Apple Logic Pro X Instruments

Apple Computer's DAW(Digital Audio Workstation) software "Logic Pro X" includes many software instruments. I'm not the type that actively uses software instruments, but I've started trying some these days. One of the reasons for this was that I had to spend more time in places other than my home. I bring a notebook computer "Apple MacBook Pro", audio interface "Roland UA-S10", MIDI keyboard"KORG nanoKEY Studio" and so on.

In such a mobile environment, I have no choice but to play software instruments. It's surprisingly interesting to try. Due to the restrictions, I choose different ways than usual, which produces a different sound. Constraints are not something to hate.

On this page, I'll show you some of the software instruments that come with Apple Logic Pro X.

References

Alchemy

"Alchemy is an easy-to-use, yet powerful sample manipulation synthesizer. It offers numerous real-time performance controls and an extensive preset library.", Apple's document says. To be honest, I'm unstudied and don't understand well.

Sounds	Comments
1963 Semi-Acoustic Thumb	Bass is walking. Much space. I recorded notes in Logic, and quantize them with triple eighth note. I did not add sound effect. When I listen to it later, the low is boomy and the mid range is thin. That's why the volume is low. Not good.

The song below were made with Alchemy and other synths.

Songs	Comments
Keep Warm	Alchemy's preset "Liquid Echo Bells" and KORG Kronos's preset "I-F004:Meet Oscar" are used. I add Lexicon PCM90's "P1 0.2 Small Room" a little bit on Kronos's output.

Drummer

"Drummer" is a software for making drum tracks. Not only can we choose "drummer", "drum kits", and "beat presets", but we can also set the volume level, whether it's simple or complex, and how much fill-in we want. If we drag 8 bars, it will fill 8 bars. However, how to make the ending is a little mysterious for me. I often have the same drum kit on a separate track and hit them. There may be an easier way.

Sounds	Comments
Drummer 1st Try	"Drummer" automatically created an 8-bar pattern, so I stretched it out a little and asked him to hit the crash cymbal at the end. The afterglow echoes for a long time. I feel good.

At the songs below, I played other synths and added "Drummer"'s play.

Songs	Comments
Satisfied	The KORG Collection M1 has many preset sounds. Sometimes I decided to play a combination instead of a program. When playing combination "K01 19 Harder Mode" with 2 octave width KORG nanoKEY Studio, lower keys produce sweeping bass, upper keys produce layer sound of square wave and electric piano sound. 3 waves are all stereo. The total is 6 parts. With original M1 hardware, polyphony may bee too less. With KORG Collection M1, we can set 128 voice polyphony! With "Drummer", I haven't made much ingenuity other than making the ending.
Songs By Autumn Insects	When I was playing Roland's software instrument "SH-101", I wanted external effect plug-in. I cut SH-101's effect, added KORG MDE-X "19:Reverb-Dry Plate". It is normal to have no reverb on the bass, but I went against it. This may not be possible, but I applied full time vibrato. With "Drummer", I'm going to make a change rather than the above "Satisfied".

Songs

Comments

Satisfied

The KORG Collection M1 has many preset sounds. Sometimes I decided to play a combination instead of a program. When playing combination "K01 19 Harder Mode" with 2 octave width KORG nanoKEY Studio, lower keys produce sweeping bass, upper keys produce layer sound of square wave and electric piano sound. 3 waves are all stereo. The total is 6 parts. With original M1 hardware, polyphony may bee too less. With KORG Collection M1, we can set 128 voice polyphony! With "Drummer", I haven't made much ingenuity other than making the ending.

Songs By Autumn Insects

When I was playing Roland's software instrument "SH-101", I wanted external effect plug-in. I cut SH-101's effect, added KORG MDE-X "19:Reverb-Dry Plate". It is normal to have no reverb on the bass, but I went against it. This may not be possible, but I applied full time vibrato. With "Drummer", I'm going to make a change rather than the above "Satisfied".

Vintage B3

「"Vintage B3" is an organ software instrument that imitates the Hammond organ "B3". It is full of Hammond-like noise, and there are many setting items. When you press the "SPLIT" button at the bottom right of the screen, controllers in the picture below will appear.

