I was always hesitant about posting content related to music production on my YouTube channel because I thought no one would actually care. Yet, when I posted my first music production related video called 5 Logic Pro Secrets You Need To Know on YouTube I received an amazing response. It was so cool to see people interacting with my content in the comments and asking questions!
Since that video did so well, I thought I would naturally make a part two to that video with five more Logic secrets. This blog post accompanies that video, which you can check out here:
If you would prefer to read or reference this later, here is my blog post adaptation of the new video!
1. Plugin Manager
The plugin manager is something I only learned about recently, but which has really been a life saver with regards to workflow and organization. The plugin manager allows you to literally organize all of your third party plugins AND native plugins into the categories that you want them. This way, when you select a plugin from the menu in the inspector or mixer, the dropdown menu that pops up is organized according to your needs!
This is especially useful when you have a bunch of third-party plugins which by default fall all the way down at the bottom of the plugin list. You can also change the displayed name of plugins in the list. That way, If you have two plugins that do the same thing, you can put them in the same folder and title them according to, say, manufacturer.
From here, it is pretty self explanatory. You can add plugins to different folders and organize them in any way you would like! The organizing you do in this window will be reflected in the plugin dropdown when you go to add a plugin to a slot on a track.
2. Option + Click and Drag
This is a keyboard shortcut, but I think it counts as a secret… maybe…
Either way, it is definitely a really important feature not only for Logic, but for tons of software where you would want to copy or duplicate something quickly and easily. Option + Click and Drag allows you to copy a clip/region in Logic’s timeline. All you have to do is drag the clip while holding option, and a new duplicate region will be created.
What is so special about this shortcut in Logic, is that it allows you to copy it to the exact location within a bar where the original was. This means that rather than snapping to the grid, the new clip which has been “option clicked and dragged” into existence will snap to the same location in a given bar as the one it came from, even if it isn’t on the grid at all!
This is super helpful when you are working with precisely cropped audio clips, but it also just a useful tool in general when you want to copy something across the timeline and don’t want to copy and paste or repeat the clip and then drag it across the whole arrangement.
Option + Click and Drag can also be used in Automation Mode and can be used in tandem with the marquee tool to duplicate automation mappings across the timeline.
3. Option + Click to Reset Parameters.
Going along with the previous “secret,” this tip is another one you might not even realize exists but which helps tremendously with workflow and precision. When you hold the option key and click on a parameter such as fader or a knob, Logic automatically resets the parameter to its default position. This works with parameters in the arrangement as well as within plugins in logic, even many third party ones.
This also works in the mixer when you have multiple tracks selected and you want to reset faders or pan knobs on all of the selected tracks!
4. Tape Slow Down / Speed Up
This one I would say definitely falls under the “hidden gems” umbrella of Logic secrets. Its so simple yet so mind-blowing! Anywhere that you can add a fade in or fade out on a clip/region, you can also add a tape slow down or tape speed up!
All you have to do is go into the region inspector and find where it says “fade in” or “fade out.” From here, click on the little drop down scrolly arrows on the right of the words and you are able to change the “fade in” or “fade out” to “speed up” or “slow down.” This change will make the fades you add now sound like tape slow downs or speed ups rather than fade ins or fade outs! Its super fun and created a really cool and useful effect!
5. Chord Symbols in the Piano Roll
To this day I feel so stupid that I didn’t notice this feature sooner, but I literally never realized that when you select multiple notes in the piano roll in Logic, logic actually tells you what chord those notes make up! Its SUCH a useful feature and I think everyone deserves to have this pointed out to them because it is the most useful thing that I wish every DAW could do! ( @Ableton 😒 )
And yeah! That's my post for the day! Check out my YouTube channel for music production videos and more here!