Logic Pro User Guide
- Welcome
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- What is Logic Pro?
- Workflow overview
- Logic Pro project basics
- Advanced tools and additional options
- Undo and redo edits
- Manage Logic Pro content
- How to get help
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- Projects overview
- Create projects
- Open projects
- Save projects
- Delete projects
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- Play a project
- Set the playhead position
- Control playback with the transport buttons
- Use transport shortcut menus
- Use transport keyboard shortcuts
- Customize the control bar
- Change the LCD display mode
- Monitor and reset MIDI events
- Use the cycle area
- Use the Chase Events function
- Control Logic Pro using Apple Remote
- Control Logic Pro projects using Logic Remote
- Preview projects in the Finder
- Close projects
- View project information
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- Overview
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- Before recording software instruments
- Play software instruments
- Record software instruments
- Record additional software instrument takes
- Overdub software instrument recordings
- Spot erase software instrument recordings
- Use Note Repeat
- Record to multiple software instrument tracks
- Replace software instrument recordings
- Record multiple MIDI devices to multiple tracks
- Record software instruments and audio simultaneously
- Use step input recording techniques
- Use the metronome
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- Overview
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- Regions overview
- Select regions
- Select parts of regions
- Cut, copy, and paste regions
- Move regions
- Add or remove gaps
- Delay region playback
- Loop regions
- Repeat regions
- Resize regions
- Mute and solo regions
- Time stretch regions
- Split regions
- Demix MIDI regions
- Join regions
- Create regions in the Tracks area
- Normalize audio regions in the Tracks area
- Create aliases of MIDI regions
- Clone audio regions
- Convert repeated MIDI regions to loops
- Change the color of regions
- Convert audio regions to Sampler zones
- Rename regions
- Delete regions
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- Overview
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- Add notes
- Select notes
- Snap items to the grid
- Move notes
- Copy notes
- Change the pitch of notes
- Resize notes
- Edit note velocity
- Quantize the timing of notes
- Quantize the pitch of notes
- Change note articulations
- Lock the position of events
- Mute notes
- Change note color
- View note labels
- Delete notes
- Time stretch notes
- View multiple MIDI regions
- Split chords
- Automation/MIDI area in the Piano Roll Editor
- Open other editors
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- Flex Time and Pitch overview
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- Flex Pitch algorithm and parameters
- Edit the pitch of audio in the Audio Track Editor or a zoomed in track
- Edit the pitch of audio in the Tracks area when the track is not zoomed in
- Correct the timing of audio regions with Flex Pitch
- Quantize the pitch of audio regions
- Create MIDI from audio recordings
- Change the gain of notes in audio regions
- Use Varispeed to alter the speed and pitch of audio
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- Mixing overview
- Set channel strip input formats
- Set channel strip pan or balance positions
- Mute and solo channel strips
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- Plug-ins overview
- Add, remove, move, and copy plug-ins
- Insert a plug-in on a track using drag and drop
- Activate plug-ins on inactive channels
- Use the Channel EQ
- Work in the plug-in window
- Work with plug-in settings
- Work with plug-in latencies
- Work with Audio Units plug-ins
- Support for ARA 2 compatible plug-ins
- Use the Plug-in Manager
- Work with channel strip settings
- Surround panning
- Use the I/O Labels window
- Undo and redo Mixer and plug-in adjustments
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- Smart Controls overview
- Show Smart Controls for master effects
- Choose a Smart Control layout
- Automatic MIDI controller assignment
- Map screen controls automatically
- Map screen controls
- Edit mapping parameters
- Use parameter mapping graphs
- Open the plug-in window for a screen control
- Rename a screen control
- Use articulation IDs to change articulations
- Assign hardware controls to screen controls
- Compare Smart Control edits with saved settings in Logic Pro
- Use the Arpeggiator
- Automate screen control movements
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- Live Loops overview
- Start and stop cells
- Work with Live Loops cells
- Change loop settings for cells
- How the Live Loops grid and Tracks area interact
- Edit cells
- Edit scenes
- Work in the Cell Editor
- Bounce cells
- Record a Live Loops performance
- Change Live Loops grid settings
- Control Live Loops in Logic Pro with other devices
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- Overview
- Add notes
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- Part box overview
- View score symbols
- Select score symbols
- Add notes and rests
- Add notes and symbols to multiple regions
- Add key and time signature changes
- Change the clef sign
- Add dynamic marks, slurs, and crescendi
- Change note heads
- Add symbols to notes
- Add trills, ornaments, and tremolo symbols
- Add sustain pedal markings
- Add chord symbols
- Add chord grids and tablature symbols
- Add bar lines, repeats, and coda signs
- Add page and line break symbols
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- Select notes
- Move and copy notes
- Change note pitch, duration, and velocity
- Change note articulations
- Quantize the timing of notes
- Restrict note input to the current key
- Control how ties are displayed
- Add and edit tuplets
- Override display quantization using tuplets
- Add grace notes and independent notes
- Delete notes
- Use automation in the Score Editor
