Logic Pro (X) New to Logic Pro (X)

[joswyl]

Hi everybody,

I'm a totally new users of a DAW. For the very first time, I've chosen Logic Pro X, since I've been working on a iMac for a long time. I usually compose with Notion (4), sometimes with Finale. So I'm familiar with key switches, CCs, tracks, channels, Midi... But who great Logic Pro may look and how intuitive it may be, it's quite complicated to me to find my way in all these windows. Moreover, the approach is rather different from a notation program. The manual is not really a good starting tool for a newbie. Are there understandable video tutorials out there?
And something else. Is it possible to enter texts/symbols to enter keyswitches or CCs, PCs in the editor?

Every clue is more than welcome!

joswyl

 

[yavuz]

I think Reading the manual is a good starting point even though you may think otherwise.

That will also help you use the right terminology.

Logic Key Commands are extremely powerful. Alt + K combinations will take you there.
You might want to print the important ones.
If you are coming from a scoring background for making music, Logic may be a different approach at the beginning.

Can you talk about your setup?
You have a MIDI keyboard or a pad controller for drums?

What kind of music do you want to make with Logic?

All of these will help you get more specific advice.

 

[Eli]

Hi everybody,

Are there understandable video tutorials out there?

joswyl

Funny you should ask. I have a brand new video, just released today, that is squarely aimed at EXACTLY what you are looking for. It's geared to quickly (in one hour!) get new users used to the Logic interface,and comfortable with the basic concepts and workflows. It's called Logic pro X Jump Start, and you can find it here:
http://www.groove3.com/str/Logic-Pro-X-Jump-Start.html

If/when you want to dig a bit deeper, I have a more fleshed out comprehensive set of tutorials called Logic Pro X Explained, and you can find them here:
http://www.groove3.com/str/Logic-Pro-X-Explained.html

There are other more feature specific sets of tutorials as well; but these would be good starting points.

Good luck, and welcome to the world of Logic!

 

[joswyl]

Hi everybody,

Are there understandable video tutorials out there?

joswyl

Funny you should ask. I have a brand new video, just released today, that is squarely aimed at EXACTLY what you are looking for. It's geared to quickly (in one hour!) get new users used to the Logic interface,and comfortable with the basic concepts and workflows. It's called Logic pro X Jump Start, and you can find it here:
http://www.groove3.com/str/Logic-Pro-X-Jump-Start.html

If/when you want to dig a bit deeper, I have a more fleshed out comprehensive set of tutorials called Logic Pro X Explained, and you can find them here:
http://www.groove3.com/str/Logic-Pro-X-Explained.html

There are other more feature specific sets of tutorials as well; but these would be good starting points.

Good luck, and welcome to the world of Logic!

What a nice surprise! I well certainly have a very close look at the video tutorials.

Thanks a lot.

Joswyl

 

[joswyl]

Hi Yavuz,

Well, I'm not entirely new to composing with a computer. I've been busy for over 15 years.

I mainly compose classical music, sometimes big scores. If it would be of any interest to you, you can find an anthology of my work here:

http://www.joswyl.be

The page 'My Music' contains a number of my works.

My system and equipment now:

iMac 27', OSX 10.9, 3.4 GHz Intel Core i7
32 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
SSD 175 GB, HD 1 TB

88 key midi keyboard with modulation and pitch wheel
Roland Quad-Capture USB sound board
Libraries: Garritan GPO 4, Kontakt 4 and 5, LSO (with Notion 4 as notation program), VSL SE complete, Logic Pro instruments
Logic Pro X
Notion 4
Finale 2014
VI Pro, VE Pro, MIR Pro
Virtual Sound Stage

I hope this will provide all the necessary information. I chose a good DAW to improve my overall orchestral sound, because it is pretty hard to work with CCs in Notion. Keyswitches are possible, but tough to handle precisely. I could export my scores into Logic and finalise them in the editor. But for now, I'm just experimenting to get acquainted with the very different way of handling the music.

 

[yavuz]

Thanks for the detailed info.
I noticed we have the same iMac. Mine is mid 2011.
Apple says 16gb max for RAM.
How is 32GB RAM working for you.
Mine takes 1333 MhZ DDR.

I used to use Finale in the late 90s.
I use Sibelius for notation now.

You have a very nice set of samples.
I mainly use Logic and NI Komplete for samples.
I also have NI Maschine.

I also score for movies and jingles.
I find it easier to compose in Logic so you may feel the same after you get used to it.

Manual is very easy.
If I were you, I would start from basic tracks ( Instrument, Audio etc.. ) to know the program better. I have always thought Logic was simple and Logical. In the past, people thought it was not very intuitive but that was back when we had a lot of outside MIDI modules. Now everything is inside the computer and much easier.

A through read of the manual and memorising basic key commands will show you how easy it is to get around in Logic.

For instance ( Keyboard Shortcusts ) C is for turning on Cycle mode, K is for metronome X is for showing/hiding Mixer. Y is a shortcut for showing / hiding Library. B is a shortcut for smart editors, P is a shortcut for piano roll and R is for recording. Space bar is for play/stop and enter key for stop and going to beginning. When you come to editing T will show you the tool bar. These are basic Kbd shortcuts and probably the ones that you will mostly use at the beginning.

Good Luck.

 

[joswyl]

Thank you, Yavuz.

I have already done some inquiries and tried some audio tracks. I was quite impressed with the possibilities of Logic. My notation program (Notion 4) has a mini sequencer in it and lets you deal with note length, velocities on note basis, expression and a lot of articulations. But some very useful things are impossible, such as a simple (de)crescendo on a long note. Dynamic changes only occur at the beginning of the notes, not within them, unless the crescendo marking stretches up to another note or rest. But a dynamic movement IN the (whole) note as often happens in wind music is impossible. That's one reason whyI would want to use Logic Pro. Another reason is of course that I've read a number of reviews (very positive ones - even from Cubase, Sonar and Pro Tools users) and that I'm on a Mac. My first attempts to arrange some midi imports were rather clumsy, but instructive.

As to the use of 32 GB of RAM, it simply works great, although I'm not sure the whole lot is being used. It's mainly meant to playback huge scores, with lots of libraries. The Hybrid HDD (SSD) part is very useful too: It reduces the loading time a third (provided that the loaded program is used frequently - the it movers to the SSD, otherwise, it stays on the 7200cpm HDD).

Thanks for your advice and let's get started!

joswyl