How did you learn Logic Pro X?

[alohachris]

Aloha Doug,

Your first video above, to me, really clarified a simple, inexpensive set-up for recording a solo acoustic guitar track to all player/recordists - visually. You may have recorded the piece on your H-6, but all of the editing, mixing & "mastering" was transferred & done in Logic, right? Accessible how-to images & workflow using additional tools which we need to know about like using meters alone for accuracy is so useful to many, Doug. I never saw a reference for 'how to use EFX' in it? Great video!

I used your tools & workflow from your 2012 video project a lot. Our gear was very similar then. It really helped me maximize the great tools I had in terms of my signal chain & introduced me to other add-on tools, like Izotope's Ozone - a great tool! I was really into Waves & Altiverb plug-ins then.

Also, I had begun playing around with adding an R-84 ribbon as a third middle track with my CMC641's in stereo just before the video appeared. That video helped me with learning how to mix (no EFX for example on the R84 & using two reverbs) & further workflow techniques like order of using buses in Logic Pro. That opened up some doors & I appreciate it, Doug.

I saved the Logic "Comping" thread also, but my level of recording rarely required the short-cuts revealed. It would have been more useful to me had my skills evolved beyond just a few tracks.

I still think the main issue in learning DAW recording, beyond the expense for many player/recordists, is time & space. They don't have time to devote to trying out DAW samples to get the right one, or for developing templates or learning workflows or especially mastering using a DAW. (That's why their levels here are so often very low, they don't get to the mastering part of using a DAW).

They don't have a dedicated space in which to record without having to set everything up every time. That also kills consistency & willingness to set up after awhile so you get our talented friend Barry in an untreated garage dying for clarity. So they lose commitment for the expense of recording, such as $200 for Logic Pro, & refuse to consider treating their impermanent, inconsistent recording spaces ("How's da spare bedroom Barry?)

Your great self-made space & my past pretty good treated spaces are/were wonderful for creating that continuity. Everything was always set-up for the easy push on the red RECORD button. Learning how to master a DAW or even playing well consistently requires it, IMO. Not everyone at AGF has that. But they have the knowledge you provide in de-mystifying the process, including how to use a DAW for simple recordings.

Thanks again, Doug for your generosity. Really appreciated - even though I don't play or record anymore.

Mahalo nui loa,
alohachris

[Tico]

Originally Posted by anton

What sort of things are you looking to learn?

Again, I'm on software version 10.5.0.

I use mics to record guitar and piano.
My DI is the RME BabyFacePro.
It comes with 2 softwares, TotalMix, and Fireface USB settings.
I use an Imac desktop puter.

First I record track 1.
Then listening to it in headphones I record the second track.
But when I listen back to both together they are not in sync.
One is behind the other a bit.
How do I fix that?

Next, I teach and I record things for my students.
Sometimes it's helpful to hear things slowed down, so I want to create 4 files.
1 at 100% tempo
1 at 75%
1 at 50%
1 at 25%

I figured out how to change temp by:
Click on track to highlight it
Double click on long white bar above waveform. This makes another section appear at the bottom.
In that section click on File, then select Functions, then select Time and pitch machine. In new pop up window click on BPM under destination. If it says 120 change it to 60 to change the track to 50% tempo. Click on track's waveform and wait for spinning rainbow to stop.
Track's temp is now 50% of original.

Great, but when I create new tracks and copy and paste the original music into new tracks then try to change tempi in those tracks ALL of the tracks change to the new tempo.

How can I get the same music at 4 different tempi?

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by Tico

A
First I record track 1
Then listening to it in headphones to that track I record the second track.
But when I listen back to both together they are not in sync.
One is behind the other a bit.
How do I fix that?

Latency's an issue with most DAWs. Several things you can do:

Turn on "Low Latency Mode" under the record menu
Set your buffer size as low as you can go without dropping out
Using Direct Monitoring - don't listen to yourself thru Logic. How to do this depends on your interface.

If that's not enough and you still are not in sync, you can slip the track until its in sync, just slide it with the mouse until it's in sync.
There's also a delay feature on each track (over to the left side), so you can enter your own compensation.

