How to use Logic What does Logic do? Logic express is a software which allows you to create your own music. You can save your work and bounce to another programme like Soundcloud, Youtube which are very popularly used today for your music to be heard. You can record many instruments through a MIDI device such as a Keyboard. After recording your instrument through MIDI, you can then edit it with the tools on Logic. How to make a new song When you open up Logic, there will be a list of templates to use for your song which your going to create, you can either use an ‘empty project, which currently has no audio files so you can start from scratch or you can choose a different template where you already have an input for drums, keyboard, guitar etc.

Once you’ve chosen your template, you get to choose the amount of tracks you want to use. Make sure to click on ‘Software Instrument’ to enable all instruments but if you want to use a Mic to record voices etc, click on audio. You can do this at any time during your project.

You can pick different instrument sounds and and pre-recorded loops to use in your song by going to the right hand corner and clicking on ‘Media’ which then takes you to the library. The Transport bar: This is where you can record, play/pause, stop, fast forward your song. The Tool bar: -Bounce allows you to convert your song into a MP3 file which then you can upload to programmes such as Youtube, Soundcloud or Tumblr. -Colours is used for colour coding each track. -You can use Notes to add notes to each track on your song. -Media is used for a library full of loops and different instrument sounds.

This is the workstation, on the left is the layout of all the tracks you have chosen to use and the green bar on the left is what you have recorded on that track(if the bar is blue, it is an audio track which is used for microphones.). You can further manipulate the piece you have recorded on your track by double clicking on the bar, which brings up the Piano Roll Editor, you can then edit it how you like e.g. add in extra notes, removes notes and Quantisise the notes into different time signatures which can help correct what you’ve recorded in time with your beat. The ‘+’ above your tracks allows you to add more tracks into your song whenever you want. Tempo and Audio Regions The length of imported audio regions and the project tempo are directly linked. If you change the tempo at a particular project position, the length of regions at and after this position changes. You wont hear a difference in the playback speed of the imported audio, but all MIDI or software instrument sections will be out of sync with all audio regions.

In the left area is the Inspector, you can also use this area by clicking I on the keyboard. The Inspector is a context sensitive area which means mean if you create and then select a different track in the arrange area, the Inspector will then update and show you all the properties on the selected track.

In Logic a track is the layer above the channel strip. A Software Instrument Channel Strip contains an instrument in the ‘I/O’ section. Here you can see there is an ‘EVP88’ instrument loaded as the input on the channel strip. This track is like a visual representation of the channel strip in the arrange area. The left strip is the Inspector which just shows the currently selected track. Where as the channel strip on the right is usually the main Stereo Output channel strip. Working with a Video/Movie Once you’ve got your video clip, go to ‘File’ and then click on ‘Open movie’. Then when you play either the track or movie they should play together then from then onwards you can edit the song so it can sync with the movie.

Importing Compressed Audio Files Logic Express allows you to directly play back the following compressed audio file formats: -Compression Format; MPEG-4 AAC -Sample rates: 8 kHz, 11.025 kHz, 12 kHz, 16 kHz, 22.05 kHz, 24 kHz, 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz, 64 kHz, 88.2 kHz or 96 kHz. -MP3 audio -Stereo files encoded at 48 or higher kbps, mono files encoded at 32 or more kbps. -iTunes/Logic encoded files. Mixing Rather than having both instruments playing on the same mix, you can separate them by dividing them left to right in the stereo mix which is called Panning. Conclusion Logic software is only compatible with Apple software and products such as the Macintosh. It’s a great way to professionally record your music and its relatively easy to learn.