How did you learn Logic Pro X?

[Tico]

Back in the 70s I had one physical piece of equipment for each function - a reel to reel, dbx noise reduction box, reverb box, a mic preamp, an equalizer, a compressor, etc.
Each physical unit had separate physical knobs for each function.
Figuring out how to do stuff was relatively intuitive, just look at the labels on the knobs.

Today we can buy a zillion-dollar digital studio, aka DAW, for $200.
But, figuring out how to use it is a nightmare - especially if you're used to simple 1970s gear.

apple does offer an online training course for Logic at apple, but it's 5 or 6 grand.
That's NOT gonna happen.

I've owned Logic for a few years and have figured out how do very basic stuff - but only like 0.01% of what Logic is capable of.

I've spend many hours watching YT videos, but they rarely answer a specific question, and often those videos use older versions of Logic, sometimes useless for me since I keep my software updated.

How did you learn how to use your DAW?

[anton]

I mostly learn through messing around with it on my own, and Youtube videos when I need to figure something out and can't.

As someone that just records acoustic guitar I probably use 5% of what Logic capable of. I have only briefly played with the various synths and sequencing midi. The newest update has a step sequencer and a clips interface and all sorts of other cool stuff. But I only have so much time, so I try to just focus on learning what I need to record the music I want, and if thats all I use that is fine.

I mostly record audio tracks, edit multiple takes into one master take, apply effects, and do a bit of mixing.

What sort of things are you looking to learn?

[Chipotle]

Well, lots of plugins for the things you mention (preamp, compressor, reverb etc.) actually do have "knobs" and controls that mimic a hardware device. Even if they are not "skuemorphic" like that (i.e. made to look like the physical object), they do have helpfully labeled virtual buttons, knobs and sliders.

Plugging in FX in a DAW is kind of like building your own channel strip on each channel. Add a gain or preamp FX, a compressor, some EQ. It's just that it can be different for each channel.

What I find far different is the routing. Want to send a bunch of channels to a bus with a master reverb return? A DCA? That's a bit trickier and different on every DAW.

At least for Reaper, the DAW I use, there are plenty of specific videos for things I want to do. Part of it is just making a good search query. For the example in the last paragraph, I just typed in "Reaper reverb bus" and got a video titled "How to Set Up a Dedicated Reverb bus in Reaper DAW". You can use the same terminology you'd use in the analog world to search.

I do get the frustration about finding videos that show old versions, but you can usually figure out where that pesky setting moved to.

[Doug Young]

There are some decent video tutorials on Groove3, but in general, I'd say, play around, and when you want to know how to do something, do a google search on that specific topic. 9 times out of 10, the answer is there, usually in the Apple manual. If not, ask here or on one of the recording forums, someone will know.

Logic certainly has lots of features. I don't use 99% of them, because I record acoustic music with real microphones. I don't need or want to use synths, loops, beats, etc. Basic recording, editing, mixing, is pretty straight-forward and about the same as any DAW, other than minor details. I've approached it by just doing, and occasionally I stumble over something cool just reading - other times I think "there must be an easier way to do this" and I google it. I did get a book on Logic back when I first started using it and actually read it cover to cover. 99% of that was useless to me, because it was about synths and MIDI, but it did give me a starting point.

As I responded in a different thread, I don't understand the complaint about the separate knobs. Can you give an example of something in Logic where a knob has more than one function - or clarify what you mean? I'm working on a project right now- every thing I need to do is pretty clearly laid out in front of me. As Chipotle, said, most of the plugins I use even look like their physical counterparts, right down to gratuitous details, like tape reels that move, and smudges on the faceplates (third party plugins...). If it's using a mouse that's the challenge, or only being able to control one thing at a time when mixing, there are control surfaces.

There's also nothing to keep you from having separate hardware. I have separate preamps, interfaces, and a hardware reverb. I used to have a hardware compressor and EQ, and an analog summing mixer. (simplified and got rid of that latter category).

[keith.rogers]

Record, mix, listen. Wash, rinse, repeat.

The general rule is that adults learn by doing. There's not really much I can add to what others said, except to pick maybe one, two at most, YouTube channels that go over this stuff and watch them until it sinks in. I watched The Recording Revolution and Joe Gilder a fair amount, though their personal mixes are a lot bigger than anything I typically do, they have some basic DAW instructional ones about mixing, compression, EQ, reverb, that are the essentials. (And neither uses Logic!)