Screen Shot 2020-06-09 at 8.53.22 PM.jpg

You shouldn't need to slip tracks, or add delay, tho, if you set the buffer low and turn on the Low Latency mode while recording.

Next, I teach and I record things for my students.
I want to create 4 files
1 at 100% tempo
1 at 75%
1 at 50%
1 at 25%

This is beyond my use of Logic, I just record stuff in it, so I don't know what it can do with time stretching. Are we talking audio or MIDI? My recommendation would be to introduce your students to Transcribe! or Amazing Slow Downer, so they can do whatever speed adjustment they want. There are app versions that are only a few dollars, I believe. Alternately, you could get one of these and use it to produce the altered speed versions. Transcribe!, at least can save the time-altered versions, and does a pretty good job of making the music sound passable when slowed down. A better approach for your students might be to actually record versions at different speed, so you aren't getting that slowed down effect, tho that's more work for you.

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by Tico

I figured out how to change temp by:

....

How can I get the same music at 4 different tempi?

I just looked that up. Didn't even know Logic could do that. Not sure I understand your problem, but for your desired outcome, I think I'd be temped to create a mix, then import that mix into a new track, and time stretch that, so you're stretching everything (your mix). So basically, you'd be using Logic the way I suggested using Transcribe! But I may be totally misunderstanding, since I've never had any reason to do this.

[Chipotle]

Originally Posted by Tico

select Time and pitch machine. In new pop up window click on BPM under destination. If it says 120 change it to 60 to change track to 50% tempo. Click on track's waveform and wait for spinning rainbow to stop.
Track's temp is now 50% of original.

How can I get the same music at 4 different tempi?

I'm not a Logic user, but a quick search leads me to believe that settings from the Time and Pitch Machine are global for the whole project, not per track. That would explain why all your copies are the same temp.

You could do it by just rendering your project to an mp3 or whatever four times. Render the regular-speed file. Then set the Time and Pitch to 75%, render a new mp3; set tempo to 50%, render; set tempo to 25%, render. That would give you four different-speed files, but they wouldn't be separate tracks in your Logic program.

I do know that in Reaper, what you want to do is trivial--make 4 tracks and set each individual track to a different tempo. You will find differences in capabilities between DAWs sometimes like this.

[keith.rogers]

As Doug said, check the Low Latency Mode setting in the Record menu dropdown to get your overdub/comping/takes to stay aligned to your click or guide track(s). I usually do not need to do more than that, but trimming and sliding the entire region around, as he also mentions, is a last resort, which I do use whenever I forget to have Low Latency Mode checked!

I use a recent version of Audacity to slow down an audio file. Bounce to a non-lossy file (in Logic) and open that in Audacity. Select the entire audio file/region and use the Change Tempo... dialog under the Effect menu. Check the Use high quality stretching (slow) checkbox. Then export your modified audio.

P.S. I used to use the Amazing Slow Downer (have a license somewhere but that was way back in Windows days), but I use Audacity for other editing tasks and it seems to take care of everything I need. It's handy to have around. Maybe ASD does a better job, but I have not compared them.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Tico

First I record track 1
Then listening to it in headphones to that track I record the second track.
But when I listen back to both together they are not in sync.
One is behind the other a bit.
How do I fix that

? So it sounds like you are talking about a mismatch on playback (not while recording ,correct ?) I don't use Logic, but I would think Logic has an ADC feature (Automatic Delay Compensation ), there must a selection or way to turn it on ,,

Next, I teach and I record things for my students.
I want to create 4 files
1 at 100% tempo
1 at 75%
1 at 50%
1 at 25%
I figured out how to change temp by:
Click on track to highlight it
Double clock on long white bar above waveform. This makes another section appear at the bottom.
In that section click on File, then select Functions, then select Time and pitch machine. In new pop up window click on BPM under destination. If it says 120 change it to 60 to change track to 50% tempo. Click on track's waveform and wait for spinning rainbow to stop.
Track's temp is now 50% of original.

Great, but when I create new tracks and copy and paste the original music into new tracks then try to change tempi in those tracks ALL of the tracks change to the new tempo.

How can I get the same music at 4 different tempi?

Edit= Opps I just realized Chiplotle addressed this, so to repeat...

