Logic Pro X Plug-Ins: Compressor, Limiter and Other Dynamic Tools

Logic Pro X Plug-Ins: Compressor, Limiter and Other Dynamic Tools:

Using Logic Pro X to control the dynamics of your overall mix as well as individual instruments is a crucial fundamental of mixing. Logic Pro’s compressor is your main tool for controlling dynamics as well as for effect. Compressors work well on individual sounds, groups of instruments or sounds, and even the entire mix. There are many types of dynamic control, include limiting, multiband compression, de-essing, gating, envelope shaping, side chaining, and parallel compression. Here, you learn how to use the dynamics tools of Logic Pro to create powerful and interesting mixes.

By Graham English

Show/Hide Event List — Logic Pro X keyboard command of the day

Logic Pro X keyboard command of the day. #LogicProX @StudioIntern1

  Show/Hide Event List

Open/Close the Event List on the right side of the Arrange window. This has no effect on the Event List window that is created by dragging the Event header from the lists display.

Event List overview — Logic Pro X:

The Event List is the most powerful, flexible, and complete MIDI editor in Logic Pro. All MIDI event types are listed alphanumerically in the Event List.

⇧ SHIFT – ⌃ CONTROL – ⌥ OPTION – ⌘ COMMAND

Linear Axis View — Logic Pro X keyboard command of the day

Logic Pro X keyboard command of the day. #LogicProX @StudioIntern1

  Linear Axis View

In the Score Editor ‘View’ menu — View Mode>Linear View. This is one of the “oddball” commands. The full text of the command makes no particular sense. The word “axis” appears infrequently in the documentation, usually referring to the timeline.

Simply put — change the view of the score to a single line.

View tracks as music notation in the Score Editor — Logic Pro X:

Linear view: Shows a single software instrument track in a continuous, horizontally scrolling view. Linear view is the standard view for editing the score.

⇧ SHIFT – ⌃ CONTROL – ⌥ OPTION – ⌘ COMMAND

Articulation ⌃⇧D — Logic Pro X keyboard command of the day

Logic Pro X keyboard command of the day. #LogicProX @StudioIntern1

  Articulation    ⌃⇧D

Toggle Articulation view in the Event Editor. Only available in the “View” menu when region data is present. If the Event Editor is at the “track” level the options does not show up. You have to open a MIDI region to view the Articulation data.

Articulation “sets” allow you to alter the sound of an instrument (e.g. orchestral violin) by using a “mark” to denote style. Think about staccato or marcato, or tenuto. It is the language of the orchestral score. Jazz players have a different set of articulations, but it is similar. Think doit, fall, or scoop.

The mechanics of the articulation mark are a MIDI event, often ‘Note On’, of a particular value which is not in the range that the instrument can play. Logic allows you to create sets of articulations, each set up to 254 IDs with control over MIDI channel, and a symbol that can be used in the Score Editor to indicate a different articulation.

Each articulation can be associated with a switch, and output(s) that can be used to control MIDI devices.

As I think about this I wonder if I could create a MIDI region consisting of Articulations alone that can be used as “macros” to control devices.

Meanwhile, I should practice using articulations to control my orchestral instruments (Miroslav Philharmonik) and practice with Logic’s “Studio Horns” and “Studio Strings”.

Extra credit if I build a functional articulation set for my orchestra and share it with the world.

Manage articulations with the Articulation Set Editor — Logic Pro X:

The Articulation Set Editor can be used to create sophisticated key switch and controller switch definitions, and define output transformations, which enables compatibility with third party sample libraries. You can also use the Articulation Set Editor to create Articulation Sets for instruments that have assigned Articulation IDs to sample groups, but do not have pre-configured articulations. For example, some EXS instruments come pre-configured with specific sample groups identified by an Articulation ID but do not have pre-configured Articulation Sets. For more information on how the EXS uses Articulation IDs, see Articulation ID handling.

Manage articulations for software instruments — Logic Pro X:

If an Articulation Set is loaded, you can select between articulations using the Articulations pop-up menu in the plug-in window header. Some software instruments let you view the most recently played articulation in the plug-in interface as well.

⇧ SHIFT – ⌃ CONTROL – ⌥ OPTION – ⌘ COMMAND