Reassign some tracks to different channel strip

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Level 1

148 points

Reassign some tracks to different channel strip

The help topic Logic Pro X: Reassign tracks to different channel strips tells me how to assign one track to a different channel strip or to assign all tracks that are currently on a particular channel strip to a different channel strip.

But, what if I have 60 tracks on the channel strip for instrument 1, and I want to move only 30 of them to the channel strip for instrument 2? How do I accomplish that without having to move them one at a time?

I tried selecting all 30 tracks and doing Reassign Track > Mixer > Software Instrument > Inst 2, but it either only moves one track or, if I use the Global feature, moves all 60 of them.

Is there any reasonable way to accomplish this move?

Mac mini, macOS High Sierra (10.13.5), 16 GB RAM

Posted on Jun 16, 2018 7:05 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Radarhus

Level 4

3,024 points

Jun 28, 2018 12:10 AM in response to Charles Belov

I think I figured it out. The project title in your screenshots suggests that it was done by splitting regions by MIDI note. If my guess is correct, all these 60 tracks are, in fact, just one software instrument track. If you had a number of reassignable tracks, you'd be able to see their respective Environment objects. Like so:

In this case you can do the following:

1) Create 59 new software instrument tracks by clicking "+" button over the track header area, then selecting "Software Instrument" and typing in 59 beside "Number of Tracks"

2) Copy the midi regions to these new tracks and delete ones created by splitting regions by MIDI notes

3) Go to the Environment and reassign 29 of new Software Instrument tracks to Inst 1 and the other 30 to Inst 2.

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Answer 2

Radarhus

Level 4

3,024 points

Jun 16, 2018 8:13 PM in response to Charles Belov

You can do this quite easily in the Environment. Open the Environment (Command + 0), select all 30 tracks, then you can apply the reassignment by selecting the respective software instrument using Channel selection parameter on the left side of the Environment window: Channel -> Inst.

In this example, I just reassigned four identical Software Instrument channels previously assigned to Inst 1 (Resonant Bass) simultaneously to Inst 9 (Vintage B3 Organ).

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Answer 3

Charles Belov Author

Level 1

148 points

Jun 27, 2018 10:05 PM in response to Radarhus

Thank you for helping me troubleshoot this. I'm happy to provide screen shots.

1. Before making any changes, showing that I have selected 32-62 in the tracks window.

2. Go to environment window, before making any changes

3. In Environment window's inspector, on line for Channel, choose Inst > Inst 2. Result:

4. Return to Track window, and all tracks have been set to Ch 2.

5. Confirming by selecting tracks 30 (expected not to change, but did change) and 34 (expected to change and did change)

Did you see a step that you did that I missed? Or vice versa?

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Answer 4

Radarhus

Level 4

3,024 points

Jun 26, 2018 11:17 PM in response to Charles Belov

Always welcome. Since reassignment works perfectly for me in the Environment, my guess would be we might be talking about different things or there's something in your project that interferes.

Just to be clear, you're talking about reassigning software instrument tracks, which are currently assigned to one instrument, to another software instrument. Correct?

By the way, what is "Global feature" that you mentioned? Perhaps, that's the culprit.

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Answer 5

Charles Belov Author

Level 1

148 points

Jun 26, 2018 11:37 PM in response to Charles Belov

I have a workaround but it is awkward and not ideal.

1. Save two versions of the file.

2. From the first version, delete the tracks I want to move to another channel.

3. From the second version, delete the tracks I don't want to move to that other channel.

4. In that second version, use the environment window to move all the tracks to the desired other channel.

5. Edit > Select Tracks > All

6. Edit > Copy

7. Return to the first version.

8. Make sure playhead is at the beginning.

9. Edit > Paste

10. Respond that I want to create new tracks.

Result: The second version tracks are pasted into the first version and are in the new channel, but have been renamed such that their names match the track names of the first version.

Still hoping for a solution that works better.

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Answer 6

Charles Belov Author

Level 1

148 points

Jun 27, 2018 9:13 AM in response to Radarhus

I think we're talking about the same thing.

1. I have 30 of 60 tracks selected in the track header (as opposed to their corresponding regions, although those get selected too)

2. I go to the environment window

3. I change inst 1 to inst 2

Actual Result: All 60 tracks have been changed to inst 2.

Expected Result: 30 tracks have been changed to inst 2.

The Global feature is only supposed to be engaged if I hold down Option while reassigning the channel strip as described under the help topic

Reassign tracks to different channel strips

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Answer 7

Radarhus

Level 4

3,024 points

Jun 27, 2018 10:33 PM in response to Charles Belov

Alright, so what's different in your Mixer layer in the Environment is that it only displays two instrument objects: Inst 1 (EXS2: Grand Piano) and Inst 2 (Alchemy). Apparently, as I understand it, they are all only represented by one Environment object (Inst 1, in your case). So, it's not a surprise that if you reassign Inst 1 to Inst 2, everything changes to Alchemy. In other words, it's just one software instrument track you're trying to reassign.

My question is, how exactly did you create all these 60 tracks?

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Answer 8

Charles Belov Author

Level 1

148 points

Jun 27, 2018 11:04 PM in response to Radarhus

They were all originally one track. I created the 60 tracks by Edit > Separate MIDI events > By note pitch.

But I wasn't trying to reassign instrument 1 to instrument 2. I was trying to reassign tracks 32-62 to channel 2 without having to do it one track at a time.

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Answer 9

Radarhus

Level 4

3,024 points

Jun 27, 2018 11:13 PM in response to Charles Belov

As I've said before, these tracks are in fact one software instrument. When you separate regions by note pitch, this does not create new instrument tracks (i.e. objects in the Environment). What you see is just a representation of one MIDI region on one software instrument track, with each MIDI note having its separate region. But they all refer to a single instrument object in the Environment, if that makes sense.

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Answer 10

Charles Belov Author

Level 1

148 points

Jun 26, 2018 10:38 PM in response to Radarhus

Thank you for pointing to something I hadn't learned about before. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work. Both selected and unselected tracks are getting reassigned, not just the selected tracks.

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Answer 11

Radarhus

Level 4

3,024 points

Jun 27, 2018 9:44 AM in response to Charles Belov

This is unusual. Would you mind posting some screenshots?

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Answer 12

Charles Belov Author

Level 1

148 points

Jun 28, 2018 12:05 AM in response to Radarhus

Right, but the question is how do I assign half of them to a different software instrument in one go without reassigning the other half as well and without having to do it one track at a time?

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