S.O.S. How to export stems with bussed fx

About the online tutorial. Always look at their "expiration date", which in the fast-moving software update cycles is very short. This article is over 3 years old and, therefore, some advice is outdated.

• You don't need to draw Regions on Aux Tracks anymore, those Tracks are exported. You just use the new Range Selection to set the export range.
• If you send files to a mixing engineer (or in general) use 32-bit float as bit depth and not 24bit (this is a multi-page topic all by itself)
• I wouldn't recommend using any Normalization. Export your Tracks with the level unchanged, This way, the mixing engineer can start with all his faders set to zero and has a good idea where you left off with your mix (BTW, there is not overload when using 32-bit float anyways)
• Again, about the term Stems. The author uses that term, but technically, if you use the Export All Tracks command, you are exporting "Individual Tracks", which (I personally) wouldn't call "Stems".

You have to be aware of the term Bounce and Export and what they mean. Although they are often used interchangeably, know the difference what happens regarding the routing.

• Bounce: A Bounce is usually referred to as creating an audio file from the signal on the Output Track. THat means it includes everything on the Output Channel Strip (Volume, Automation, FX, etc).
• Export: Export (or Bounce in Place) is usually referred to as creating an audio file from the signal on an individual Track. That means the Output Channel Strip is not part of the signal.

So technically, you can use the Bounce or the Export procedure to create you Individual Tracks or Stems just make sure you understand what signal you are actually creating.

Because Logic's Export commands only save individual Tracks, you have a problem if you want to have a single audio file created from a Track and its Aux Channel Strip (that has an FX for that Track). This is where the trick with the Summing Stack comes into place. If you put the Audio Track (Guitar) and the Aux Track (Guitar FX) inside a Summing Stack, then the export creates an audio file of that Main Track, which is the sum of both Tracks (Guitar+Aux).

Advanced Summing Stack Trick

In your case where you have 3 Audio Tracks (Guitar 1, 2, 3) routing to the same Aux Track, you can create a Summing Stack that includes the three Audio Tracks and the Aux Track. Now do the Export Single Track procedure three times, muting two of the three Audio Tracks each time. A more elegant way is to put the Aux Track in Solo-safe mode and every time you do the export, just solo one of the Audio Tracks.

I hope that all is not too confusing. Once you have a basic understanding of routing and the understanding about the Logics features then you can get very creative.

In all my books I focus on that "understanding" part by providing tons of unique graphics to make concepts more easier to understand. As you've experienced already, working in audio production and using all these highly complex apps like Logic requires more than a few recipes that only tell you to "click here and press there".

Hope that helps

EdgarRothermich - LogicProGEM.com

(Author of the "Graphically Enhanced Manuals")

http://DingDingMusic.com/Manuals/

'I may receive some form of compensation, financial or otherwise, from my recommendation or link.'

Just to make sure I understand you correctly.

You want to export the "Individual Tracks" so your mixing engineer can import them into his Session and do the mix of what you have recorded.

Usually, you don't refer to that as Stems. The term stems is used as a group of Tracks, i.e. all the Drum Tracks, all GUitar Tracks. This is the workflow when delivering your music for film mixing, so the mixer at the dubbing stage has some control over your music without completly re-mixing it (although some notorious directors are infamous for that demand).

When you export Individual Tracks, you either select them and use the Export n Tracks or use the Export All Tracks. However, that doesn't work when you have Aux effects, especially when multiple Tracks (that you want to export individually) feeding the same Aux Channel Strip. In that case, you have to export those tracks individually with the Aux.

Option 1

Once you have a Track of the Aux Channel Strip, you just select that Aux Track and Logic bounces that Aux Track with the signal coming from all Tracks that are feeding into it. However, you have to mute the Tracks that you don't want at each Export. BTW, you don't need to draw a MIDI Region on the Aux Track. In the Export Dialog, can set the Range to Cycle Range or Entire Project.

Option

You can create Summing Stacks of all the Tracks (plus Aux) that you want to export as one audio file. Selecting the Main Track of a Summing Stack will export the entire Stack. However, that still doesn't work if you have a many-to-one routing scenario with your Aux FX.

Hope that helps

EdgarRothermich - LogicProGEM.com

(Author of the "Graphically Enhanced Manuals")

http://DingDingMusic.com/Manuals/

'I may receive some form of compensation, financial or otherwise, from my recommendation or link.'

You are very welcome. 😎