Logic: Working with Standard MIDI files

There are two basic ways to bring a Standard MIDI file into Logic. You can either open it as new project, or import it into an existing Logic project. In either case, all the MIDI note and controller data on each included track is brought into Logic, but there are some differences in how global project data such as tempo and time signatures are handled.

Opening a MIDI file as a new project

1. Choose File > Open from the Logic menu.
2. In the window that opens, navigate to the MIDI file on your hard drive and select it.
3. Click the Open button.

When you open a MIDI file this way, all global project data including tempo and time signatures are included. This may be a good workflow if you are using the MIDI file as a starting point for your project.

Importing a MIDI file into an existing project

You may want to add data from a MIDI file to an existing Logic project. In this case, you can import the MIDI file rather than opening it as a new project.

1. Open the Logic project.
2. Choose File > Import from the Logic menu.
3. In the window that opens, navigate to the MIDI file on your hard drive and select it.
4. Click the Import button.

In this workflow, all the tracks are imported, but tempo data and time signatures are ignored, preserving the existing global data in your project.

Note: You can also import a MIDI file into a project by dragging the file from the Finder onto the Arrange window.

How Logic assigns tracks from MIDI files

When you either open or import a MIDI file, by default Logic assigns software instruments to each track from the MIDI file. Logic assigns instruments according to the first program change message in each track based on the General MIDI specification. If you prefer not to load software instruments for the tracks from MIDI files, press the Command key when you open or import the MIDI file (when choosing Import from the File menu). Logic will create a Multi instrument and assign channels from it to tracks in the Arrange window.