Category: Practice

Control Surfaces

I am committed to learning how to really “drive” Logic Pro X. Along with the software I have some hardware that can help. I’m speaking of control surfaces. Apple provides some very nice helper tools for the iPhone and iPad — Logic Remote — that makes working in the studio so much easier.

Take the simple task of recording with microphones that are not in front of the computer. How do you start and stop the recording? Simple, Logic Remote on the iPhone gives you handy transport controls. No wires required.

For the big tasks (typically) I use my Behringer X-Touch — a wonderful surface that can drive Logic Pro X like it’s a Mackie Control, or my XR18 using the Behringer XCTL protocol. Swapping between the two modes is a simple matter of pressing the SMPTE/BEATS button located at the right side of the clock display. This does make one function a little harder — changing the clock display. That happens in the “Control Surface Setup” window. Change the “Clock Display” setting to whichever display you want to use.

I should start a separate blog series like “Logic Pro X Keyboard Command of the Day” with X-Touch functions. I did just add “X-Air Edit Keyboard Command of the Day” to my daily wisdom file.

Arranging Sampled Strings — KeyboardMag

Arranging Sampled Strings — KeyboardMag:

“Use separate patches for each instrument, as this fights playing strings like an organ and forces you to think of all of the parts separately, as an arranger working with real string players would.”

I’m so glad I went to Feedly to find MusicTech feed today. In the list of similar was Keyboard Magazine. It’s not just about playing keyboards and pianos, it’s about using keyboards.

I’m always on the lookout for arranging tips for “virtual” ensembles, including how to size and “sound” the groups of instruments.

Handy hints. Examples in score!!!!

7 Mistakes Audio Engineers Make When Setting Up a Home Studio — Audio Issues : Audio Issues

7 Mistakes Audio Engineers Make When Setting Up a Home Studio — Audio Issues : Audio Issues:

Setting up a studio can be expensive. All too often, engineers blow their entire budget on gear and forget to buy cables to hook it all up.

I found out about TS vs. TSR (balanced vs. un-balanced) cables 15 seconds in to installing by JBL LSR305 monitors. Balanced cables everywhere except for the guitar cables.

I have “little or no acoustic treatment”, but! Wall behind monitors has non-flat surface, reflections are “different”. Ceiling has coved corners, so angles are odd. Right wall has bookcase with assorted things on it. Back wall is bookcases with assorted things. Front left corner is bare. When doing room correction with ARC2 I can actually hear the corner being weird. With Sonarworks Reference I can see the odd curves in the correction model.

My speakers are isolated with yoga blocks. Fantastic stands. $10/pair. Currently using one pair per side.

No sub-woofer here. The <40 Hz response on the JBLs is enough to get me happy bass. Got rid of the sub-woofer in my TV room as well. Nothing useful there. If I want big bass I’ll just go to a club, throw the -20 dB earplugs in, and let my body be pummeled. 😉

Good tips

Mackie Control Markers

All about markers, especially creating them from the MCU.

Press the “Marker” button and hold. The secrets of the V-pots are revealed.

I use “Large Marker” mode to listen to new tracks.

Easiest to “quote” the relevant pages from the Control Surfaces manual

Mackie Control Marker button

Mackie Control Marker button overview

Press the MARKER button to activate one of three marker modes: Small Marker mode, Large Marker mode, and Temporary Marker mode. You can use these modes to create or delete markers and jump to markers in your project.

Note: The Marker and Nudge modes are mutually exclusive; activating one deactivates the other.

Small Marker mode: Press the MARKER button to activate Small Marker mode. Small Marker mode is useful if you want to jump to markers while using the V-Pots for other purposes. In this mode, pressing the FAST FWD or REWIND button moves the playhead to the next or previous marker. Pressing the MARKER button again reverts to the default behavior of the FAST FWD and REWIND buttons. (See Mackie Control transport buttons overview.)

Large Marker mode: Hold down the SHIFT button, then press the MARKER button to show three create options on the LCD, assigned to the three rightmost V-Pot buttons. (See Large Marker mode.)

Temporary Marker mode: Hold down the MARKER button if you want to enter Marker mode temporarily to quickly perform a few marker functions. Press one (or more) of the V-Pot[…]”

Excerpt From: Apple Inc. “Logic Pro X Control Surfaces Support.” iBooks.

Control
— Action

V-Pot 1 to 5
— Displays the first five markers by name. Pressing a V-Pot button moves the playhead to the corresponding marker. When the playhead position is inside a marker, the lower line displays INSIDE, and the V-Pot LED ring is lit.

V-Pot 6
— Cr w/o—Creates a marker, without rounding to the nearest bar.

V-Pot 7
— Create—Creates a marker, rounded to the nearest bar.

V-Pot 8
— Delete—Deletes the marker above the current playhead position.

A recommended workflow for creating or deleting markers is to use the Jog/Scrub Wheel. Turn the wheel to move the playhead to the required project position, and then press the appropriate V-Pot to create or delete a marker.

For coarse placement, use the wheel to move the playhead.

For fine placement, press the SCRUB button, then use the wheel to precisely position the playhead. (This technique is only appropriate if creating or deleting an unrounded marker.)

For more information about using the Jog/Scrub Wheel, see Mackie Control Jog/Scrub wheel.

Large Marker mode is ended by pressing the MARKER button again.

Excerpt From: Apple Inc. “Logic Pro X Control Surfaces Support.