Toggling On/Off "Stop and Go To Last Locate Position"

[valve]

I am trying to find the closest thing to Pro Tool's toggle functionality called "Insertion Follows Playback," which is a button that toggles the spacebar's functionality between what LPX calls "Stop and Go To Last Locate Position" and simply "Stop" (and keep the playhead where it ends).

I've done plenty of reading and searching and am familiar with these options:

• Change the spacebar to the key command "Play or Stop and Go to Last Locate Position". Unfortunately, this is a permanent change and not a toggle.
• Add a second key command (separate from the spacebar) to "Stop and Go To Last Locate Position". I just can't seem to get used to using other keys than the spacebar to stop or start playback. I'd really just like to keep starting and stopping to the spacebar.
• Keep the spacebar as it's default key command, "Play or Stop." Right-click the Play button in the control bar and select "Play From Last Locate Position". This is close, but this doesn't put the playhead back to it's last position when I stop, which causes its own problems. (For instance, that makes it difficult to know exactly where the playhead will start when I press play again, and it prevents me from easily being able to make slight adjustments to where I want to play from after I stop.)
• Toggle on Cycle mode to keep going back to the "last locate position". This has too many disadvantages, such as having to keep setting the left locator every time I want to play back from a new location, or having to over-extend the Cycle region so that it doesn't loop before I want to stop.
• Set a Marquee location to play from that point every time. Also has disadvantages, like imprecise selections (instead of setting my playhead position with key commands), or having to use the mouse every time I want to adjust my start position.

I also tried changing the Stop button options under [Navigate > Stop Button Options] to "Stop and Go to Last Locate Position," (same as right-clicking the control bar's Stop button and selecting that), but despite setting my Spacebar to the key command "Play or Stop," this doesn't cause the spacebar's stopping function to jump back to the last locate position - it only jumps back if you actually click on the control bar stop button. This is strange, because changing the same setting for the Play button does change the spacebar's play functionality between playing from current location and playing from last position.

So with all of that said, does anyone know something I don't? This is just such a basic toggle that I use all the time in Pro Tools and am constantly missing in Logic.

[triplets]

Have you tried the Go To command?

[valve]

Do you mean the "Go To Position" command? That's not really what I'm looking for. Again, I'm looking for a way to toggle the Stop behavior of the spacebar, between "Stop" (and keep the playhead where it is) and "Stop and Go to Last Locate Position".

[triplets]

There's no equal for PT's function in Logic.

[David Nahmani]

Rather than using the "Play or Stop" (spacebar) key command, consider using the "Stop" key command. Now you can control-click (right-click) the Stop button in your Control bar and toggle "Stop and Go To Last Locate Position."

Or use two key commands: re-assign the spacebar to "Play or Stop and Go To Last Locate Position", deselect "Stop and Go To Last Locate Position in the Stop button's pop-up menu, and use the Stop key command when you want to stop but leave the playhead where it is. 

[valve]

David Nahmani said:

Rather than using the "Play or Stop" (spacebar) key command, consider using the "Stop" key command. Now you can control-click (right-click) the Stop button in your Control bar and toggle "Stop and Go To Last Locate Position."

Or use two key commands: re-assign the spacebar to "Play or Stop and Go To Last Locate Position", deselect "Stop and Go To Last Locate Position in the Stop button's pop-up menu, and use the Stop key command when you want to stop but leave the playhead where it is. 

Thanks for the suggestions David. I did mention those options in my original post -- either one of those suggestions would have me using more than one key to play and/or stop, which I've had difficulty with. (I am also on a laptop, so I don't have a numpad anyway). I guess I could figure out some other key assignment for "Stop" and try to force myself to get used to it. Man though, it does seem a bit strange to me that what I'm trying to do isn't possible.

[David Nahmani]

I hear your pain.

Ultimately, triplets is correct, you won't get Logic to behave like PT. If you need PT behavior, use PT. Logic has tried and tried to behave like PT in order to seduce PT converts, but it still has a way to go in that direction. Meanwhile, this is not a dis on Logic: PT has also tried hard for the past few years to add instruments, MIDI programming power etc... to somehow please Logic users, with mixed results as well. It's getting there, but it's not there yet.

