Logic Pro 8 Digital Performer features available in Logic?

[CRoze]

There are several features in DP that, as far as I know, are not available in Logic Pro. I know Logic fairly well but I'm not an expert. Would someone - a seasoned Logic user - please let me know if these are in fact available - or unavailable - in Logic?

1 - Duplicate takes: in DP, you can instantly duplicate a take - Midi and audio - to make a variation and compare the two. Logic Pro now has a takes folder, but can the user make a duplicate of a take without having to add a new track to the folder and then copy the data into it?

2 - Solo button: let's say I'm working with 40+ tracks and I want to A-B the brass section (10 tracks) with the full ensemble. In Logic, when I choose tracks to solo, that selection is lost after I disable the Solo button so I have to go back and re-solo the tracks or regions. Is this correct? If so, the only way around this that I can think of is a separate bus for the 10 tracks.

3 - in Logic, I insert a multi-timbral instrument, but the volume automation affects all MIDI channels of the same instrument. Is this true?(!) If so, is the only way around this to create separate aux tracks for each midi channel and automate the volume for each of those? Or use only one midi channel for an instance of a multi-timbral instrument Kontakt? In DP, each midi channel of a multi-timbral instrument responds to its own controller data . . . can this be done in Logic?

4 - when I record MIDI data into the Piano Roll editor, I don't see the MIDI notes until after the recording has stopped. Is there any preference to see the MIDI notes entered in the Piano Roll just after they are played, before stopping Record?

Please don't get me wrong . . . there are many, many wonderful features in Logic Pro . . . I could go on and on. But there are a few in DP that I miss when working in Logic and I just want to make sure that I'm not missing something that's actually there.

Thanks.

 

[daveyboy]

There are several features in DP that, as far as I know, are not available in Logic Pro. I know Logic fairly well but I'm not an expert. Would someone - a seasoned Logic user - please let me know if these are in fact available - or unavailable - in Logic?

1 - Duplicate takes: in DP, you can instantly duplicate a take - Midi and audio - to make a variation and compare the two. Logic Pro now has a takes folder, but can the user make a duplicate of a take without having to add a new track to the folder and then copy the data into it?

2 - Solo button: let's say I'm working with 40+ tracks and I want to A-B the brass section (10 tracks) with the full ensemble. In Logic, when I choose tracks to solo, that selection is lost after I disable the Solo button so I have to go back and re-solo the tracks or regions. Is this correct? If so, the only way around this that I can think of is a separate bus for the 10 tracks.

3 - in Logic, I insert a multi-timbral instrument, but the volume automation affects all MIDI channels of the same instrument. Is this true?(!) If so, is the only way around this to create separate aux tracks for each midi channel and automate the volume for each of those? Or use only one midi channel for an instance of a multi-timbral instrument Kontakt? In DP, each midi channel of a multi-timbral instrument responds to its own controller data . . . can this be done in Logic?

4 - when I record MIDI data into the Piano Roll editor, I don't see the MIDI notes until after the recording has stopped. Is there any preference to see the MIDI notes entered in the Piano Roll just after they are played, before stopping Record?

Please don't get me wrong . . . there are many, many wonderful features in Logic Pro . . . I could go on and on. But there are a few in DP that I miss when working in Logic and I just want to make sure that I'm not missing something that's actually there.

Thanks.

1) you have to make a new comp for audio, for midi you'll have to duplicate the whole track, or add similar and copy the midi over there. There are midi take folders but I haven't found those too useful as I can't punch in on one without making a new take.

2)correct

3) there's a work around that will work for some vi's using the ol' environment and a transformer object. I use it for K3, rmx, omnisphere. I'm too tired to explain right now but you can do a search here or at logic pro help.com You essentially have to transform the volume cc data to a different number and then assign that to the volume control in kontakt, etc. It's OK once you have it set up in your main template. I always forget the specifics on what the transformer settings are....

4) I don't think so. It's also a pain when you're doing an overdub on a track as the data disappears as you start recording.

I too am a long time DP head and as of this year have unofficially switched to Logic. I'm mostly in love with the cpu efficiency (compared to DP) but there are many other things I've grown fond of (like fx, automation view, etc) . I've just adjusted how I do things to compensate. I'm doing a thing in DP right now that only has 3 K3.5's loaded and it's been a little rough. Just make sure you save and backup often and you'll be fine! Also check out the the great tutorials at groove3.com (just rent em).

 

[CRoze]

Many thanks for your help. I find that some projects are best done in Logic, others in DP. In DP, the nested track folders (with the quick option-click to see/hear only those tracks), the takes features (new, duplicate, etc.) for quickly making many versions of an idea, the V-rack for changing projects without waiting for samples to reload, the ease of editing MIDI duration/velocity/quantize, drawing in and shaping continuous controller data, the solo A-B, are best for acoustic orchestral mockups; but in Logic, the automation, the preset chains, the loop browser, the instruments and sounds, the ease of mixer output assignments and track grouping, and, of course, the region-based sequencing are all fantastic and these work best for my (infrequent) commercial projects (I'm mostly a classical composer). Thanks, Dave, for confirming my suspicion that the DP features are in fact absent from Logic.

