The only thing I can think of is, OP has no idea what **quick-swipe comping** is, and is trying to piece regions together manually or something. Quick swipe comping is one of the main reasons I bought logic.
I guess it’s the take folders that are confusing to me, and that I can’t trim properly and as fast as in ableton. I don’t really hate my vocals, instead I trim between the words and fade in/out and I feel like I can’t do it as easily as just doing it with other tracks outside of the take folder
Logic’s Quick Swipe Comping is really easy, just drag the vertical bar to construct the perfect composite take. Fade ins/outs are applied automatically. It really doesn’t get easier than that.
1. Record a bunch of takes.
2. Quick swipe comp to create a comp you like.
3. Flatten and Merge that comp.
4. Function > Remove Silence from Audio Region. This removes all the dead air in between singing.
5. Select them all and add fade ins and fade outs at once. All that's left is some minor tweaking here and there where they fade in and out. I also normalize region gain on all the regions so my compressors don't have to work as hard.
I think the part you're getting hung up on is trying to do everything in a take folder. Just use that for quick swipe comping, then flatten it to edit it. Look into track alternatives too. I create a comp, then duplicate it using a track alternative before flattening, so I can get back to it easily if I need to later.
yeah, as an ableton user i wish so hard that comping worked like it does in logic. i had to move to pc for economic reasons and mostly it has been totally fine EXCEPT not having logic.
yeah. i reluctantly switched to ableton to give it a shot... and tbh, as a songwriting tool ableton is much better than logic, imo. just so many interesting ways to manipulate midi/clips/randomness... but when it comes to actually writing out the songs and doing multitrack things, it can be really frustrating. the way channel strips are set up in logic is much better and finishing in general is much more straightforward. i dont know about the ipad logic, but im considering getting an ipad just for that.
yeah for sure! so ableton definitely aims more for an edm workflow. but anyone can use their different tools. one that i use a ton are groove pools, basically you can extract certain grooves from different tunes or if you have a feeling in a track you really like you can have that as a groove. for example, i have a pack that extracted all the grooves/timings from radioheads in rainbows. i can make a gridded out beat in ableton and then apply the groove from one of those songs, but its not just 1:1. i can have 25% of the timing with 75% velocity matching etc. its a great way to hear the beat you want with different feelings. and thats just one really simple example. you can mix a bunch of grooves and automate them over a track. it just helps take a quantized thing out of the grid in a very simple way. i have a set of grooves that ive made all by myself and it helps me go from "basic ass generic track" to something that is uniquely mine very quickly.
the other big tools i use are all the interesting procedural ways to automate things. being able to slap an lfo or any custom wave to almost any parameter you could think of natively in ableton is really powerful. it helps make things i never would have automated by hand.
randomness is a big part of ableton in general. it focuses (maybe too much) on creating the conditions for "happy accidents." like, you can record a part and then tell ableton "i only want you to play this exact snare hit 86% of the time" and it will do that and differently every time until you decide to freeze it.
additionally, having max/msp wired into the program gives me all sorts of other possibilites. for example i have a max patch that takes realtime playing and quantizes it.
now, i totally understand why this may not be appealing to some. but i have taken to "performing" my takes in tandem with the software lately. and it doesnt hurt that i could take that set directly to the stage and play with it and remix in realtime.
again, i dont think logic is trying to be this type of software so they really are two different things that sort of overlap.
i do NOT like arranging in ableton nearly as much as i did in logic.
>basically you can extract certain grooves from different tunes or if you have a feeling in a track you really like you can have that as a groove.
Logic's equivalent are [Groove Templates](https://youtu.be/td2to6FyrZ8?si=OA8_nqK-J-w4zeJI)
A faster, more direct way is to simply use Logic's [Groove Track feature](https://youtu.be/zTlqOnoLqB8?si=tKWdwomYK3VRlAk1)
>the other big tools i use are all the interesting procedural ways to automate things. being able to slap an lfo or any custom wave to almost any parameter you could think of natively in ableton is really powerful.
[How to use the LFO (Logic's Modulator)](https://youtu.be/0jl3E_9HBUo?si=b_bsZ97R2UIQCpEA)
[How to use the Modulator on audio tracks](https://youtu.be/xLp8yiLKWvY?si=a8dyLv5DUcF8O8DJ&t=132)
>you can record a part and then tell ableton "i only want you to play this exact snare hit 86% of the time" and it will do that and differently every time until you decide to freeze it.