I'll suggest just using the Logic stock plugins. I do say I wish they had an EQ that was more like a physical one, but if you need that, there are ones out there. The compressors, which I really like, model some of the best hardware standards, and the knobs are pretty close to the originals, though they usually have a couple extra settings. (You really do need to understand how they work, whether it's a DAW or physical, IMO, not just twist knobs until it sounds Ok.) The Space Designer reverb is quite good - learn about busses/auxes/sends to use that, or any of the others, like plate or spring, if you like their sound.

Then, da capo, back to the top.

P.S. As long as you are looking at Logic Pro *X* (vs "9") videos, I don't feel like a lot has changed. The big add a while back was the "Drummer" and they continue to augment the loop/VST part (which is where Logic sprang from), add tweaks, etc., but I've been using it for at least 4 years and don't recall any "what did they just do?" moments after an upgrade.

[SprintBob]

I can sympathize with the OP's post. As Doug and Anton stated, if you are recording solo acoustic guitar, you are using probably 5% or less of the DAW's capability so if you are a newbie reading the DAW user guide or looking at YT videos, it's easy to take a left turn into something you don't need or use at all.

To get started, I believe if you just do an internet search that specifically states something like "How do I record instrumental solo acoustic guitar on Logic Pro", you will have the best luck finding specific information on how to set up the basic workflow to get started. You can take it further with specific inquiries on EQ and Mixing once you get a recording into the DAW. That seemed to work pretty well with me in my adventures with Reaper. Many of the Reaper tutorials got into way more detail than what I required which made it harder to keep the attention level up.

I'm a fan of Doug and the information he shares about recording here on this forum and on YT. His advice has been very good in helping me establish my own priorities on what I'd like to get out of the recording process (and keep it fun and interesting). A high priority focus with my own recording efforts is keeping it KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid).

Good Luck.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Tico

Back in the 70s I had one physical piece of equipment for each function - a reel to reel, dbx noise reduction box, reverb box, a mic preamp, an equalizer, a compressor, etc.
Each physical unit had separate physical knobs for each function.
Figuring out how to do stuff was relatively intuitive, just look at the labels on the knobs.

Today we can buy a zillion-dollar digital studio, aka DAW, for $200.
But, figuring out how to use it is a nightmare - especially if you're used to simple 1970s gear.

apple does offer an online training course for Logic at apple, but it's 5 or 6 grand.
That's NOT gonna happen.

I've owned Logic for a few years and have figured out how do very basic stuff - but only like 0.01% of what Logic is capable of.

I've spend many hours watching YT videos, but they rarely answer a specific question, and often those videos use older versions of Logic, sometimes useless for me since I keep my software updated.

How did you learn how to use your DAW?

First ,,,,You are not alone in not using most or many of features available in modern Full Featured DAWs.
I don't use Logic so I can only address some basics.
Having started with PT in 2003 I was able to take some hands on (in the studio) and online classes when they were much more affordable .

While the amount of features options and workflows are mind boggling and specifically how to access them can be different from DAW to DAW.
There are some "basics" common to most of the more popular DAW's . But unfortunately they may be more or less intuitive depending on personal learning style and or whether as you mention you are more used to either digital sequencing and midi or older studio analog type recording.

Being more analog recording oriented (like I am) and particularly for audio recording, perhaps think of your DAW like this.

There are two main windows/or views to focus on
#1 the Tracks area/edit window: think of this as a linear oriented graphic display, representing what the audio waveforms would look like (if you could see them) being recorded on to a multi track tape machine. (which is why it scrolls ) much like tape rolling over the record head. The advantage of digital of course is you can edit the audio (cut, paste, move, etc.etc.) in an unlimited amount (non destructively), which can be both good and bad in terms of time spent .

#2 the Mixer view/window which like the name implies, is usually a vertical oriented graphic representation, of an actual analog mixer with individual track channel strips. On most DAWS the signal routing flows into the top of the channel strip from the inputs and out the bottom to the outputs (basically just like an analog mixing console)


Now from here it starts to get DAW specific and no Doubt people (like Doug) that use Logic will be more helpful
BUT you might want get more specific about exactly what you can currently do and what you feel you may be missing to get more targeted help

[Brent Hahn]

There are a few others besides me here who have done this for a living. Me on a bunch of different DAWs. The nice thing about that is that you get tossed into the deep end and have to deliver on a deadline, which tends to make you focus and learn fast. If you don't have that, I'd recommend that you artificially create that same urgency by giving yourself a task, or several, with a deadline and get yourself to the finish line in a timely manner. Of course, for some people that's not exactly their idea of fun, but I find it stimulating in the same way that having to learn all of a band's songs in two days is. And I think a lot of us here can relate to that.

[Captain Jim]

My music partner made the switch to LogicProX. He is a tech-oriented guy who enjoys learning new skills. I am an old rock 'n roller who just likes to make music - I sing and play guitar. Frankly, the Zoom H4n Pro was more complicated than I wanted to deal with. Buying the Spire Studio a couple years ago greatly simplified my recording process.

Last month, to try to stay up, I downloaded the trial LogicProX, with 90 days as a trial. I figured that would give me enough time to decide if I wanted to shell out the bucks and make this our standard way of recording. I spent hours with LogicProX, and, honestly, nothing seemed "logical" about it. I watched tutorials and YouTube videos. My partner and I did multiple FaceTime discussions, even bringing in an experienced professional DAW user to try to knock down our learning curve.

I hated it. I don't use that "H" word lightly. After hours and hours of wading through the "help" stuff, the tracks I recorded sounded awful. We went a month without actually finishing any recording. I told him I was done with it... I don't make my living in music these days, and I have no desire to deal with the frustration of wading through LogicProX. I spent much of the last month popping out an every-other-day "stayin' at home" YouTube video with my newly acquired and easy to use Shure MV88+ mic (video kit).

It put a strain on our friendship. I hope he stays with it, as the learning is part of the enjoyment for him. He agreed that we should continue using the Spire Studio to make joint projects; just finished one a few days ago.

Now, before you think I'm a luddite, yelling at kids to stay off the lawn, I went to college on a full ride scholastic scholarship. I have a commercial pilot's license and a Master captain's license. I am physically active and retired at age 52 to go boat cruising, and traveling. My idea of an interesting read is an instruction manual. I ain't stoopid.

I do nothing with MIDI, but my partner is heavily into keyboards, synthesizers, and MIDI. The Spire Studio limits us to 8 tracks, and there have been times where more would have allowed us to expand on what we record. I understand the value of a DAW, and LogicProX specifically, since both of us are well-versed in the Mac universe.

I read a thread like this and think "Maybe I should give it another try?"

Nahhhhhhhh!

[Brent Hahn]

Originally Posted by Captain Jim

Now, before you think I'm a luddite, yelling at kids to stay off the lawn, I went to college on a full ride scholastic scholarship. I have a commercial pilot's license and a Master captain's license. I am physically active and retired at age 52 to go boat cruising, and traveling. My idea of an interesting read is an instruction manual. I ain't stoopid.

Maybe you're too smart. I mean, picture Einstein trying to put together a bookshelf from Ikea.

[Chipotle]

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

Maybe you're too smart. I mean, picture Einstein trying to put together a bookshelf from Ikea.

As an educator, I find many human beings (kids and adults) can let themselves be intimidated by worrying about a whole bunch of irrelevant "what if?" questions, instead of just starting with something simple.

The basics of recording into an interface/DAW are no more difficult than using the Spire or a portable recorder. Hook up the interface, start your DAW. Make a new project. Create a track, set levels. Press record. Create another track, press record. Add an effect to a track. To mix, set your pans/levels. Render the final song.

Yes, sometimes you have to hunt a bit more to find the correct menu or button. But the process is the same.

If you find yourself constantly thinking, "What about this other thing? What's this menu for?" then you're needlessly complicating things. It can be as simple--or as powerful--as you need it to be.

I hope I don't come across as belittling anyone else's experience. If you just hate computers and DAWs, in the end, then you hate them. That's why there are other solutions out there. But I don't think it's as complicated as I sometimes hear it made out to be, and I've seen that in other subjects that I teach as well.

[Doug Young]

I'm not clear on what the barrier here is, so I could be completely wrong, but it may just be anxiety about all the options (that you probably don't need). Most software suffers from "feature creep". An example I can understand is Word. Back in ancient times, you put paper in a typewriter and started hitting keys. Now, you have to choose a template, maybe pick your font, choose paragraph styles, etc. I have all that stuff down, but there are at least 2000 other menu items in Word that I have no idea about. I generally just don't let that bother me - I'm sure there are whizzy features that if I wanted to devote a lot of time to, would be very cool. But I don't care, I can create and format the documents I need just fine. The other day my wife asked me about something I'd never heard of in Word, so I googled it, and the answer came up in the short answer box. Now there are only 1999 menu items I don't know about :-)

I would say that for anyone who is struggling with any recording software, it might help to watch someone else use it, just to record one project. Quite a few years ago, I did a recording session with El McMeen producing, using his engineer. He used some software I'd not heard of (can't recall what it was now either). At the time, I'd say I was also still in the mindset of recording that I'd done with physical tape, hardware mixer, etc, even tho I was using a DAW. Just watching what the engineer did was eye-opening, both for how easy it made everything, and also how powerful it was (mostly in the editing and mixing process). So I went home, spent some quality time with Google and Logic, and what do you know, I could do all that stuff, too, and it wasn't even hard - I just had to know that it existed, and adjust my workflow a bit. Probably the biggest change was to think in terms of non-destructive operations instead of destructive.

I keep thinking about creating a tutorial, either on You Tube, or for a live workshop on using Logic for recording acoustic since this seems to keep coming up (I did touch on it already in the recording video I made for Acoustic Guitar a year or so ago, and I've also done some stuff on the comping feature). Just haven't figured out what would actually be useful to people - there's so much out there already.

[Joseph Hanna]

EDIT: Doug got a jump on me while I was typing and we’re saying pretty much the same thing. I’ll post anyway since I took the time


I think as many have mentioned here most, if not all, DAW’s can be setup to be as easy and simplistic as any other media recording device I can think of. There’s certainly no reason to jump down the rabbit hole of DAW’s complexities when a simple audio recording solution is all one needs.

I wonder if those struggling with Logic could dig up a very simple pre-fab template that distills the software to a point that it’s much more easily digestible when opened from scratch? I know I’ve set-up Pro Tools templates for beginners that reduced the “option anxiety” a fair degree by creating a steam-line 2 GUI environment. I’ve seen some very successful DAW projects of whom those involved just approached it as a mixer (albeit virtual) and the editor which virtually represented the tape. Nothing more.

I’m sure somewhere there’s a simple, audio only, 8 track Logic template that would involve little more than an 8 channel mixer with maybe one Aux return (perhaps with a reverb already instantiated) one Master and an 8 channel editor. I wouldn’t think that’d be any more complex than a little Mackie 1202 and a old world multi-track tape machine?

[Captain Jim]

Originally Posted by Brent Hahn

Maybe you're too smart. I mean, picture Einstein trying to put together a bookshelf from Ikea.

Too smart? Generally, when using that phrase to describe me, it is followed by a reference to a donkey-like critter. I have put together several items (including a bookshelf) from Ikea for our daughter and son-in-law. Mostly, I go to Ikea to enjoy the names of their items... "Honey, can I get a Skanka?" See above for the response I get.

We owned a photography studio for almost 30 years. I'm actually quite competent with Photoshop (software that confounds many), so I wasn't expecting the frustration level with LogicProX.

I may look at it again, when I feel I am getting rusty on frustration.

[stephenT]

In the past I've used Pro-Tools and Reason which was my main DAW for years until I jumped off at version 10 and decided to try Logic Pro X. I was never a GarageBand user, which would have been helpful in the transition.

I did struggle w/ Logic, and I agree it's not "intuitive", lot's of techniques I've used with other DAWs where not obvious how to accomplish in Logic. But I'm getting there. I've stopped using Reason and do all my recording in Logic. I'm also a mic and real instruments guy, but I've been trying to incorporate some of the new 10.5 features like cells and loops.

Doug mentioned Groove3 and I bought their tutorial and MusicTechHelpGuy on youtube has been helpful. For me that was a good way to start, plus trial and error,.. There's also a Facebook users page that has been helpful.

When I come to something that i can't figure out, I Google it and nine times out of ten, there's an answer on the internet, someone else has had the same questions.

It's a deep program obviously, it's getting easier but I've been working w/ it for a couple years. The sounds of the included instruments and plug-ins, like EQ and compression are excellent IMO and I recently discovered the "Vintage EQ" plug-ins which reportedly mimic Neve channel strips and those have become my favorite EQs.