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- Staff styles overview
- Assign staff styles to tracks
- Staff Style window
- Create and duplicate staff styles
- Edit staff styles
- Edit staff, voice, and assign parameters
- Add and delete staffs or voices in the Logic Pro Staff Style window
- Copy staffs or voices in the Logic Pro Staff Style window
- Copy staff styles between projects
- Delete staff styles
- Assign notes to voices and staffs
- Display polyphonic parts on separate staffs
- Change the staff assignment of score symbols
- Beam notes across staffs
- Use mapped staff styles for drum notation
- Predefined staff styles
- Share a score
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- Environment overview
- Common object parameters
- Customize the Environment
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- Fader objects overview
- Use fader objects
- Play back fader movements
- Work with object groups
- Fader styles
- Fader functions: MIDI events
- Fader functions: range, value as
- Fader functions: filter
- Vector fader
- Special faders overview
- Cable switchers
- Meta event faders
- SysEx faders
- Work with SysEx messages
- Special functions
- Ornament objects
- MMC record buttons
- Keyboard objects
- Monitor objects
- Channel splitter object
- Physical input objects
- Physical input objects
- MIDI click objects
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- Key commands overview
- Browse, import, and save key commands
- Assign key commands
- Copy and print key commands
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- Global Commands key commands
- Global Control Surfaces Commands
- Various windows
- Windows Showing Audio files
- Main Window Tracks and Various Editors
- Live Loops Grid
- Various Editors
- Views showing Time Ruler
- Main Window Tracks
- Mixer
- MIDI Environment
- Piano Roll
- Score Editor
- Event Editor
- Step Editor
- Step Sequencer
- Project Audio
- Audio File Editor
- Smart Tempo Editor
- Sampler
- Step Input Keyboard
- Tool key commands in Logic Pro
- Touch Bar shortcuts
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- Working with your control surface
- Connect control surfaces
- Add a control surface to Logic Pro
- Automatic assignment for USB MIDI controllers
- Grouping control surfaces
- Control Surfaces preferences overview
- Modal dialog display
- Tips for using your control surface
- Control surfaces supported by Logic Pro
- Software and firmware
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- Learn about Effects
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- Learn about Amps and Pedals
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- Bass Amp Designer overview
- Bass amplifier models
- Bass cabinet models
- Build a custom combo
- Amplifier signal flow
- Pre-amp signal flow
- Use the D.I. box
- Amplifier controls
- Bass Amp Designer effects overview
- Bass Amp Designer EQ
- Bass Amp Designer compressor
- Bass Amp Designer Graphic EQ
- Bass Amp Designer Parametric EQ
- Bass Amp Designer microphone controls
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- Use MIDI plug-ins
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- Arpeggiator overview
- Arpeggiator control parameters
- Note order parameters overview
- Note order variations
- Note order inversions
- Arpeggiator pattern parameters overview
- Use Live mode
- Use Grid mode
- Arpeggiator options parameters
- Arpeggiator keyboard parameters
- Use keyboard parameters
- Assign controller parameters
- Modifier MIDI plug-in controls
- Note Repeater MIDI plug-in controls
- Randomizer MIDI plug-in controls
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- Use the Scripter MIDI plug-in
- Use the Script Editor
- Scripter API overview
- MIDI processing functions overview
- HandleMIDI function
- ProcessMIDI function
- GetParameter function
- SetParameter function
- ParameterChanged function
- Reset function
- JavaScript objects overview
- Use the JavaScript Event object
- Use the JavaScript TimingInfo object
- Use the Trace object
- Use the MIDI event beatPos property
- Use the JavaScript MIDI object
- Create Scripter controls
- Transposer MIDI plug-in controls
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- Learn about included Instruments
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- Alchemy overview
- Name bar
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- Alchemy source overview
- Source master controls
- Import browser
- Source subpage controls
- Source filter controls
- Source filter use tips
- Source elements overview
- Additive element controls
- Additive element effects
- Spectral element controls
- Spectral element effects
- Pitch correction controls
- Formant filter controls
- Granular element controls
- Sampler element controls
- VA element controls
- Source modulations
- Morph controls
- Master voice section
- Alchemy extended parameters
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- Logic Pro Quick Sampler overview
- Add content to Logic Pro Quick Sampler
- Logic Pro Quick Sampler waveform display
- Use Flex in Logic Pro Quick Sampler
- Logic Pro Quick Sampler Pitch controls
- Logic Pro Quick Sampler Filter controls
- Quick Sampler filter types
- Logic Pro Quick Sampler Amp controls
- Logic Pro Quick Sampler extended parameters
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- Sculpture overview
- Sculpture interface
- Global parameters
- Amplitude envelope parameters
- Use the Waveshaper
- Filter parameters
- Output parameters
- Use surround range and diversity
- Assign MIDI controllers
- Extended parameters
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- Ultrabeat overview
- Ultrabeat interface
- Synthesizer section overview
- Filter section controls
- Distortion circuit controls
- Glossary
Select, copy, and move automation in Logic Pro
After you create automation points and curves, you can easily change things to meet your needs. You can copy automation within a track or between tracks and can move automation within a track. When moving regions, you can choose whether or not to move any existing automation with it.
