Logic Pro: How to Use External Effects & Synths
Do you wish you could use some of your favorite effects pedals and amps in Logic Pro the way you do a plugin? Or maybe you've got a killer-sounding analog synth that you'd like to control just like a virtual instrument? Well, step right this way, because you've come to the right place. In this Logic Pro video course, Logic Pro guru Stephen O'Connell will walk you through the process of connecting various types of outboard gear and interfacing seamlessly hassle-free! These Logic Pro videos are for Logic Pro users who already know their way around Logic Pro, but are looking to integrate external devices into their in-the-box workflow.
Videos
• Introduction to the Course (09:21) - Welcome to this course, where we'll be teaching you how guitar pedals, amps, outboard gear, and synths can connect with Logic Pro to enhance your workflow and music production experience. In this video, we'll outline the topics in the course and its structure, what you need to know before you start the unit, and what you'll need if you want to follow along.
• Understanding the Different Signal Levels (11:17) - There are different types of audio signals, beyond what type of connector is at the end of the cable. In this video, we'll look at how mic, line, and instrument levels differ and how we can convert each type of signal when necessary.
• Reamping a Guitar Through an Amp or Pedal (10:58) - Reamping is a classic studio technique that's been used for decades, and Logic Pro is more than capable of handling this kind of task. In this video, we'll explore the signal flow chart of how this setup is connected, what kinds of connections you can make, why you may want to reamp your sound through external hardware, and how to get the audio back into Logic Pro and into your track.
• How the I/O Plugin Works (09:36) - When using the previous video?s method, we observed that sometimes latency can be introduced in the reamping process. Logic Pro has a handy stock plugin, the I/O plugin, that can help streamline the setup of your reamping loop and also account for the latency introduced in the process.
• Using Outboard Effects Hardware (06:18) - When it comes to connecting external compressors, EQs, or effects units of any time, the process is fairly similar to reamping. In this video, we'll look at how to connect an outboard piece of equipment, how to A/B the effects, and how to blend it into the dry audio signal.
• Triggering a Hardware Synth with MIDI (06:46) - Stepping into the world of synthesis now, Logic Pro has several useful MIDI tricks to help you perform your synth part through Logic Pro, hands free. In this video, we'll look at how to connect your synth via MIDI/USB, how the audio and MIDI signal flow works, and how to trigger your synth with MIDI tracks in the DAW to perform your part and record the audio back into your track.
• Using the External MIDI Instrument Plugin (06:42) - Helping to, again, streamline the process, this time with our MIDI connections, Logic Pro has a useful plugin, the External MIDI Instrument plugin, to connect to your MIDI synths and treat them almost like software instruments.
• Programming More Than Just Notes (05:57) - There?s more to a synth performance than just the notes you play. Many different controls, like filter cutoffs or LFO speeds, may be adjusted on the fly to manipulate the audio coming out of the synth. In this video, we explore how to use MIDI to perform these changes too, allowing you to fine tune your performance even further.
• Locking in Time with Arps & Sequencers (05:46) - Many synthesizers have great arpeggiators or sequencers built into them, so you don?t have to rely on software plugins or MIDI programming to perform these kinds of parts. However, getting them to perform in time can be tricky when doing it only by ear. In this video, we'll see how we can sync the timing of your hardware synth?s steps with the internal Logic Pro clock.
• Using Your Synth Manufacturer's Plugin (10:26) - In the final video, we take a look at how we can use third party software plugins that come with your hardware synths to get a ?hybrid? workflow experience, where you can browse presets, make fine adjustments, and save custom patches, just like a software synth, while retaining that analog hardware sound.