Region Automation: Portamento Time

One of the many MIDI messages that can be automated. Creating an automation point adds an event with the control change message. Portamento Time is a required feature of the General MIDI GM2 specification.

From the MIDI specification (1996)

Portamento Control (PTC) is a recent addition, and defines a continuous controller that communicates which note number the subsequent note is gliding from. It is intended for special effects in playing back pre-sequenced material, so that legato with portamento may be realized while in Poly mode.

General MIDI 2 (GM 2)

– Portamento Time (cc#5)

Control Change Messages (Data Bytes)

5 00000101 05 Portamento Time 0-127 MSB

  Glue Tool    G

Using the Glue Tool saves an extra step when joining regions. When you join regions you select them and issue a Join command (command-J). With the Glue Tool selecting the regions joins them as you select.

Counterpart to Scissors Tool which will split regions everywhere you click.

You can choose the Glue Tool by selecting it from the Tool Menu, or, press T (tools) then G (glue).

I like using the T command to bring up the Tool Menu right at the location of the pointer. Handy.

Common Logic Pro tools — Apple Support

Use the Glue tool to join selected regions or events into a single region or event

  Export Alternative as Project…

This is a convenient way to preserve an alternative, possibly building extra work into the task of managing projects. It might be the right answer for step-by-step training, as long as the exported projects point to assets correctly.

Use Logic Pro project alternatives and backups — Apple Support

When Show Advanced Tools is selected in the Advanced preferences pane, you can create alternative versions of a project, each with a unique name and different settings. Project alternatives let you save “snapshots” of a project in different states, including different cuts or mixes. They’re saved as part of the project and share the same assets. Alternatives for the current project appear in the File > Project Alternatives submenu.

Apple doesn’t provide much in the way of understanding how to use Project Alternatives.

Eli Krantzberg provides a little more insight…

A is for Alternatives In The A To Z Of Logic Pro | Logic Pro

An obvious choice for the letter A might be automation. I did Alias in my original series. But I’d like to focus here on Alternatives. Specifically Project Alternatives. How many of us actually use project alternatives? Why do we like, or not like, them? I have to confess, like many old time Logic users, I have been slow to make the transition to project alternatives, versus the good old fashion “save as” routine we’ve used for years when needing to version a project in progress.