# Logics best features you couldnt live without



## ein fisch (Aug 23, 2018)

Any features you couldnt ever live without what logic has to offer? Not genre-specific


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## RandomComposer (Aug 23, 2018)

Track freezing, it should really be shown by default. 
Same with track alternatives.


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## Vik (Aug 23, 2018)

Hidden AND something I couldn't live without? Not much, I'm afraid. 

But Beat Mapping, the Voice Separation Tool in Score, the Step Input implementation ("Sustain Inserted Note") - which doesn't require opening the Step Input window, the ability to grab a bar with the Layout tool is score and drag it to eg downwards to make it the first bar in the system below, Duration Bars in score and the different link modes are all good, some of them are not exactly hidden but unknown to some users. I also believe that Articulation Sets will become very useful with some improvements. I also like the existence of many key commands and contextual menus everywhere.
And save-able multitrack Stacks, since they can be loaded into other songs. And Takes. 

Freeze is very good too... but also very frustrating - since it doesn't (yet?) free up sample and Kontakt memory.


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## Dewdman42 (Aug 23, 2018)

Scripter


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## tmhuud (Aug 23, 2018)

Autosave.


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## Jeremy Spencer (Aug 23, 2018)

Hide all unused tracks, love this one.


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## Bender-offender (Aug 23, 2018)

Capture MIDI (or retrospective record in Cubase).

Transform Sets (wish the key commands were “select and operate” though)

I love the way Global Tracks (mostly markers) are available to view in the Piano Roll. 

Bounce In Place

I’m not an Environment expert, but there’s some amazing things you can do in it.


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## ein fisch (Aug 23, 2018)

Vik said:


> Hidden AND something I couldn't live without? Not much, I'm afraid.
> 
> But Beat Mapping, the Voice Separation Tool in Score, the Step Input implementation ("Sustain Inserted Note") - which doesn't require opening the Step Input window, the ability to grab a bar with the Layout tool is score and drag it to eg downwards to make it the first bar in the system below, Duration Bars in score and the different link modes are all good, some of them are not exactly hidden but unknown to some users. I also believe that Articulation Sets will become very useful with some improvements. I also like the existence of many key commands and contextual menus everywhere.
> And save-able multitrack Stacks, since they can be loaded into other songs. And Takes.
> ...



XD forget about the hidden, i dont know why i wrote it like this. Im looking for things that logic is superior at or features it has to offers that others daws do not too well. Cubase got its expression maps, pro tools the mixer, FL and ableton got tools for EDM etc. But i never hear about logic's pro's. I only read "logic pro x" associated with bugs, problems, annoyances etc but want to hear some positive aspects


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## Vik (Aug 23, 2018)

ein fisch said:


> I only read "logic pro x" associated with bugs, problems, annoyances etc but want to hear some positive aspects


There are many happy Logic users out there - it also seems to be the second most popular DAW on this forum.


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## ein fisch (Aug 23, 2018)

Vik said:


> There are many happy Logic users out there - it also seems to be the second most popular DAW on this forum.


Most popular is cubase?


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## Jeremy Spencer (Aug 23, 2018)

ein fisch said:


> XD forget about the hidden, i dont know why i wrote it like this. Im looking for things that logic is superior at or features it has to offers that others daws do not too well. Cubase got its expression maps, pro tools the mixer, FL and ableton got tools for EDM etc. But i never hear about logic's pro's. I only read "logic pro x" associated with bugs, problems, annoyances etc but want to hear some positive aspects


 
Pinch Zoom with my trackpad, doesn't sound like a big deal but it's wonderful. Wish Cubase could do this.

Also, STABILITY. Honestly, Logic has never crashed on me (with the exception of the occasional bad plugin), which is a huge bonus when I have a big project with a deadline looming.


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## charlieclouser (Aug 23, 2018)

- Hold option when dividing a region to divide the entire region into equally sized pieces. 

- When editing the names of multiple selected objects, ending the name with a number will increment that number in each of the selected objects. This works for regions, audio objects in the Environment, etc.

Those two save me so much time.


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## John Busby (Aug 23, 2018)

- Midi chase
- Track alternatives
- Capture recording (recalls the last thing you played if not actually recording something)


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## Saxer (Aug 23, 2018)

Not really hidden but I see this often unused:

- Screen Sets
- Multiple connected or unconnected editors
- Key commands (worth to look through from time to time)
- Automatic creation of EXS sampler instruments from audio tracks

In Mainstage:
- Auto sampler (great for resampling)


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## Nick Batzdorf (Aug 23, 2018)

Multiple connected or unconnected editors... do you mean the Link function?