If you select "SINGLE" with the leftmost lever, only UPPER will be available. If you select "SPLIT", you can use one keyboard to play LOWER and UPPER. If you select "MULTI", you can assign MIDI channels to each of UPPER, LOWER, and PEDALS. At the song below, I chose MULTI and played UPPER on channel 1 and PEDALS on channel 3.

When I was looking at the screen thinking about what to do with the Leslie settings, I noticed that there was "SPEED MIDI CONTROL" as a function of Vintage B3. The options are shown in the figure below.

The chosen setting was "SusPdl Temp". It seemed to be fast rotating only while the sustain pedal was depressed. I was impressed that I could do various settings.

Songs	Comments
A Boy Playing Organ	Vintage B3 solo. The upper keyboard (UPPER) was recorded first. Played notes fit in the two octaves of nanoKEY Studio, so if you're good at playing, you can play it with one hand. But I played it with both hands. After putting the track to the end, I entered the notes of the foot keyboard (PEDALS). I didn't use the lower keyboard (LOWER). I went back to my home studio and finished it by adding "Small Room" of t.c.electronic Reverb 4000.

Songs

Comments

A Boy Playing Organ

Vintage B3 solo. The upper keyboard (UPPER) was recorded first. Played notes fit in the two octaves of nanoKEY Studio, so if you're good at playing, you can play it with one hand. But I played it with both hands. After putting the track to the end, I entered the notes of the foot keyboard (PEDALS). I didn't use the lower keyboard (LOWER). I went back to my home studio and finished it by adding "Small Room" of t.c.electronic Reverb 4000.

Vintage Electric Piano

"Vintage Electric Piano" is a software instrument that imitates a Rhodes electric piano. There is nothing special about it, but I think it can be used sufficiently.

Songs	Comments
Become Elderly	I played "Classic Electric Piano" preset of "Vintage Electric Piano" with KORG nanoKEY Studio. I might have edited the tone a little. I played with my right hand while holding down the SUSTAIN button with my left hand. I played it within a range of about two octaves. The final ascending notes were played with going back down once. After the play, I transposed some notes up one octave on the sequencer. Excuse me for the sad song.

Songs

Comments

Become Elderly

I played "Classic Electric Piano" preset of "Vintage Electric Piano" with KORG nanoKEY Studio. I might have edited the tone a little. I played with my right hand while holding down the SUSTAIN button with my left hand. I played it within a range of about two octaves. The final ascending notes were played with going back down once. After the play, I transposed some notes up one octave on the sequencer. Excuse me for the sad song.

Vintage Mellotron

"Vintage Mellotron" is a software instrument that imitates the magnetic tape based sampling keyboard "Mellotron". Speaking of Mellotron sounds, the flute heard in The Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever" is famous. Perhaps because of that impression, I wasn't very good at Mellotron, so I had never used it. This time, I made this song with the meaning of overcoming my weaknesses.

Songs	Comments
She Was Playing Flute In Quiet Classroom	Mellotron flute solo. Maybe I recorded my right hand first and added the bass later. Although the original sound was enough beautiful, after returning my home studio, I added "Home Room M5k" of t.c.electronic Reverb 4000 with the 5.1 seconds decay, and "SYMPHONIC" program existing in CLASSIC bank of Yamaha SPX2000. This song is too sentimental. I am blushing.

Vintage Clav

"Vintage Clav" is a software instrument that imitates a clavinet. I am not good at playing accurate rhythms, so I have lived by avoiding the use of clavinet as much as possible. When I was walking around Sanaruko lake with wondering whether to make a song for clavinet or not, I managed to come up with a phrase.

Songs	Comments
Lakeside Walking	Vintage Clav's preset "Vintage Clavinet Two" solo. First I recorded notes for the left hand, then the right hand part. Those who can play the left-hand part with only the left hand will be able to play all notes simultaniously. It's difficult for me.

EFM1

"The 16-voice EFM1 is a simple but powerful frequency modulation synthesizer", Apple says. I feel 2 operators are limited. However, if I want to make more layerd sound, I could use much instrument instances. Simple control panel is welcome.

Songs	Comments
Calm Afternoon	EFM1's "Calming" solo performance. I love the FM synthesis pad so much that I started playing this tone during the tone audition. Later, I added "CLASSY GLASSY" of Yamaha SPX2000 and "New Age Hall" of t.c.electronic Reverb 4000. It's a song that makes me sleepy.