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What do you wish you had known when you started logic pro or music production in general?


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Did something you learnt or something you acquire (a tool? a software? a technique? a faster way to make things in logic pro? a way of thinking?) improved significantly your sound ?

 

I've started 1 month ago, but I can already share a few things :

 

- Music engineering (mastering the filters, ad limiter, compressor, and so on...) is much more important than I thought at first (actually I didn't know it was a thing). It's crucial to get a good sound. And it's not a trivial mater.

- Automation is essential (I didn't even know it existed before I started). EVERYTHING in logic pro can be automated, it offers a lot of possibilities, so much that it can hurt your brain.

- I learnt recently that you can use the "touch" mode for your automations, this is so handy.

- Something that proved to be handy too to me is the "mute region" option (select a region and press Ctrl-M). So you're not satisfied with a region, but you don't want to delete because you could use some part of it later, or with another instrument. Ctrl-M is very handy.

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On the technical side of things, I believe proficiency on the software is just as important as knowing engineering philosophy and convention.  The DAW software (whichever one chooses to use) has been honed for decades now to be as efficient and streamlined as possible (for the most part) and taking advantage of that evolution is a strong component to achieving good results.
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What I learned (the hard way):

 

  • don't get distracted by third party plugins especially when you're first starting out. Learn about EQ and Compression and learn Logic's Channel EQ and Compressor inside out.
  • Check out Logic's Key Commands window! There are so many unassigned goodies in there that will make making music in Logic more efficient and enjoyable.

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  • 3 months later...

This is a great idea for a thread: reading it I'm getting great advice for my own fledgling Logic path.

 

So I thought I'd bump it back up again, and maybe get some more answers.

 

What are some things you wish you'd known when you started using Logic? What would you do differently, knowing what you now know?

 

Thanks! This is super-helpful to beginners like me.

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3) Learn Thy Key Commands.

 

Why do you consider this so important? Did you lose lots of time by doing stuff with the mouse rather than by key commands?

 

Not pranaearth, but I recommended getting into the key commands too.. I think all of us did.

 

Yes, key commands are important. Key commands will always be quicker than mouse clicks, that's why this gospel is always preached. Check out this guy:

 

 

He did all of that in under 5 minutes. Imagine how much work he gets done in a 30 minutes... an hour..

 

Time is money, for the most part. Even if you don't do this for a living, you will always benefit from working faster as opposed to working slow.

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Key commands: here is an example: when working in the piano role editor, it’s much easier to use a key command to change between grid/division settings (8ths, 16ths, triplets...) rather than mouse up to the setting in the main display. Especially if you’re using multiple monitors.

 

Also, some things are only available via kc.

 

For me, to answer the question: 1) learn and use what you have fully and don’t just go spending money on new stuff. Know why you need the new thing first.

 

2) learn to be as efficient as you can in all the software and hardware you use. Be By creative is so much easier when the tools work and get out of your way.

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When I was in college for my music degree, We had to learn our key commands.

We were using Pro Tools, and we were given a set of assignments that one would typically use during a recording session/editing session.

There were 7 items ion the list, and each item had 7-10 tasks to complete.

We were given 5 minutes to complete the test.

If I had used a mouse, there would be no way I'd be able to finish all the work in the time given.

In a recording studio, time is money.

In our real life, our time is even more valuable.

Working a full time job, and trying to expand my music career, every second I save is time that I can use to be more creative, instead of moving a mouse around my 27" screen.

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When I was in college for my music degree, We had to learn our key commands.

We were using Pro Tools, and we were given a set of assignments that one would typically use during a recording session/editing session.

There were 7 items ion the list, and each item had 7-10 tasks to complete.

We were given 5 minutes to complete the test.

If I had used a mouse, there would be no way I'd be able to finish all the work in the time given.

In a recording studio, time is money.

In our real life, our time is even more valuable.

Working a full time job, and trying to expand my music career, every second I save is time that I can use to be more creative, instead of moving a mouse around my 27" screen.

Makes sense! Thanks pranaearth.

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- key commands

- theory books

 

What do you mean by "theory books"? Do you mean music theory?

Yes, it doesnt hurt even if you only do audio,

but if you do synths, sound design, learning the theory behind it really improves your speed when getting around plugins.

 

3) Learn Thy Key Commands.

 

Why do you consider this so important? Did you lose lots of time by doing stuff with the mouse rather than by key commands?

 

yes. When you spend 15 seconds on one actions as opposed to 1 and you do it 1000 times, thats 15000 secodns thats 250minutes compared to 15 minutes

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When I was in college for my music degree, we had to learn our key commands.

We were using Pro Tools, and we were given a set of assignments that one would typically use during a recording session/editing session. There were 7 items ion the list, and each item had 7-10 tasks to complete.

Hey pranaearth, do you happen to remember what those 7 x 7 task/items?

 

When you spend 15 seconds on one actions as opposed to 1 and you do it 1000 times, thats 15000 secodns thats 250minutes compared to 15 minutes

This exactly.

