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We are located on the lower level of the Undergraduate Library, across from the ITS computer lab.
Phone: (919) 962-2559
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Quick Page Navigation:
• Anatomy of the Audio Lab
• Anatomy of Logic
• MIDI
• Audio
• Mixing
• Adding Effects
• Bouncing a Final Mix
Using Logic in the MRC
Logic is a pro audio application. It can handle recording, MIDI,
mixing, and mastering. This tutorial will walk you through the basic
functions of using Logic in the MRC Audio Lab.
Anatomy of the Audio Lab
The heart of the MRC audio lab is a dual G5 PowerMac computer. Connected to it is a MOTU 896
audio interface and a RODE NT1-A condenser microphone for capturing audio signals; a Unitor
AMT-8 MIDI interface and a Steinberger 88-key weighted keyboard; and Behringer Truth 2032 speakers
for monitoring, as well as a Line 6 POD guitar amp simulator and a Presonus Monitor Station for headphone and speaker mixes.
The Logic mixer can be used for hands-on control of nearly every function of Logic, from recording to mix down.
You can use it to control 8 channels at a time, and it features full automation for mixing multiple tracks simultaneously.
The Anatomy of Logic
There are several windows in Logic. They all allow you to access
different parts of the application and give you great flexibility in
handling your projects.
a. Arrange View
Arrange view allows you to see the names, numbers, and waveforms of
each audio track and MIDI track you have recorded. You can customize
the view by adding or removing tracks as you see fit. You can adjust
the placement of the different tracks, the duration, speed, etc., of
what you have recorded, and so on. You can decide which track to record
on, delete bad takes, and cut, copy and paste to assemble a recording.
b. Mixer View
The mixer view imitates an analog mixing console. You can adjust
input levels, output levels, effect sends and returns, busses, and
synth settings. You can also customize the layout of this window by
adding or removing channels.
c. Matrix Edit Window
With the Matrix edit window, you can program MIDI information into
Logic by hand (rather than playing it on a keyboard). You can place
notes on a MIDI event list and assign a synth voice to perform it.
MIDI
MIDI, or Musical Instrument Digital Interface, can be used to
program a synthesizer to play sounds in a way that imitates a human
performance. Logic has a few excellent synths built in, including the
EXS24 and others. The MRC audio lab has an 88-key MIDI input keyboard
that can be used to record a performance.
To record a MIDI performance, select a MIDI track to record by
double-clicking on one of the Audio Instrument tracks in the Arrange
view:
This will put the track in ?record ready? mode, and the mixer
window will pop up with the track you have selected highlighted. Select
a synth voice by clicking and holding on the unmarked button above the
channel fader. Choose from mono, stereo, and multi-channel synths. In
this example we will use a Stereo synth, the EXS 24.
Once you have selected a synthesizer to use, you must select a
voice. Do this by clicking on the ellipsis button on the top center of
the synth window. A menu will appear, letting you choose from different
voices. Once you have selected a voice, you are ready to record.
Go back to the Arrange view. Position the cursor where you want to
begin recording. On the transport control bar (or on the mixer), hit
Record. Logic will bring the cursor back 4 beats early and count off
with the metronome, and then you can record the performance.
Audio
To record on an audio track, place the microphone in front of the
sound source you want to capture. The microphone is plugged into input
1 on the MOTU interface, so you can adjust the input gain with the knob
on channel 1. Make sure to turn the phantom power switch to the on
position before connecting a condenser microphone.
If you are using a different mic, make sure the phantom power is
set correctly for the type of mic you are using (on for condenser, off
for dynamic). If you don't know what kind of mic you have, ask the
media lab attendant. You should also turn off the speakers when you
record audio to prevent feedback and bleeding. The power switch for
each speaker is on the back of the speaker.
You can monitor your recording by connecting headphones to the MOTU
and adjusting the volume normally.
Prepare a track to record by pushing the record-ready button (it
looks like the letter R) on the track in the arrange view. When you are
prompted to save the recording, select your folder on the Data Disk as
the destination.
Check that the signal level is appropriate (not overloading the
input, but loud enough to be heard clearly) by adjusting the gain on
the MOTU. Position the cursor where you want to begin recording. On the
transport control bar (or on the mixer), hit Record. Logic will bring
the cursor back 4 beats early and count off with the metronome, and
then you can record the performance.
To record additional audio tracks, either connect the microphone to
a different input on the MOTU, or drag the recording that is on the
track you recorded on to a different audio track before recording on
that track again.
Mixing
Mixing is the process of adjusting the output volume of each sound
so that each signal is at the right level relative to all the other
signals, and the process of adding effects or coloring each sound. To
adjust the levels of your recorded sounds, you can use the Mixer view
in Logic or the eMagic mixer. If you are using the eMagic mixer, make
sure to use the input select buttons at the top of the mixer to select
the channels you want to adjust.
In either case, you can control the output levels by moving the
fader on a channel up and down to raise and lower the volume. If you do
this on the mixer while the track is playing back, you can create
automated fades by adjusting the track's volume over time.
Adding Effects
There are 2 ways to add effects to a track: as an insert or on a
buss. Insert effects are applied only to one track. The types of
effects commonly used for inserts include dynamic control like
compression and gating. Bussed effects are used in a send and return
fashion: the original sound is sent to the buss where the effect is
added, and the buss returns the effected sound to the original track. A
buss can affect as many tracks as you send to it. Nearly all modulation
effects, like reverb, chorus, delay, etc., get used this way. Using
effects this way preserves processor power on the computer and is less
likely to cause the computer to crash than using many inserts.
a. Insert Effects
To apply an insert effect to a sound, select the appropriate track
on the channel strip. In the mixer view there are two Insert buttons at
the top of the strip. Click and hold on one of those, and a menu will
appear. Select the effect you want to use.
Once you have selected the effect, a window will open in which you
can adjust the parameters of that effect. Close the window once you
have the effect set the way you want it.
b. Buss Effects
To apply one effect to several tracks, place the effect on a buss.
In the mixer view, go to Buss 1 and create an insert effect on the
buss.
To use this to affect a track, go to the track in the mixer view.
Click and hold on one of the buttons on the I/O portion of the channel
strip. Select Buss 1 as the destination (leave output 1 selected as
well as an additional output).
Adjust the send level with the knob above the I/O buttons. On buss
1, adjust the output level to hear the effect when you play the
recording back.
Bouncing a Final Mix
Once you have everything set the way you like it, you are ready to
create a stereo 2-track master of your recording. Identify what outputs
all the tracks are getting sent to. By default they are sent to output
1. On the output channels, push the Bounce button on the bottom of the
strips you are using.
You will be prompted to choose a save destination and name for your
recording. Choose your folder on the Data Disk. Logic will play the
song back from start to finish and record it as a separate recording.
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