. Working with other applications or hardware

  1. Opening Mac songs on PC
  2. Opening PC songs on Mac
  3. How do I use SoundDiver and Logic at same time?
  4. Sounddiver does not see my synth
  5. Is it possible to network two Macs, so that I can authorize my new bootpartition for Sounddiver?
  6. How do I open Atari-Notator ".son" files in Logic?
  7. How do I export Recycle REX loops to Logic / the EXS24?
  8. Syncing ADAT with Logic using MTC or SMPTE (tip)
  9. Syncing Logic & Pro Tools
  10. Pro Tools to Logic, and Logic to Pro Tools
  11. Digital Performer to Logic
  12. Opcode Vision To Logic
  13. Logic-Mac and Ableton Live
  14. How do I make knobs on the Oxygen keyboard control the master level?
  15. OMF framerate troubles: when I exchange files, I am told that the framerate is off
  16. How can I make Logic follow MPC 2000 tempo changes?
  17. My DR-660 takes a few bars to sync to Logic

.1 Opening Mac songs on PC

For the LSOs you might have to open them via "open" and selecting "all files" from the pulldown below. You can also add a file-extension (.lso in this case) in order to be able to open them as usual (Macs don't add file extensions). For the audiofiles it should be no problem if your friend just uses plain AV hardware, read: no PT or whatever. PT for example uses a different audio file format (SDII) which PCs don't use, and which thus needs to be converted first. Using "plain" hardware should be no deal at all, Logic usually should find the audio files automatically, no need to convert AIFF (Mac format) to WAV.

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.2 Opening PC songs on Mac

Macs use the "resource fork" to store information about the filetype. Since PCs don't know what a resource fork is, a Logic song from a PC will look like a "generic file" to a Mac. This means you cna't double-click it to launch Logic, and can't open it with the normal "Open" command. To solve this problem, you can use the File menu's "Import" command instead. Then immediately re-save the file to give it its proper filetype. If you need to convert many files at once, you can download an applescript called "lasong" from the LUG's file area: drag and drop a bunch of PC-Logic songs on it, and their proper type and creator will be set automatically.

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.3 How do I use SoundDiver and Logic at same time?

Simply boot Logic first and then boot Sounddiver and Sounddiver will use Logic's built in MIDI drivers. Thus both programs can share the same ports.

Also, set the preferences in Logic to NOT "release the modem (printer) port when stopped" (Preferences > MIDI Interface Communication). You want SoundDiver to run through Logic to access MIDI, so Logic has to keep control of your port.

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.4 Sounddiver does not see my synth

Did SoundDiver start a "Scan"? If not, enable "Check device connections at startup" in the prefs, quit and restart SoundDiver. Either it will start scanning (because there was no device installed yet), or it will complain that it did not find the <whatever synth>. Click "Re-Scan".

If this does not help: make sure that you use the MIDI Out jack, not the MIDI Thru jack at the <whatever synth>.

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.5 Is it possible to network two Macs, so that I can authorize my new bootpartition for Sounddiver?

No problem with either (the "big" solution at about $50) a small hub and 2 Twisted-Pair Ethernet cables (or more, if you have a printer and/or more machines) and via AppleTalk, or with (the "small" solution) a special Twisted-Pair cable for connecting the machines directly.

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.6 How do I open Atari-Notator ".son" files in Logic?

Use the File > Import command instead of the File > Open command.

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.7 How do I export Recycle REX loops to Logic / the EXS24?

The quickest way to export audio from Recycle to Logic, is via the clipboard. Recycle -> Edit Menu -> Copy Loop, then in Logic's Arrange window: Audio menu > Paste Recycle Loop. Or in the EXS (open the editor) - Paste Loop from clipboard as new Instrument.

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.8 Syncing ADAT with Logic using MTC or SMPTE (tip)

Sync either with MTC or SMPTE if you have striped a track on your tapes.

Connect your MIDI interface to the ADAT. Set the ADAT to receive MTC and set as slave. Enable MTC transmit (Synchronization Settings dialog) in Logic and send it to the ADAT connected MIDI port.

Hardware specific: In the MOTU Firewire console enable the ADAT IN option under the 828 tab. You will now get the extra inputs in Logic, which as usual you will find on each channel strip in the mixer/environment.

The S/PDIF interface works the same way, depends on the model of DAT machine in regards to syncing with MTC.

