Can Logic Pro be used for live looping in the same way as a dedicated looping station like the Boss RC-505 MKII, or do these two systems work quite differently? I already have Logic Pro on my MacBook and want to start recording myself singing layered harmonies, octaves, and then adding acoustic instruments like a flute or a MIDI instrument such as the ROLI Seaboard. Right now, my primary focus is using my voice creatively, and I have a Shure SM7B. I’m trying to decide between buying a looping station like the Boss RC-505 or a small MIDI controller or pedal that would make controlling Logic Pro’s looping features more convenient during live performances. Could you advise on the pros and cons of these two different approaches for live looping and singing?
Answering this fully could take a whole video, but here’s a quick breakdown: (1) Software (Logic Pro): Super flexible and powerful but requires more time to set up and learn. (2) Hardware (like the Boss RC-505 MKII): More reliable for live performance and easy to use but can be limiting in the long run. Since you already have Logic Pro and a solid mic, I’d suggest experimenting with a live looping setup using what you own. You can even use key commands on your keyboard instead of buying a MIDI controller at first. Logic’s live looping features are quite capable! Once you’ve dialed in your setup and identified your needs and any limitations, you can decide whether to stick with software or invest in a hardware looper.
This video helped me so much. In case others are confused too - set cell defaults by clicking in the workspace but not in a cell, the inspector will say "midi defaults" and you can set your recording length to cell length and you are good to go. Before I figured that out I thought I had to create an individual cell for every cell in a project template. You can do that, but if you use a launchpad it will look like all cells are populated already. Anyway, important thing is SWONIC did us all a solid here and I am so happy with this workflow.
Wow! This was fantastic! No one is doing live looping tutorials for Logic that involve performance. They’re all just using remade loops. Thank you so much for this! Please keep up the good work.
Thanks! Well using Logic for performance is kinda a workaround. The live looping feature is really powerful but was made for studio use and not so much for live use. Ableton Live might be a more stable solution. Personally I prefer Mainstage - but it lacks a profound live looping solution.
Awesome!!! I'm editing a follow up tutorial about mapping controls for live looping right now. It will be released as soon as I'm done. Make sure to subscribe 😉
Thank you. A question: i’m a guitar player, so i can select a cell to record in, but i need to set a “ foot controller” to actually start recording. Is there a general rec button i can map on it, to start recording? Thank you in advance
I think you'll find everything you need in my other video: "How to Set Up a MIDI Controller for Live Looping with Logic Pro." It covers the entire process and should help you get your foot controller up and running! th-cam.com/video/eyxEpFAk2q8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=GnX15g1-oV3aNYTx
Hi! Thanks for the video. How can you perform multiple songs in one session? So if I was using live loops at a performance, how can people change songs without using the laptop to change file?
Hm, unless you create a setup that works for all songs of the set - you will have to change the file manually. Actually using Logic Pro for live performance is kinda a workaround use. It’s designed for composing in the studio but the same tool can be used for performing.
Yes sir! I already have one with some Launchpad tips scheduled. What would you like to know about using the Seaboard? I don’t really do much with it other than playing notes. Or are you referring to ROLI BLOCKS in general?
@@swonic Roli Blocks in general. I have a setup like yours with logic and a music maker kit and a launchpad x. more on your system and how you use it would be appreciated, nothing too specific in mind.
Hi ! Thanks for your video! I can't figure out how to record a live vocal harmony ... how can I instantly merge my takes while I'm recording ? Or maybe set up the automatic creation of a new cell for each new takes at the end of my cycle? Thank you very much in advance !!!
Hi Marie! Thanks for reaching out. It's great to see that my tutorials are still being watched. About your question: I think it's not possible to create new cells automatically. Also I don't think it's possible to "merge" several takes automatically in one cell. I think what you'd need to do is use a controller (or keyboard shortcut) and press record in the next cell always shortly before you finished the last take (if you want to continuously record). Or just wait for one repetition and then trigger record of the next cell manually... Hope this helps!
I'm a long time Logic user but brand new to any kind of looping performance. As soon as I saw how creative and expressive Live Loops was, I knew I had to use it, and bought a Launchpad X. It's been confusing to get started, especially using a pad controller, but your videos have been amazing and so helpful! This one especially is great! Any help and tips you can offer a total looping beginner would be appreciated. Thanks again!
