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• Recording MIDI in Logic Pro's Cycle Mode
• by Darren Burgos
• There's hope if your keyboard skills can't keep pace with your musical ideas! Darren Burgos explores how recording MIDI in Logic Pro's cycle mode can alleviate stress and make you more creative.

• Logic Pro's Balancing Act
• by Peter Schwartz
• Panpots in Logic don't behave the same for mono and stereo channel strips. Peter Schwartz gets to the heart of the mix in Logic Pro and demystifies pan and balance in this excellent article.

• Setting Up Logic for Scoring to Video
• by David Earl
• Never used Logic for scoring to video, or have found your projects grinding to halt? This article by experienced composer, David Earl, explains how to set up all the basics and optimize performance!

• Using Ringshifter For Pitch Effects in Logic Pro
• by Toby Pitman
• Check out this excellent tip on how to use Logic Pro's Ringshifter plug-in to create a variety of guitar effects like the Boss Octaver and the Octafuzz. Toby Pitman gets creative.

• Logic Pro: Get Creative with Region Parameters
• by Darren Burgos
• Once you've recorded MIDI notes into Logic Pro there's a host of ways to alter the performance. Darren Burgos examines how to make use of the Region parameters area. + download Logic Project.

• Pro Tools 10 113
• Pro Mixing Techniques
• Mixing sounds to create a cohesive and inspiring piece of music is an art. Join MPV trainer and Pro Tools expert Mike Watkinson as he reveals his favorite mixing techniques and shows you how you can bring your musical canvases to life...

• Pro Tools 10 112
• Advanced Editing Techniques
• Becoming a Pro Tools editing Ninja requires mastering the tools of the trade. Join Certified Avid trainer Mike Watkinson as he explores the art of editing and managing clips in Avid’s Pro Tools 10...

• Pro Tools 10 110
• Session Setup Techniques
• Setting up your Pro Tools session correctly can save you tons of time and frustration. Let Pro Tools Expert Mike Watkinson show you techniques the pros use to prepare for their sessions...

• Pro Tools 10 111
• Exploring Tracks
• Explore the multitude of ways tracks can be created in this collection of AVID Learning Partner tutorial-videos by Pro Tools Certified trainer Mike Watkinson...

• Logic 409
• Dubstep Essentials
• MPV trainer Nigel Broad is back with another great electronic dance music exploration, Dubstep Essentials . Join Nigel in this 25-video collection as he takes you under his wing and creates a full-blown Dubstep track from Drum and Bass to final mix…

• Pro Tools 10 107
• Exploring the Mixer
• The Pro Tools mixer is legendary –and mixing in Pro Tools is a required skill for anyone who wants to make it in the recording business. Learn all about basic mixing, signal flow and automation in this Pro Tools 10, Avid Learning Partner tutorial: Exploring the Mixer...

• Logic 209
• EVD6 and EFM1: User Guide
• The EFM1 and the EVD6 are two of the coolest Software Instruments in the Logic collection. Get beyond the presets in this awesome 2-for-1 tutorial by Logic master and SFLogicNinja David Earl...

• Cubase 6 106
• FX, EQ, Automation and Mixing
• Learn to mix your tunes in Cubase 6 using FX, EQ and Automation in this production masterpiece by Matthew Loel T. Hepworth...

• Pro Tools 401
• Mastering In Pro Tools
• Produced by Multi-Grammy Award winning Mastering Engineer Phil Magnotti, this tutorial shows you how a world-class Mastering Engineer creates BIG sound ...

• Pro Tools 402
• Mixing Pop in Pro Tools
• Have you heard Sarah McLachlan's music? Then you've heard Chris Potter's skills—he's Sarah McLachlan's Engineer!

• Pro Tools 204
• Beat Detective
• Got some drum loops to edit? You need Beat Detective! These tutorials will help you slice beats like a pro ...

• Pro Tools 205
• Elastic Audio
• Warp beats, pitch shift, and match recorded audio to the tempo of your track ... elastic audio is the tool for you!

