Using the Track Mixer

In the previous exercises you used the Out 1-2 channel strip to make some simple changes to the audio level of your entire song. The Arrange channel strip is a very handy tool when you need to adjust the volume of individual tracks, but when it's time to do some serious mixing, Logic's Track Mixer is really the place to be. The main advantage of the Track Mixer is that it displays all the tracks in your songboth audio and MIDI tracksin a classic mixing console view.

Opening the Track Mixer

Let's open up the Track Mixer and position it under the Arrange window so that both are clearly visible.

1.	Choose Windows > Track Mixer (Cmd-2), or double-click any track name in the Arrange window. The Track Mixer opens. Let's organize the screen so that both the Track Mixer and the Arrange window are clearly visible.
2.	Select the Arrange window. The Arrange window becomes the active window.
3.	Choose Windows > Tile Windows horizontally. The Arrange window is horizontally aligned above the Track Mixer. You can now clearly see both.

NOTE

The tile-horizontally command places the top left corner of the active window in the top left corner of the screen.

Working with Tracks in the Track Mixer

Logic's Track Mixer adapts to your track order in the Arrange window. When you open the Track Mixer, Logic automatically organizes tracks based on the order of tracks currently available in the Arrange window. The order of the Arrange window's tracks from top to bottom determines the order of the Track Mixer's tracks from left to right. If you reorder tracks in the Arrange window, the Track Mixer updates to reflect the changes.

NOTE

In the Track Mixer, the Folder track is very thin and does not have a channel strip. However, if you double-click it, the Folder opens to let you adjust its tracks, just like double-clicking the Folder in the Arrange window to display its internal tracks.

1.	In the Arrange window, select a track. Notice that the selected track is also selected in the Track Mixer. Similarly, if you select a track in the Track Mixer, it is selected in the Arrange window.
2.	In the Arrange window, reorder a few tracks. As you reorder the tracks, the Track Mixer reflects the changes.

NOTE

You cannot reorder tracks in the Track Mixer.

Filtering Tracks

The filter buttons along the Track Mixer's left edge are used to display only the tracks you're interested in. If you have dozens of tracks in your project, these buttons make it easier to find the exact track you're after.

Let's experiment with filtering the Track Mixer display so that it shows only certain tracks.

1.	On the left edge of the Track Mixer, click the Track button. All tracks disappear except for the song's audio tracks.
2.	On the left edge of the Track Mixer, click the Inst button. The Track Mixer now displays only Audio Instrument tracks.
3.	Click the Inst button once again to revert the Track Mixer back to its normal display mode.
4.	On the left edge of the Track Mixer, click the Global button. The Global button displays all Audio and MIDI Instrument channels that exist in this song. (You'll learn more about these channels in the part titled, "Customizing Your Setup.") NOTE Clicking the Global button causes the track order to change. First, the MIDI instruments are displayed, followed by Input, Audio Track, Instrument, Auxiliary, Bus, and then Output channels.
5.	With the Global button still selected in the Track Mixer, double-click any track that is not already part of your arrangement. The track is added to the bottom of the Arrange window. This is a great way to add new tracks to your arrangement.
6.	Click the Global button once again to revert the Track Mixer back to its normal display mode.
7.	Delete the new track from the Arrange window.