You can only use the Automation Select and Automation Curve tools to select and bend automation curves when Show Advanced Tools is selected in the Advanced preferences pane.
Select automation
In Logic Pro, do one of the following:
Drag across any selection of automation points and curves.
Click the automation curve with the pointer or Automation Select tool.
Select non-contiguous automation
In Logic Pro, do one of the following:
Hold down Shift and drag across multiple non-contiguous automation points and curves.
Hold down Shift and click multiple non-contiguous automation points and curves with the pointer or Automation Select tool.
Select specific automation values within a time range
Sometimes you may want to only select a specific range of automation points and curves in a time range. Rather than every automation point and curve. You can do this by holding down the Option key.
In Logic Pro, hold down Option and drag across a range of automation curves both vertically to select a value range, and horizontally to select a time range.
Note: Automation curves connected to points that have been selected also appear selected, even if those curves continue outside the selected range.
Select all automation following an automation point or curve
In Logic Pro, do one of the following:
To select all automation following an automation curve that is part of a selection: Option-Click on an automation curve.
To select the automation data before, and all automation after, a selected automation point: Option-Click on an automation point.
Copy automation within a track
In Logic Pro, select the points or curves you want to copy, then Option-drag the selection to a different location on the track.
Any existing points in the target location are deleted.
Copy automation between tracks
In Logic Pro, hold down Shift while dragging a selection within the automation area.
Choose Edit > Copy (or use the corresponding key command).
Select the track you want to copy the automation to.
Choose Edit > Paste (or use the corresponding key command).
Move automation
In Logic Pro, select the points or curves you want to move, then drag them horizontally or vertically.
Any existing points in the target location are deleted.
Adjust automation curve symmetrically between two horizontally aligned points
When two automation points have the same value but occur at different times, the automation curve between them is a horizontal line. You can adjust the two points so that both points are moved together or apart equally.
In Logic Pro, click the automation curve between the two points.
Option-Shift-Drag the automation curve horizontally to increase or decrease the automation curve between the two points.
Create a vertical automation line
When the display shows two automation points with different values connected by a vertical automation curve—in other words, they occur at the same moment—it creates the effect of an instant parameter change. This can be useful if you wish to create an “instant on” or “instant off” type of effect, rather than a gradual parameter change.
In Logic Pro, drag an automation point or curve to the left, toward an automation point with a higher or lower value.
The automation point you are dragging snaps to a position directly above or below the stationary automation point.
You can also drag an automation point to the right toward an automation point with a higher or lower value, but the automation point you are dragging does not snap into a vertical automation line.
Move regions with or without automation
In Logic Pro, choose one of the following Move Automation with Regions options in the Preferences > Automation pane:
Never: Does not move automation when you move regions.
Always: Always moves automation when you move regions. The automation area encompassed by the region boundaries is moved.
Ask: A dialog prompts you to move the automation—or leave it where it is—whenever you move a region.
In Logic Pro, control-click the track lane, then choose one of the following options from the shortcut menu that appears:
Never move Automation with Regions
Always move Automation with Regions
Ask to move Automation with Regions
Move a region selection with its automation
In Logic Pro, drag across the region with the Marquee tool.
Choose Edit > Copy from the Tracks area menu bar.
Select the track you want to copy the automation data to, then move the playhead to the insertion point.
Choose Edit > Paste from the Tracks area menu bar.
The region selection, along with its automation, is copied to the target track at the playhead position.
Bend an automation curve
In Logic Pro, do one of the following:
Drag an automation curve with the Automation Curve tool.
Hold down Control-Shift while dragging an automation curve with the Pointer tool.
Change an automation curve into stepped automation
Normally, an automation curve between two automation points represents continuously changing parameter values. Using the Automation Curve tool, you can change any automation curve into stepped automation.
In Logic Pro, do one of the following:
Option-click an automation curve with the Automation Curve tool. Option-click the automation curve with the Automation Curve tool again to return the automation curve to its previous state.
Control-Shift-Option-click an automation curve with the Pointer tool. Control-Shift-Option-click the automation curve again to return the automation curve to its previous state.