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## DanPhaseMusic (Aug 23, 2018)

tmhuud said:


> Autosave.


Amen to that. The new auto save has saved me soooo many times I couldn’t begin to count them.


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## jcrosby (Aug 23, 2018)

Maybe not hidden but some favorites...

Folder Stacks
Screensets
Track Icons
The Library (Organizing/Loading channel strips, instruments, etc in a single click)
Create Tracks (Specifically adding Auxes and busses then collapsing them into a folder stack for easy autmation that can be hidden)
Match-EQ (I use this in place of Reference for zero-latency room correction.)


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## Kyle Preston (Aug 23, 2018)

Midi Chase Notes (project settings)
MIDI FX (<-- Not super hidden but super effective)
Stereo pan, not balance, but stereo pan accessible (but hidden) via each track fader
ScreenPics to look at while scrolling through Finder


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## Saxer (Aug 23, 2018)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> Multiple connected or unconnected editors... do you mean the Link function?


Yepp... selecting in the score editor, length editing in the piano roll, velocity in the list editor... all at the same time without opening and closing windows when it's saved as a screen set...


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## Saxer (Aug 23, 2018)

Midi FX Modifier: fast way to change CC numbers (here often used for "CC11 to CC1" or "CC21 to CC2")


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## Saxer (Aug 23, 2018)

Transform sets for "CC1 plus 10%" and "CC1 minus 10%"

Rises or flattens the CC1 curve in 10% steps when selecting a region in the main window. It's possible to change whole passages (multiple selected regions) from ff to pp with a few clicks.
Doesn't work as a key command. Great time saver anyway.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Aug 23, 2018)

Saxer said:


> Yepp... selecting in the score editor, length editing in the piano roll, velocity in the list editor... all at the same time without opening and closing windows when it's saved as a screen set...



Yah, that's always been in Logic.

What I like about the program is that no two people use it the same way - and they don't have to.

(Although I do use linked editors in my screensets, in fact it's rare that I unlink them.)


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## Saxer (Aug 23, 2018)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> (Although I do use linked editors in my screensets, in fact it's rare that I unlink them.)


I unlink a lot when arranging. I record polyphonic and open a score editor, unlink it and play single lines while reading from screen. I also like to watch the score editor while recording overdub CC curves on the same track. That way it's easier to follow and play the dynamic CC right. Same when recording real instruments or wind controller while reading from screen (from score to mockup).


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## NoamL (Aug 23, 2018)

ein fisch said:


> Any features you couldnt ever live without what logic has to offer? Not genre-specific



Logic Scripter, you can make MIDI do ANYTHING.


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## anp27 (Aug 23, 2018)

Track Stacks! And all of the new Automation features. I have many more favorites but these have to be my top 2.

EDIT: Oops... just realized that the topic was "top hidden features in Logic" and both features I listed are anything but hidden!


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## dgburns (Aug 23, 2018)

-Grabbing a bunch of objects in the environment and dropping them into the arrange to create tracks, which creates all of them in one go.

-Touch tracks.

-The audio engine stops when the transport is stopped. Stops all pc slaves from running hot as well.

-Turning off the audio engine allows you to open projects super fast to copy and paste stuff between projects.

-screensets (that work)

-the stuff @charlieclouser said. Lol.


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## jcrosby (Aug 23, 2018)

Couple others...

For making your own sample patches, loop libraries and Apple Loops:

*Strip Silence
Export Regions to Audio Files*

For working to picture:

*Detect Cuts* is pretty handy. (A 'threshold' feature would be really nice.)


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## jonathanwright (Aug 23, 2018)

Shift/P to select note sub-positions.


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## ein fisch (Aug 24, 2018)

anp27 said:


> Track Stacks! And all of the new Automation features. I have many more favorites but these have to be my top 2.
> 
> EDIT: Oops... just realized that the topic was "top hidden features in Logic" and both features I listed are anything but hidden!


just changed the title haha


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## John Busby (Aug 24, 2018)

these are little jewels i also use all the time


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## stonzthro (Aug 24, 2018)

Hidden? I think they are more like pieces you have to fit together yourself, for your workflow.
Along those lines though: I've used custom MIDI transform sets for a while now, and a few versions ago Apple granted us the ability to assign them to key commands. Here are the ones I use and call from my iPad. Also, there are several I combine in macros which are triggered from a Stream Deck.

