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.

Edited March 5, 2021 by valve

[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]

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.