@@swonic that would be great! I'm still learning about switching between Session and Mixer, and how to control volume and panning with the velocity sensitivity. That isn't explained very well. Any advice or tips on performing and building loops would be great, as well as any advice on the Custom modes. Thanks again for the help and inspiration! Are you using Remix FX?
Oh ok! I think these Launchpad features are best to try for yourself. After messing around with it a little bit you should know what everything is doing. But I got a Launchpad + Logic tips video coming at some point too 🙂 a performance tutorial is something I want to do also but this will probably take a while still. Yes, I‘m using Remix FX, I‘ll post a tutorial on how to setup a custom controller for them soon! Thanks so much for all the feedback again.
Hi! Thank you very much, this is very helpful. Although when I tried, why can’t I do overdub for audio tracks? There were no “merge” option :( when I tried with midi tracks, they worked just fine!
thank you for the tips, they are helping a lot! I'm wanting to use logic similar to a hardware looper such as boss rc300... for first empty cell, start recording the drum beat, then press to stop recording, but the play keeps looping and the system figures out tempo and measures. (drum loop is usually 2 measure but can be variable).
Oh, just saw the comment now. Sorry. I think I answered everything via mail already. If you have any further questions feel free to let me know. As I said I think this workflow will work best with Apple MainStage and Loopback plugin.
Thank you for this. I just tried it with my new launchpad X, and logic 10.6. It works. however, how can I start/stop the playback of the entire project/song with the launchpad? and is there a way to select the different instruments/tracks with the launchpad (to practice/preview before recording a cell)?
Thank you! 🙏 You can select different instruments by enabling Record on the different instrument tracks (in the Record Arm mode). You could map the "Capture MIDI" Button on the Launchpad X to Start/Stop Playback of the project. It has no preset functionality in Logic. (Check out my other tutorial on how to map controls in Logic!) I will also do a dedicated Logic + Launchpad tutorial sometime this year which most likely will cover both of these things. 🙂
@@swonic very good idea to map a launchpad trigger to start/stop. And I would love a tutorial on logic / launchpad from you!. Its the small tips that really help. I found that it works, but some things are a bit difficult sometimes when doing it 'live', such as the quantize/count in, I set it to 1 bar count in, but depending on when I press record (which position / timing in the loop), sometimes it starts immediately. Kinda weird. So this would also be a good one for your tutorial. Which setting is best for count in/quantize, smart pickup yes/no, etc. Looking forward to it, subscribed!
Thanks for subscribing!! Yeah, these settings are so tricky. And sometimes they appear to behhave unexpected... the settings really depend on what you are trying to do! But I can see if I can cover some more stuff like that 🙂
Amazing tutorial. I've been pulling my hair out trying to figure out why I couldn't set when the recording starts using smart quantise. So it was the count in setting all along. You gave so much good information here in such a short space of time. Could you do into a little more detail on the settings under quantise start such as "global"? Thanks!
Oh, thanks that's awesome feedback! Makes me happy if my tutorial helps you. Yeah, the quantise settings are kind of a mess. They fixed/changed some behaviour in the latest updated but it still doesn't seem to work 100% as expected. The most confusing is probably that all these settings are mainly for playback and not for recording. So in a live looping setup they don't hep a lot. The whole live loops section in general is designed for live "playback" rather than live "recording" so I hope that we will see some improvements in future versions still or maybe in a new MainStage version...
I can’t get the cell recording to give me a count in once the play head is moving. If i record from a stopped position it will count in but not once I’m trying to add more tracks. Is there any way to make it start recording on the 1 no matter when I hit record? Help?!?
I'm excited that my first tutorial about live looping with LPX is finally online! What do you think?
Can Logic Pro be used for live looping in the same way as a dedicated looping station like the Boss RC-505 MKII, or do these two systems work quite differently? I already have Logic Pro on my MacBook and want to start recording myself singing layered harmonies, octaves, and then adding acoustic instruments like a flute or a MIDI instrument such as the ROLI Seaboard.
