ICM P2 SUP1: MIDI Control and Editing
MIDI Control and Editing
Aims
The aim of this session is to:


demonstrate how a MIDI keyboard can be used to input and alter MIDI
note and controller events
introduce some of the many options available as regards editing MIDI
control information
Recording MIDI
To record a single MIDI region:
1. select the instrument or external MIDI track to be recorded to
instrument and external MIDI tracks are automatically record enabled
when selected)
2. move the Playhead to the point from which the recording is to start1
3. click the Transport Bar’s Record button to start recording and either the
Stop or Play button to stop recording
It is possible to record several takes in a row in Cycle mode (with Logic
creating a new track for each time a cycle is completed). Here each take is
muted as each new take begins.2
It is also possible to retrospectively capture audio that has been played since
the last Playhead change by selecting the Capture as Recording key
command.
To record multiple MIDI tracks at once there are two operating modes:


1
Layer recording, here incoming MIDI events are sent to all record
enabled MIDI tracks
Multiplayer recording, here incoming MIDI events are distributed to the
various record enabled tracks, in accordance with transmitted MIDI
channel numbers3
If a metronome click is desired: Control Click the metronome button on the Transport bar, and
activate the Click While Recording setting in the menu (p354 of the Logic Pro manual for more
details).
2
To find out how to change Recording mode to “Create take folders”, see p379-80 of the Logic Pro
manual.
3
Each channel of incoming MIDI event(s) must correspond with a channel on a record enabled track
for this to work.
ICM P2 SUP1: MIDI Control and Editing
Setting up MIDI Controllers to Control Software Instruments
To assign a controller on the MIDI keyboard to a parameter on a software
instrument:
1. click on the parameter on the software instrument that is to be
assigned a controller on the MIDI keyboard
2. go to Logic Pro > Preferences > Control Surfaces > Learn Assignment
for (the controller that is to be controlled)
3. move the controller that is to be assigned to control the relevant
parameter on the software instrument
Recording and Viewing MIDI Controller Events
To record MIDI controller information:
1. change the automation mode on the channel strip to touch (or latch)4
2. select play (or record) and alter MIDI controllers
MIDI controller information is recorded as automation data. Automation data
can be viewed and edited through the Automation area (select View > Track
Automation).
Activity 1
1. find an instrument that you like the sound of (e.g. use the EFM
instrument) and adjust some parameters until you produce a sound
that you like
2. record a MIDI keyboard loop using the instrument that you have
tailored (can be very simple)
3. copy and paste that loop so that it repeats for 32 bars (this gives you a
chance to play around and record something that sounds good)
4. play the loop in cycle mode
5. play around with the parameters on the software instrument until you
find one that changes the sound in a way that is agreeable to you (e.g.
on the EFM: FM intensity)
6. assign a controller on the MIDI keyboard to control that parameter
7. play around with the controller for a bit
8. take Logic Pro out of cycle mode and then record your MIDI controller
movements
9. push stop to stop recording
10. view the automation data
11. edit the automation data
4
Read reads the MIDI controller information already written. Touch reads any existing MIDI
information and records over controller information whenever an assigned MIDI controller is altered.
Latch does the same but records over any MIDI controller information with the current setting of the
MIDI controller once it has been released.
ICM P2 SUP1: MIDI Control and Editing
Converting Automation Data to MIDI Controller Events
Automation data that relates to MIDI events can be converted to MIDI
controller events and vice versa. One way that MIDI controller data is different
from automation data is that it can be edited whilst viewing MIDI notes in the
Piano Roll Editor. MIDI controller data is also attached to the region it is
located in and so will move automatically when the region data is moved.
To convert all the automation data in a region from the currently active track
automation parameter to MIDI controller information:
1. select a Region to move track automation data to
2. select Options > Track Automation > Move Track Automation Data to
Region
To convert all the automation data related to a track:
1. select a Region to move track automation data to
2. select Options > Track Automation > Move All Track Automation Data
to Region
Viewing MIDI Controller Events
To view MIDI controller events:
Hyper Draw
button
1. open the Piano Roll Editor and select the Hyper Draw button
2. in the HyperDraw window select View > Hyper Draw > Other
3. then select a controller number, or scroll through the controllers until
the relevant one is found (the graphics in the Hyper Draw window show
the MIDI control settings as the controller numbers are scrolled
through)
Hyper Draw only allows one parameter to be viewed at once. To view and edit
more than one controller at once (and for more precise MIDI controller editing)
the Hyper Editor is used.
Using the Hyper Editor to View and Edit MIDI Controller Events
Before the Hyper Editor can be used to view and edit the MIDI events that
have been created it is necessary to set up a Hyper Set containing the correct
MIDI controller lanes. The easiest way to do this involves firstly filtering the
MIDI events through the Event List.
The Event List is the most powerful MIDI editor in Logic. The Event List, unlike
other views, contains all the MIDI events and allows the user to edit these
directly.
ICM P2 SUP1: MIDI Control and Editing
filter button
event buttons
event type
event buttons of
filtered out
events become
dark
Figure 1. The Event List.
Using the Event List to Filter Events
To access the Event List select the Lists button on the top right of the Logic
interface and select the Event tab (or press the ‘e’ key).
To filter/select events:
1. select the appropriate MIDI region in the Arrange window
2. click on the filter button to turn filter mode on
3. click on the various event buttons to filter out the events that need
filtered out (in this context: the notes events); the event buttons of any
events filtered out become dark
4. select Edit > Select All to select the remaining events
Events can be selected in many ways e.g. selecting a particular event and
then selecting Edit > Select Similar Events allows the user to choose all the
MIDI controller values associated with just one parameter.
Creating a Hyper Set from Filtered Events
Once events have been filtered and selected:
1. select Hyper Editor view
2. go to Hyper > Create Hyper Set for Current Events
3. the Hyper Editor should then display the selected events, with each
parameter appearing in a separate Hyper Editor lane
4. any lanes not required can then be removed by clicking on the name of
the Hyper Editor lane and selecting Delete Event Definition
ICM P2 SUP1: MIDI Control and Editing
Figure 2. A Hyper Editor Lane.
Editing in the Hyper Editor
The Hyper Editor allows precise editing of MIDI controller
events. Values are edited by clicking and dragging with
the pointer, or using the line tool to draw straight lines
(e.g. for a gradual, uniform increase in one parameter).
line tool
Notes can be displayed in the Hyper Editor. Each note pitch is allocated one
Hyper Editor lane: this is useful for editing drum parts created in Ultrabeat or
in the EXS24 Sampler.
Activity 2
1. convert the automation data created in Activity 1 to MIDI controller
events
2. view and edit the events in Hyper Draw (selecting the correct MIDI
instrument number)
3. create a Hyper Set to view the MIDI controller events in the Hyper
Editor
4. try editing these events
5. try using the Event List to edit the value of all the MIDI controller events
associated with one parameter (values are altered for a selection by
clicking the mouse and dragging up or down to reduce or increase
values respectively)