How do you step programme a drum kit in Logic Pro X?

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Level 1

34 points

How do you step programme a drum kit in Logic Pro X?

Hi There,

I'm coming from Pro Tools and Reason but am finding Logic very unintuitive sorry - how do you step programme a drum kit in Logic?

I have:

The Portland drum kit added to the project
I've read that Ultrabeat has a step sequencer (and is generally awesome)
But I can't work out how to add Ultrabeat to a track
When I search the library for Ultrabeat, nothing shows up which seams strange
When I search the help, I can't find info on the basics like adding Ultrabeat to a track (same with Google)

I realise I need to get my head around the Logic way of thinking so sorry if this is easy - any pointers in the right direction would be much appreciated.

Cheers

Ben

Logic Pro X 10.1.1

OSX 10.9.5

Posted on Jul 5, 2015 12:40 PM

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Answer 1

cmscss Author

Level 1

34 points

Jul 5, 2015 12:54 PM in response to cmscss

OK, so have figured out how you can add Ultrabeat - add a software instrument track and change the instrument to Ultrabeat.

But when I click on the Drum Kits menu within Ultrabeat, I don't see Portland or any of the other kits? I feel like I'm missing something basic here so sorry if this is easy.

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Answer 2

CCTM

Level 6

13,045 points

Jul 6, 2015 8:52 AM in response to cmscss

Hi

Check out the Step Editor:

cmscss wrote:

I have:

The Portland drum kit added to the project

Create an empty MIDI region on this track ( Control Click or use the Pencil tool).

Select the region, open the MIDI Editor, Select the Step Editor Tab

In the Inspector, choose the GM MIDI Drum Lane Set

CCT

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Answer 3

cmscss Author

Level 1

34 points

Jul 6, 2015 12:09 PM in response to CCTM

Thanks heaps - I have everything setup as you describe but how do you draw notes in the step editor?

I'm in the step editor
I have the pencil tool selected
Clicking in the step editor does nothing
Double clicking in the step editor does nothing
Right clicking shows a menu but there's no option to create a note
Clicking and dragging briefly shows a "Select and draw" menu but doesn't create a note

Forgive me, but why is Logic so unintuitive? I'm not expecting things to work the same way as Pro Tools or Reason but it's surprising that I now have to search for documentation on how to create notes in a step editor - or are there basic conventions I need to understand before basic usage of Logic makes sense?

Hope that makes sense - I'm not trying to be antagonistic!

Cheers

Ben

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Answer 4

cmscss Author

Level 1

34 points

Jul 6, 2015 12:26 PM in response to cmscss

OK, so found this: Logic Pro X: Create steps in the Step Editor

And it turns out that even though you have the pencil tool selected, it doesn't actually turn into the pencil tool until you use a command modifier key?

Is there a way to see all of the available drums in the step editor? Currently only certain drums are available - I have no kick or snare for instance, just toms and hats. I've tried clicking the blue lights next to the kick but when I draw notes, it doesn't trigger a sound sorry.

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Answer 5

CCTM

Level 6

13,045 points

Jul 6, 2015 1:21 PM in response to cmscss

Hi

There are obviously some misconceptions going on here:

(in no particular order)

1 You have several choices for drum sounds: Drum Kit Designer, EXS24, Drum Machine Designer, Ultrabeat etc

2 Ultrabeat has it's own Step Editor within the Plugin GUI.

3 Ultrabeat does not include "Portland Kit": that is a kit within DrumKit Designer ( or the EXS24, if you really want).

I suggested using the (MIDI) Step Editor with Portland Kit ( in Drum Kit Designer)

The article you linked to does give all the basic info regarding the use of the Step Editor, but suggests that you need to hold down Command to enter notes. This is not necessarily so ( the default is to have the pencil tool assigned to the Command Tool). You could simply select the Pencil tool as the primary (left-click) tool.

The default GM Lane Set does include all the basic drum kit elements ( kick, snare toms etc etc)

I suspect that you are using Ultrabeat, which does not always follow the GM drum mapping convention.

In answer to one of your basic observations in an earlier post: YES there are some conventions that you need to become familiar with to use Logic successfully. It does not work exactly the same as Reason or ProTools.

So you do need to read some of the documentation. If you want to understand Ultrabeat too, you will need to take a glance at the relevant section of the Logic Pro Instruments manual too.

CCT

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Answer 6

cmscss Author

Level 1

34 points

Jul 6, 2015 1:41 PM in response to CCTM

Thanks heaps for the reply, OK, now I'm totally confused sorry!

1.

I'm using the Portland Kit with a MIDI region and have the step editor tab selected.

2.

In the tools dropdown within the step editor, I have the pencil tool selected but left clicking does not create a note. CMD + Left Click is the only way I can create notes?

3.

And yes, while the default GM Lane Set does include all the basic drums (my step editor looks identical to yours - even down to where the blue dots and lines appear) but when I create notes, no sounds are triggered?

I'm now at work so will check when I get home but maybe my notes look yellow - so maybe they're not notes?

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