Logic Pro 7 comes with 33 software instruments ranging from emulations of vintage instruments to tools that provide revolutionary ways of creating and shaping sounds. To gain a better understanding of the unique characteristics of each instrument and its application, it is helpful to group the 33 instruments into categories related to how they generate sound. Instrument | Description | Application suggestions |
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Synthesizers | ES M | Analog-style mono synthesizer | Bass lines, synth leads | ES P | Analog-style polyphonic (eight voices) synthesizer | Brass sounds, pads | ES E | Analog-style polyphonic synthesizer with chorus/ensemble effect | Stringlike pads, atmospheres | ES1 | Analog-style synthesizer with two oscillators | Basses, leads, percussion | ES2 | Versatile analog-style synthesizer offering three oscillators and two filters along with a comprehensive modulation section | Evolving pads, leads, basses, rhythmically synchronized sounds, and FX | EFM 1 | Polyphonic (16 voices) FM synthesizer | Bells, digital sounds | EVOC 20 PS | Vocoder with built-in polyphonic synthesizer | Classic vocoder effects | Ultrabeat | Rhythm synthesizer with built-in step sequencer | Analog and sampled percussion | Sculpture | Component-modeling synthesizer | Sound design, organically rich pads and leads | Vintage keyboards | EVP88 | Physically modeled electric pianos with built-in effects | Electric pianos (Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Hohner) | EVD6 | Physically modeled electric clavinet with built-in effects | Electric clavinets and other physically modeled strings | EVB3 | Physically modeled electromechanical tonewheel organ with rotating cabinet simulation | Hammond organs | Samplers | EXS24 | 24-bit sampler with advanced modulation capabilities, as well as virtual memory for streaming large samples from hard disk | Multipurpose | GarageBand instruments | Analog Basic | Simplified analog-style synthesizer (based on ES2 engine) | Quick and easy analog-style synth | Analog Mono | Simplified analog-style synthesizer (based on ES2 engine) | Quick and easy analog-style synth (bass sounds) | Analog Pad | Simplified analog-style synthesizer (based on ES2 engine) | Quick and easy analog-style synth (pads) | Analog Swirl | Simplified analog-style synthesizer (based on ES2 engine) | Quick and easy analog-style synth (moving textures) | Analog Sync | Simplified analog-style synthesizer (based on ES2 engine) | Quick and easy analog-style synth (percussive) | Digital Basic | Simplified digital waveform/FM synthesizer (based on ES2 engine) | Bells, metallic sounds | Digital Mono | Simplified digital waveform/FM synthesizer (based on ES2 engine) | Digital FMstyle basses | Digital Stepper | Simplified digital waveform/FM synthesizer (based on ES2 engine) | Digital FMstyle moving textures | Tonewheel Organ | Simplified electromechanical tonewheel organ (based on EVB3 engine) | Quick and easy organs | Electric Clav | Simplified electric clavinet (based on EVD6 engine) | Quick and easy electric clavinets | Electric Piano | Simplified electric piano (based on EVP88 engine) | Quick and easy electric pianos | Guitar | Sampled guitar instrument with simple interface (based on EXS24 engine) | Quick and easy sampled guitars | Bass | Sampled bass instrument with simple interface (based on EXS24 engine) | Quick and easy sampled basses | Horn | Sampled brass instrument with simple interface (based on EXS24 engine) | Quick and easy sampled brass sections | Piano | Sampled piano instrument with simple interface (based on EXS24 engine) | Quick and easy sampled pianos | Strings | Sampled string instrument with simple interface (based on EXS24 engine) | Quick and easy sampled strings | Tuned Percussion | Sampled pitched percussion instrument with simple interface (based on EXS24 engine) | Quick and easy sampled vibraphones | Drum Kits | Sampled percussion instrument with simple interface (based on EXS24 engine) | Quick and easy sampled drum kits (various) | Voice | Sampled vocal (choirs) instrument with simple interface (based on EXS24 engine) | Quick and easy sampled choir | Woodwind | Sampled saxophone and flute instrument with simpleinterface (based on EXS24 engine) | Quick and easy sampled flutes and saxophones |
GarageBand Instruments vs. Logic Instruments If you've ever used GarageBand, Apple's entry-level music-making software, you most likely noticed the similarities to Logic. The two not only have a comparable track-editing model but also a similar palette of effects and software instruments. In support of Logic's ability to open GarageBand song files, Logic includes the entire suite of GarageBand instruments to ensure complete compatibility. As you can see in the chart, the 20 GarageBand instruments overlap considerably with the Logic instruments in type of sound generation. This is because they were developed using the engines of the Logic Pro instruments themselves (EXS24, ES2, EFM 1, EVD6, EVB3, EVP88). Let's open a pair of instruments with such a relationship and compare them. 1. | Choose File > New.
| 2. | In the New song window, make sure that both the "Use song template" and "Create project folder" boxes are not checked, and click OK.
