intermusic.

com

Page 1 of 3

Logic Tips

Understanding the Environment layer of Logic Audio can help your

creativity. We show you how...

We have seen several tutorials and explanations for the audio side of Logic Audio but in this article we are going
to take a look at the Environment, and how it can make your life at the old Qwerty a little easier.
Setting up your Environment successfully can make all the difference when it comes to capturing those elusive
ideas but, as with so much software, neglect to get to grips with it and it can positively destroy the creative
process.
Logic is one of the most flexible MIDI/audio sequencers around but many people have found it difficult and
confusing to navigate because of Environment phrases such as 'Cable' and 'Layer'. At first glance, these may
seem irrelevant to your creative needs, but when mastered they can greatly improve your productivity and save
you a lot of time and energy, solving problems easily.
In simple terms, Logic works on two levels, which interact with each other constantly. First we have the familiar
Arrange window and its associated editors. Secondly there is the Environment.
The Environment is without doubt capable of performing the most intricate and complex forms of MIDI
manipulation but can also, when set up correctly, provide an easy and intuitive, er... environment within which to
make music.
First Steps
The Environment is accessed from the Windows menu. Once the Environment window is open, an additional
menu will appear named New. From this menu you select objects for your Environment and they appear in the
environment window. This window is known as a 'layer' (more on this later). You then select the appropriate
devices for the instruments in your MIDI set-up.
A 'multi-instrument' is best selected for devices such as multi-timbral synths where they have patches and
presets. Instruments are best used for devices such as samplers and instruments with external patch editors
(such as an XG synth). Mapped Instruments are best suited to percussion devices - drum machines and the like.
Once the devices have been selected, they have to be assigned a MIDI port and their active channels within a
multi instrument. This is done by simply clicking on the active channels you require for that instrument; for
example, you may have a JV2080, a Korg M1, an Akai S1100 and a BassStation, but have only two MIDI ports
available.
You may use the sampler a lot so wish to have all 16 channels available for that, which means that the JV2080,
the Korg and the BassStation are going to have to share the other port.
We have given the Korg M1 channels 14 to 16, the BassStation channel 13 and the rest go to the JV2080, but we
have a 'Mapped Instrument' for drums. This has been assigned to channel 10.
At this point, if you return to the Arrange window and click and hold an instrument name, you will see that you
have only the instruments and channels you have selected. The Environment's basic configuration is now
established. Cables and input and output ports are assigned automatically.
You can individually arm each MIDI channel for program change, channel volume (not velocity), and pan, plus
your key range limit and velocity limits all from the track info box.
The Mapped Instrument, if double-clicked, will reveal the mapping for this instrument (and will allow you to change

http://www.intermusic.co.uk/print.asp?ReviewId=1975&ArticleTable=Features&Feature...