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.9 Syncing Logic & Pro Tools

This is how to sync Logic & Pro Tools so they run together:

A. In OMS: Double click on the IAC driver in the OMS setup

  1. in the first box type "MTC to Logic"
  2. in the second box type "MMC for Pro Tools"
  3. click OK and save your OMS setup/quit

B. In Pro Tools:

  1. MIDI
  2. Setups > Peripherals > Synchronisation
  3. Windows > Show Session Setup

C. In Logic:

  1. Options > Settings > MIDI Interface Communication: check "Use OMS if available"
  2. Environment window: create two instruments (it should automatically create 2 IAC drivers for OMS, but if it didn't you can create them manually. They should both be on Midi channel 16 and assigned to the 2 IAC ports you defined under point A)
  3. Options > Settings > Synchronization Settings
  4. Options > Settings > OMS Preferences > Input Mapping: pick "MTC to Logic"
  5. Options > Settings > OMS Preferences > Output Mapping: pick "MMC for Protools"

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.10 Pro Tools to Logic, and Logic to Pro Tools

In exporting files to ProTools there is no need to waste disk space bouncing everything from bar 1. Logic is able to import and export time stamp information via SDII regions. This feature makes the task of moving compositions between applications, such as between Logic Audio and Pro Tools, much simpler, because it allows you to easily restore the time position of a region once its imported. This feature will work with any application that can read and write time stamps to SDII regions. The following procedure is for moving files between Logic Audio and Pro Tools.

Logic to Pro Tools

In Logic:

  1. In the Audio window, select the audio files that you wish to export. (If you are moving all the files and regions of a song, simply 'Select All')
  2. Select Audio Window > File > Export SDII Regions. Logic will time stamp the regions according to their position in the Arrange window. NOTE: If the same region is used multiple times in the song, then Logic will use the position of the first instance of the region. For this reason, you will generally want to make all regions in your song "individual regions" before starting this procedure. Use Logic's Arrange > Functions > Convert Regions to Individual Regions menu option to perform this task.

In Pro Tools:

  1. Add the audio regions using the Import Audio option found in the File or Region List menus
  2. Enable 'Spot' mode
  3. Drag the regions onto the desired tracks in the Edit Window. When the Time Stamp window appears, load the Original Time Stamp value into the Start Point window and Hit 'OK' .The region will now be located at the same position as it was in Logic Audio.

Pro Tools to Logic

In Pro Tools:

  1. Select all the Regions in the Region bin that you wish to export
  2. Select "Export Region Definitions" from Region List menu

In Logic:

  1. Select Audio Window > File > Add Audio file to add the files that were exported from Pro Tools
  2. Select the files you've imported in the Audio window and select File > Import SDII Regions. The regions that now contain time stamped info well show up with small clock icons to the left of their name.
  3. Drag the Regions into the Arrange window, onto the desired tracks.
  4. With the Regions selected, choose the Functions > Regions to Original Record Position. NOTE: If the region has both an Original and User Time Stamp (see Pro Tools Documentation), then Logic will ask which time stamp you wish to use.

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.11 Digital Performer to Logic

I figured out that in DP 'soundbites' are the things that can be 'exported' as stamped SDII files. So I did just that.

Then I opened a new song in Logic at the right tempo, added the audio files. and then when I dragged them in to Arrange and pressed 'regions to original record position' (Arrange window's Audio menu) they snapped into place. This hadn't happened when I simply tried to add the DP song's audio files- I had to go through the 'export' thing first.

There were a hundred or so audio files so it took me a few minutes, but not as long as it would have to consolidate (read: bounce) the files in DP and make them all start at bar 1. 

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.12 Opcode Vision To Logic

I just started last week from using Opcode VisionDSP 4.5.

  1. Best thing to do is to make sure the "Custom Track Name" you have in Vision is named the same as the Patch you've selected in Vision's Patch selection box in the track view.
  2. "Export" the file from Vision.
  3. Use the "Import" function in Logic to import the song into Logic.
  4. Logic will ask if you wish to import the current environment: tell it "yes" if you have an Autoload environment set up (make sure you do -this really reduces your downtime).
  5. Your MIDI should pop up without any problem. You may need to reset your patch change functions, but I've found this to be superficial. (There are two screens you need to use - The main patch select functions in the Arrange window, and the Event Edit window for each track. For some reason Logic likes to let the MSB/LSB selections from Vision linger. These need to be deleted for the patch changes to work properly.)

I've been able to translate about 40 songs in the last two days into Logic with only the drull of reassigning the Patch changes...

Translating audio has also been as easy - just boring... What I did was warn my customers this was happening first...

  1. Then, I did an "Export Audio Mix" on all the backing vocal tracks of a song - enabling the "Use EQ and Slider" Functions button on the write command. (This mixed and transported all my backing vocals to one stereo track)
  2. Then I did the same function on the Lead vocal - only by itself (With the understanding of the artist that if they needed to remix the lead vocal they could do so easily without any damage to the track. However, if they need to remix the backing vocals they would need to re-sing ALL the backing parts).
  3. Then I just imported the audio files, did a little "slide" function on the .aiff files and the songs sounded exactly as they did when they were in Vision.

