Click the “Logic” desktop icon or launch logic from the the “Applications” folder in the dock.
Click on the “+” icon and select “MIDI.” This creates a new MIDI track. A channel strip will appear in the arrange window. Name the channel “Drum” or “Beat.”
Click “Instruments” and select “Logic Instruments,” “Ultrabeat.” This opens Ultrabeat in a separate interface. Click "Full View" to open the piano roll interface.
Click the “Instruments” tab on the Ultrabeat editor. This is a separate tab to the one you pressed to select the Ultrabeat editor.
Click on your preferred drum kit. To audition drum sounds, scroll down the menu, click on an option, such as “Indie Live Kit,” then click one of the piano keys on the Ultrabeat piano key interface.
Click the “Pattern” tab and scroll down to a blank pattern. Ultrabeat has a collection of default patterns it offers you. These are different for each kit you select. Since you’re recording a beat, you require a blank pattern.
Scroll down to the first option that doesn’t have the letters “SQ” next to it. This signifies that there is no pattern in that option. Alternatively, use the default pattern and delete all the notes that appear in the grid by clicking the illuminated squares. Depending on which kit you selected, this may take some time as different kits have more complex default patterns.
Create the beat by clicking in the grid squares to assign drum strokes to beats in the bar. For example, to create a straight 4/4 beat, click on square 1 and 3 on the “Kick” row, square 2 and 4 on the “Snare” row and squares 1, 2, 3 and 4 on the “Hi Hat” row. When you click on the squares, Ultrabeat automatically goes into record mode. Since you are programming, rather than recording live, it can feel like you’re not actually recording. But every drum stroke you program is stored as a MIDI note, like a recording.
Hit “Play” on the Ultrabeat control panel to hear your beat. It will run on a four-bar loop continuously until you hit “Stop.” Add in extra beats, fills and accents by clicking on the squares. This approach enables you to edit in real-time.
Click “Stop” and click on the “Record” button to disarm that function, otherwise Ultrabeat will continue to play in the background continuously.
Drag the small, gray tab next to the “Pattern” tab over to the MIDI track. This places the sequence beat at bar 1 in the arrange window.