Logic Pro 8 Now no sound from click track

[silverface]

Decided to start from scratch per the information received in my thread about an inaudible audio track.

Got that solved by fixing the I/O on the right channel strip and being advised to just ignore the left ones.

I was also advise to send tracks to a bus rather than the default "outputs 1&2" if only recording one of two tracks at a time.

So now I have no problem hearing my audio track (sidebar - accidentally clicked the two circles at the bottom of the channel strip - the ones that supposedly swap from stereo to mono - and THAT also made my audio track audible. Which makes absolutely NO sense!!).

Anyway - These are just experiments while I follow manuals trying to learn the thing, so I created a new project, a new audio track, sent it to bus 1 - all was good.

Until I tried to create a click track (the first problem being apparently various resources use the term Click, Metronome, and "Klogenwhatzit". Can't find any basic "here's how to set up a 4-beat intro" or whatever.

Did find instructions for dragging a click track to (I think) overwrite a newly created software track (doesn't actually say what kind of track to open or any other details, which ends up like this:

...it goes to outputs "1&2" with no apparent way to change it; the meters show it's generating a "click"; but it's not audible (whether software monitoring is enabled or not) anywhere - computer, headphones, interface headphone jack - nowhere.

A visible click is impractical - it SHOULD be audible - correct?

Suggestions?

Thanks -

Jim

(PS there's nothing visible recorded as with no click track I quit after playing a couple of chords and deleted the take - but that part worked fine).

 

[Peter Ostry]

Until I tried to create a click track (the first problem being apparently various resources use the term Click, Metronome, and "Klogenwhatzit".

You don't need a "click track". The Logic click is a preconfigured instrument channelstrip with the number 256. No need to make an Arrange track for it. Just route the channelstrip directly to your Out 1-2 which is the default.

Can't find any basic "here's how to set up a 4-beat intro" or whatever.

This is called "count-in" in Logic and can be set in the recording settings. Available either through a long click on the record button or via the main menu:
File -> Project settings -> Recording

Similar for the click settings. Either do a long click on the metronome button or use the menu:
File -> Project Settings -> Metronome

A visible click is impractical - it SHOULD be audible - correct?

Correct.

 

[silverface]

Got it, thanks! I guess one of the biggest problems I'm having are inconsistencies in naming conventions between the Logic manual, the Cousins/Heworth-Sawyer book I was given (and told it was far better than the manual, something I'm finding true only about half the time), a recommended video series ("Logic Studio Training"), the software itself and small tape studio slang (e.g. "count-in" is not something I would look for when trying to find a "click track") - "click track is mentioned in the manual only as "something useful for the drummer" and count-in doesn't show up until page 942! (neither are in the book's index).

Note - I'm not whining about this stuff - I'm posting so that future "searchers" may stumble onto this thread and find very basic studio info that's hidden in materials written (apparently) by "software engineers".

Peter, I've created a text file for reference of your tips so I don't lose 'em!

PS - noted a "glitch" that may be affecting some of these things (but certainly affects my ability to record and then playback through my studio monitors) - my MobilePre is suddenly only appearing in the Mac's (and Logic's) list of available I/O devices intermittently. I thought it might be a problem with the hub (which was never an issue when creating digital copies of tapes via Audacity and the couple of times I managed it in Garageband) - but even plugged in direct it seems to only randomly show up. My only alternative with phantom power, an Alesis Multimix 4, shows as a generic USB device and just doesn't seem as sonically "neutral"

So it seems I also need to start hunting for a newer used interface (being on disability, my "budget" for new hardware is zero - if anyone can recommend the cheapest decent interface - minimum 2 channels; 4 would be better - and phantom power is a must...please let me know). The sheer number of I/O-preamp units on the market is mind-numbing, and reviews seem to be useless in their inconsistency! I don't want to end up with a "white elephant" but can't afford the newest, greatest either.

Thanks again Peter - you were the only one kind enough to answer my "rank beginner" questions and I truly appreciate the time it takes to do so.

 

[Peter Ostry]

So it seems I also need to start hunting for a newer used interface (being on disability, my "budget" for new hardware is zero - if anyone can recommend the cheapest decent interface - minimum 2 channels; 4 would be better - and phantom power is a must...please let me know).

If you can get a used Presonus or Focusrite interface, be it USB or Firewire (if your Mac has Firewire) - those have pretty good mic preamps even in the cheaper price range.