Again don't use Logic BUT if that is true, it appears as if what you are doing is a Global FX (for the entire session/project,) as opposed to a specific highlighted section FX, in that case then you may have to simply not try to keep all 4 tracks in the original session.

But rather export/bounce each track with the respective different tempos individually one at a time, as a WAV/or MP3 file, like say to a Folder on your desktop. Which should give you 4 different WAV/MP3 files at the 4 different tempos, to share with your students

[anton]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

There's also this one, on "fast comping" in Logic, which for me is reason alone to use Logic (this feature does take a bit of practice, and you don't have to do it, unless you want to edit out your mistakes... but it's so much easier than other ways to edit):

This video really cleared up the Logic editing workflow for me. One thing folks may not realize is that while swiping to create a Comp you can turn swiping mode on and off. Which lets you cut the various takes and move them around on the time line. Quick Swipe Comping is great if you record to a click or every take lines up exactly on the timeline. But once things don't line up being able to turn swiping on and off is a game changer.

It took me a few times to get the workflow down but once i did it is a great way to edit.

[Tico]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

Latency's an issue with most DAWs. Several things you can do:

Turn on "Low Latency Mode" under the record menu
Set your buffer size as low as you can go without dropping out
Using Direct Monitoring - don't listen to yourself thru Logic. How to do this depends on your interface.

If that's not enough and you still are not in sync, you can slip the track until its in sync, just slide it with the mouse until it's in sync.
There's also a delay feature on each track (over to the left side), so you can enter your own compensation.

Attachment 39110

You shouldn't need to slip tracks, or add delay, tho, if you set the buffer low and turn on the Low Latency mode while recording.



This is beyond my use of Logic, I just record stuff in it, so I don't know what it can do with time stretching. Are we talking audio or MIDI? My recommendation would be to introduce your students to Transcribe! or Amazing Slow Downer, so they can do whatever speed adjustment they want. There are app versions that are only a few dollars, I believe. Alternately, you could get one of these and use it to produce the altered speed versions. Transcribe!, at least can save the time-altered versions, and does a pretty good job of making the music sound passable when slowed down. A better approach for your students might be to actually record versions at different speed, so you aren't getting that slowed down effect, tho that's more work for you.

I'm talking about audio, not MIDI.
Thank you for the other suggestion, which I'll look into.

[Tico]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

I just looked that up. Didn't even know Logic could do that. Not sure I understand your problem, but for your desired outcome, I think I'd be temped to create a mix, then import that mix into a new track, and time stretch that, so you're stretching everything (your mix). So basically, you'd be using Logic the way I suggested using Transcribe! But I may be totally misunderstanding, since I've never had any reason to do this.

Reason: one student has difficulty with rhythm.
I thought up an exercise in which he must identify which beat of each measure that each note happens on.

From Youtube I grabbed a simple lead break that he can play.
I made an mp3 of it and imported it into Logic.
Then I made a loop of only the 30 second lead break in the 6 minute song.

It goes by very fast.
So to help him do the assignment I slowed it down using process I outlined above.

[Tico]

Originally Posted by Chipotle

I'm not a Logic user, but a quick search leads me to believe that settings from the Time and Pitch Machine are global for the whole project, not per track. That would explain why all your copies are the same temp.

You could do it by just rendering your project to an mp3 or whatever four times. Render the regular-speed file. Then set the Time and Pitch to 75%, render a new mp3; set tempo to 50%, render; set tempo to 25%, render. That would give you four different-speed files, but they wouldn't be separate tracks in your Logic program.
...

Thank you very much.
I will to this, make four totally separate Logic files - one for each tempo.
Why didn't I think of this? Duh!

[Doug Young]

FYI, here's the latency preference setting in Logic. Here I have it set to the highest latency, and it shows that I'll have 47ms roundtrip latency, which is enough to be noticed:

Screen Shot 2020-06-10 at 5.40.49 PM.jpg

now, if I turn this down to buffer size of 32 samples, I get 2.9ms roundtrip latency:

Screen Shot 2020-06-10 at 5.41.06 PM.jpg

Which should be unnoticeable. There's also a "recording delay" setting, which can actually be negative if needed, which might get rid of the remaining few ms. I haven't tried this.

[Doug Young]

Here's a pretty decent video on handling latency in Logic: