PC Publishing Releases Logic Pro: Tips And Tricks

Apple Logic is a complex and powerful piece of software that can be often be difficult and frustrating to use. The tips and tricks in this book are laid out in an easy to use format, and will allow you to get the best from the program when recording, editing, mixing and mastering.

Logic Pro: Tips And Tricks has sections on setting up the software, optimising your system, and organising your workflow. You'll discover easy ways to perform many complex tasks, and there's a plethora of other tips and pointers that reveal many of Logic's 'hidden' functions. Logic often offers several different ways to achieve the same result, and the book lays out the simplest procedures to follow. You'll soon find yourself navigating the software with ease and may even discover that a particular task, which you considered impossible within Logic, actually can be achieved with a little lateral thinking.

These tips and tricks are culled from the author's long familiarity with Logic in music production, multimedia work and audio restoration, from his columns for several music technology magazines and from the results of research arising from the many questions he receives from Logic users. Logic Pro Tips and Tricks will help you utilise the software to the max.

Stephen Bennett is a composer and post-production engineer who uses Logic every day. This is the book he wishes had been available when he first got to grips with the fascinating software that is Logic.

Contents:
Introduction

1. Setting up, optimisation and templates
Drivers. Keeping up to date. The 'other book'. Operating system optimization. The Logic Setup Assistant. Other hardware. Templates.

2. Projects and backups
Project manager. Saving backups. Audio file housekeeping.

3. Getting around in Logic
Toolbox. Scrolling with theMouse. Links. Linking and the Environment. Running man — making sure all your open windows are synchronized. Setting a default editor. Easy dragging. Playing music from the computer keyboard. Key commands. Key Commands template. Importing Key Commands. Undo and Redo. Markers. Audio window groups. Creating Tracks and Objects. Snapping and Dragging. Screensets. Lining up windows. Audio Track types and Parameters.

4. Recording
Audio recording. CPU (Central Processing Unit) overload problems. Dual processor CPU monitor/CoreAudio problems. Input/Output labels. 'Printing' effects onto a recordingSetting the recording time. Quantizing audio. Creating and manipulating 'takes' and 'mute and cycle' recording and beat slicing (strip silence). Drum editing using folders. MIDI Recording. Extended Region parameters. MIDI (and Virtual instrument) Multi-Track recording. Using Virtual instruments. General recording tips.

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5. Plug-ins
Logic Audio Units. Apple's Audio Unit plug-ins. GarageBand instruments. Using VST plug-ins in Logic. Third-party plug-in in Logic. Effects plug-ins. Special menu. Using a Delay plug-in to improve Reverb. Instrument plug-ins. General Plug-in tips. Using hardware controllers with Virtual instruments.

6. Workflow
Customising how Logic looks. Using colours. Instrument names in the Arrange page. Using Icons. Zooming in Logic. Opening windows. Process buffers. SMPTE Time ruler. Using markers to display lyrics. Exporting tracks and regions as Audio files. Environment tips. Using Multi-timbral external hardware synthesisers in Logic. Song information. MIDI Reset.

7. The Arrange page, Editor windows and sundry editing tips
General editing tips. Default editor window. Selecting events in the Editors. The Hyper editor. Time stretching and tempo adjustment in the Arrange page . Arrange page tips. Adding audio files. Matrix editor tips. Event List editor tips. Score editor tips. Audio window and the Sample editor tips.

8. Apple loops and fluid audio
The Apple loops Utility. The Transients pane. Saving an Apple loop.

9. Mixing
Track mixer. Creating Track Mixer Groups. Grouping Track Mixer channels together. Bringing external hardware into Logic. Plug-in Delay Compensation (PDC). Using hardware controllers in Logic. Automation quick access. Panning. Creating 'Doubled' parts. Creating harmonies from a single recording. Where are my Plug-in slots, Sends and Auxes? Automation. MIDI Mixing tips. Some mixing tips using Logic's plug-ins. Using send effects on other tracks.

10. Mastering
Arranging the songs into the correct order. Adjusting the level. Processing all the songs with the same plug-ins and settings. Other mastering effects. Bouncing down the mix. Order of mastering plug-ins.

Index

Logic Pro: Tips and Tricks
Stephen Bennett
January 2006
176 pages • 236 x 189 mm
ISBN 1870775 333
£9.95

For more information, visit their web site at www.pc-publishing.com.