Setting up Logic
Audio, full retail version.
This
page runs you through setting up logic audio, I have also written
a page that will help you to use the program. Click here for that
page.
Because logic audio is so flexable and can even directly
support TDM / protools hardware, it can sometimes confuse people.
You can setup different cards/hardware to use different driver API's
to increase your inputs. I own logic audio platinum 4 and therefore
the follow pictures may have more options than AV,Silver,Gold. The
steps are still very similar for each version.
Ok lets start..............This picture shows the
arrange page.....Go to Audio > Audio hardware and drivers....

This is where you setup what type of driver API you wish
to use and how they will be used.... To use ASIO drivers tick
the asio box and make sure that none of the other boxs are
ticked for another type of driver API unless you are using
multiple hardware. Then select the ASIO driver for your card
in the asio box. You may need to restart logic now or if you
are asked to, you can restart just the drivers. After having
the drivers rescanned you can then select internal clock in
the clock source window... If you are using the digital in
then u will need to select external/spdif clock.. The max
number of audio tracks can be changed at any time so make
this a small number since it saves resources. I like to keep
it at 16 or 24 and then use virtual tracks for multiple takes.
Make sure that universal track mode is selected, this refers
to the use of interleaved stereo files and split stereo files
from memory. If you want to record in 24bit then tick the
20/24 bit recording box. I highly recommend recording in 24bit,
I will write an article on this soon.
Software monitoring must be selected if you are to hear effects
in realtime. Later on I will show u "auto input monitoring"
which i recommend this to be turned on. The Max I/O streams
can be left at max but this will take up system resources.
If u only use 2 outputs then set OUT to 2....next comes the
ASIO control panel, get to this by pressing the "control
panel" button....
Make sure that the PC-AV box is unticked if you are setting up
the ASIO drivers as I am showing you here. This box is found under
the "audio driver" tab.
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Audio Engine Parameters
These options are found in Logic Audio's Hardware Setup window and allow
you to "fine tune" your audio system/hardware performance.
Volume Smoothing [ms]
This parameter defines the length of the fade between two consecutive
volume values for an audio track. When setting this value to 0 you might
hear "zipper noise" when moving a volume fader during playback.
Higher values soften the volume changes and eliminate the zipper noise.
Max. Number of Audiotracks
The Audio Engine requires free system memory. The amount of memory needed
depends on the maximum number of tracks to be played, and on the number
of I/O channels supplied by the driver. This setting allows you to reduce
the amount of memory used by the driver, by reducing the number of tracks.
This may be practical should you wish to run other applications or audio
hardware types simultaneously.
Larger Disk Buffer
This option influences the amount of audio data that is read from the
disk in advance. It is deactivated by default, matching the demands of
fast hard drives and powerful computers.
Should you experience frequent error messages while running Logic Audio
in this mode, you can switch this setting ON. This will allow an increase
in the number of playback tracks and reliability.
The downside?...more RAM is needed.
Larger Process Buffer
This parameter determines the size of the native buffer used to compute
mixers and effects. Do NOT activate this option if you own a fast computer!
A "fast" computer is determined by your tracklaying/effects
use...so if your audio playback requirements are modest - say four to
eight tracks with a few compressors/EQ's and a reverb or two, then a PII/300-400
would be considered "fast". If, on the other hand, you need
to run 24 audio tracks with loads of effects, then a "fast"
computer would be up towards the PentiumIII 650-800 mark.
If you find your system straining under the load, enabling the Larger
Process Buffer reduces response times to operations such as volume changes
or track soloing. Experiment with various settings covered above to find
the optimal configuration for your Logic Audio system.
These two windows show an example of the ASIO control
panel for a multiclient audiocard. |
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With Logic I recommend that the multitrack wave drivers
are "single and in sync" ....This is where u can set your
latency, I like a latency of 12ms at 44.1 KHZ ...Remember as a general
rule record in the highest BITRATE and at the sample rate that you
are eventually r going to master to (If going to CD record at 44.1),
more on this at a later date..... |
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Go back to the arrange page......
Now what quite a few people have problems with is
the record enable button may not be present. Logic generally will
ask u to convert to enviroment if u change driver types but if it
doesn't then you will have to do the following manually...Select
an Audio track, in the picture I have selected "audio 1".
On the left hand side of the arrange page are what are called the
parameters, if u cannot see these then go to "veiw" then
"parameters"....Now see the area I have circled in red,
this sets which device is assigned to that track. ASI stands for
ASIO and if u have setup the ASIO drivers like I have shown u above
then select "ASI" , if u want to use MME/EASI drivers
then select PC and setup the PCAV drivers under audio hardware and
drivers....Doing this should give you the record enable buttons.
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Now the follow picture is the Enviroment ...I use
the enviroment since its easy to get to by double clicking on an
audio track but i should piont out that logic AV doesn't have the
enviroment, You can get to a similar looking screen by going to
"windows" "open track mixer" ..........
Once again make sure u can see the parameters by going
"veiw" "paramters" then make sure that
"show I/O" is ticked... Now on the mixer you will see
the I/O section, this sets which input and output is assigned to
each audio track. Clicking and holding will allow u to select the
input from the menu... Now u r ready to record audio after you record
enable a track.
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that's audio...... Now for midi which heaps of ppl
stuff up this simple thing, I get at least 1 phone call per week
about this one..............
Back at the arrange page this is where you select
which output to send your midi to. Simple stuff once u know that
it is there.
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Auto Input Monitoring
When ASIO2 was introduced it allowed asio2 capable programs
to change the monitoring of the card via the asio2 drivers. When Auto
input monitoring is selected in logic it will automatically via the asio2
drivers change the routing of the dsp24 card and give you ZERO LATENCY
by hardware input monitoring. If this feature is annoying you, you can
quite easily turn it off in logic by going to the AUDIO menu and unselecting
"AUTO INPUT MONITORING" . If you find that Logic mutes your
playback when you enter in to record mode with inputs 1 and 2 then this
is what you will need to do.
HINT Once you
have logic setup the way you like to work save the arrangement as "autoload"
in the emagic\logic audio\ folder where the logic.exe file is...when ever
logic starts it will load this arrangement and automatically assign the
midi tracks to the output that u saved them to...
Have fun using Logic Audio one more thing is to turn off
MMC and MTC if you are not using them, this will stop "error while
trying to sync audio and midi" if your midi interface cannot keep
up with the MTC thats being streamed out.
You may like to now read my walk
through on how to record audio and other basic logic tasks.
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