Logic Pro 10 - Live Guitar Monitoring

Hi,

Cheers!

I love the last instruction... Apple suggests you tune your instruments.

Lord, has it come to this.......

Pancenter,

At least they didn't mention... "Learn to play the instrument.." but I'm sure, in time, that will probably need to be added...

As per Art of Sound's post there, Make sure that software monitoring is ticked in your audio options.

Also, right click on the tracks and select the 'configure track header' option (Can't remember what it's called exactly, but something like that.) and in the track options enable the [I] Input monitoring buttons so you can select them.

It will be something along those lines.

skijumptoes wrote:

As per Art of Sound's post there, Make sure that software monitoring is ticked in your audio options.

That was KC's suggestion... I'm goin' to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come..

Related question: Do different audio cards/interfaces react in the same way to the Input monitoring "I" on audio tracks. I never use this because with RME hardware it has to have software monitoring enabled, clicking the record button has the same effect giving me a live input. The only application I can see is monitoring other live inputs like synths or "live" players while recording only the "R" tracks. Is that how you use it, how it works on your system?

I still use a 24-track board for monitoring I/O, if I want to go through Logic effects I just patch the output into one of the mixer channels.

So sorry, that was KC's suggestion.

And yeah, i use the input monitor toggle quite a bit as i go through a hardware mixer with Multiple sub channels, plus the master/main. (i.e. so i can sub out any channel on the mixer through to my soundcard and into logic at will).

My Soundcard outputs then routes back into my mixer, and subsequently through my monitors/headphones/2nd monitors, whatever i fancy.

So, when recording my synths, i disable input monitoring, enable it's related sub buttons on the mixer, and leave the master on (Which is now my monitoring resource). And logic will record as i play without spitting it back out to me, yet i can hear it without any latency taking affect.

However, if i wanted to use my guitar via a plugin, i would input enable logic, shut the master button to off on my mixer for that input, and just run from the sub channel... Which in turn routes through logic, processed, and back through my mixer and into the monitors.

It's just the way i've grown over the years with 90% hardware in my setup - I love being able to route anything outside the box however i want on the fly, it just feels more live and hands on.

Even if i went 100% soft synths i would need a mixing desk next to me, kinda like those metal cigarettes that reformed smokers use! 😉

That's very similar to my setup, two sets of monitors + headphones out of the mixer... at one point I had a lot different devices patched through my board, CD player with a pile of effects CDs, DVD player w/video monitor...etc...etc. hardware compressors, reverb. I too would feel "nekid" without a mixing desk.

Just curious as to how everyone uses the "I" input monitor toggle and does it work on anyone's system with software monitoring disabled?

OK what am I missing here?

-software monitoring checked in audio preferences

-input and record buttons both selected in channel strip of guitar track

- amp sim plug-in inserted on same channel strip

I hear only unprocessed guitar before and during recording, processed guitar on playback

No problem hearing same insert plug-in when recording a soft synth track

Thanks for any suggestions.

You didn't mention which audio interface you're using.

I'm thinking you have "Direct Monitoring" (aka: Low Latency Monitoring) set on your audio interface. "Direct" monitors straight from the Audio Interface inputs, the sound you hear is not going through Logic, however, on playback the effects should be there. Also... if you're using Logic's Low Latency Monitoring, Don't!

I'm using an Apollo 8p as primary interface. Not using Logic's low latency monitoring. Will recheck Apollo settings when I get back to studio- thanks.

deleted post -

Newbie learning Logic X and Apollo 8p here, having a related issue that I haven't completely researched yet. Major disclaimers apply, still learning, but I have discovered a few obscure setup requirements for the Apollo 8p.

Pancenter is on the right "track" (ahem). You may have already done this but if not, the Apollo 8p Console software has control of all initial audio input and final audio output even if it isn't running (it should be). Therefore, you need to get Logic output back to Console. Per an instructional video on the UAD website I set two Console Virtual channels to accept stereo Monitor Out from Logic. I'm now listening to anything in Logic through the Apollo 8p Console app. The faders on the Console Virtual Channels now (redundantly, perhaps, so I leave them at max) control audio playback from Logic before the master level knob on the Apollo 8p interface. I also have another pair of Virtual Inputs monitoring the Mac system audio. Handy for playing along with videos through the Apollo plugins.

Now our paths diverge somewhat. So far I'm using the UAD guitar amp plugins to listen to while recording, not Logic ones in order to benefit from great tone and lower latency. Plugins are inserted on the Console tracks, routed to Console output master, with (usually) Console effect busses running UAD bus effects which are not recorded. Console is set to Monitor, NOT Record so I can change amps inside Logic after recording a guitar-pickup-only audio file. Newer versions of the Marshall and 55 Deluxe amp plugins can be inserted in Console Unison slots, enabling the audio file to be recorded to disk as modified by the plugin if desired.

Paths re-converging: After all of this I still have the same issue you're experiencing. Plugins (Logic or UAD) inserted in Logic are only audible during playback, but I haven't tried all input-record monitor switching options due to concerns of feedback loops and not having a quick way of going to Logic prefs to switch Software Monitoring off and on. Software instruments don't have this problem because they originate (not recorded) inside Logic, with output going directly through those Virtual Inputs in Console. Further research and testing required, if I get it to work I'll post an update.

A final caution: if you like the UAD guitar sims (I do, major reason for buying the Apollo) don't forget to place instances of the UAD plugins in your Logic channel strips and muting any Console effect busses to be able to mix using the UAD guitar sounds. Kind of kludgy to have to recreate your Console plugin structure inside Logic for mixing, but Console can save global presets, so setting up a tracking Console and a mixing Console should be straightforward.

Lots of typing to not actually answer the question.