to multiple Logic Pro regions
- Add key and time signature changes
- Change the clef sign
- Add dynamic marks, slurs, and crescendi
- Change note heads
- Add symbols to notes
- Add trills, ornaments, and tremolo symbols
- Add sustain pedal markings
- Add chord symbols
- Add chord grids and tablature symbols
- Add bar lines, repeats, and coda signs
- Add page and line break symbols
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- Select notes
- Move and copy notes
- Change note pitch, duration, and velocity
- Change note articulations
- Quantize the timing of notes
- Restrict note input to the current key
- Control how ties are displayed
- Add and edit tuplets
- Override display quantization using tuplets
- Add grace notes and independent notes
- Delete notes
- Use automation in the Score Editor
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- Staff styles overview
- Assign staff styles to tracks
- Staff Style window
- Create and duplicate staff styles
- Edit staff styles
- Edit staff, voice, and assign parameters
- Add and delete staffs or voices in the Logic Pro Staff Style window
- Copy staffs or voices in the Logic Pro Staff Style window
- Copy staff styles between projects
- Delete staff styles
- Assign notes to voices and staffs
- Display polyphonic parts on separate staffs
- Change the staff assignment of score symbols
- Beam notes across staffs
- Use mapped staff styles for drum notation
- Predefined staff styles
- Share a score
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- Environment overview
- Common object parameters
- Customize the Environment
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- Fader objects overview
- Use fader objects
- Play back fader movements
- Work with object groups
- Fader styles
- Fader functions: MIDI events
- Fader functions: range, value as
- Fader functions: filter
- Vector fader
- Special faders overview
- Cable switchers
- Meta event faders
- SysEx faders
- Work with SysEx messages
- Special functions
- Ornament objects
- MMC record buttons
- Keyboard objects
- Monitor objects
- Channel splitter object
- Physical input objects
- Physical input objects
- MIDI click objects
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- Key commands overview
- Browse, import, and save key commands
- Assign key commands
- Copy and print key commands
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- Global Commands key commands
- Global Control Surfaces Commands
- Various windows
- Windows Showing Audio files
- Main Window Tracks and Various Editors
- Live Loops Grid
- Various Editors
- Views showing Time Ruler
- Main Window Tracks
- Mixer
- MIDI Environment
- Piano Roll
- Score Editor
- Event Editor
- Step Editor
- Step Sequencer
- Project Audio
- Audio File Editor
- Smart Tempo Editor
- Sampler
- Step Input Keyboard
- Tool key commands in Logic Pro
- Touch Bar shortcuts
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- Working with your control surface
- Connect control surfaces
- Add a control surface to Logic Pro
- Automatic assignment for USB MIDI controllers
- Grouping control surfaces
- Control Surfaces preferences overview
- Modal dialog display
- Tips for using your control surface
- Control surfaces supported by Logic Pro
- Software and firmware
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- Learn about Effects
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- Learn about Amps and Pedals
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- Bass Amp Designer overview
- Bass amplifier models
- Bass cabinet models
- Build a custom combo
- Amplifier signal flow
- Pre-amp signal flow
- Use the D.I. box
- Amplifier controls
- Bass Amp Designer effects overview
- Bass Amp Designer EQ
- Bass Amp Designer compressor
- Bass Amp Designer Graphic EQ
- Bass Amp Designer Parametric EQ
- Bass Amp Designer microphone controls
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- Use MIDI plug-ins
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- Arpeggiator overview
- Arpeggiator control parameters
- Note order parameters overview
- Note order variations
- Note order inversions
- Arpeggiator pattern parameters overview
- Use Live mode
- Use Grid mode
- Arpeggiator options parameters
- Arpeggiator keyboard parameters
- Use keyboard parameters
- Assign controller parameters
- Modifier MIDI plug-in controls
- Note Repeater MIDI plug-in controls
- Randomizer MIDI plug-in controls
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- Use the Scripter MIDI plug-in
- Use the Script Editor
- Scripter API overview
- MIDI processing functions overview
- HandleMIDI function
- ProcessMIDI function
- GetParameter function
- SetParameter function
- ParameterChanged function
- Reset function
- JavaScript objects overview
- Use the JavaScript Event object
- Use the JavaScript TimingInfo object
- Use the Trace object
- Use the MIDI event beatPos property
- Use the JavaScript MIDI object
- Create Scripter controls
- Transposer MIDI plug-in controls
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- Learn about included Instruments
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- Alchemy overview
- Name bar
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- Alchemy source overview
- Source master controls
- Import browser
- Source subpage controls
- Source filter controls
- Source filter use tips
- Source elements overview
- Additive element controls
- Additive element effects
- Spectral element controls
- Spectral element effects
- Pitch correction controls
- Formant filter controls
- Granular element controls
- Sampler element controls
- VA element controls
- Source modulations
- Morph controls
- Master voice section
- Alchemy extended parameters
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- Logic Pro Quick Sampler overview
- Add content to Logic Pro Quick Sampler
- Logic Pro Quick Sampler waveform display
- Use Flex in Logic Pro Quick Sampler
- Logic Pro Quick Sampler Pitch controls
- Logic Pro Quick Sampler Filter controls
- Quick Sampler filter types
- Logic Pro Quick Sampler Amp controls
- Logic Pro Quick Sampler extended parameters
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- Sculpture overview
- Sculpture interface
- Global parameters
- Amplitude envelope parameters
- Use the Waveshaper
- Filter parameters
- Output parameters
- Use surround range and diversity
- Assign MIDI controllers
- Extended parameters
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- Ultrabeat overview
- Ultrabeat interface
- Synthesizer section overview
- Filter section controls
- Distortion circuit controls
- Glossary
Manage Logic Pro Drum Machine Designer kits
Drum Machine Designer shows a grid representation of the kit for the currently loaded patch. Each pad represents a kit piece. You can edit a number of settings for the entire kit, discussed in this section. To learn about interacting with kit pieces, see Logic Pro Drum Machine Designer Pad controls bar and Use Logic Pro Drum Machine Designer pad controls.
