Q: Logic Pro Unintuitive and frustrating.

Octopussy,

You seem to have missed an important point that was raised earlier...

If you are having problems then start a thread for each of the issues you are having... and someone is likely to help you out.

Posting up a series of very general complaints about Logic, in comparison with other DAWs..without actually being specific to what they are, isn't going to get you anywhere... and will lead many to suggest you are better off switching to a different DAW because it seems, from your general complaints that Logic is not the DAW for you, be it becaue you are used to certain work flows or be it because you simply don't understand (yet) how Logic works.. and how you need to work with Logic to get the best out of it.

I remember my first attempts at using several different DAWs and all of them required me to modify my personal choice of workflow, including PT, Live, Cubase, DP and of course Logic too...and they all have their share of different bugs/issues/problems/quirks that you learn to work around...  Also no one DAW is going to satisfy everything you may want to do with it.. so you try a few out and end up with the DAW of choice that works best (though not perfectly) for you, suits your own specific needs and your own way of working...

Now of coure, you have to actually spend time and learn how to use these DAWs in order to make an informed decision and learning them takes some time.. and the more features a DAW has, the more there is to learn in order to get the most out of it.. so as i said at the beginning of this post, I'd recommend that you read up a bit... take a few lessons (There are lots of Certified Logic Courses all over the world.. that you can go to).. post up a couple of different threads that each address just one specific issue/problem you are having and then once you have got that problem understood and/or resolved... carry on and start another thread and so on.. until you have a much better understanding of Logic.. at which point you will be able to make an informed decision as to if you should continue on with Logic or move to a different DAW.

As Pancenter said, Logic just may not be for you.. I know several professional musicians and studios who found that out after spending some time with it..... just as others found out that PT or DP or any of the other DAWs weren't the ones for them too..but you will never know for sure because you didn't put the work and time into finding out one way or the other...

Octopusy wrote:

 

I'm thinking providing helpful advice is not for you.

 

I mean seriously.  I think the problem is that maybe you're used to helping people out who are inexperienced and maybe not the brightest?

Well... you're right, reading your original post that started this thread that's exactly what I thought. Folks that aren't too bright usually blame any and everything but themselves.

How does one provide helpful advice to a rant, which is what your first post is.

Ask some lucid questions and there will be many here offering concise help.

In reply to your original question regarding recording the MIDI piano part - some pointers which may help you.

Assuming you have auto-quantise set on - in otherwords, when you have no regions selected (click on the arrange background to be sure) you have a quatise value, say 1/16th notes set in the track inspector - then Logic will automatically quatise any recordings to that value. BUT, it will only quatise the notes - NOT the controller i.e. in your case sustain pedal events. It behaves like this because (obviously) to keep the essence of what you played but in a quantised fashion the sustain data will need to trigger just before the chord/notes whatever you played - so this makes sense. HOWEVER, if you then cut up a sequence using the scissors there is a very BIG danger that you might MISS the sustain on controller info if it happened just before the bar or beat where you are making the cut. Also note that (obviously) the sustain ON and sustain OFF data are separate events - it's not like a note where it has a start and a duration - so you need BOTH bits of data for the sequence to play back properly - and so again it's easy to cut the region up and loose the sustain off info. It sounds like this is what happening in your case. There are many solutions, but probably the easiest is just to zoom in to make both cuts - once you're in far enough you should be able to see the notes AND controller info you want displayed on the region - also once your zoomed in, as you've probably noticed, unlike cubase, logic's "smart snap" changes resolution as you zoom in, so you can cut just before or just after without having to take "snap" off; if you need even finer control, hold down "control" and you can cut to a finer position. If you have the list editor open on the right hand display pane it's then very easy to check that you have what you want - there will be a "Sustain On" (64 127) message near the front of the seqeunce and a "Sustain Off" (64 0) message near the end. I often find sustain information is a bit of a pain when recording multiple piano takes - but this isn't unique to Logic, it happens in any DAW due to the nature of the sustain pedal down and up being 2 separate events. Once you get used to how Logic deals with it and displays it it's actually quite easy to sort out - certainly much easier than cubase. The score view is actually quite helpful for this as well - in that, even if you don't read music it's very clear - you have the notes on the stave and then "PED" for the pedal on event and an * for the pedal off event underneath the stave; so if you need to delete or move one they are easier to see and select - especially if you have other controller data such as aftertouch displayed in the List editor.

Not sure what the "smart tool" is - I only ever use the scissors - but chances are if it's not trimming at the bar it's because it's working out you need the Sustain data that comes just before. Or of course - if you've not got the auto quantise set then it will be because the notes start just before the bar line. Whichever way you end up trimming the region, the great thing about logic's "smart snap" compared to say Cubase, is that as soon as you zoom out to a "normal" view - even though the region may start just before the bar it doesn't matter - as you move it around or copy it Logic will "know" that it has to start so many ticks before the bar or beat and - assuming you are at the correct zoom level - will put it in exactly the right place to keep it in time. If in doubt just keep an eye on the arrange ruler when you pick it up - and make sure the start of the regioin (which is displayed as a thin line on the ruler) is the same amount "before" the bar when you drop it down again - that way, if you are far enough zoomed in that Logic is snapping to beats not bars - you'll know.

Hope this helps - it appears your question has been moved somewhere - but I can't access it so I've posted here. Having used Logic before I went to Cubase/Neundo - it was their lack of Logic's "smart snap" function that drove me complete potty - I spent my life choping, realising I'd missed something, undoing, pressing "N" and re-doing the entire operation; but I can see if you've never experienced such a thing before it might be counter intuitive at first.

Good luck,

Mark

I'll second what has already been said.  If you want a useful answer, start a thread asking a specific question.

I think you might be turning into Christian - remember him (Obermaier or something similar, 'fuzzfilth' or something similar on LPH) ?

I used to enjoy Christian's responses sometimes, though - I really like a bit of sarcasm sometimes, as long as its not too barbed (against the wrong people anyway, some people in the public eye are just asking for it, aren't they ?)

Take this to start with:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/745845-REG/Logic_Keyboard_LS_LOG9P_MBUC_US _LogicSkin_Transparent_Apple_Logic.html

Have a nice day!

I couldn't agree with you more. Well worded. And Thank you so much for posting this. It's just so very nice to know that I am not alone, because it can certainly feel like that, when there are so many Logic Pro X fanatics.

thank you for that octo pusy! you're making my life rn I have the exact same thoughts and opinion as you on Logic Pro X! haha so nice to see for me haha. especially as it's going to be my career.