25/06/2001

intermusic.com

Page 2 of 3

output notes and velocities per mapped instrument) in a way a little like the drum editor in Cubase, although sadly,
the quantise and note length functions are not available in Logic. If you want to have a MIDI metronome, simply
create a 'MIDI click' in the Environment and then create a cable from the MIDI click device to the Mapped
Instrument.
As you can see from the Object Parameter box, the MIDI clicks can be in crochets, quavers, or semiquavers, with
different velocity and accents, and can be assigned to any voices that you wish to use. At this point it is worth
taking a quick look at a function called Auto Link. Auto Link is a feature that allows you to link Logic directly with
an Emagic program called Sound Diver.
Dive In...
Sound Diver is a synth editor and librarian that will work alone or in conjunction with Logic Audio once Auto Link is
enabled. At this point Logic's Screen Set can be synchronised with Sound Diver. Its appearance is not dissimilar
to Logic, with the Object Parameter Box to the left of the screen, with the inserts into Sound Diver, the appropriate
instruments and the relevant information (MIDI ports and so on).
Now Sound Diver is able to extract all the patch program performance information from the synthesizers
connected and, via Auto Link in Logic, it can update all the patch names in your multi -instruments.
If that's not enough, double-clicking a patch name in Sound Diver will activate a patch editor. After editing it will
automatically play two bars in Logic so you can audition your edits in context.
Additional Tools
When installing your main instruments you may have noticed that there were many other tools and devices
available from within the menu. Some of the key tools include arpeggiator, transformer, delay line, voice limiter,
channel splitter and chord memoriser. To use any of these devices is remarkably simple once the Environment
has been defined.
For example, if you want to use an arpeggiator, simply create an arpeggiator and connect it with a cable to the
output of the instrument you wish to use in the Environment. Then create an output port and assign the output of
the arpeggiator to that output port, and there you have it: an arpeggiator isolated for that one output.
If you wished to have that arpeggiator switchable (in and out), you also need to create a Switch; this is done by you guessed it - creating a Switch from the Environment menu. If you like the idea of having several different
arpeggiators available to switch between, you can simply attach more arpeggiators to the Switch.
As we say, this is a simple device and you can create amazing tools with use of the channel splitter and the
transformer used in conjunction with several arpeggiators. Of course, if you wanted to have these tools available
as input devices and record the results, you could simply insert a Physical Input and Sequencer Input into the
Environment with a second Switch, and there you would have a switchable device between input and output.
Multiple Layers
So far, the Environment we've structured is all in a single layer. layers are there for ease of understanding but
essentially all work together - have a look at the All Objects layer to see how confusing it gets.
To access the other Environment layers go to the small box above the Object Parameter Box. You'll find the Audio
layer and the All Objects layer, plus Create.
If you are creating large and complex processors in your Environment then it might well be a good idea to give
them a layer all of their own. To do this, highlight the desired objects, hit Ctrl+X, then go to your new layer and hit
Ctrl+V and you will have moved all the objects to this layer. Once happy with your basic configuration it can be
saved to your Logic Audio directory as Autoload and from that point on, every time Logic is loaded it will default to
this song, complete with all the environmental properties.
Importing Layers
You may have noticed that within the 'New' menu for the Environment there are also many additional tools. These
are things like faders, switches, and knobs, all of which can be used to design editors, processors and mixers that
can run and be automated from within Logic Audio.
There are many adaptations designed by enthusiasts, including editors for most synthesizers. Often they are
enclosed on the disks provided with a synth but how do you get those templates into your Logic Environment?
Importing layers is a very easy task to perform.
Firstly, select a destination for the imported layer in the Environment, then go to the Options menu and select
Import Environment. Then select layer, and you will be given a browser where you can go to the Demo file (or

http://www.intermusic.co.uk/print.asp?ReviewId=1975&ArticleTable=Features&Feature...

25/06/2001

intermusic.com

Page 3 of 3

whatever the song is called) and import the relevant layer, at which point it will appear in your environment.
Once you have a feel for what you need within your Environment, you can insert objects such as Physical Input
and Sequencer Input. Caution should be exercised here and it is advisable to have your connection default set to
go from Physical Input Sum to Sequencer Input, as once a Sequencer Input is inserted it is essential that it is
connected at all times.
Colouring Coded
Using the Object Colour option from the View menu you are able to colour each object individually. In doing this
Logic will automatically colour the corresponding output cable from that object, enabling easy tracing of
processing within a song.
Here's a useful tip: if an object is on one layer and you want to connect it to an object on another layer, hold down
Control and click on the connection cable of the object, and all the available connection options will appear in a
manner similar to when choosing an instrument in the Arrange window.
And Finally...
Apart from the objects we've covered so far, there are a few things worth mentioning, such as the ready-built
mixer (GM mixer). Any number of mixers can be inserted on as many layers as you wish, with the option to set
them for XG, GM or GS. They may not be not to everyone's taste, but if you're running an XG synth they are very
handy indeed.
The convenience of a well-sorted Environment is felt in windows like the Track Mixer, where all the tracks
accessed in an arrangement are displayed with their fader values. This includes both MIDI and audio, and having
your icons and colours well- defined makes this a very intuitive part of Logic to use. This is not to say that it
answers all the problems, for in many ways certain dedicated editors, such as XG Edit, really get to the nitty-gritty
fast.
But they do require the use of a multi-client MIDI device like Hubi's LoopBack Device and we know some people
still using Windows 95 (come on, get it together you guys!) are not fond of using these kind of devices.
We hope this article has managed to clear up some of the mysteries that surround the Logic Audio Environment. It
is a unique and imaginative set of tools designed to deal with the multitude of devices we are now presented with,
and used in conjunction with Sound Diver, is well worth the effort.

Adam Crute The Mix 07/00

http://www.intermusic.co.uk/print.asp?ReviewId=1975&ArticleTable=Features&Feature...

25/06/2001