I've just gotten the chance to go over all the tips & tricks tutorials and the ES2 and LOGIC 8 * Tutorial and I find them all to be excellent! Right now I'm in another country - I'm recording weird sounds out in the streets using my "Foley-TronicsCapture last take" and bringing these wave files into Logic as WAV. files..I've managed to get them into A Kontakt sampler ( Which will convert any type of file) and spread them out on a keyboard, slice up sections, add plugins, mnngle or remove unneeded noices, etc..but I would like to know: Is it possible to bring WAVE files into The Apple Utility...and then somehow convert them to be used as Apple loops?...more to the point...it seems the ESX24 will convert only certain types of files ( Akai, Giga sampler, etc) but not WAVE files...am I wriong about this? From the tutorials I see that Ultrabeat will import ESX24 files....how can I get wave files of my own design into Logic Virtual Instruments ( Ultrabeat and ESX24) to create my onw percussion or instrument prests "data base"? Thanks OdessaFlyer

Hi OdessaFlyer The EXS24 can import aiff and wave files. In Logic 8 it's easy when you know how ;-) 1. Open an EXS24 on an Inst track 2. Above the level and volume controls on the right click the 'edit' button. 3. An EXS24 instrument editor opens. This is where it gets interesting! 4. Select Instrument > New to create a new instrument. There are two easy ways to add audio files: A. 1. Open a finder window with your samples. 2. drag the desired sample onto the desired key in the Instrument editor. B. 1. In the Audio Bin add your desired audio files. 2. Drag them from the Bin into the main empty area. --- I'd recommend getting the Logic 102: EXS24 : Inside and Out tutorial as the EXS24 is a very powerful and complex instrument! As for Ultrabeat: Turn off osc 1. Make sure OSC 2 is on. Select the 'sample' button Either click on the disclosure arrow to load a sample or drag it manually from a Finder window. Again, check out the Logic 204: Ultrabeat Unleashed tutorial. It will get you up to speed on this and much much more! Highly recommended. Cheers Rounik

Hi Rounik Thanks for the info! I managed to get a wav file into the ESX24 but couldn't get the sound to play - I just downloaded a the esx24 tutorial so now I will get this. I'm starting from sounds recorded with HI MD recorder in outdoor environments - I'm trying to get the timbral quality of some sounds using the electret mic. eventually, I want to built my own percussion "kits" any other suggestions here will be appreciated! Thanks, jake

Hi Jake, I must admit, instrument building in the EXS24 isn't the most intuitive of processes but def starting with the tutorial will give you an insight with respect to the GUI at least. Working with zones and groups etc, that's where that Redmatica thing can come in handy as it makes it more graphical a la Kontakt (which is what I use). But you know, what is one person's preference is another's pain and all that. As for the Apple Loop creation, that bit's much easier! As always, there is more than one way to skin a cat but the easiest is to drag your audio file in question in to the loop browser, whether you are in GB or Logic. That is, edit up a loop or sound effect that you would like to add to your library, drag it in to the loop browser (aim at where the loops normally show up when browsing through them) and it will prompt you to detail the number of beats, one shot, key, and descriptive field. There should be a tab on there too where, if working with musical loops, you can adjust the transient markers to make sure it will sound as coherent as possible when pitching/ time stretching. If in Logic, and this bit's from memory, as well as dragging in to the loop browser I think if you select the region and go to the Global Audio menu, you should be able to open the audio file with the Apple Loop Utility. I think there is even a key command for it?? Hope that makes sense!

OK, slightly misleading post by me there... the menu systems of what you will see will depend on what version of Logic you are running. To save confusion, if you look under your applications/ utilities folder you will see the Apple Loops Utility application. Just double click on that and it will prompt you to open an audio file and create your apple loop. I just tried dragging a 2 bar region I cut up in to the library browser and it just tried to move the region... GB works in this way though unless I've missed a preference somewhere. The key command, once setup, will work within logic though.

The EXS24 tutorial should prove very useful. If you have any questions after watching it feel free to post them. For the apple loop creation..Yadj is right it's easy. With an audio region on an audio track in the arrange, trimmed to bars and measures and that loops to a tempo (if you want it to behave like a loop that adjusts to tempo) select from the local menu: Audio > Open in Apple loops utility (option - command - L) Chapters 53-61 (Logic 101: Core Logic 8) are indispensable for understanding and using apple loops. Cheers Rounik

Thganks YADJ & Rounik I'm using Logic 8. I've downlaoded the tutorial for the esx24 but still watching it. I must say that I agree with YADJ that for me Kontakt seems a bit more intuitive - I was also surprised to see that it has a kind of percussion sequencer built in also... I have a collection of sounds that io recorded through an Eventide, with some older analog synths and an electric guitar. I cut some of them into loops and tried foirst In LIVE. It struck me that Live has some remarkable features but it seemed to me, the sound quality of the "re-processed sound file in Live lost a certain noticable sound quality - which Logic seemed to preserve - at least more so than Live. I want to to record live environments for example I trecorded soiunds in a train station here in Ukraine - I'm noticing certain timbral differences in the type of recordings and even the applications themselves...so far Logic and Kontakt seem to be good match, though I'm sure the esx24 would be also. The enxt thing is the signal processing - is it possible to use 24 bit recordings in Esx24/Kontakt? and then of course - I still find a difference in a high end reverb hard ware processor - but I'm also going over to other thrid party and Logc plugins for sure. The main thing is - avoiding the "raspy digital distortion that begins to make every sound almost sound like the same - I guess I'm trying to decide on which tools to really learn first before dedicating the time. Everyone has their own preference but I appreciate the information you've given...thanks again! i will post questions later after some time of checking the videos and trying some things out. Jake