Logic Pro Tips

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Tips and reminders to self and others while learning Logic Pro to record music.

Keyboard shortcuts

Ctrl+Home = Go to start of selected region
Ctrl+End = Go to end of selected region
Ctrt+Opt+’ = Create marker (at precise location, without rounding)

Here’s all of the Logic Pro keyboard shortcuts.

Recording

Click R. It will also automatically turn on input monitoring for the track. To hear what you recorded, turn off input monitoring by clicking on the I.

Reduce file size

If your Logic Pro .logicx files are massive, do the following (I went from 1GB+ to ~50mb on some files):

  1. Browser F > Edit > Select Unused > Delete
  2. File > Project Management > Clean Up… > Ok

Repeat (set cycle region)

  1. Look at the ruler at the top of the arrange window (where the timeline/bars are)
  2. Click and drag across the section you want to loop - click in the top half of the ruler area and drag left or right
  3. A yellow bar appears showing your cycle region
  4. Make sure the Cycle button is turned on in the transport (the circular arrow button, or press ‘C’) - that activates the loop

To reset/clear it:

  1. Click once in the ruler area outside the yellow cycle region, or
  2. Press ‘C’ to turn off cycle mode, or
  3. Click and drag to create a new cycle region somewhere else

To adjust it:

  • Hover over the left or right edge of the yellow bar until you see a resize cursor, then drag to adjust the boundaries

The cycle region loops whatever section is highlighted when you press Play.

Reset MIDI

Click on “No In”.

“Wave” effect

For an illusion of a wave passing through an audio section, causing it to momentarily slow down, speed up, and then return to its normal tempo, or just slow way down to a stop for the end of a song like Piano Place Hold in Am.

Fade tool

Rapid “tape-style” fluctuation in speed. Stylistic touch without delving into complex automation.

  1. Select region: Use Marquee tool or split audio region where you want the effect to happen.
  2. “Slow Down” fade: With the region selected go to the Inspector window (I). In the “Region” section, you’ll find parameters for Fade In and Fade Out. For the first half of the “wave” use Fade Out but change its mode. Right-click (or Control-click) on the Fade Out value and from the dropdown menu, select Slow Down. You can then drag the fade handle directly on the audio region to adjust the length of the slowdown effect.
  3. “Speed Up” fade: For second half of effect where audio speed returns to normal use a Fade In. On the adjacent audio region, right-click (or Control-click) on the Fade In value in the Inspector and select Speed Up. Adjust the fade handle on this region to control the duration of the speed-up.

By placing a Slow Down fade immediately followed by a Speed Up fade, a smooth, wave-like dip in the playback speed is created.

There are other ways to do this that I’ll expand on later.

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