Apple Logic Express 8 - Manual (Page 247)

Chapter 10 Working With Instruments and Effects 247
Working With Instruments
This section deals with the use of software instruments and external MIDI sound
generators.
Both software and external MIDI instrument tracks are handled in an almost identical
fashion. In fact, the MIDI regions on tracks routed to either type of channel (software
instrument or External MIDI) can be used interchangeably.
You can also completely reassign a track routed to an external MIDI synthesizer to one
using software instruments, or perhaps copy the data of an external MIDI track to a
software instrument track, resulting in layered playback of the part through both
instruments.
Software instruments use instrument channel strips. MIDI instruments use External
MIDI channel strips.
ReWired instruments are handled through auxiliary channel strips. Set up and use of
ReWired instruments is covered in “
Working With ReWire Applications ” on page 260.
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Tip: Many of the set up and routing tasks described in this section can be done once,
and saved with a template. This means that all of these preliminary tasks can be
bypassed the next time you load the template, so you can concentrate on creating
music. Please see “
Saving a Project as a Template ” on page 156 for more information.
Setting Up External MIDI Instruments
There are several ways that you can set up, and use, external MIDI keyboards and
modules with Logic Express. The best way to illustrate these is with working examples.
Please follow the steps outlined below.
To create a new external MIDI instrument from the Arrange:
1 Click the New Tracks button (the plus sign above the track list) in the Arrange window.
2 Choose the External MIDI option, and click the Create button.
Note: The Open Library checkbox in the New Tracks dialog is turned on by default.
Leave it alone, as the Library tab (that automatically opens) will make your life much
easier.
A new track will be created in the track list, assigned to GM Device 1.