• Pro Tools 10 102
• Exploring The Workspace
• Every DAW has its own unique way of making music and manipulating sound. In these AVID Learn Partner tutorial-videos by audio expert Bill Burgess, you’ll learn about Pro Tools 10’s tracks, tools, navigation tricks to get you started producing and recording music right out of the box...

• Pro Tools 10 106
• Navigation and Workflow
• Mastering the Pro Tools workspace is the key to becoming a fast and efficient Pro Tools Engineer. Learn how to break the PT10 speed limit in this accelerated tutorial by Scott Freiman...

• Reason 6 106
• FX, EQ, Automation and Mixing
• The instruments are smoking. The rack is exploding. Now it’s time to pull it all together and make musical sense of all this Reason 6 mayhem! In this tutorial, Hollin Jones get’s you into the mixer and exploring the FX, EQ and automation...

Preview these Logic Pro Tutorial-Videos

It is typical for vocalists to perform each phrase and the individual words and syllables within them at a wide range of volumes. They move around and they express what they perform – it's only human! When mixing that presents a challenge, and one response is to reduce the dynamic range using compression. However, a better result might be obtained by making adjustments to the volume automation on a word-by-word basis. This quick tip will show you how to do this in Logic Pro and Pro Tools.

01 - In Logic Pro

If you have already made edits (perhaps based on transient detection – see my Quick Tip on Tab to Transient in Logic Pro), you can marquee select a region by Option+Command+clicking its title bar (assuming track automation is visible and the Marquee tool is set as your Command-click tool). Then simply drag the automation line up or down; four nodes will be created at the region boundaries, giving an automation handle that moves independently of all other automation. You can perform this with either the Pointer tool or the Automation Select tool.

Option+Command+clicking a region to create 4 automation nodes

If you haven’t yet made edits, simply make a marquee selection, grab the automation line with the Pointer tool and four nodes will be created at the selection boundaries, without new regions being created.

As an alternative to the Marquee tool method you can also hold down Shift-Option-Control and make a ‘rubberband’ selection with the Pointer tool. In this case four nodes are created immediately, and moving the automation line will see the inner two move and the outer two remain static.

Rubberband selection with Shift, Option and Control held down

02 - In Pro Tools

In Pro Tools, make an edit selection, switch the track view from Waveform to Volume using the Track View selector, then use the Trimmer tool to adjust the automation. Again, four ‘automation breakpoints’ (this is what ‘nodes’ are called in ProTools) will be created at the selection boundaries. To select the whole of a previously edited region, double-click with the Selector tool, or single-click with the Grabber tool. 

Adjusting automation with the Trimmer tool

Keyboard shortcut mastery is the key to speed and efficiency, so here is a summary of the shortcuts for switching track views and selecting editing tools:

• To select the next/previous track view: Control+Command+right/left arrow keys 
  
• To toggle the Waveform/Volume track views on tracks containing an edit selection: Control+ - (minus on the alphanumeric keyboard)
  
• To perform the previous shortcut with Command Keyboard focus enabled: - (minus on the alphanumeric keyboard)
  

Adding the Option key in each case performs the same action to all tracks

• To select the Trimmer tool: Command+2
  
• To select the Selector tool: Command+3
  
• To select the Grabber tool: Command+4
  

Note that even though we have been discussing volume automation, these tips work for all track automation in both Logic Pro and Pro Tools.

Preview these Logic Pro Tutorial-Videos

Mike Watkinson

Mike has been obsessed with music software since he first saw Fairlight's Page-R, and has tracked its development through his work as a performer, composer and producer. As a writer he has contributed articles to Sound On Sound since 1999, and currently writes their Apple Notes column. As well as being a certified Logic Pro and Pro Tools trainer he is also an Apple Distinguished Educator.

Dj wolfie, Djing, Ableton, Hard drive, Automation, Automation modes, Automation modes logic pro, Logic automation, Avid Protools, Avid Pro tools

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