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MusicTechHelpGuy is my favorite youtube channel for learning logic pro. This guy is speaking very clearly and knows how to teach. I loved his synths tutorial series (Alchemy/ES2, etc...) . https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC21BwBKSKiPFbNvzl3-eh_A

 

One more thing I learnt recently that used several time since then. It's not so gard to find, but I didn't even know it was possible, so I didn't google it at first.

 

Sometimes I want to copy an automation from one track to another. Cmd-C on the source automation, and cmd-V on destination track. It works but usually the automation is applied a new random parameter of the destination track (except if the tracks are using the exact same instruments and effects).

The solution is to pick the newly pasted automation paramater (which should be already the case if you just pasted it). Then press the cmd key while opening the combo list of all automation parameters of the current track, and select the actual parameter you want to automate. Very handy ( https://documentation.apple.com/en/logicpro/usermanual/index.html#chapter=28%26section=7%26tasks=true )

Edited by jp44
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When I was in college for my music degree, we had to learn our key commands.

We were using Pro Tools, and we were given a set of assignments that one would typically use during a recording session/editing session. There were 7 items ion the list, and each item had 7-10 tasks to complete.

Hey pranaearth, do you happen to remember what those 7 x 7 task/items?

 

When you spend 15 seconds on one actions as opposed to 1 and you do it 1000 times, thats 15000 secodns thats 250minutes compared to 15 minutes

This exactly.

 

It was something like: Select section of audio file and change gain. Select two sections of audio file and remove breath sounds from vocal. Select 2 adjoining audio files and select crossfade. Select end of file and change fade. Select all audio files and combine into one contiguous file.

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MusicTechHelpGuy is my favorite youtube channel for learning logic pro. This guy is speaking very clearly and knows how to teach. I loved his synths tutorial series (Alchemy/ES2, etc...) .

 

YouTube is filled with fantastic tutorials on Logic, but I agree, I especially like MusicTechHelpGuy. His Alchemy tutorials were essential for me coming to grips with how it changed after it left Camel Audio and was rebirthed by Apple.

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It was something like: Select section of audio file and change gain. Select two sections of audio file and remove breath sounds from vocal. Select 2 adjoining audio files and select crossfade. Select end of file and change fade. Select all audio files and combine into one contiguous file.

 

Nice, thanks for sharing :)

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It was something like: Select section of audio file and change gain. Select two sections of audio file and remove breath sounds from vocal. Select 2 adjoining audio files and select crossfade. Select end of file and change fade. Select all audio files and combine into one contiguous file.

That's actually a pretty smart way to test students! I'm impressed. Most tests nowadays are quick questions, standardized etc... and therefore disconnected from reality.

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On the contrary, I wish I didn't know anything about mixing other than levelling volume, panning and reverb.

 

I started making music back when Apple released iLife 04, which had I think the earliest version of garageband or so. Then i started adding some Jam Packs. Then i outgrew garageband and started using Logic Express 6, stayed for 2 years making music when i was in college, then slowly abandoning it as i reached adulthood and had a career not related to music.

 

Today I make music no longer as a hobby, but slowly transitioning it into a career. It's been 1 year and a half since i started doing music again, but this time around, i'm doing it full time.

 

It's only natural when your making music you would want to mix it yourself, it's your composition, your own blood and sweat after all.

 

So i did like everyone else, picking up knowledge on linear EQ, minimum phase EQ, compression, multiband compression, sibilance, saturation, mid-side processing, correlation and phasing in mono, limiting - the whole nine yards.

 

Do i make a better mix today? It's debatable, in some area I do. In some area i don't.

 

Putting my mix today and volume match it with the ones i made in 2004-2006 when i was in college, there's a clear winner when it comes to who has the bigger 'balls', the macro view of my music - zoomed out.

 

The ones i made in 2004-2006 are mostly more enjoyable while being massively distorted and brick walled. The only moves i made were volume levelling, panning and adjusting the reverb - simple moves.

 

I realized that the problem isn't really about being informed of mixing technique, but rather not knowing how to apply the knowledge appropriately. Worse i forgot that music is listened zoomed out - you feel the beat, you tap your feet, you sing along.

 

That's it. That was my problem, I'm making music a technical thing, a micro view, a zoomed in thing.

 

Good thing is that i realise this sooner. I now mix based on whether it makes me want to dance and sing along. I'll tweak my mix until i feel the magic happens in my feet and chest.

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I now mix based on whether it makes me want to dance and sing along. I'll tweak my mix until i feel the magic happens in my feet and chest.

 

I enjoyed reading this story a lot, thanks for sharing! I can definitely relate to how music production these days has become more about the techniques than the actual music and emotion. Great reminder for us all :)

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I enjoyed reading this story a lot, thanks for sharing!

 

Hah! Glad you did!

 

I'm in a competition with my old self - the passionate teenager who wouldn't let this old man seem to win.

 

I can definitely relate to how music production these days has become more about the techniques than the actual music and emotion.

 

You can? Share you story then, would love to hear it :)

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Share you story then, would love to hear it :)

 

My story is similar to yours. I went through a pretty long period of being distracted by plugins and techniques, but especially by plugins. It was only till I put an end to the GAS and focused all my attention on learning the Channel EQ, proper EQ techniques and the Compressor/techniques that I started to get somewhere.

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