Logic Pro 7 & earlier Logic 7 Environments - again

[Maestro_T]

Where's the best place I can find real dummy's environment tutorials? 🙂

I have downloaded many environments for most of my hardware, but still have problems actually USING them.

All I would really like to do is create a template with all my hardware in the environment. That way I can just load that template at the beginning of a session and go - once I get the hang of using them correctly.

Main pieces interested in:

2 X JV1080 - with expansion cards
Akai CD3000XL
Korg 05 R/W
Yamaha MU-50
Yamaha ProMix 01

I have more to add, but I think if I can get this much sorted out, I'll be able to figure out the rest.

 

[georgelegeriii]

Not really for this kind of stuff, especially as the environment is now mostly automatically configured.

I what specifically are you trying to do? What specific issues are you having? Also, what midi interface?

I can tell you one thing: the 2 1080 are going to be a bugger... there isn't a way you can assign a machine number to an environment layer going to them, and the whole multi thing is a real mess to work with, from what I remember. Too bad sounddiver is a dead app...

 

[Maestro_T]

All of my pieces would be multi's. 🙁

I'm using an Emagic Unitor 8 MkII midi interface (thinking of adding another one). I'm using Logic 7, so I don't think environment is automatically set up. Not that I can see anyway.

Yes, I was really looking forward to using SoundDiver, and I haven't been able to find anything with it's kind of power without a silly price to go with it. I found a beta OSX release, but haven't been able to get it to work. The next closest thing I found was the Midiquest app.

The bits I use have functionality and/or hidden gems accessible via program changes and sysex etc. It seems most modern daws are moving so far away from hardware that they have all but dropped this functionality.

So, initially, I'd like to be able to bank/program changes, have the patch names listed for easy recall (I've managed some of this, but it's still not straight forward). Eventually, I want to control as many aspects of my hardware that I can via midi. I've got filter boards and internal FX just crying out to be manipulated in real-time. I know many people see this way of working as archaic, but it's a way I like to work. I keep as much external and midi as possible. I like to make a lot of my decisions before I print to audio.

 

[JuanTahnahmahrah]

I used Logic 4.8 to 5.51 on a PC until Logic 8 came around. I have been using 9 on a Mac Pro, but came across some self-written notes (from about 2005 -- concerning Logic 5.51 and the environment) that I have been wanting to post because I am moving away from paper and the LUG site is a good spot to park these archaic instructions.

It was written to remind me how to do something which is handled very simplistically in the 2011 version of Logic, but which was difficult to figure out in 5.51, and presumably remained enigmatic in versions 6 and 7, but I have never used them.

Seems to me, loading an external MIDI instrument does not require all these steps, but I wanted to use two of Logic's Emagic "built-in" synths, i.e., ES-P or ES-M.

TO LOAD AN EMAGIC INSTRUMENT:

1) Open the environment window.
2) Select the instruments page.
3) Create either an "instrument" or a "multi-instrument."
4) Give it a meaningful name and enable all channels.
5) Next, create an audio object.
6) Click the "CHA" field in the parameters box and select one of the 64 possible instruments. Double-click on the audio object.
7) Load the instrument in the "slot" above the "output" slot (i.e., below I/O). Load voices and set audio instrument to "All MIDI channels."
8) Run a virtual cable between the instrument created in (3) above and the audio object created in (5) above.
9) Open the arrange window.
10) Click-hold on an audio track and drag to open instruments and select the instrument you loaded in (7) above.

As I read my instructions, it is clear to me that underlying knowledge of how Logic works is a prerequisite to using them. And if I thought anyone else would have had a need for these steps to nirvana, I could have thoughtfully provided a reference to the sections of the reference manual and/or Logic books that fill in the gaps. Oops.

Was all this really necessary?

I had heard professionals were using Logic with MIDI, and was determined to see if it really did what it was supposed to do.

With external MIDI instruments, some of the instructions apply. There are physical MIDI and audio cabling duties, as well as the distinction between MIDI and audio tracks, which should be elementary.