Anyone use Logic Pro X and edit drums?

[ArsMemoria]

I'm probably in the minority here, but I'm looking for anyone that may have some experience in editing drums in Logic. I definitely want to pick up on this skill, but I'm starting to feel like Logic's lack of any kind of editing other than flex time and strip silence is gonna hamper me in the future. Anyone have any tips, techniques, or info?

 

[MartijnPaauwe]

*Raises hand up* I use Logic Pro X all the time and editing drums is definitely do-able once you get the hang of it, couldn't compare it with Pro Tools for instance. I think I can definitely help you out with some stuff

 

[ArsMemoria]

Any ideas and tips would be appreciated. It's something I haven't really gotten the hang of and, to be honest, I'd like to work on it with some old class assignments I have before I begin to tell bands I can do it.

 

[Adee]

I use Logic Pro X.
As previous Cubase and Reaper user I find Logic very good DAW and have no problem at all since (1.5 year).
Mixing drums - real and programmed one works quite well. What are your expectations? What do you want exactly to do? You didn't specify it really.

 

[Machinated]

I've used logic for years and honestly I wouldn't trust it for any serious editing work. for editing drums flex mode can be very quick but if you want to see whats going on "beneath the hood" then it gets difficult. Where logic struggles is you can't see information in fades very well, so its hard to tell if thats where a problem is. Also you'll sometimes get fades that click for no reason which becomes a pain.

For good edits you really need to be on top of that shit and logic has things dumbed down too much...... My advice is to export your editing elsewhere and do it there, and then move back. Sounds a pain, but its really not that bad. It also forces you to work in an ordered and structured way which is a WAY bigger benefit than many people realise.

That said, I'm in PT 95% of the time. Logic is still cool for writing and has certain strengths that are definitely worth having around.

 

[ArsMemoria]

I use Logic Pro X.
As previous Cubase and Reaper user I find Logic very good DAW and have no problem at all since (1.5 year).
Mixing drums - real and programmed one works quite well. What are your expectations? What do you want exactly to do? You didn't specify it really.

I think part of me is second-guessing the purchase of LPX vs some of the other DAW's out there, especially since I've been interning at a place that uses Cubase. The only editing function that we really went nuts on when I was in school was Beat Detective, and since Logic doesn't really have an equivalent to it, my editing skills are pretty much limited to strip silence and Flex Time. I'm comfortable with the former, the latter we didn't really go over as much in my time in classes.

Basically, I want to be able to offer clients editing capabilities since that's such a big part of the mixing process, but I have near-zero experience with the main tool LPX has at its disposal.

 

[MartijnPaauwe]

It's not entirely the same as Beat Detective, but with Logic Pro X you can definitely quantize your drums

 

[ArsMemoria]

How do you go about it? Mostly just by using flex time? Every time I use that I pretty much fuck up the whole thing.

 

[MartijnPaauwe]

Basically this :

First you have make a Group out of your drums, and in group settings you have to select 'Editing' and make sure 'Phase-Locked Audio' I usally deselect Automation Mode, Mute and Volume because that will effect all your tracks.

Then you will have to select your reference tracks, which is the little green Q button on the left side of your track name. Logic sets all your tracks as reference, I mostly use Kick or Snare, but more preferably Kick and Snare Triggers.

Switch on Flex Editing and set your Editing mode to 'Slicing'. 'Rhythm' also works quite well.

Then on the 'Region' section of the Inspector you have the Quantize function, you can set it to whatever you like. Usually I put the quantisation strength around 70%.
It's definitely trying out and it doesn't always work too well, but it definitely works

Hope that helps

 

[greyskull]

I would sooner slice my bell end with a rusty razor blade then try to do any serious editing in Logic.

 

[Benqbasic]

Logic is my goto DAW for writing BUT I hate logic for editing.
I find Cubase and PT a lot easier. Cubase being my first choice.

 

[ArsMemoria]

Basically this :

First you have make a Group out of your drums, and in group settings you have to select 'Editing' and make sure 'Phase-Locked Audio' I usally deselect Automation Mode, Mute and Volume because that will effect all your tracks.

Then you will have to select your reference tracks, which is the little green Q button on the left side of your track name. Logic sets all your tracks as reference, I mostly use Kick or Snare, but more preferably Kick and Snare Triggers.

Switch on Flex Editing and set your Editing mode to 'Slicing'. 'Rhythm' also works quite well.

Then on the 'Region' section of the Inspector you have the Quantize function, you can set it to whatever you like. Usually I put the quantisation strength around 70%.
It's definitely trying out and it doesn't always work too well, but it definitely works

Hope that helps

Thanks for the post Martijn. I've been messing with the Nephylim mix you posted just to get the hang of it. I'm slowly realizing one issue: this shit is so. fucking. tedious. hahaha

I've also been binge watching a lot of videos on Youtube just to get some tutorials on the matter. Definitely going to be spending time with this.

Edit: Another question for you: Do you edit the whole thing all at once? Or go by sections(Verse, then Chrous, etc.)?

 

[MartijnPaauwe]

Yeah it definitely is not the quickest DAW for editing, at all. But you can do everything with it and if you get the hang of it you can get pretty good results.

I usually do the whole thing at once, just play the part until I hear something I don't like, fix it, relisten and continue on, repeat process until the end. Could probably be a quicker way, but I'm just a perfectionist

 

[ArsMemoria]

Haha, or glutton for punishment?

Again, thanks for the help man.

 

[xplanet2112]

Yeah Logic doesn't seem to have the drum editing magic that some other DAWs have at their disposal but the advice above detailing group editing is a good place to start. After that there is an option to phase lock them in the group option box then all I have ever done is sliced, dragged and cross fade or delete as required to the grid at a given tempo.
What frustrated me the most about doing this is the transport options while editing, it was literally me having to scroll all the way to where I wanted to go to next which a real PITA when you can tab to transients in other DAWs. Logic X was/is the only Daw I have any experience at and on the whole drum editing was a long and drawn out process, not for the faint hearted.

 

[ArsMemoria]

I found out LPX has a tab to transient function, but it's definitely not as intuitive as in Pro Tools. By my own experience at least.

 

[xplanet2112]

That could be in one of the updates I've not bothered with yet but there was/is a tab to next region facility which I found frustrating to say the least. I certainly feel drum editing is one department in which LPX falls down somewhat and to me it's more to do with navigation that anything else in my experience.

 

[GRStudios]

In key commands:


You can also tab to transient with the marquee.