How to expand the software instrument library in Logic Express?

Hi,

what do you mean by "expand"?

How to expand:

* Buy third party Instruments, Download free third party Intruments? That's if you really want new plugins to work with, say the things from Native Instruments or ohter 3rd party stuff.
* Make new instrument channelstrips out of your existing ones? (If you save a channelstrip and give it a name, it will be added to the Library as a new "instrument")

Fox

Hi TinyChild,

You have to look for AU Plugins (Audio Unit - this is the Apple Version of what others call VST or so. Make sure if you buy or download stuff that it is the AU Version).

Have a stop at http://www.native-instruments.com and look for the free Kore Player. It will give you an idea of the possibilities. There are also some demo versions. Many prefer the Kontakt sampler over the EXS24, although you can also pimp your EXS24 with new sample packs that are available in many different formats, maybe on sample rom CD's or as downloads.

At last, you'll have to decide what you want and what fits your type of music. If you are making Electronic Music, go for Synths and Loops, if you are making Rock Music, look for Guitar and Vintage Simulations&Amps, if you like classical music, you should have a look at the vienna symphonic orchestra sound library (VSL).

But i strongly recommend you start with modifying and learning the instruments&synths that come with logic. Use them to their limits and you'll really know what you need most to expand your sound capabilities.

Fox

Hi TinyChild,

Learn to master the ES2 Synthesizer. It is the most capable Synth that comes with Logic Express. Another great free synth is Crystal from Grean Oak ( http://www.greenoak.com/crystal/about.html )
It has many means of modifying sound.

And another one: Learn the Vocoder EVOC 20. It is a great tool for making voices sound like synths. There should be many tutorial videos at youtube. Just search for Logic.
If you pay some lifetime and gain experience, you'll get tons of great sounds out of the stock Logic Express Instruments. Get used to all the Plugins before you buy another one.

Fox

Answer:
1. Use what you got
2. Use Audio Units
3. Use another program that can "Rewire."


I agree with the idea of playing around with the instruments Logic Express already has. It seems to me you can really get a wide variety of sounds from them...plus the drum machine, Ultrabeat, is also pretty first class, imo.

Also, as mentioned, you can get AU instruments and they will appear and can be selected just like you select the built-in instruments. I have the Demo of Battery 3 that comes with 5 drum kits you can use (in half-hour sessions). It's an audio instrument and when I select it it's screen interface comes up and I can play away (on the five demo kits in half-hour sessions); so this is something that could be tried for free.

After the price of "free," (the battery 3 demo) I got this piece of software when I had just GarageBand: Soundfont Synth for $15, USD, made by Andy Production Company (or something like that).
Soundfont Synth is an audio unit that lets you play .sf2 file format sounds and there are tons --- tons of .sf2 sounds around, many for free and maybe Andy has his own collection,
I got confused a bit back then about which instruments were coming from where but I know that at the end of the day I got a massive list of instruments I could use in Garage Band (and now can use in logic).

Here's a another way, I think, to get more instruments but an expensive way: get another program that can be "Rewired," into Logic.
Sounds complicated but works automatically...you start up Logic, you start up the other program and then that other program becomes a "slave," to logic and can play into it. I have a stripped down version of Reason that came with drum pads and can do this. Reason 4 strikes me as a whole bunch of (expensive) massive and powerful instrument making tool...before I got Logic it was my favorite thing to play although it's arrangement and editing features were pathetic.