Newbie: How to Use 3rd Party Plugs into Logic Express?

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Newbie: How to Use 3rd Party Plugs into Logic Express?

I have followed all of the documentation that shipped with this product; moreover, I have successfully installed a 3rd party plug-in, GForce M-Tron Pro, to be precise. I can launch the instrument as a standalone application, meaning that I've satisfied the installation and licensing requirements, blah, blah.

I cannot seem to get this instrument to show up in Logic Express. It shows up as a valid instrument in the Plug-In Panel that you can access from Preferences. It passes validation tests, etc.

I have tried starting Logic, then the M-Tron as a standalone thinking that Logic might think this is a ReWire instrument, but no luck. I've tried creating an Instrument Track, but no M-Tron. I've tried External MIDI, no M_Tron.

Am I missing something obvious here? Or do I need to go back to ProTools, Cubase, Ableton, or any other platform that has worked for me in the past?

TomR

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.4)

Posted on Aug 12, 2010 1:09 PM

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Answer 1

JG99

Level 4

1,620 points

Aug 13, 2010 5:10 AM in response to TomR55

Did you install the AU version of the plugin? Actually, of course you did because it shows up and passes the AU validation test.

In Logic create a software instrument track.
Click and hold on the top slot of the I/O segment of the channel strip.
From the drop down menu select AU Instrument and it will be listed there.

JG

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Answer 2

TomR55 Author

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Aug 13, 2010 7:00 AM in response to TomR55

Thank you for your response. I had already tried navigating to the plug-in from Audio, Instrument and External MIDI track strips. Here's what turned out to be the solution to the problem:

Logic Express assumes that you wish to Open The Instruments Menu when you create an Instrument Track. Third-party plug-ins are not Apple Instruments; although, as a designer I could envision re-computing the menu to show third-party plug-ins, they did not choose that option.

So, if I disable the checkbox and create the track without the menu, then I can navigate to the desired instrument.

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Answer 3

JG99

Level 4

1,620 points

Aug 13, 2010 8:00 AM in response to TomR55

by instruments menu... do you mean the area on the right side of the Arrange area called the Library?

The Library shows the Channel Strip settings for Audio and software instrument channel strips. It does not show 3rd party instrument or effect plugins.

Channel strip settings are presets or collections of inserts plugins and (on software instrument channel strips) instruments with effects.

The menu accessed from the channel strip's insert or Instrument slots shows only the plugins available for that slot.

JG

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Answer 4

TomR55 Author

Level 1

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Aug 13, 2010 8:13 AM in response to JG99

No. When you elect to create an Instrument Track, that menu has a Checkbox, which is already selected in my case, to "Open Library." That's fine, if you only ever want to see the Library that shipped with Logic. Or, this is what I suspect to be the case: I'm not in front of that machine right now.

So, I'm thinking that the documentation should be updated to indicate that third-party plug-ins are available, but one should ensure that the checkbox is un-checked to by-pass the legacy libraries.

Again ... I could be wrong about this because this software is only a few days old for me.

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Answer 5

JG99

Level 4

1,620 points

Aug 15, 2010 11:24 AM in response to TomR55

TomR55 wrote:
No. When you elect to create an Instrument Track, that menu has a Checkbox, which is already selected in my case, to "Open Library." That's fine, if you only ever want to see the Library that shipped with Logic. Or, this is what I suspect to be the case: I'm not in front of that machine right now.

this is not the case. Please read my previous post.

The Library can display two different views for software instruments. It is context sensitive.

1. Plugin settings - presets for each plugin (insert or instrument) on the channel strip.

2. Channel Strip Setting - presets for all plugins on a channel strip.

So, I'm thinking that the documentation should be updated to indicate that third-party plug-ins are available, but one should ensure that the checkbox is un-checked to by-pass the legacy libraries.

Again ... I could be wrong about this because this software is only a few days old for me.

The documentation is accurate. You need to understand the Library and the context sensitive nature of Logic to reap the benefits 😉

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