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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.

• (The) Art of Audio Recording
• Touring An SSL Console
• DAW virtual mixers are modeled after “classic” analog mixing consoles. Take this SSL tour and learn how a full-blown classic Solid State Logic Duality console actually works...

• (The) Art of Audio Recording
• The Mix
• Mixing is a complicated “mix” of art and science. In this Singing Canary tutorial, follow top engineer Clint Murphy as he takes you on a 60-video, step by step mixing journey...

• 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…

• Media Composer 6 104
• Working With Audio
• Learn how Media Composer 6 manages sound in this audio-centric tutorial by expert editor and MPV trainer Jeff Greenberg...

• (The) Art of Audio Recording
• Recording Strings
• Learn how to record a live string section in this informative new tutorial by expert audio engineer, Clint Murphy, at Modern World Recording...

• 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 6 105
• Working With Audio
• Want to record audio in Cubase? Let Matt Hepworth show you everything you need to know about Working With Audio in Cubase 6...

• 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 10 103
• Recording Audio
• Master the art of recording audio in these AVID Learning Partner tutorial-videos by one of macprovideo.com’s lead trainers, Scott Freiman...

• Pro Tools 10 104
• Editing Audio
• You’ve recorded the tracks. Now let’s get into editing! Get the basics of audio editing in Pro Tools 10 in these AVID Learn Partner tutorial-videos by MPV’s Scott Freiman...

• Reason 6 105
• Working With Audio
• Reason now records, processes and samples audio! This tutorial by Reason 6 expert Hollin Jones shows you just how seamless working with audio is in Reason 6...

• Reason 6 101
• Quick Start Guide
• This tutorial is free to all MPV members! With the release of Reason 6 Propellerhead has created the ultimate DAW powerhouse! So join Reason expert Hollin Jones in this Quick Start Guide and get a taste of all the cool stuff that this revamped Reason 6 brings to the DAW table...

• 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...

• (The) Art of Audio Recording
• From Demo to Master
• In this extraordinary video documentary tutorial witness top UK producer, Greg Haver, as he transforms a rough demo song into a final release-ready master...

• Native Instruments 207
• Maschine Quick Start
• Native Instruments’ Maschine is a perfect fusion of hardware and software. See how this amazing hybrid instrument will change the way you make music...

Preview these Logic Pro Tutorial-Videos

An often used technique in music production to spice up a song is to reverse a sound. Commonly used in Electronic forms of Dance music is a reversed Crash Cymbal which can be a great way to lead in to a main section of a song and create excitement and build tension before the beat begins. You may also hear reversed guitars in popular rock and psychedelic rock tunes. In fact virtually any musical form can benefit from the occasional reversed sound. Logic makes it easy to achieve this, but there are a couple of important steps to bear in mind. So let's jump straight in to this Quick Tip and explore how to reverse a sound or melody in Logic!

Step 1 - Choose your Sound

I've used a Green Apple Loop: African River Kalimba 01 for this tip. You can choose any loop. Here's what it sounds like:

Now although there is a function to reverse MIDI in Logic's Transform window, this is different to reversing audio. Reversing MIDI will not reverse the sound but only the position of the notes.

Step 2 - Bounce in Place

We want to reverse the sound of this loop (which is currently a MIDI Region). So, we need to convert the MIDI regions into an Audio Region. Bounce in Place is probably the quickest way to do this.

Select the region and choose: Region > Bounce in Place

From the Bounce in Place Options I'm choosing:

• Destination : New Track
• Source : Mute
• Include Volume/Pan Automation
• Normalize : Off

Even if you're working with an audio region to begin with I would recommend either copying the original audio file and/or bouncing it to a new audio file, because reversing audio in Logic is a destructive process and will permanently alter the audio file.

Step 3 - Reverse it!

Double-click the new audio region to open it in Logic's Sample Editor. From the Sample Editor's local menu choose: Functions > Reverse

Logic will calculate the samples of the audio region and immediately reverse the contents of the original file permanently. The region display will be updated in the Arrange area.

But please remember, I did say 'reverse', 'original' and 'permanently' in the same sentence! In case you skipped reading that part at the end of Step 2, now is a good time to undo (Command+Z) and choose Audio File > Save a Copy as... before continuing! Do bear in mind that many of the functions in the Sample Editor are destructive and will permanently change the audio file you process!

So here's what our reversed region sounds like:

It might go well in a fill, or an alternate chorus, or panned far right/left or cut up and left subtly in the mix somewhere... You decide. Reversing audio is one case where going backwards can take your music forwards...!

Check out the Logic tutorials here for more in-depth tips and tricks.

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.

Music production, Logic Pro Tip, Apple logic pro, Bounce in place, Crash cymbal, Green apple loop, Logic pro tutorial, Reversing audio, Logic Pro, Reverse sound

Comments

Nov 11, 2010

adam8

Good tip, Rounik! It's great that you point out the distinction between reversing MIDI with the transformer, and reversing audio in the sample editor. Clear and thorough, as usual ;-).

Thanks!

Reply  

Nov 12, 2010

Rounik

Thanks Adam, Glad to enjoyed it!

Reply