When you’re working with loops, particularly drum loops, to form the rhythmic basis of a composition, you often find yourself wishing you could do more to customize the track. Logic Pro 9 has a few tools that allow us to work with audio as if it were MIDI–such as the flex time features–but what about turning the audio into a MIDI-controlled sampler instrument track?
6 Creative and Alternative Uses for Sidechaining
Feb 1st in Logic Pro, Production by Mo VolansSidechaining has been a popular tool amongst engineers for long time. I have covered the basic methods for achieving the effect in a few popular DAWs, including Logic, Cubase and Reason but let’s take a look at some real world examples of how we can use the technique.
How to Use the Transformer Object in Logic’s Environment
Jan 29th in Logic Pro, Production by Will WalkerThe transformer object in Logic’s Environment is one of its most used and most important objects. In basic terms, it looks for MIDI events that match a set of user defined conditions and then alters those events according to a second set of conditions. In short, as its name suggests, it transforms MIDI.
Getting to Grips with Modulation Mapping
Jan 18th in Logic Pro, Reason, Sound Design by Mo VolansFor some synthesists the subject of modulation mapping is one to be avoided. It’s hardly surprising considering the average mod matrix is made up of tables, graphs and numbers.
Using Speed Fades in Logic Pro 9
Jan 16th in Logic Pro, Production by Joel FalconerIn Logic Pro 9, Apple included a new speed fade feature which allows you to replicate the effect of a record speeding up or speeding down (at least in some stylized way). This is a common effect in modern music, and it’s worth learning this simple but handy trick.
How to Combine Synths and Samples to Create Ambient Backdrops
Jan 14th in Logic Pro, Production by Mo VolansEven if your tracks are mixed well and the arrangements are tight often they can feel a little 2D, almost as if something is missing. Adding an ambient, cinematic backdrop to the sparse sections of your project can really bring things to life.
How to Create a De-esser from Scratch in Logic (or Any DAW for That Matter)
Jan 4th in General, Logic Pro, Mixing & Mastering, Production by Björgvin BenediktssonSome vocalist pronounce their S’s more than others. For us recording enthusiasts, this can pose a problem. S sounds have more energy and can be annoying to listen to because they tend to pop out at you, out of context to the rest of the vocal. We want our vocal to sound smooth and clear, and not jump out at you every time the vocalist has a word that starts with an S.
Creating Guitar Tabs with Logic Pro 9
Jan 2nd in Composition, Logic Pro by Joel FalconerIn a music world where less and less people are bothering to learn to read and write “proper” notation, more easily grasped formats such as tablature are very popular—particularly in popular music where the nuance of rhythm can be derived from feel and instinct more easily than, say, classical. When composing in Logic, you can provide your guitarists with guitar tab instead of notation if they can’t read it. Here’s how.
Saving Time with Logic Pro 9: Keyboard Shortcuts
Dec 26th in Logic Pro by Joel FalconerImagine the precious seconds you lose every time you take a simple action via a menu option or clicking a button on the screen. Once you memorize a set of keyboard shortcuts and make new shortcuts for tasks you find yourself doing frequently, you begin to save a lot of time. You’d be surprised how quickly those seconds add up into minutes and hours. Here’s a cheat sheet of common keyboard shortcuts you should memorize, along with a quick primer on using the Keyboard Commands manager.
10 Really Useful Logic Quick Tips
Dec 23rd in Logic Pro by Toby PitmanLogic Pro is a big program. Learning all its features can take a long time and the fact that some are hidden away doesn’t help. Here’s a list of 10 quick tips showing off some useful features of the program that you might not have used yet!
