Give the gift of Color to your Markers!

Markers are useful, but they are very often neglected by Logic users. One of the reasons is that the plain, ordinary blank markers can be quite boring. But color your markers, and make them exciting again! At one glance, you can tell where you are in the song. And next week, we'll see how we can use them to quickly navigate from one part to the next (or previous!).

 

http://logicprohelp.com/tipsimages/001.gif

 

To create a Marker, click in the lower 3rd of the bar ruler at the desired location while holding both Command and Option. This willl create a new Marker and open its Text Window. If you want to open an existing marker, do the same operation while clicking on the name of the Marker (you must be zoomed in close enough to the markers, or Logic will create a new marker).

 

Then open your color palette (Option C).

 

http://logicprohelp.com/tipsimages/002.gif

 

Next, click on a color while holding Option. This will select the background color of your marker, which is also the color that will show in the Bar Ruler.

 

Upon closing your Marker Text Window, the marker will take its new color in the Bar Ruler! Voila! Have fun.

Edited March 2, 2010 by David Nahmani

IS it possible to do this in Logic Express 7.1?

Unfortunately, I don't think you have markers in Express..

No, I have markers, it just looks like you can't get the Marker Text Window. Unless I'm missing something.

are you using Express 7.0 or 7.1?

7.1. All I get when creating a marker is the space to put the name of the marker, that's all.In the docs iwth 7.1 it seems there isn't any way to jump to a marker etc. Is this the same in 7.1 Pro?

No, we have much more functionality with markers in Pro. Lots of key commands let you navigate between markers...

 

(Create, Open, Set Locator, Goto ...)

OK, so I know how to jump to a marker now, though it's not as quick as I would like. Oh well. I do think the color feature is reserved for you pro guys though.

Do you have global tracks in Express?

 

In Arrange, local menu: View>Global Tracks.

Yeah, we have global tracks.

Open your marker Global Track, and have your color palette opened.

 

Then select a marker, click on a color.

 

See if that works?

In LE7, you only have Transposition, Signature, Tempo and Video

Even in View>Global Track Components you don't have a "markers" option?

Even in View>Global Track Components you don't have a "markers" option?

 

Nope. BTW, great site.

See also:

 

http://www.logicprohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=155&highlight=

Excellent suggestion, Chris. That tip is going to be especially handy for Express users!

Thanks David! This is a simple trick I was not aware of and it has helped me tremendously. It makes everything so much easier.

How hard would it be for Apple to give us zero-length markers -- like Soundtrack Pro and every other timeline-based editor out there? If I want to mark a door slam or gunshot, i don't want the marker to have a duration, I just want a flag. In FCP you can have either.

 

just my 2¢

A 1 tick long marker is the same thing as a zero length marker, or an infinite length marker that only stops when a new marker starts.

Speaking of markers, does anyone have a way of temporarily marking spots so you can return to them but not mess up your main marker set-up? The thing I'm looking for is something like I used to have on my Roland hardware recorder; you had banks of markers so I would always use one bank to spot little sections as the song went by and make it easy to return to them after. It was very handy in vocal sessions, I would spot the take while I was recording it and I could imediately go back to fix spots with the vocalist without having to run through the song again.

 

One method I've resorted to in Logic is to have a blank track and use the pencil tool to drop little regions down and use them as visual markers, although that doesn't work with the above scenario. And I have used regular markers and then went in after and pulled them off when I didn't need them anymore. Anyone have any other ideas?

I hope that I don't get "booed" from this site (as this is my first post), but is it possible to change the dark grey background of LP7 to a different shade, or even color?

Don't get me wrong, I dig the grey, but to change it up every now and again would be kinda kewl!

BTW - please forgive me if this has been covered in another post! I did a vague search - but didn't find anything! Thanks

 

H2O

I hope that I don't get "booed" from this site (as this is my first post), but is it possible to change the dark grey background of LP7 to a different shade, or even color?

Don't get me wrong, I dig the grey, but to change it up every now and again would be kinda kewl!

BTW - please forgive me if this has been covered in another post! I did a vague search - but didn't find anything! Thanks

 

H2O

 

Yes .. Preferences > Display > Arrange > Background, then pick a color

This site rules!

So far I have seen no negative replies (which is something I see a lot of in the "Apple - Support - Logic" forum).

I appreciate the response very much. Take care!

 

H2O

does this work on Logic Platinum 5.1?

For Windows

i know David that you posted this tip 2 years ago but, when you say...-And next week we will see how to...- this means you give lessons on the net on a regular base ?

If yes, can i get the link where you post ?

thanks

No, all the tips I have posted are in this forum.

Hey fellas, In my color pallet I have a lot of blk boxes that should be showing colors, how do I correct this?

I am using Logic Express 8 and have the text window open after making a marker , but when option clicking a color for it , the marker's text color won't change at all -why could that be?

I am using Logic Express 8 and have the text window open after making a marker , but when option clicking a color for it , the marker's text color won't change at all -why could that be?

In Logic 8, just select a marker in the global Marker track and click a color in the palette.