The kit controls bar above the grid shows the active kit name and provides access to kit parameters. Click the kit name pad or the Kit Controls button to interact with global effects and control settings for the entire kit in the Smart Controls pane. If the Smart Controls pane is not visible, click the disclosure triangle at the lower left of the grid.
Kit controls bar parameters
To view kit Mute, Solo, and Action menu parameters, move the pointer over the kit controls bar.
Kit name pad: Click to view kit parameters in the Smart Controls pane. Double-click the kit name to rename it (and the master track). Click the speaker icon to stop all playing sounds. The Kit Controls button is lit when working with kit parameters in the Smart Controls pane.
Note: The Kit name pad 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.
Kit Controls button: View kit parameters in the Smart Controls pane. The button is lit when working with kit parameters in the Smart Controls pane. See Kit Tone and Effect Smart Controls.
Note: The Kit Controls button is visible only if the Smart Controls pane is shown.
Mute button: Use to silence the kit. This mutes the master track channel strip.
Solo button: Use to hear the kit in isolation. All other tracks and channel strips are muted, indicated by a flashing Mute button.
Action menu: Choose a command that globally affects the appearance and behavior of the kit.
Select Pad by Key: Choose to turn on or turn off the automatic selection of pads with a MIDI keyboard. When on, the pad with an input note that corresponds to the incoming played MIDI note is selected.
Note: MIDI notes played by Logic MIDI regions do not select pads, regardless of the setting of this menu item.
Select Channel strip by Pad: Choose to turn on or turn off the selection of channel strips when you click a pad in the grid.
Note: This not only selects the corresponding subtrack and channel strip of the selected pad, but also sets focus to the master track. This ensures that notes played on the master track continue to be distributed to all subtracks. You can turn on both “Select Pad by Key” and “Select Channel Strip by Pad” to select pads, subtracks and channel strips by playing a key on your MIDI keyboard.
Open/Close Library: Open or close the Library pane. Click a kit patch name in the Library to exchange the entire kit.
Use Empty Kit as Default: Turn on this option to use an empty kit when you insert Drum Machine Designer on an instrument channel strip.
Hide/Show General MIDI Drum Names: Hide or show General MIDI (GM) drum names on each active pad. This is useful as a reference when mapping new sounds in a kit that you want to conform with the GM Drum standard. For example, when using Drum Machine Designer on a Drummer track.
Hide/Show Kit Piece Icons: Hide or show the colored icons on each active pad.
Note: When you move the pointer over a pad, a small speaker icon is shown. Click this icon to play the sound.
Reorder Pads: Choose the “Change Sounds” or “Visual Only” options to alter how pad layout changes affect assigned pad sounds. The pad layout can be changed by reordering pads. For example, when you insert a pad between other pads or drop one pad onto another to exchange them.
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.
Sort Pads by GM Drum Standard: Choose to automatically remap the order of pads to the General MIDI (GM) Drum standard, which is used by Drummer. This changes the visual order of pads, but does not remap sounds.
Note: Regardless of the “Reorder Pads” setting, both “Sort Pads” options will sort the pads visually, in accordance with input note values.
Sort Pads Chromatically: Choose to automatically remap the order of pads chromatically from C1. This changes the visual order of pads, but does not remap sounds.
Note: In order to play the instrument of a Drum Machine Designer subtrack chromatically and polyphonically, the instrument plug-in must react to different notes with different pitches, and its number of voices (polyphony) must be greater than one. If you have created a Drum Machine Designer kit and can’t play a subtrack instrument chromatically and polyphonically, please check that the instrument voices or polyphony parameter is set to a value greater than one. Also make sure the instrument key tracking parameter is turned on.
Update Kit Name for all Kit Pieces: Choose to apply the current kit name to all kit pieces. This is useful when you add new kit pieces to an existing kit.
Clear all Pads: Remove all assigned kit pieces from all pads.
Load and exchange kits
In Logic Pro X, click the kit name pad in the kit controls bar at the top of the Drum Machine Designer window. If the Smart Controls pane is not visible, click the disclosure triangle at the lower left of the grid.
Click the Action menu on the kit controls bar, then choose “Open Library” if the Library is not visible.
Click a kit patch in the Library to load that kit.
Edit the sound of the entire kit
You can use Smart Controls parameters to apply a number of sound processing and effect options to the entire kit.
In Logic Pro X, click the Kit Controls button in the kit controls bar. If the Smart Controls pane is not visible, click the disclosure triangle at the lower left of the grid.
Adjust the Smart Controls parameters for the kit.
To learn more about how each control affects the sound, see Kit Tone and Effect Smart Controls.
Save an edited kit as a kit patch
In Logic Pro X, click the Save button at the bottom of the Library pane. If the Library is not visible, click the Action menu on the kit controls bar, then choose “Open Library”.
In the Finder window:
Browse to the file location you want to use. The default folder location is User Kit Patches. If required, create a new folder.
Type the kit patch name, then press the Save button.