Right now, my primary focus is using my voice creatively, and I have a Shure SM7B. I’m trying to decide between buying a looping station like the Boss RC-505 or a small MIDI controller or pedal that would make controlling Logic Pro’s looping features more convenient during live performances.
Could you advise on the pros and cons of these two different approaches for live looping and singing?
Answering this fully could take a whole video, but here’s a quick breakdown:
(1) Software (Logic Pro): Super flexible and powerful but requires more time to set up and learn.
(2) Hardware (like the Boss RC-505 MKII): More reliable for live performance and easy to use but can be limiting in the long run.
Since you already have Logic Pro and a solid mic, I’d suggest experimenting with a live looping setup using what you own. You can even use key commands on your keyboard instead of buying a MIDI controller at first. Logic’s live looping features are quite capable! Once you’ve dialed in your setup and identified your needs and any limitations, you can decide whether to stick with software or invest in a hardware looper.
This video helped me so much. In case others are confused too - set cell defaults by clicking in the workspace but not in a cell, the inspector will say "midi defaults" and you can set your recording length to cell length and you are good to go. Before I figured that out I thought I had to create an individual cell for every cell in a project template. You can do that, but if you use a launchpad it will look like all cells are populated already. Anyway, important thing is SWONIC did us all a solid here and I am so happy with this workflow.
THANK YOU! :-) Glad that my video helped.
Definitely some solid, nuance tips that a lot of us have been trying to figure out for sure.
Hey Bryan! Great to hear from you again. I’m glad you like it. I’ll try to cover some more stuff that goes a little bit deeper in the future.
Wow! This was fantastic! No one is doing live looping tutorials for Logic that involve performance. They’re all just using remade loops. Thank you so much for this! Please keep up the good work.
Thanks! Well using Logic for performance is kinda a workaround. The live looping feature is really powerful but was made for studio use and not so much for live use. Ableton Live might be a more stable solution. Personally I prefer Mainstage - but it lacks a profound live looping solution.
Yeah a absolutely 1y later and this was still the most helpful thing ever. It gave me everything I needed to know
so glad to hear that. creating tutorials is so much work. so the best feedback is if they actually help somebody 🙂
🙂
This channel is hugely underrated, come on, just 1.25k with such an incredible collection of key videos on live looping?
Thank you! Please help me spread the word and share with your friends 🙃
One of the more helpful videos on creating a live performance on the fly. I would love to see more like this!
Awesome!!! I'm editing a follow up tutorial about mapping controls for live looping right now. It will be released as soon as I'm done. Make sure to subscribe 😉
@@swonic Already subbed 👍
Thank you so much! I hope you'll like my upcoming tutorial too. 🙂
This is gold. Thank you for these straight-the-point tips
thanks man!!
Really inspired! When I saw your vids with Keys + Launchpad + Live Loops, I said, "Finally!"
Thanks! Great to hear that 🙂
Thanks 🎉😊 do you have further video referring to live audio looping and audio quantizing feature ?
th-cam.com/video/eyxEpFAk2q8/w-d-xo.html
Thanks man, they are great tips, Its been difficult to get a grip of Live Loops and this is a really helpful quick and to the point video. Make more!!
Awesome! This is great to hear. Yes, I have more videos like that about Live Loops scheduled. I hope to release all of them by the end of the year...
Thank you. A question: i’m a guitar player, so i can select a cell to record in, but i need to set a “ foot controller” to actually start recording. Is there a general rec button i can map on it, to start recording? Thank you in advance
I think you'll find everything you need in my other video: "How to Set Up a MIDI Controller for Live Looping with Logic Pro." It covers the entire process and should help you get your foot controller up and running! th-cam.com/video/eyxEpFAk2q8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=GnX15g1-oV3aNYTx
Great video man, really helpful
Thank you!!! That’s good to hear 😎
Hi! Thanks for the video. How can you perform multiple songs in one session? So if I was using live loops at a performance, how can people change songs without using the laptop to change file?
Hm, unless you create a setup that works for all songs of the set - you will have to change the file manually. Actually using Logic Pro for live performance is kinda a workaround use. It’s designed for composing in the studio but the same tool can be used for performing.
Thank You Bro. Amazing tutorial !
Thanks a lot!! 😎
Thanks man! Super helpful! I’d love to see how you set up an entire song when you begin writing! Thanks for the help!