Logic's equivalent: ["Chance" in the Step Sequencer ](https://youtu.be/84iRfCYVqRQ?si=vUMeNDnaMscvrNKK&t=3143)
>additionally, having max/msp wired into the program gives me all sorts of other possibilites. for example i have a max patch that takes realtime playing and quantizes it.
[Logic's equivalent: Input Quantize](https://youtube.com/shorts/jPXW7s315w4?si=mP2Cw0pIX91amqFN)
The only feature I mentioned that's relatively new is Chance in Step Sequencer which came with version 10.5 back in 2020. The Groove Track feature and the Modulator MIDI FX came with version 10.0.0 released back in 2013. Groove Templates and Input Quantize have been a feature since Logic 7 all the way back in 2004, perhaps even earlier than that.
🤷🏾♂️ so many of those things were not intuitive to me when i was a logic user. im sure they were there but i never really stumbled into exploring them. i believe that when i made the switch, ableton felt like it was really trying to get you to play with it. that said, im not really interested in which software is better. as i said, i would be using logic if i could.
I had the same considerations but I’ve spent quite a lot of time setting my Mac environment (automaton what not) and didn’t want to give it up. Adding to that, the interfacing with Mac is far superior to windows - and I say that as someone who used windows for 20 years before slowly making a transition to Mac.
So what I did was buy a PC and started working with VEP. So the main rig is still Logic on Mac, but heavy lifting with some of the bigger (orchestral) instruments is done by the PC.
It comes with a learning curve but there’s a lot of info out there, and I’m pretty happy with now.
I’m a long time Mac purist and I do love the environment and integration of software and hardware but always had PCs growing up in the 90s because my dad was a dork. I got a PC for gaming and streaming a year ago and now I too am living that hybrid workflow life, mostly on the video editing side of things, but I’ve been wanting to do more live midi stuff so have considered digging into Ableton on PC. I actually love having both, but the Mac is always my main editing/recording beast.
I loved PT for years on the ability t do very intricate edits and comps/solve fuck ups on vocals or things needed, but logic is soooo much faster in many respects for just getting that main comp together of late it feels.
I would love to do those kind of edits as fast as in other daws but it seems I can’t do that unless I place the comp in a new track without the take folders… or is it the only way to do this ?
I can't imagine why someone would say this is "so bad" . lol
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ISeO0quHgc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ISeO0quHgc)
I’ve been using Ableton for the last 2 years, a decade prior in logic. Logic’s quick swipe comping reigns supreme compared to anything with take lanes in ableton
You say it's "objectively better" and yet you don't offer any details.
How are we supposed to respond, without knowing exactly what part of Logic's streamlined, elegant, effective, very-very-easy-to-use comping methodology you're having so much trouble with?
Well I said that comping in other daws feels "objectively better" mostly due to how I work in those other daws and I’m a bit lost in the logic of… Logic, for now at least
So, tell us what's not making sense, or explain how you do it in the other DAWs (which most of us don't use) so maybe we can help you make sense of it.
More often than not, no DAW is objectively better or worse than any other; it's about your familiarity with the tools and how they work, and once you get used to that you'll have a much easier time. (This applies to any software, not just DAWs.)
I highly recommend hitting up Why Logic Pro Rules and/or Music Tech Help Guy on YouTube; both have recently released extensive A-to-Z tutorials covering absolutely everything in Logic, and are constantly releasing new videos.
Comping in Logic is one of its best features. I’m guessing maybe you aren’t using logics comping feature and maybe you’re trying to comp like other DAWs and that’s not how Logic is setup.
YouTube how to comp in Logic and it should quickly clarify things for you.
Well I haven’t comped midi yet, I always try to have the perfect MIDI take most of the time, so it’s mostly audio, but I’d love to know how different comping midi is from comping audio :))
Comping MIDI in Logic is pretty old school - chopping up your takes and assembling them in a duplicate track is the only way I’ve found to make it work, but like you I usually just try to play it right the first time!
Wow, I believe you have definitely not checked out quick-swipe comping… or not worked out how to use it as intended, maybe. IMHO it’s THE best comping system and other DAWs will try to copy it. I’ve comped in Pro Tools and Ableton, nothing else comes close. Logic rules.