By not specifying a template, we are telling Logic to use the Autoload that you created in the first two lessons.
| 3. | Select the Inst 1 track.
| 4. | Click-hold the input field in the channel strip area, and choose Stereo > Logic > GarageBand Instruments > Drum Kits.
Logic takes a moment to open the samples associated with the default kit (Pop Kit) before opening the interface.
| 5. | Select the Inst 2 track.
| 6. | Click-hold the input field in the channel strip area, and choose Stereo > Logic > EXS24.
The EXS24 appears with a blank sampler instrument.
| 7. | Click-hold in the sampler instrument window (directly above the Filter section's Cutoff knob), and choose 08 Drum Kits > Pop Kit.
| 8. | Click each of the tracks in turn, and try playing the drum sounds in them with your MIDI controller.
TIP If a MIDI controller isn't handy for this lesson, no worry. You can use Logic's new Caps Lock keyboard. When you press the Caps Lock key on your computer's keyboard, your QWERTY keyboard is transformed into a fully polyphonic MIDI controller that is capable of five octaves and multiple velocities. Both instruments should sound identical, as they are essentially the same instrument with the same sample set. The most obvious difference is immediately apparent in the interfaces. There are considerably fewer controls on the GarageBand instrument.
| 9. | Close the Drum Kits instrument window and the EXS24 window.
| Why, then, are the GarageBand versions included in Logic Pro 7? The chief reason is to maintain compatibility with GarageBand song files. Having these instruments available allows the seamless opening of GarageBand sessions in Logic, with all instruments and effects instantiated on discrete tracks, along with the automation data. Why would a Logic Pro 7 musician choose to use GarageBand instruments? Sometimes it is easier to use an instrument with a simpler interface, especially for quick demos. Some parameters within the GarageBand instruments are mapped to two or more controls of the Logic instrument, which makes it simpler to get musical results. (Some good examples are the digital synth instruments.) It is also important to note that there isn't a compromise in sound quality since both instruments use the same engine. For professional production work, there are obvious advantages in using the "big guns," especially when opening samples. In this exercise, you loaded an identical sound set (Pop Kit) within both instruments, but only the EXS24 lets you configure modulation routings that breathe life into the samples with extensive filter modes and gives you the ability to tweak each sample in the sampler instrument. Editing Sounds from GarageBand Instruments with Logic Pro Instruments The close relationship between these instruments is exemplified by the ability to copy presets from a GarageBand instrument into its Logic Pro parent instrument. This works for all the vintage keyboard instruments (EVD6, EVB3, EVP88) and synthesizers, enabling you to further edit and refine a GarageBand sound. 1. | Select the Inst 3 track.
| 2. | Click-hold the input field in the channel strip area, and choose Stereo > Logic > GarageBand Instruments > Digital Stepper.
| 3. | Click the preset menu and choose One World.
| 4. | Play the sound via your MIDI controller.
| 5. | Click-hold the preset menu again, this time choosing Copy Setting.
| 6. | Select the Inst 4 track.
| 7. | In the channel strip area, click-hold the input field and choose Stereo > Logic > ES2.
| 8. | Click-hold the ES2 preset menu and choose Paste Setting.
| 9. | Play your MIDI controller.
Both instruments sound the same.
| 10. | Select the Inst 3 track, and adjust the Harmonic Steps slider within the Digital Stepper instrument until it reaches a value of about 75.
| 11. | Using the technique you just learned, copy and paste the preset from the Digital Stepper instrument to the ES2.
| The ES2's modulation matrix (called the Router) changed settings slightly. The third and fourth modulation slots (set to modulate Osc2Wave and Osc1Wave via LFO2) increased values, indicated by the arrows to the right of each modulation routing. By engaging the single Harmonic Steps slider on the Digital Stepper instrument, you created an evolving, active sound that would have required more complex programming in the ES2 (setting up an LFO to modulate both oscillators' digital waveform settings by a specific amount). |