At the end of the day:

• PT = Audio editing software that has incorporated MIDI sequencing features.
• Logic = MIDI sequencer that has incorporated audio editing features.

... and to this day, that difference, albeit smaller by the update, still shows.

[maceasy]

i think the easiest way of doing this is adding a modifier to the spacebar for the command you want. So you are still using the spacebar, but when you want stop and go to last position, or play from last position, you simply hold control (my example) and hit spacebar (having switched it off on the transport). It requires a few minutes to accustomise, then it becomes instinct. (Actually, I have it reversed - since I almost always use play from last position, I just press control to continue playing from the current position)

The other method you could use is simply create a marker (one key press) at you location, then customise your play from marker command - that way you can easily move the marker as required. Again, easy to get used to.

[graysonbh]

Hi all,

I am diving back into Logic again and setting up my workflow. I also like many things about PT and try to emulate them, which brought me here. Thank you so much for helping me come up with this solution!

I know this is an old thread and maybe you've found this or another solution, but you can go to System Pref>Keyboard>shortcuts>App Shortcuts then hit the +, choose Logic, type in "Play From Last Locate Position" (which triggers logic's Navigate>Play Button Options>Play From Last Locate Position) and then enter a key command. I did PT's [Cmd + /] because [ n ] couldn't be mapped. Maybe that helps!

[wing]

Reviving an old thread to add that I've found somewhat of a compromise solution using the third-party app Keyboard Maestro. I searched this thread hoping Logic had such a setting but upon learning that it can't do it natively, I decided to build a macro emulating it as closely as possible. What it simply does is toggle the play button option "play from last locate position." I assigned it to the letter N which is same as ProTools (in Logic this brings up score editor which I never really use). I've also set up another macro to toggle "play from selected region" in the same play button menu.

It's not 100% perfect but I'd say it's very similar to how I'm used to PT behavior and makes me feel much more at home. Hope this helps someone out there looking for a solution!

EDIT: discovering the downside here is in any pop-up window or in the library/search, you need to disable Keyboard Maestro in order to get your 'n' key back, otherwise you'll be trying to name a file and going crazy. It's quick enough to temporarily disable, but just makes me wish there was a more graceful way to do this for sure.

[Gosha]

Late to this one.

If you are using a full keyboard pressing "Enter" (far bottom right corner) will play from last playback start. Alternatively if you're using a laptop pressing "fn+return" will do the same. This is a life changer for me.

[T0nt0]

@Gosha - can you provide more info.   I tried your suggestion (I have the large Apple numeric keyboard) but could not get anything to happen ??

I would like to have a keyboard shortcut command that toggles the spacebar to "Play from Last Locate Position" and "play from current playhead position"

I am surprised that a keyboard short-cut is not available for such a basic (essential?) play option.

thanks for any advice

[David Nahmani]

On 1/2/2024 at 1:16 AM, Gosha said:

If you are using a full keyboard pressing "Enter" (far bottom right corner) will play from last playback start. Alternatively if you're using a laptop pressing "fn+return" will do the same.

You must have customized your key commands, or your Play behavior (Control-click the Play button and see what options are checked).

The default key command assignment in the U.S. Preset for Enter (full keyboard) or fn + Return is "Play", which by default starts playback from where the playhead currently is, unless you have another behavior selected when your Control-click the Play button. 

[polanoid]

11 hours ago, T0nt0 said:

would like to have a keyboard shortcut command that toggles the spacebar to "Play from Last Locate Position" and "play from current playhead position"

You mean a key command that changes the behaviour of another key command? That doesn't sound very wise to me. You would never know what the latter does until you try out.

Why not simply define two different KCs for these two different operations?

[T0nt0]

On 2/1/2021 at 1:13 AM, graysonbh said:

I know this is an old thread and maybe you've found this or another solution, but you can go to System Pref>Keyboard>shortcuts>App Shortcuts then hit the +, choose Logic, type in "Play From Last Locate Position" (which triggers logic's Navigate>Play Button Options>Play From Last Locate Position) and then enter a key command. I did PT's [Cmd + /] because [ n ] couldn't be mapped. Maybe that helps!