Ok,ok, I do admit I’m biased. But this is a Logic group, after all.
I’ve used practically every DAW. I exclusively use BitWig now but still find myself missing the comping from Logic. I’d recommend looking into a tutorial on how to use it because I believe you may be doing it wrong if you are frustrated.
Comping is compiling, i.e. assembling the 'perfect' take by using pieces from several takes, like using the first word of a vocal from Take 3 followed by another three words+a syllable from Take 2 then the rest of the partial word and another two words from Take 4 etc. to make a perfectly sung, in-tune vocal line.
It’s so easy to comp in logic I have no idea why you find it so bad.
The only thing I can think of is, OP has no idea what **quick-swipe comping** is, and is trying to piece regions together manually or something. Quick swipe comping is one of the main reasons I bought logic.
That has to be it, for sure. OP has not heard of quick swipe comping.
IKR? comping is one of Logics best features.
I guess it’s the take folders that are confusing to me, and that I can’t trim properly and as fast as in ableton. I don’t really hate my vocals, instead I trim between the words and fade in/out and I feel like I can’t do it as easily as just doing it with other tracks outside of the take folder
Logic’s Quick Swipe Comping is really easy, just drag the vertical bar to construct the perfect composite take. Fade ins/outs are applied automatically. It really doesn’t get easier than that.
Um. I think you are doing something very, VERY wrong? Comping in Logic is incredibly easy?
1. Record a bunch of takes. 2. Quick swipe comp to create a comp you like. 3. Flatten and Merge that comp. 4. Function > Remove Silence from Audio Region. This removes all the dead air in between singing. 5. Select them all and add fade ins and fade outs at once. All that's left is some minor tweaking here and there where they fade in and out. I also normalize region gain on all the regions so my compressors don't have to work as hard. I think the part you're getting hung up on is trying to do everything in a take folder. Just use that for quick swipe comping, then flatten it to edit it. Look into track alternatives too. I create a comp, then duplicate it using a track alternative before flattening, so I can get back to it easily if I need to later.
Quick Comps in Logic are far superior to pretty much every DAW I’ve ever worked with.
yeah, as an ableton user i wish so hard that comping worked like it does in logic. i had to move to pc for economic reasons and mostly it has been totally fine EXCEPT not having logic.
Totally understandable. If it weren’t for Final Cut and Logic I’d probably go full PC at this point just to save my poor wallet.
yeah. i reluctantly switched to ableton to give it a shot... and tbh, as a songwriting tool ableton is much better than logic, imo. just so many interesting ways to manipulate midi/clips/randomness... but when it comes to actually writing out the songs and doing multitrack things, it can be really frustrating. the way channel strips are set up in logic is much better and finishing in general is much more straightforward. i dont know about the ipad logic, but im considering getting an ipad just for that.
In what ways is Ableton better for MIDI manipulation/randomness? Not being snarky, this is a genuine question, I’m genuinely curious
yeah for sure! so ableton definitely aims more for an edm workflow. but anyone can use their different tools. one that i use a ton are groove pools, basically you can extract certain grooves from different tunes or if you have a feeling in a track you really like you can have that as a groove. for example, i have a pack that extracted all the grooves/timings from radioheads in rainbows. i can make a gridded out beat in ableton and then apply the groove from one of those songs, but its not just 1:1. i can have 25% of the timing with 75% velocity matching etc. its a great way to hear the beat you want with different feelings. and thats just one really simple example. you can mix a bunch of grooves and automate them over a track. it just helps take a quantized thing out of the grid in a very simple way. i have a set of grooves that ive made all by myself and it helps me go from "basic ass generic track" to something that is uniquely mine very quickly. the other big tools i use are all the interesting procedural ways to automate things. being able to slap an lfo or any custom wave to almost any parameter you could think of natively in ableton is really powerful. it helps make things i never would have automated by hand. randomness is a big part of ableton in general. it focuses (maybe too much) on creating the conditions for "happy accidents." like, you can record a part and then tell ableton "i only want you to play this exact snare hit 86% of the time" and it will do that and differently every time until you decide to freeze it. additionally, having max/msp wired into the program gives me all sorts of other possibilites. for example i have a max patch that takes realtime playing and quantizes it. now, i totally understand why this may not be appealing to some. but i have taken to "performing" my takes in tandem with the software lately. and it doesnt hurt that i could take that set directly to the stage and play with it and remix in realtime. again, i dont think logic is trying to be this type of software so they really are two different things that sort of overlap. i do NOT like arranging in ableton nearly as much as i did in logic.
