Cycle record

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Cycle record

One of the most useful things about recording in Logic is the option to cycle record. The ability to continuously repeat a tricky part and overdub piece by piece inside the cycle, adding more music on each lap is invaluable. Again this is akin to the way we practice difficult sections on our instruments. The cycle can be set up by:

1. Positioning the Left and Right Locator position.

2. Activating the Cycle button on the Transport bar (Figure 1.4).

   Figure 1.4. Cycle record

   

   
   

A quicker way is to drag the mouse over the Bar Ruler (Figure 1.5). This method will set the Locators and activate the Cycle button automatically.

Figure 1.5. The Bar Ruler

Particularly useful is the Autodrop feature. If you've made a blunder in the middle of a certain passage, a combination of cycle and autodrop can be used. Try this:

1. Using the Bar Ruler method, set up a cycle region a bar or two either side of the 'bad' section you want to replace.

2. Activate the Autodrop button to the right of the Cycle button on the Transport bar (Figure 1.6). The Bar Ruler will divide into two sections. The Autodrop bar appears below the cycle region (Figure 1.7).

   Figure 1.6. The Autodrop button

   

   
   

   Figure 1.7. Cycle and Autodrop combined

   

   
   

3. Adjust the Autodrop region to capture the 'bad' section. This is done by dragging or using the new Locator window that has mysteriously replaced the word Emagic on the Transport bar!

4. Press the Record button and play along. Nothing is actually recorded before the drop-in point. When you reach it, Logic will automatically 'punch in' and record your new, much improved version, and drop-out at the other end. Very handy!

NOTE

There are various options when using Cycle Record. Click and hold the mouse over the Record button on the Transport bar and choose 'Recording Options' ... to view and edit them (Figure 1.8a and 1.8b ).

Figure Figure 1.8a. Click and hold the Record button

Figure Figure 1.8b. Recording options

NOTE

When Cycle Recording and Quantization are used together, there is a danger of double notes caused by recording events twice. These not only sound strange , but can also cause problems on some synthesizers. Fortunately, they can be easily erased [Functions > Erase MIDI Events > Duplicates] ( Figure 1.9 )

Figure 1.9. Deleting doubled notes

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