Logic Pro Coming over from the 'other' Dark Side

[M57]

I've decided to take the plunge and ditch pro-tools for what I think will be simplicity of use and work-flow reasons. I've only been playing with LPX a few days now and I am for the most part impressed ..and think I've made the right decision, though the the learning curve is a tad daunting.

So here's my first 'minor..ish' problem. For some reason it took me FOREVER to get a live recorded bass part to playback. I could see the waveforms and everything seemed fine. I finally found the threshold of the gate was too high. All the time I was doing this I couldn't get the red R for record to turn off - I was convinced this was part of the problem. Even after fixing my original problem it's still on. It does go away when I go to another track, but every time I come back to the bass track. it's either ON with a hard red or a fainter red letter. The track seems to play fine. Should I be worried? I'm pretty sure I played with the different input monitoring modes in preferences and it didn't seem to change things. Can I turn it off, and what is the difference between the two reds anyway?

-Thanks

 

[gdoubleyou]

No, when the whole button is red, the track is record enabled, and the channelstrip meter is reading the input signal.

Depending on the type of track, and how your Record Button options are set, the "R" maybe displaying few different modes.

Logic's help doesn't really give a good explanation.

Maybe be Eli or Doug can fill in the details.

 

[M57]

Thanks g,

There are Record Button Options?

I have found that holding Control while clicking on the button (or was it Option) helps as well, but I think that is meant for when you want multiple tracks record enabled or disabled.

 

[Eli]

There are a few different record mode options available when you either long click or control click on the record button in the toolbar. But none of these affects the record button visually. What does affect it's display and look is if you are in autopunch mode. But I don't think that is what is going on here.

I think you simply have the track record enabled and are not taking out of record enable mode once you finish recording. And when you select a track, where are you clicking in the track header? If it's an audio track and you click on the R button when selecting the track, it is likely you are record enabling it. If you are not clicking on the R button, the mere act of selecting an audio track causes the R button to become shaded in a red colour. This means nothing through, it is just the way the graphics in Logic are.

If it is a software instrument track, it goes into "live" mode whenever a track is selected and the R button becomes enabled. That is normal, it's the way software instrument tracks work in Logic.

 

[M57]

OK, so if I am understanding you, it is normal for the R button to be shaded red on an audio track when you select that track, even though it is not in record mode.

That seems a bit strange - and a tad unnerving at first - but I suppose it doesn't hurt anything - It's just another reminder that the track has been selected.

Thanks.

 

[Eli]

OK, so if I am understanding you, it is normal for the R button to be shaded red on an audio track when you select that track, even though it is not in record mode.

Right.

That seems a bit strange - and a tad unnerving at first - but I suppose it doesn't hurt anything - It's just another reminder that the track has been selected.

Exactly. Here's a screen shot with one selected and one unselected audio track. Notice how the R button is red on the selected track. Does this match what you are seeing?

 

[M57]

Yep - so the track in the pic is selected, but not armed. Seems a bit redundant. I mean, I can see the track is selected without the faint red R. Does the fact that it's red tell me something else about the track? ..like maybe the it has an assigned input? I'm not at the studio right now to confirm that.

 

[Eli]

Does the fact that it's red tell me something else about the track? ..like maybe the it has an assigned input?

Nope. It has absolutely no relevance at all (that I know of). It is strictly visual, the way the graphics work in Logic Pro X. Just get used to it, that's all I can suggest 🙂