@graysonbh  I tried this, but could not get it to work.  I must be doing something wrong..  any ideas?

[JakobP]

On 5/30/2017 at 7:00 AM, valve said:

I also tried changing the Stop button options under [Navigate > Stop Button Options] to "Stop and Go to Last Locate Position," (same as right-clicking the control bar's Stop button and selecting that), but despite setting my Spacebar to the key command "Play or Stop," this doesn't cause the spacebar's stopping function to jump back to the last locate position - it only jumps back if you actually click on the control bar stop button.

Fwiw, this seems to be an old bug which now is fixed ? Just tried it in 10.7.9 and the playhead jumps back to last LP when hitting the space bar. On 10.5.1 I get the behaviour the OP is describing...

[T0nt0]

What I would like to be able to do is:

Press a key (or combination or of keys) on my UK Apple Magic Keyboard with a Numeric Keypad that does the following:

1.   Play from last locate position

or 2.   Play from current playhead location.

 

There are no Key Assignments available for this (that I can find).

I know you can access this behaviour from selections for 'play' option in the control bar.  A short-cut would improve my workflow.

Thanks for any solutions

[David Nahmani]

11 minutes ago, T0nt0 said:

Press a key (or combination or of keys) on my UK Apple Magic Keyboard with a Numeric Keypad that does the following:

1.   Play from last locate position

or 2.   Play from current playhead location.

So you want one key (or combination of keys) to perform either #1 or #2 and another key (or combination of keys) to toggle the first key between #1 and #2? That's not possible. 

What you can do is have one key (or combination) to perform #1 and another key (or combination) perform #2. 

[T0nt0]

1 minute ago, David Nahmani said:

What you can do is have one key (or combination) to perform #1 and another key (or combination) perform #2. 

That would be great....  how do I set this up ?

[David Nahmani]

1. Choose Logic Pro > Key Commands > Edit Assignments (or press Option + K),
2. Search for the desired "Play" key command (or search for "play" and see all the options),
3. Select the desired command,
4. Click Learn by Key Label
5. Press the desired key or key combination. 

[T0nt0]

18 minutes ago, David Nahmani said:

1. Choose Logic Pro > Key Commands > Edit Assignments (or press Option + K),
2. Search for the desired "Play" key command (or search for "play" and see all the options),
3. Select the desired command,
4. Click Learn by Key Label
5. Press the desired key or key combination. 

Tried all that already.  I give up.

[David Nahmani]

11 minutes ago, T0nt0 said:

Tried all that already.  I give up.

Why give up? When you tried that, what was the issue?

[Gosha]

13 hours ago, David Nahmani said:

You must have customized your key commands, or your Play behavior (Control-click the Play button and see what options are checked).

The default key command assignment in the U.S. Preset for Enter (full keyboard) or fn + Return is "Play", which by default starts playback from where the playhead currently is, unless you have another behavior selected when your Control-click the Play button. 

Ooo that’s nifty. I have “Play from Marquee Selection” and “Play from cycle” checked. 
No custom key commands on my system. I’m using the US preset.

So this may work for T0nt0

[wing]

I believe I understand what @T0nt0 is after, as it was something I wanted myself after switching over to Logic from Pro Tools. You see, rather than having two separate "play" buttons, you can just keep the same master play button (space bar), and quickly toggle its behavior without having to fuss with alternate play buttons and remembering where they are. It would be nice if Apple could add access to this toggle within the key commands, but currently it doesn't exist.

However, @T0nt0 not sure if you read my post above from awhile back, if you have Keyboard Maestro you can set this up. That's what I did. This is what it looks like:

Basically what happens is I hit any one of those key commands above (cmd+F1 or F14 is what I set up), and because Keyboard Maestro can access menu items instantly (which Logic does not offer in the key command editor), it selects this toggle for me. With a flick of that switch my space bar behavior toggles between Play from Current, and Play from Last Locate Position.

Otherwise there isn't a native way to do this. Hope that helps.

Edited January 14 by wing

[T0nt0]

@wing :  thanks for info. I will check out the Keyboard Maestro app.