Thanks. I might do a complete workflow tutorial some day. But up until now my workflow and tools have been constant work in progress. 🙃
good tips, logic live loops is really fun, been playing around with some guitar looping
thanks. glad that the video is helpful! I‘ll do some more tutorials on live loops soon. stay tuned!
Best vid I've seen all day!
Thanks!
You are a hero. Thank you.
Thank you!!! 😎
This was excellent. Any chance you could do a video on hands free looping? Basically how to map out a song for a hands free, live looping performance.
Thanks, that’s a excellent suggestion - but at the moment I won’t do this because my setup is not hands-free but rather hands-focused 😅
Will you please do more of these? How you use the launchpad and the seaboard for your live looping sessions?
Yes sir! I already have one with some Launchpad tips scheduled. What would you like to know about using the Seaboard? I don’t really do much with it other than playing notes. Or are you referring to ROLI BLOCKS in general?
@@swonic Roli Blocks in general. I have a setup like yours with logic and a music maker kit and a launchpad x. more on your system and how you use it would be appreciated, nothing too specific in mind.
Oh, ok great! Well then all my future tutorials will work for you since I will share stuff around the controllers and software I use obviously 🙂
Congrats on your first tutorial! Really clear and informative
Thanks so much! I’m happy if it is clear. This was one of my main goals!! 👏
Such a cool dude! Amazing tutorial, thanks man.
You’re welcome 😎
Hi ! Thanks for your video! I can't figure out how to record a live vocal harmony ... how can I instantly merge my takes while I'm recording ?
Or maybe set up the automatic creation of a new cell for each new takes at the end of my cycle?
Thank you very much in advance !!!
Hi Marie! Thanks for reaching out. It's great to see that my tutorials are still being watched. About your question: I think it's not possible to create new cells automatically. Also I don't think it's possible to "merge" several takes automatically in one cell. I think what you'd need to do is use a controller (or keyboard shortcut) and press record in the next cell always shortly before you finished the last take (if you want to continuously record). Or just wait for one repetition and then trigger record of the next cell manually... Hope this helps!
Nice man!!! Thank you!
Thanks!
We definitly need more tutorials like that
Thank you! I'll do my best to create more!!! 😉
Dude, you're the best! 👍🏻👍🏻😍
Thank you! Hope you can apply the tips in your workflow 🙂👍
Yes, it's really helpful 👍🏼
🙂
I'm a long time Logic user but brand new to any kind of looping performance. As soon as I saw how creative and expressive Live Loops was, I knew I had to use it, and bought a Launchpad X. It's been confusing to get started, especially using a pad controller, but your videos have been amazing and so helpful! This one especially is great! Any help and tips you can offer a total looping beginner would be appreciated. Thanks again!
Thanks a lot for the feedback David. This makes me really happy to hear. I‘ll do my best to record some more tutorials like that 🙂
@@swonic that would be great! I'm still learning about switching between Session and Mixer, and how to control volume and panning with the velocity sensitivity. That isn't explained very well. Any advice or tips on performing and building loops would be great, as well as any advice on the Custom modes. Thanks again for the help and inspiration! Are you using Remix FX?
Oh ok! I think these Launchpad features are best to try for yourself. After messing around with it a little bit you should know what everything is doing. But I got a Launchpad + Logic tips video coming at some point too 🙂 a performance tutorial is something I want to do also but this will probably take a while still. Yes, I‘m using Remix FX, I‘ll post a tutorial on how to setup a custom controller for them soon! Thanks so much for all the feedback again.
Hi! Thank you very much, this is very helpful. Although when I tried, why can’t I do overdub for audio tracks? There were no “merge” option :( when I tried with midi tracks, they worked just fine!
I'm sorry, Apple just didn't implement this feature. Glad though that you like my tutorial :-) thanks for the feedback!
Thanks man!
Overdub for audio tracks isn't possible in my case, there's no merge option, any suggestions?
Using a second loop vor overdubs?
thank you for the tips, they are helping a lot!
I'm wanting to use logic similar to a hardware looper such as boss rc300... for first empty cell, start recording the drum beat, then press to stop recording, but the play keeps looping and the system figures out tempo and measures. (drum loop is usually 2 measure but can be variable).