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.13 Logic-Mac and Ableton Live

Slaving Live to Logic:

  1. Go to the Audio Mixer (environment window/ audio) and create an Audio Object (in the New menu).
  2. Set the new object's "Cha" parameter to "Mix L" (Cha will be set to "off" when you create a new Audio Object. Just click on it and you will get a menu. Go to "Instruments > others >Mix L").
  3. Double-click on the Audio Object and it will turn into a channel strip.
  4. Pan it all the way to the left.
  5. Repeat 1-4 above, except set the "Cha" parameter to "Mix R," and pan it to the right.

You will now have two channel strips to set the levels of your incoming Live signal.

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.14 How do I make knobs on the Oxygen keyboard control the master level?

Let's suppose the knob on the Oxygen you want to use sends out controller 20 on channel 3 (or whichever other combination of CC# and channel).

  1. In the environment's Clicks & Ports layer create a new transformer (in the window's New menu). Double-click to open it.
  2. In the top popup menu, pick "Condition Splitter".
    Set the Conditions as follows: Status = Control, Cha = 3, -1- = 20, -2-: All
    Set the Operations like this: Status Thru, Cha Fix 1, -1- Fix 7, -2- Thru
  3. Now cable the SUM outlet of the Physical Input object into this transformer.
  4. Cable the 1st outlet of the transformer into your Master-1 object .
  5. Cable the 2nd outlet of the transformer into the "To Rec & Thru" object (or "To Sequencer", as it's sometimes called).

You should now have a fixed mapping from the Oxygen knob to the master volume.

Note: the Master-1 object is probably in a different layer of the environment than the transformer is. In order to cable between them, it's easiest to open 2 environment windows next to each other, with each showing one of the layers. You can then click-hold on the transformer's 1st outlet, and drag to the other window until the mouse is on top of the master object which should then "light up". Release the mouse, and you've created a cable between layers.

Note 2: from the Omega Art Logic pages you can download a set of 4 tutorials called "autodemo", describing how to use external faderboxes to control Logic and record Track Based Automation. You can find the "autodemo" here.

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.15 OMF framerate troubles: when I exchange files, I am told that the framerate is off

The importing process should involve some vital communication with the video editor - or whoever is exporting the OMF files. Obtain information about start point, duration, frame rate and sample rate from the person who created the OMF file. They also have to set the "handle" size (amount of audio either side of edit points for crossfading, etc) - so let them know what is required in this regard. Also, request 16bit OMF files as there are reported problems importing 24bit files.

  1. Before importing an OMF, create a song with mono audio objects and turn off "universal track mode" in Audio > Audio Hardware & Drivers > Universal Track Mode (this allows you to control two tracks as a stereo pair - processing wise - although it doesn't relink split stereo files unfortunately).
  2. Then set the correct offset (provided by exporter):
    In Options > Song Settings > Synchronization Settings, "General" tab: set 'bar position' to first bar or bar of choice, set 'plays at SMPTE' to OMF start point, set the frame rate (fps) as provided by the exporter.
  3. In Arrange, drag the End Song marker to the right to give you a workspace of sufficient duration.
  4. Set the same sample rate in Audio > Sample Rate (although Logic WILL convert sample rate during import if necessary):

Unfortunately, crossfades and volume information don't seem to survive translation.

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.16 How can I make Logic follow MPC 2000 tempo changes?

Question: When I program drums in my MPC2000, I then use the MPC to control Logic (Midi Clock) to record the drums into Logic as MIDI. If I have a heavy swing on any of my drums programmed from the MPC, Logic doesn't follow the same bar/beat/tick format as what I originally programmed. In other words, when a 4-bar beat has swing in it from the MPC and then goes into Logic, it is no longer 4-bars but rather 3.xx bars.

Answer: Run the sync out from Logic to the MPC (i.e. sync the MPC to Logic instead of syncing Logic to the MPC). I've used this method quite extensively and it works well, the MPC syncs right up to Logic.

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.17 My DR-660 takes a few bars to sync to Logic

Question: When I do play a song the DR-660 seems to take 2-3m bars to "sync up" and it plays some odd preprogrammed drum pattern every time I hit the "play button" in logic. What gives?

Answer: The DR-660 gets into sync with Logic. You should disable "Transmit MIDI Clock" and "Transmit MTC" in the Song Settings > Synchronization Settings dialog.

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