Lesson time: (9min 20sec)
Dov Waterman tours Logic's Library - how it organises instrument and channel-strip presets, and how to browse and load them quickly.
This lesson is part of the course Composition in Logic: Workflow & Templates
Watch a preview of the full course below.
Lesson transcript:
The library of sounds is Logic's way of categorizing all its different presets, including:
If I go to Settings over here, these are the settings pertaining to the library. This little focus triangle over here is pointing to the settings right now. It will automatically pull up this section.
For example, if I'm looking for a Mellotron flute:
Additionally, it's saved in the send, which defines where it's going.
The channel strip opens up. If you don't already have an auxiliary on bus 5, it will create a new auxiliary with the channel strip for the send.
This preset (vintage Mellotron flute) opens up the channel strip and also any send that was saved within it.
While this is all very interesting for inspiring new ideas, what if you have an instrument you like that isn't part of the Logic sound set?
For example:
If I go to Save and select Save Channel Strip Setting, it will save the entire channel strip, including:
I can save it to any folder or create new folders for better organization.
I have several folders opened in various sections, such as:
If I like a sound that I've just pulled up and think I'll use it in other projects:
After saving, when I go to find it later, it shows up as Untitled. A more useful name would have helped, so I will go back and resave it as New Bass for now, placing it in Synth → Synth Bass. Now it appears as Synth Bass and is part of my arsenal.
How does this relate to my library?
To find it later:
These are where I save my settings. For instance, my settings reside in user channel strip settings under my Synths.
It's important to note that in Logic, there are many ways to do different things. You don't need to be a guru or know everything; it's about discovering the methods that work for you.
Now, back to our library section:
This little focus triangle is pointing at the settings for user channel strips. You can also save settings for each instrument.
For instance:
The channel strip settings are crucial because they allow you to save your own channel settings, which is very handy for:
For example, I have stock sounds in my template that all load preloaded. However, I leave a few sounds open.
If I go to Settings on a new instrument and look for:
Currently, I only have Rise. If I go to leads, I might look for something to create a new sound.
Instead of spending a long time searching for a sound, utilizing pre-saved sounds allows you to stay in the zone and focus on creativity rather than recreating what's in your head.
Dov Waterman is a composer, pianist and producer. He has written and designed sound for films including After Earth, Terminator Genisys, Transformers: The Last Knight and The Snowman, and works as a sample-library audio editor and sound designer with companies such as Native Instruments and SonoKinetic.His Composition in Logic series walks through building a track end to end in Logic Pro - from templates and workflow to synthesis and beat programming, MIDI effects, editing and the final mix - for producers who want to turn their ideas into finished records. read more
