Create tracks in a Logic Pro for Mac project

In Logic Pro, you add tracks to a project to hold your recordings, loops, and other material. You can add audio tracks or software instrument tracks to a project. Software instrument tracks have a default region type, which can be MIDI, pattern, or Session Player.

When you add a track, you choose the default region type (for software instrument tracks), format, input source (for audio tracks), and output in the New Tracks dialog. For software instrument tracks using a Session Player, you choose which player (Keyboard Player, Bass Player, or Drummer) to use.

You can create multiple tracks of the chosen type.

Figure. New Tracks dialog showing MIDI, Pattern, Session Player, and Audio buttons.

The options in the Details area of the New Tracks dialog vary depending on the type of track you are creating.

When you create a new track, a corresponding new channel strip is also created and assigned to the track. The new track appears in the Tracks area, and the new channel strip appears in the Mixer.

Create an audio track

In Logic Pro, click the Add Tracks button above the track headers (or press Option-Command-N).
Click the Audio button at the top of the New Tracks dialog.
To create an audio track for electric guitar or electric bass that uses amps and stompbox plug-ins, select Guitar or Bass, otherwise, select Mic or Line.
If the Details area of the New Tracks dialog is closed, click the Details disclosure arrow to open it.
Choose the input channel (or channels) from the Audio Input pop-up menu. You can also search for an audio input in the menu.
Tip: The current input device is listed below the Audio Input pop-up menu and associated checkboxes. To change the input device, click the arrow next to the device name, then choose another device in the Audio Devices Settings pane.
Choose the output channel (or channels) from the Audio Output pop-up menu. You can also search for an audio output in the menu.
Tip: The current output device is listed below the Audio Output pop-up menu and associated checkboxes. To change the output device, click the arrow next to the device name, then choose another device in the Audio Devices Settings pane.
Do any of the following:
- To include the default patch: Select the Load Default Patch checkbox.
  Deselect the Load Default Patch checkbox if you want to add an empty track with no plug-ins.
- To open the Library so you can choose a patch for the track: Select the Open Library checkbox.
- To turn on input monitoring for the track: Select the Input Monitoring checkbox.
- To make the track ready for recording: Select the Record Enable checkbox.
- To create multiple audio tracks: Select the number in the “Number of tracks to create” field, and enter a new number.
- When creating multiple tracks, to have the tracks use sequentially increasing input channels starting from the channel selected in the Audio Input pop-up menu: Select the Ascending checkbox below the Audio Input pop-up menu.
Click Create.
The new track appears in the Tracks area. If the Open Library checkbox is selected, the Library opens so you can choose a patch for the track. See Choose patches in the Library.

Create a software instrument track

In Logic Pro, click the Add Tracks button above the track headers (or press Option-Command-N).
To select the default region type for the track, click the MIDI, Pattern, or Session Player button at the top of the New Tracks dialog.
Tip: When selecting MIDI or pattern as the default region type, make sure that Software Instrument is selected inside the button unless you are creating a track to use with external MIDI.
If the Details area of the New Tracks dialog is closed, click the Details disclosure arrow to open it.
Do one of the following:
- For tracks with MIDI or pattern as the default region type: Choose an instrument plug-in from the Instrument pop-up menu.
  If you want to create a track with no plug-ins, choose Empty Channel Strip.
  To use the default patch for software instruments, choose Default Patch.
- For tracks with Session Player as the default region type: Choose the Session Player style from the Style pop-up menu.
  If you don’t want the Session Player region on the new track to use the default chord progression, deselect the “Use Default Chord Progression for New Regions” checkbox.
Choose the audio output channel (or channels) from the Audio Output pop-up menu. You can also search for an audio output in the menu.
Tip: The current output device is listed below the Audio Output pop-up menu and associated checkboxes. To change the output device, click the arrow next to the device name, then choose another device in the Audio Devices Settings pane.
Do any of the following:
- To open the Library so you can choose a patch for the track: Select the Open Library checkbox.
- To open the Editor so you can edit regions on the track: Select the Open Editor checkbox (for tracks with Session Player or pattern as the default region type).
- To set the number of multi-timbral parts for software instrument tracks: Select the Multi-timbral checkbox, then enter the number of multi-timbral or layer parts.
  Multi-timbral refers to the number of different sounds a software instrument can play simultaneously.
- To create multiple software instrument tracks: Select the number in the “Number of tracks to create” field, and enter a new number.
- When creating multiple tracks, to have the tracks use sequentially increasing output channels starting from the channel selected in the Audio Output pop-up menu: Select the Ascending checkbox.
Click Create.
The new track appears in the Tracks area. If the Open Library checkbox is selected, the Library opens so you can choose a patch for the track. See Choose patches in the Library.
When you create a software instrument track with Session Player as the default region type, the track contains one 8-bar region. For more information about working with Session Players, see Session Player overview.

