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How to Arrange Features on a Logic Express 8

Logic Express 8 is a the light version of Apple's Logic Pro 8 software, which allows users to record, layer, mix, master and export music just as they would in a live studio. The Logic Express interface can seem a bit intimidating at first, because of its many on-screen options. With a few adjustments, though, you can arrange your visible attributes to view only the most relevant aspects at a given time,in an easy-to-follow manner.

Instructions

    • 1

      Open your Arrange window. To do this, press "Command" and "1" together on your keyboard. Your Arrange window contains your multitrack layout, with all of your recorded material organized on horizontal bars (tracks), which represent the layers of your recording.

    • 2

      Reorganize the tracks in your Arrange window. For example, if you have a bass drum on track 1 (labeled "INST 1" or "AUDIO 1" on your Arrange window), a snare drum on track 4 and a cymbal on track 9, you might want to move those percussion tracks together for a more organized arrangement. To move a track, click the track name in the left column and drag it up or down with your mouse.

    • 3

      Rearrange your audio and MIDI recordings. Your recordings appear as shaded sections on your tracks. MIDI (digital) recordings contain series of dots, representing notes, while audio recordings contain animated waves, representing sound waves. Each recording appears on a space beneath your time line, which runs along the top of your Arrange window. To move a recording to a new location on the time line, drag it with your mouse. You can also rearrange recordings by moving them to different tracks.

    • 4

      Change the appearance of your Arrange window. Click "Logic Express" > "Preferences" > "Display" on your menu bar and select the "Arrange" tab. From there, alter the color and transparency of your Arrange window features using the provided options. Click the "General" and "Other" tabs to view additional display options, including bar sizes, colors and preferred units of measurement.

    • 5

      Click the "Window" menu at the top of your screen to view additional features. if you select "Mixer" from the drop-down menu, your digital mixer will appear over your Arrange window. If you select "Piano Roll," you can view your step sequencer, which allows you to insert digital music notes on a grid. You can open as many windows as you need for a given project or operation, but note that additional windows will require additional CPU usage.

Digital Music

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