Oh, just saw the comment now. Sorry. I think I answered everything via mail already. If you have any further questions feel free to let me know. As I said I think this workflow will work best with Apple MainStage and Loopback plugin.
Excellent !
😎
There is problem. The first note dosnt play on the first loop
Yes, that problem exists. And I don't know how to fix it. I even reached out to Apple about it, but didn't get a satisfying reply...
Thank you for this. I just tried it with my new launchpad X, and logic 10.6. It works. however, how can I start/stop the playback of the entire project/song with the launchpad? and is there a way to select the different instruments/tracks with the launchpad (to practice/preview before recording a cell)?
Thank you! 🙏 You can select different instruments by enabling Record on the different instrument tracks (in the Record Arm mode). You could map the "Capture MIDI" Button on the Launchpad X to Start/Stop Playback of the project. It has no preset functionality in Logic. (Check out my other tutorial on how to map controls in Logic!) I will also do a dedicated Logic + Launchpad tutorial sometime this year which most likely will cover both of these things. 🙂
@@swonic very good idea to map a launchpad trigger to start/stop. And I would love a tutorial on logic / launchpad from you!. Its the small tips that really help. I found that it works, but some things are a bit difficult sometimes when doing it 'live', such as the quantize/count in, I set it to 1 bar count in, but depending on when I press record (which position / timing in the loop), sometimes it starts immediately. Kinda weird. So this would also be a good one for your tutorial. Which setting is best for count in/quantize, smart pickup yes/no, etc. Looking forward to it, subscribed!
Thanks for subscribing!! Yeah, these settings are so tricky. And sometimes they appear to behhave unexpected... the settings really depend on what you are trying to do! But I can see if I can cover some more stuff like that 🙂
Best tutorial thankyuuuuu!
Thanks so much!! Best feedback :-)
Legend thanks! Your vids are ace 👌 what about if I don’t want it to do a count in at all ?!
Glad to help! I think you can just set count in time to 0
@@swonic I'll give it a shot thanks. Essentially I'm curious if it can live-loop well like Ableton... where people build entire tracks then DJ them
Obviously it’s designed for studio use an not for the stage like Ableton ”Live“ 😉
does capture midi button not work on the launchpad in logic? to record on the fly?
no, only ableton live!
Amazing tutorial. I've been pulling my hair out trying to figure out why I couldn't set when the recording starts using smart quantise. So it was the count in setting all along. You gave so much good information here in such a short space of time. Could you do into a little more detail on the settings under quantise start such as "global"? Thanks!
Oh, thanks that's awesome feedback! Makes me happy if my tutorial helps you. Yeah, the quantise settings are kind of a mess. They fixed/changed some behaviour in the latest updated but it still doesn't seem to work 100% as expected. The most confusing is probably that all these settings are mainly for playback and not for recording. So in a live looping setup they don't hep a lot. The whole live loops section in general is designed for live "playback" rather than live "recording" so I hope that we will see some improvements in future versions still or maybe in a new MainStage version...
@@swonic Yeah you're exactly right. Live playback rather than live recording. Hopefully they'll sort that aspect out in future. Thanks again!
how about recording multiple cells at once? for example; snare, kick, tom, overhead?
I have not experimented with that yet, but it might produce some performance issues…
I can’t get the cell recording to give me a count in once the play head is moving. If i record from a stopped position it will count in but not once I’m trying to add more tracks. Is there any way to make it start recording on the 1 no matter when I hit record? Help?!?
Did you watch my video starting from 2:58? Maybe this helps?
I want to loop the song BEAT IT but it starts on the backbeat, how can I do it?!
Just do it. I suggest not to start at the loop on the backbeat though...
For some reason when I select the recording option it only gives me the choice for Takes and Replace, and not Merge. Any idea why? Thanks
Are you on an audio or midi track?
@@swonic this is when recording audio
As far as I know there is no “merge” option for audio cells!
@@swonic ah I see! OK thanks for your help mate 👍
You‘re welcome!
dig the shades
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thankS!!!!
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You rule thank you
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Thank you❤
Glad you like it! ♥️
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Sacate los lentes nabo!
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