Changing Plug-in Locations

As anyone who has worked with effects processors knows, where you place an effect is of equal importance to what effect is chosen. Inserting effects at different places in the signal chain can lead to different results depending on the processing involved.

Changing effect placement is easily done in Logic's Audio Configuration window, which provides an overview of the Input/Output routing, as well as showing all Inserts and Sends of all the Audio Objects that exist in the Environment. In this window you can drag plug-ins to change their order in the signal chain.

You can try this out by changing the order of the lead vocal signal chain that you created earlier, placing the EQ after the Compressor.

1.	Solo the Vox_lead channel by clicking the Solo button.
2.	Enable Cycle. This will bring back the cycle Region you created earlier when auditioning the lead vocal.
3.	Choose Audio > Audio Configuration. The Audio Configuration window opens.
4.	Choose View > Used Components from the Audio Configuration window's local menu. All Objects in the Environment are displayed.
5.	Expand the window to view as many of the channels as possible. The plug-ins, as well as the channel Sends, are displayed as light blue rectangles, similar to the way they appear in the Track Mixer.
6.	Choose the Hand tool in the toolbox. This tool allows you to grab and move plug-ins in this window.
7.	Drag the Channel EQ at the Insert 1 location on Track 27 (the Vox_lead channel) to the Insert 4 location. The signal chain reflects the new order, inserting the Channel EQ (including the settings) after the Compressor. NOTE Signal flow in the Track Mixer travels from top to bottom, passing from the topmost inserted plug-in downward. However, signal flow in the Audio Configuration window flows from left to right.
8.	Play the song and listen to the lead vocal channel with the new plug-in order.
9.	While it's playing, drag the Channel EQ plug-in back to the Insert 1 slot. The plug-in changes position, even when playing.
10.	Stop the song.
11.	Close the Audio Configuration window.