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

  Set Rounded Locators and Play

I have claimed that this is a more useful command than ‘Set Locators and Play’. Rounds the locators to the nearest barlines and starts playback.

Use the Marquee tool to highlight part of a region, press ⇧⌃⌥⌘UC and off we go. I have programmed the keypress, add the ‘C’ and Cycle is turned on.

Use the cycle area — Logic Pro X

Set Rounded Locators and Play and Set Rounded Locators and Record: Rounds the position of the locators to the barline that is nearest to the beginning and end points of the selected regions or events, and starts playback or recording.

⇧ SHIFT – ⌃ CONTROL – ⌥ OPTION – ⌘ COMMAND

Skim download | SourceForge.net

Skim is a PDF reader and note-taker for OS X. It is designed to help you read and annotate scientific papers in PDF, but is also great for viewing any PDF file. Skim requires Mac OS X 10.6 or higher.

I have used Skim for a while (years) but not very heavily. I always wanted a way to share annotations with PDF files in Preview just because it’s the default reader.

I have decided for the time being that Skim will be my default reader/annotator. Why? Search works very well compared to the anemic (and sometimes broken) search in Preview.

Search the “Logic Pro X User Guide” for ‘add a control point’. In Preview we get the words found on 47 pages. In Skim we get the 5 locations where the string occurs. That’s exactly what I want.

Bookmarks in Skim can be session-only, or remembered. Very handy.

The multi-pane window interface — table of contents on the left (or search results) and annotations on the right, with separate search criteria. Document remains in the middle. Very much like the interface in Scrivener, which I use for all of my notebooks and workbooks.

Now if I could get Scrivener to open PDF files in Skim I would be happy. In the interim I have created a script and assigned it to a key command that will open the Preview document in Skim for me.

I feel like I have accomplished something useful today.

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

  Show/Hide Signature Track

Displays time signature and key signature below the rulers. Sometimes it’s nice to be able to see where you are at a glance. I’m used to printed scores, so seeing the Signature track is a bit different.

Time and key signatures overview — Logic Pro X

Time and key signatures are global events that affect all tracks in a project. When you create a new project, you can set the time and key signature in the Project Chooser. You can view time and key signatures in the Signature track, the Signature List, and the Score Editor, and add and edit signature changes in a variety of ways.

⇧ SHIFT – ⌃ CONTROL – ⌥ OPTION – ⌘ COMMAND

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

  Snap Mode: Quarter Frames

Sets the ‘snap to grid’ value to quarter frames. I often wondered how people got the music and the video to line up so well. Frames (and fractional frames) are just the thing.

Work with absolute time code — Logic Pro X

The production process for video, film, or TV commercials is different from music production. Synchronization is always used, unlike in music production, where it is not always required. You need to work in absolute time: hours, minutes, seconds, and frames, rather than in bars and beats. Edits to the video, including changes to scene length, additional cuts, the use of slow or fast motion, and dialogue changes (or “redos”) are among the many situations that you will encounter when creating or editing a soundtrack.

⇧ SHIFT – ⌃ CONTROL – ⌥ OPTION – ⌘ COMMAND