 

[Ginger]

2 - Solo button: let's say I'm working with 40+ tracks and I want to A-B the brass section (10 tracks) with the full ensemble. In Logic, when I choose tracks to solo, that selection is lost after I disable the Solo button so I have to go back and re-solo the tracks or regions. Is this correct? If so, the only way around this that I can think of is a separate bus for the 10 tracks.

Logic has both track solo and region solo. If you select the regions, and use region solo, you'll get the result you want by going in and out of solo mode (as long as the same regions are selected). Region solo is the button in the transport panel, track solo is the button in the track list.

It would be nice if clicking on a track solo button with a modifier would re-solo all the tracks that previously were soloed.

3 - in Logic, I insert a multi-timbral instrument, but the volume automation affects all MIDI channels of the same instrument.

Unfortunately, when you create a new MIDI instrument using the Arrange button, a multi-instrument is created and the 'master' channel is selected, which isn't what you want. If you control click the track, and select Reassign Track Object, you can select one of the sub channels, and then you'll get the behavior you want.

4 - when I record MIDI data into the Piano Roll editor, I don't see the MIDI notes until after the recording has stopped. Is there any preference to see the MIDI notes entered in the Piano Roll just after they are played, before stopping Record?

This works fine even in the score editor - you'll see each note you play entered in score as you record them, so I don't see why this should happen in the Piano Roll...

 

[Eli]

1 - Duplicate takes: in DP, you can instantly duplicate a take - Midi and audio - to make a variation and compare the two. Logic Pro now has a takes folder, but can the user make a duplicate of a take without having to add a new track to the folder and then copy the data into it?

There are many ways to create duplicate backups quickly and easily in Logic. You can go to the Audio Bin and choose to "copy" a file from under the audio file menu. You can do it in the Sample Editor. There is a create backup command under the file menu. And you can do it straight away in the Arrange Window from the Audio menu. There is a command to convert regions to new audio files.

2 - Solo button: let's say I'm working with 40+ tracks and I want to A-B the brass section (10 tracks) with the full ensemble. In Logic, when I choose tracks to solo, that selection is lost after I disable the Solo button so I have to go back and re-solo the tracks or regions. Is this correct? If so, the only way around this that I can think of is a separate bus for the 10 tracks.

Why not pack them into a folder in the Arrange Window. That way there is only one object to deal with for selecting and soloing?

3 - in Logic, I insert a multi-timbral instrument, but the volume automation affects all MIDI channels of the same instrument. Is this true?(!) If so, is the only way around this to create separate aux tracks for each midi channel and automate the volume for each of those? Or use only one midi channel for an instance of a multi-timbral instrument Kontakt? In DP, each midi channel of a multi-timbral instrument responds to its own controller data . . . can this be done in Logic?

You need to automate usign the plugins own part automation parameters rather than the vanilla "volume" parameter which applies to the whole instrument. I know RMX has part volume readily available from the list of it's available automation parameters. Not sure about Kontakt. It probably does - I'd be surprised if it didn't - but I'm not certain.

4 - when I record MIDI data into the Piano Roll editor, I don't see the MIDI notes until after the recording has stopped. Is there any preference to see the MIDI notes entered in the Piano Roll just after they are played, before stopping Record?
.

I don't have time to check this right now, but I don't recall having this problem. The notes seem to appear as I am recording them in - from what I remember.

PS: And to Daveyboy - if you want the display of the original region to remain as you are recording new material, make sure to turn off the link button. I know that works fine for viewing one region while recording a new one. Not certain about overdubbing on the same region - I don't have time to test it at the moment.

 

[Per Boysen]

2 - Solo button: let's say I'm working with 40+ tracks and I want to A-B the brass section (10 tracks) with the full ensemble. In Logic, when I choose tracks to solo, that selection is lost after I disable the Solo button so I have to go back and re-solo the tracks or regions. Is this correct? If so, the only way around this that I can think of is a separate bus for the 10 tracks.

Why not pack them into a folder in the Arrange Window. That way there is only one object to deal with for selecting and soloing?

- or have them pass through a bus (simply solo that bus)
- or group them (not particularly for the solo function but for many related)

(related)
When you are talking about "the solo button" I guess you are meaning the solo button on the graphical transport section? There may also be solo buttons to use on each arrange window track and on every mixer channel. To solo a stream at these different stages all have different implications and you can take advantage of that if you want.

It's typical for Logic that there may be many ways to perform a certain action. This is good for us that use Logic a lot and can afford the time to try out the methods that make best sense within our special workflow or project, but it might confuse a short-time user that just needs to perform one certain task in Logic.