Create a software instrument track to use with external MIDI

In Logic Pro, click the Add Tracks button above the track headers (or press Option-Command-N).
To select the default region type for the track, click either the MIDI or the Pattern button at the top of the New Tracks dialog.
Inside the button you selected (either MIDI or Pattern), select External MIDI.
If the Details area of the New Tracks dialog is closed, click the Details disclosure arrow to open it.
For software instrument tracks with MIDI as the default region type, select the “Use External Instrument plug-in” checkbox to create a software instrument track and use the External Instrument plug-in.
Note: Software instrument tracks with pattern as the default region type and External MIDI selected always use the External Instrument plug-in.
Choose the input channel or channels from the Audio Input pop-up menu.
Tip: The current input device is listed below the Audio Input pop-up menu. To change the input device, click the arrow next to the device name, then choose another device in the Audio Devices Settings pane.
From the MIDI Destination pop-up menu, choose the MIDI device and the MIDI channel on which the track sends MIDI data, or choose Logic Pro Virtual Out.
Choose the audio output channel (or channels) from the Audio Output pop-up menu.
Tip: The current output device is listed below the Audio Output pop-up menu and associated checkboxes. To change the output device, click the arrow next to the device name, then choose another device in the Audio Devices Settings pane.
Do any of the following:
- To create multiple external MIDI tracks: Select the number in the “Number of tracks to create” field, and enter a new number.
- When creating multiple tracks, to have the tracks use sequentially increasing MIDI channels starting from the channel selected in the MIDI Destination pop-up menu: Select the Ascending checkbox below the Audio Input pop-up menu.
- When creating multiple tracks, to have the tracks use sequentially increasing output channels starting from the channel selected in the Audio Output pop-up menu: Select the Ascending checkbox below the Audio Output pop-up menu.
Click Create.

Create an empty track

In Logic Pro, do one of the following:
- To create an empty track of the same type as the focused track: Press and hold Option-Shift and click the Add Tracks button .
- To create an empty track of the opposite type as the focused track: Press and hold Shift-Command and click the Add Tracks button .

Note: When the New Tracks dialog is set to the Default Patch (the last time it was used) and you create a track using the above key commands, the track is not empty, but rather loads the plug-ins for the corresponding channel strip based on the default patch.

Create a track below the selected track

In Logic Pro, Control-click an empty part of the track header.
Choose a track type from the shortcut menu.

A new track of the chosen type is created below the selected track, using the current settings in the New Tracks dialog.

Create a track below all existing tracks

In Logic Pro, select a track of the same type (and, for software instrument tracks, the same default region type) as the one you want to create.
Double-click the empty area below the track headers.

Create tracks using key commands

In Logic Pro, do one of the following:
- To create a new audio track: Press Option-Command-A.
- To create a new software instrument track with MIDI as the default region type: Press Option-Command-S.
- To create a new software instrument track with Session Player as the default region type: Press Option-Command-P.
- To create a new software instrument track using External MIDI: Press Option-Command-X.

When you create tracks using key commands, the new tracks use the current settings in the Details section of the New Tracks dialog.

You can also Create an Instrument track from an audio recording using Flex Pitch.

Download the guides:

Logic Pro User Guide: PDF

Logic Pro Instruments: PDF

Logic Pro Effects: PDF

Control Surfaces Support Guide: PDF

Helpful?

Logic Pro User Guide for Mac