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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.

• 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…

• 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...

• 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...

• Logic 210
• Vocoding With EVOC
• Logic’s EVOC 20 PolySynth is one of the coolest Software Instruments in Logic's EV series of vintage synths. Let David Earl (a.k.a. SFLogicNinja) show you how he uses it and why you need to master this awesome, sonically rich plugin...

• Logic 208
• Exploring the EVP88 and the EVB3
• In this exclusive, full length, “made-for-macProVideo” tutorial by sflogicninja David Earl, you’ll uncover the inner workings of Logic’s physically modeled soft synths: the EVP88 and EVB3. Learn how, with a little tweaking, these synths will rock your productions...

• Logic 407
• Producing With Folders
• Did you know that you can record into Logic’s folders, edit with folders, mix with folders and even rearrange your tune with folders? You can! ... and David Earl (a.k.a. sflogicninja) shows you all of this and more in his maiden tutorial for macProVideo.com!

• Logic 207
• Logic's Latency Toolbox
• Timing Is Everything! In this amazing tutorial Tom Rice shows you the secret to making your tracks “dead-on-the-beat” accurate with absolutely zero latency!

• Logic 402
• Logic's Guitar Recording Toolbox
• A message from Steve H: “This tutorial is one of our finest Logic tutorials ever! With the addition of the Pedalboard and Amp Designer plugins, Logic’s virtual guitar arsenal is capable of overheating transistors, blowing out tubes and stomping out the most awesomely realistic or warped 6 string soundscapes anywhere! I’ve already started using many of these awesome techniques in my tracks and now you can too!”

• Logic 304
• Logic TNT 3 Tips and Tricks: Reloaded
• Get 5 hours of new Logic Studio Tips and Tricks by world renowned Logic guru Steve H and friends...

• Logic 203
• Logic's Music-for-Picture Toolbox
• Learn essential skills for scoring video and film in this comprehensive tutorial by Steve H, a man with over 20 years of experience in making music for moving pictures.

• Logic 107
• 64-Bit Logic Unleashed
• Learn what the new 64-bit Logic Pro means to you by watching this FREE mini-tutorial!

• Logic 405
• Confessions of a Drum & Bass Producer
• Learn the art of Drum & Bass production, using Logic! This tutorial is produced by D&B pioneer, Nigel Broad.

• Logic 406
• Olav's Electronica Workflow Tricks
• Legendary House Producer Olav Basoski is back with a new tutorial that provides a grab-bag of his favourite Logic production tips & tricks.

• Logic 201
• Steve H's Logic Master Class #1
• Learn advanced Logic Pro techniques including Beat Mapping, Groove Templates, Markers, Delay Compensation and more with Steve H!

Preview these Logic Pro Tutorial-Videos

When it comes to automating effects and instrument parameters over time, Logic gives the end user a lot of excellent choices. For example, it’s possible to use Hyper Draw (Region-based automation) or Track Automation and program these offline or record them in real time. Most users will be used to setting up automation in one of Logic's MIDI Editors or even directly within the Arrange area. However, there is another area of Logic (well, an instrument plug-in in Logic), that provides its own automation mode: Ultrabeat. 

One feature which Ultrabeat has that other Logic instruments don’t—and I’m looking squarely at the EXS24 as I type this—is a Step Sequencer. This Step Sequencer makes it a breeze to quickly and painlessly program drum patterns without ever leaving the Ultrabeat interface. Better still, in Logic 9, Ultrabeat was given a revamp. Not only does it have a full view step sequencer area, but you can now adjust sound settings independently for every step. It’s very easy to work with and in this quick tip we’ll take a look at the basics of automating the ADSR Envelope for a snare voice in Ultrabeat.

Step 1 - Step Up

You can choose any setting or preset kit in Ultrabeat and, in fact, any voice to automate. The important thing is to check that you have some steps programmed in. Once you’ve chosen your Ultrabeat kit make sure you're not in "Full View" and select the Snare Voice. If there are no steps visible simply draw some in by clicking on the numbers above the vertical bars in the Sequencer area.

Click on the "step" button in the bottom left of Ultrabeat's interface to enter Step Mode.

Step 2 - Watch Your Step

You’ll immediately notice that many controls in the main Synthesizer area of Ultrabeat are now highlighted yellow. This highlighting indicates sound parameters that can be automated on a "step-by-step" basis. 

First we should select a step in Ultrabeat’s sequencer. Click on the top of a step to select it. For this example I’ve chosen Step 5.

Step 3 - Adjusting Parameters

Next, choose a sound parameter (I’ve got my sights set on the ADSR Envelope, and in particular the Attack Time). Remember that any of the parameters highlighted yellow can be adjusted differently for any individual step. 

Simply click on the parameter or move its value graphically:

You can repeat this process for other steps by selecting a step and then adjusting the parameter value as desired.

Step 4 - Parameter Offset

Within the step sequencer section is the 'parameter offset' drop-down menu. The parameter(s) you have clicked on in the Synthesizer area will be available from this drop-down menu.

You can also adjust the parameter’s value for the selected step by dragging up or down on the step itself. So go ahead and change the parameter values for different steps.

Step 5 - Back in Logic's Editors

Once you're done automating you may want to take the pattern into Logic’s Arrange area. Drag the pattern button (bottom left corner of the Ultrabeat window) and place it on the Ultrabeat track lane in Logic's Arrange area.

You can now view the Hyper Draw data in any MIDI Editor. In this example I’ve opened the Ultrabeat region in the Piano Roll and from the left arrow chosen "Autodefine" to see the automation we created in Ultrabeat.

For an easier way to view what Control Change (CC) data has been written to the region you can view the region’s contents in the Event List window. You can, of course, edit the CC data right here, too!

There are other ways to automate Ultrabeat’s sound parameters using a MIDI Controller in real time or offline or using track automation, but there’s something satisfyingly easy about being able to experiment and program parameters directly within Ultrabeat's sequencer. Try it out!

Get deeper into Logic's ES2 Drum Synth/Sampler with:

Logic 204 - Ultrabeat Unleashed

Preview these Logic Pro Tutorial-Videos

Rounik Sethi

Rounik is the Editor and Lead-Writer on the MPV Hub. As an Apple Certified Trainer for Logic (and a self-confessed Mac fanatic) he's taught teachers, professional musicians and hobbyists how to get the best out of Apple's creative software. He is a Visiting lecturer at Bath Spa University's Teacher training program, facilitating workshops on using iLife and digital media tools in the classroom. If you're looking for Rounik, you'll most likely find him (and his articles) on the macProVideo.com Hub & Forums.

Logic Pro ultrabeat, Ultrabeat, Ultrabeat logic, Audio automation, Logic automation, Logic pro automation, Programmed automation, Step sequencer

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