MIDI Transform Window:





And the iPad commands:





ed: I see you've changed the title - I wouldn't die without these, but I do appreciate them!


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## Vik (Aug 24, 2018)

ein fisch said:


> Most popular is cubase?


https://vi-control.net/community/th...program-for-work-with-sample-libraries.73407/


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## ein fisch (Aug 24, 2018)

thanks everyone for contributing. really valuable info


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## blinkofani (Aug 24, 2018)

-Sliding with the mouse/trackpad on the Mute and Solo buttons to mute or solo tracks. 
-Forcetouch trackpad functions that only Apple seems to be interested in. 
- When Logic is closed, right-clicking on Logic Dock's icon to open a specific recent project
-The dozens of things you can do with the Marquee tool. 
-Control of my Apogee interface right in the Mixer.
-The overall quality of the built-in synths and FXs. I think nothing comes close to this whatever the price of any DAW. 
-Stability and efficiency on Apple's computers. 
-The local menus in every editors and sections. Just makes sense to me. 
-I could go on...

Blink


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## Alex Fraser (Aug 25, 2018)

Behold in all it’s glory. Please look at this image for 2 minutes as a mark of respect.


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## tmhuud (Aug 25, 2018)

Alex Fraser said:


> Behold in all it’s glory. Please look at this image for 2 minutes as a mark of respect.


Can’t argue there.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Aug 25, 2018)

I looked at it for about 2 minutes and couldn't figure out what you're getting at.

Are you just bowing to EXS?


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## Alex Fraser (Aug 25, 2018)

Nick Batzdorf said:


> I looked at it for about 2 minutes and couldn't figure out what you're getting at.
> 
> Are you just bowing to EXS?


Pretty much.


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## Chris Hurst (Aug 25, 2018)

Stability for me!

Edit - plus retrospective record.


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## Russell Moran (Aug 25, 2018)

ein fisch said:


> Any features you couldnt ever live without what logic has to offer? Not genre-specific



Why, its Logic Pro X 10.4.1 (the whole caboodle)!

rz


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## Jacob Cadmus (Aug 25, 2018)

Chromaverb - my one-stop shop for ambient guitar, and to my surprise a damn good room reverb.

Also, I like the solo button on the transport.


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## Cinebient (Aug 26, 2018)

Sculpture, one of the best sound design tools ever. There is nothing which does these wonderful morphs and organic noisescapes so nice.
Alchemy, by far my favorite hybrid synth with some very unique effects no other tool offer (like the modFX).
Midi FX and that i easy can learn automation parameters to the midi modulator...but i hate that i can´t modulate modulators with modulators and that i can´t use Midi FX on a stacked track.
Brings me to stacked tracks. I love to create multi-set-ups and play it as one layered instrument. Great that i can hide a super complex set-up with lots of plug-ins, FX, midi FX etc. behind a stacked track, can save and recall it in some seconds or copy it and just change the octave, note range etc.
There is so much more in Logic for the price i got it some years ago that i would say it´s still the best bang for buck i ever bought in terms of music production tools.
The new ChromaVerb is fantastic too...especially the make it mono option.
Then delay designer, space designer and the tape delay is a special too.....
It goes on......


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## jcrosby (Aug 26, 2018)

Cinebient said:


> There is so much more in Logic for the price i got it some years ago that i would say it´s still the best bang for buck i ever bought in terms of music production tools.
> The new ChromaVerb is fantastic too...especially the make it mono option.
> Then delay designer, space designer and the tape delay is a special too.....
> It goes on......



Amen. I don't know of another DAW that has as much content bundled with it, and as a single purchase... (let alone the cost...) Alchemy alone puts Logic in a league of its own... It's the closest alternative to Omnisphere I know of bundled into a DAW.


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## Cinebient (Aug 26, 2018)

Oh, and i like that it offers proper MPE support.


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## Matt Riley (Aug 26, 2018)

Skiswitcher


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## ein fisch (Aug 26, 2018)

Alex Fraser said:


> Behold in all it’s glory. Please look at this image for 2 minutes as a mark of respect.


