Apple Pro Training Series: Logic Pro 7 and Logic Express 7

Lesson 9. Mixing

Media Time Goals

APTS_Logic_7 > Song Files > Lesson 9 Project Files > 09Begin.lso

APTS_Logic_7 > Song Files > Lesson 9 Project Files > 09End.lso

APTS_Logic_7 > Song Files > Lesson 9 Project Files

This lesson takes approximately 1 hour to complete.

Create a unique mix

Set levels and control clipping in the channel strip

Experiment with the Track Mixer

Add cross fades to Audio Regions

Use Sends to send a signal to a system bus

Use the CPU window to monitor system performance

Freeze a track in the Arrange window

Mixing is the art of adjusting the volume and pan positions of your song's tracks until each sound is sitting in its own space in the sonic spectrum. And it is an art, because mixing takes practice. While there's no substitute for a trained ear, Logic tries hard to make mixing a painless process. For example, the Arrange window's channel strip has a fader, a level meter, and a pan pot that help you visualize (as well as hear) how your song's tracks fit into the mix. There's even a dedicated window, called the Track Mixer, that's designed to mimic the layout of a hardware mixing console. With a little practice, you'll soon be using both the Arrange window channel strip and the Track Mixer to create mixes that sparkle!

The last half of this lesson covers some other important mix techniques, such as creating fades, using a bus channel, and freezing tracks to free up system resources for other important things (like adding more plug-ins!).