Logic Pro 8 More Newby questions please.

[JonHob]

Please can anyone help me with a few newby questions?

1. When in piano roll mode, is there any way logic can show the the actual notes that are playing ie A#, Bb etc? In Cubase which I'm used to, you can expand the size of the midi notes so they show the notes which makes it faster to work with. Hope this makes sense??

2. I have loads of VST's on my PC both bought and downloaded/freeware. Will these load in to Logic? I know EZ Drummer is OK as I've already installed it.

3. When I have downloaded demo instruments like Rob Papen's Predator I'm being asked what I want to open the program with. Am I that thick that all I need to click on is Logic? this answer seems too easy and if it is right I'm doing something wrong!

4. On the side of my Mac there is a large multi-pin plug which I'm guessing is for an external monitor. Can I link this to a standard "9 pin D" connector?


Thanks in advance...

 

[Eli]

Please can anyone help me with a few newby questions?

1. When in piano roll mode, is there any way logic can show the the actual notes that are playing ie A#, Bb etc? In Cubase which I'm used to, you can expand the size of the midi notes so they show the notes which makes it faster to work with. Hope this makes sense??

There's no real way to do this other than to create a screen set with a score window and piano roll window both open. Or, a screen set with the piano roll and event list both open - if you prefer a written demarcation of the note names.

2. I have loads of VST's on my PC both bought and downloaded/freeware. Will these load in to Logic? I know EZ Drummer is OK as I've already installed it.

VST instruments can only be used in Logic if they are converted first with a "wrapper" like the one by FXpansion. But they have to be Mac versions of the VST plugins;not PC versions.

3. When I have downloaded demo instruments like Rob Papen's Predator I'm being asked what I want to open the program with. Am I that thick that all I need to click on is Logic? this answer seems too easy and if it is right I'm doing something wrong!

You open the plug ins like this from within Logic. You don't double click to open them on their own in the Finder.

4. On the side of my Mac there is a large multi-pin plug which I'm guessing is for an external monitor. Can I link this to a standard "9 pin D" connector?

Not sure about this.....

 

[Eddie Sullivan]

newby Questions

no worries on being a newb- because this stuff changes all of the time we are all newbs in a way : )

I'm not sure about Cubase- are the notes displayed on the actual MIDI bars as they appear in the piano roll? Maybe you can take a screenshot...

As far as your plug-ins... VST is one 'language' of plug ins. There are a couple of others, AudioUnits, RTAS, etc... but Logic only 'speaks' the 'language' of AudioUnits.

Some plug ins have AudioUnits *and* VST versions of their plugs, like EZ Drummer (grats on using that btw... it's one of the best bargains in the music software industry imo...) and there are some translators... like FXpansion 'wrappers' that allow users to use plug ins of different formats in their hosts, but you are usually going to want to use the AudioUnits plug ins if you are using Logic.

You might want to check the VST's that you are using and see if the developer made an AudioUnits version. Or you could let the group know what effects you are looking for and we can recommend an AudioUnits plug that might do the trick. Logic has so many really amazing built-in plug ins you may be able to just use Logic plug ins for most stuff. I love Logic's Multipressor more than girls and beer...

I use Predator (ain't it amazing!) and I use it in Logic. You simply create a new software instrument and then select Predator as the input and you can manipulate Predator's interface right in Logic. This gives you the ability to create MIDI sequences to trigger Predator, as well as add effects to Predator, like a reverb or delay or something. As a side point- I just got Blue by Rob Papen and if you want more lush dreamier sounds, or more complex ones, and you like Predator, you will love Blue.

As far as the connector on the Mac, can you specify what Mac you have? It sounds as if you are referring to a Video monitor port, one that you can add another LCD panel to, if you post the type of Mac you have we might be able to figure it out. Sometimes you need to buy an adapter to go from that port to a monitor, Apple supplies a few different adapters that give you the ability to choose whatever monitor you like.

 

[Sascha Franck]

1. When in piano roll mode, is there any way logic can show the the actual notes that are playing ie A#, Bb etc? In Cubase which I'm used to, you can expand the size of the midi notes so they show the notes which makes it faster to work with. Hope this makes sense??

Defenitely one of the drawbacks with Logics piano roll. However, once you grab a note, the information will be displayed instantly.

4. On the side of my Mac there is a large multi-pin plug which I'm guessing is for an external monitor. Can I link this to a standard "9 pin D" connector?

As you say "on the side", I assume you're using a laptop, right? In that case, there's several adapters available from lots of stores. I'm using a mini DVI (guess that's what those sockets are called like) to VGA adapter sucessfully with my Macbook. Just ask in a decent shop and they'll have something for you.

- Sascha

 

[JonHob]

Thanks for all your help and advice. I'm sure I'll be back with more!!!

 

[EdgarRothermich]

About the Piano Roll question.
This is was one of the features I missed when I switched from Cubase to Logic a few years ago. It is kind of ridiculous that Logic doesn't have this little but very helpful feature.

About VST in Logic.
Yes it is true that Logic itself only supports the AU platform.
- BUT -
FXpansion offers a VST to AU wrapper which I used during the transition time when AU was new. However there is a much more powerful and not much publicized solution to play VST plugins in Logic and the name is Native Instruments "Kore2". It loads as a regular AU software instrument and can act as a VST host, really cool.