That GUI looks terrible and uninviting imho. It just doesnt match logics overall design. Same with the ultrabeat plugin - i dont understand why they dont rework the graphics of them. Is it the nostalgia of veteran logic users? Nothing against the plugin and its features tho - i didnt try most of them yet - looking forward to


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## Nick Batzdorf (Aug 26, 2018)

ein fisch said:


> That GUI looks terrible and uninviting imho



I think the GUI is absolutely fine, but the development for EXS is in the form of Drummer. It seems unlikely that they'll do much with EXS at this point. Frankly, I wouldn't if I were in charge of development.


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## Saxer (Aug 26, 2018)

I think sooner or later all GUIs in Logic will be redesigned. Mainly because of the retina graphic resolution and replacing pixel graphics. It will happen to the EXS too but I'm not looking forward to this. The EXS is like an old manor house in an industrial area.


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## Vik (Aug 27, 2018)

I've noticed the some users still aren't aware of some of the good audio editing functions that were implemented in Logic 9:




.....and this 10 (+?) year old function in Logic is still my favourite:


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## Callum Hoskin (Aug 27, 2018)

Capture Record!!!


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## Vik (Aug 27, 2018)

Callum Hoskin said:


> Capture Record!!!


Agree. I only wish it had worked the way Cubase does - which captures what you play even if you aren't in play mode. Way more useful. 
https://steinberg.help/cubase_pro_a...ecording_enabling_retrospective_record_t.html


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## Nick Batzdorf (Aug 27, 2018)

Great videos, Vik!


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## mc_deli (Aug 27, 2018)

stonzthro said:


> And the iPad commands:


What is that?


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## DivingInSpace (Aug 27, 2018)

anp27 said:


> Track Stacks! And all of the new Automation features. I have many more favorites but these have to be my top 2.
> 
> EDIT: Oops... just realized that the topic was "top hidden features in Logic" and both features I listed are anything but hidden!



Wait, new automationfeatures? I didn't know there was any haha


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## ein fisch (Aug 27, 2018)

Vik said:


> Agree. I only wish it had worked the way Cubase does - which captures what you play even if you aren't in play mode. Way more useful.
> https://steinberg.help/cubase_pro_a...ecording_enabling_retrospective_record_t.html


thats exactly what i was thinking when using it


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## stonzthro (Aug 27, 2018)

mc_deli said:


> What is that?


Those are the buttons I created in TouchOSC to trigger the Transform presets I created; this is a crop of a screen capture from my iPad.


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## Bender-offender (Aug 31, 2018)

Vik said:


> Agree. I only wish it had worked the way Cubase does - which captures what you play even if you aren't in play mode. Way more useful.
> https://steinberg.help/cubase_pro_a...ecording_enabling_retrospective_record_t.html


There’s this. I keep it loaded when working in Logic, however, lately it’s been freezing up on me, but I’m not sure if it’s my midi controller or the app. Deleting the archived recordings seems to help unfreeze it, though. http://www.audiocr.com/ Capture Midi


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## morphling (Aug 31, 2018)

Logic Pro X is amazing. 

But one thing I couldn't live without is freezing multitracks really... Problem is I've always lived without it... I really hope they finally include this in 10.5


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## samphony (Sep 2, 2018)

Screen sets, screen sets, screen sets
Marquee tool
Capture last take as recording
Smart Tempo
New key commands added with every update
Articulations bound to ID
Ability to open every plugin slot via key command/ midi command
Ability to control + click the plugin chain symbol to link multiple plugins of one track/channel strip and switch to other tracks/channel strips and all open plugin windows auto update to show that tracks/channel strips plugin guis
Project alternatives
Track alternatives
Apple loops browser to store ideas
Old Region Folders for easy arranging cues/tracks/songs
Score Editor
Easy way to sketch on GarageBand iOS and open projects in logic



Things I wish for future updates:

Extensive tracks/channel strip filtering system with tagging and search
Dragging multiple regions from different tracks into the loops browser to store mixdown and a patch tracks set to add to any project later for a total recall. 
Ability to pin several tracks to the top underneath the global tracks
Raising the artificial track count limitations for all track types from 255 to at least 1000
Multi Lane editing of automation/CC in all editor
A real deactivate track feature that unloads plugins and sample data when using Kontakt
Live loops editor/view for pattern based work in a more extensive way than GarageBand for iPad offers.


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## tmhuud (Sep 2, 2018)

Ah, the wonderfully marvelous and extraordinarily underused....

(Ladies and gentleman, I present you with) the MARQUE TOOL.


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## Nick Batzdorf (Sep 2, 2018)

Yeah, the Marquee tool made such a difference. Before that you'd have to go to the ruler to click where you wanted it to play from.


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