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Logic Pro: New Features In Version 11

Apple Logic Pro: Tips & Techniques By Paul White
Published February 2025

We go beyond the headlines to explore Logic 11’s less obvious new features.

Back in SOS September 2024 we explored the new intelligent keyboard and bass players that were introduced alongside an updated Drummer in Logic Pro 11. We also checked out the new stem‑splitting facility in SOS December 2024, but there are actually lots of other little workflow enhancements in version 11, which, while perhaps not as glamorous, are no less useful (such as the ability to use a text search to locate effect plug‑ins or to interrogate buses — for example, to see which buses send to a delay). This month I’d like to look at a few of these overlooked new features, starting with the ability to bounce in place external MIDI instruments, or indeed to have them bounced during the course of a full mix.

External Instruments

Logic can now bounce external instruments in the same way as soft synths, albeit in real time only. You can bounce external instruments individually, or as part of complete mixdowns.Logic can now bounce external instruments in the same way as soft synths, albeit in real time only. You can bounce external instruments individually, or as part of complete mixdowns.To use external instruments, the procedure is much the same as before. Create a new track, and from the window that pops up, select External MIDI Instrument. Here you can also select which of your interface’s audio inputs will carry the audio from your MIDI hardware instrument. You can set the MIDI channel your synth responds to here, too (this applies whether you’re using traditional 5‑pin MIDI or MIDI over USB).

Once you create the External MIDI track, an External MIDI Instrument plug‑in window shows up. This too allows you to change the MIDI and audio input settings if required. There’s a latency compensation button that can be ticked to ensure your timing stays spot on. You also get the option to send Program Change and Bank Change messages from the plug‑in window if you need to.

From this point onwards in previous versions of Logic, to capture your synth performances or sequences you’d have to play the MIDI track while recording the output of the external instrument as a new audio track, and then trim the region to length. Now you can just use the same Bounce In Place command you use for software instruments, and Logic will automatically recognise...

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