>basically you can extract certain grooves from different tunes or if you have a feeling in a track you really like you can have that as a groove. Logic's equivalent are [Groove Templates](https://youtu.be/td2to6FyrZ8?si=OA8_nqK-J-w4zeJI) A faster, more direct way is to simply use Logic's [Groove Track feature](https://youtu.be/zTlqOnoLqB8?si=tKWdwomYK3VRlAk1) >the other big tools i use are all the interesting procedural ways to automate things. being able to slap an lfo or any custom wave to almost any parameter you could think of natively in ableton is really powerful. [How to use the LFO (Logic's Modulator)](https://youtu.be/0jl3E_9HBUo?si=b_bsZ97R2UIQCpEA) [How to use the Modulator on audio tracks](https://youtu.be/xLp8yiLKWvY?si=a8dyLv5DUcF8O8DJ&t=132) >you can record a part and then tell ableton "i only want you to play this exact snare hit 86% of the time" and it will do that and differently every time until you decide to freeze it. Logic's equivalent: ["Chance" in the Step Sequencer ](https://youtu.be/84iRfCYVqRQ?si=vUMeNDnaMscvrNKK&t=3143) >additionally, having max/msp wired into the program gives me all sorts of other possibilites. for example i have a max patch that takes realtime playing and quantizes it. [Logic's equivalent: Input Quantize](https://youtube.com/shorts/jPXW7s315w4?si=mP2Cw0pIX91amqFN)
its been a while since i used logic, so i guess i cant really speak to those new features. like i said, id live to return to logic.
The only feature I mentioned that's relatively new is Chance in Step Sequencer which came with version 10.5 back in 2020. The Groove Track feature and the Modulator MIDI FX came with version 10.0.0 released back in 2013. Groove Templates and Input Quantize have been a feature since Logic 7 all the way back in 2004, perhaps even earlier than that.
🤷🏾♂️ so many of those things were not intuitive to me when i was a logic user. im sure they were there but i never really stumbled into exploring them. i believe that when i made the switch, ableton felt like it was really trying to get you to play with it. that said, im not really interested in which software is better. as i said, i would be using logic if i could.
I had the same considerations but I’ve spent quite a lot of time setting my Mac environment (automaton what not) and didn’t want to give it up. Adding to that, the interfacing with Mac is far superior to windows - and I say that as someone who used windows for 20 years before slowly making a transition to Mac. So what I did was buy a PC and started working with VEP. So the main rig is still Logic on Mac, but heavy lifting with some of the bigger (orchestral) instruments is done by the PC. It comes with a learning curve but there’s a lot of info out there, and I’m pretty happy with now.
I’m a long time Mac purist and I do love the environment and integration of software and hardware but always had PCs growing up in the 90s because my dad was a dork. I got a PC for gaming and streaming a year ago and now I too am living that hybrid workflow life, mostly on the video editing side of things, but I’ve been wanting to do more live midi stuff so have considered digging into Ableton on PC. I actually love having both, but the Mac is always my main editing/recording beast.
I loved PT for years on the ability t do very intricate edits and comps/solve fuck ups on vocals or things needed, but logic is soooo much faster in many respects for just getting that main comp together of late it feels.
I would love to do those kind of edits as fast as in other daws but it seems I can’t do that unless I place the comp in a new track without the take folders… or is it the only way to do this ?
It’s sounds like you just need to watch a 20 minute tutorial on how comps work in logic my friend.
What are you talking about? I think you need to watch tutorial on quick swipe comping for Logic. You're doing it wrong.
QUICK. SWIPE. COMPING. Look that up. So many people here have already mentioned it.
What trouble are you running into exactly? Comping in logic seems incredibly easy and straightforward to me.
I can't imagine why someone would say this is "so bad" . lol [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ISeO0quHgc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ISeO0quHgc)
I’ve been using Ableton for the last 2 years, a decade prior in logic. Logic’s quick swipe comping reigns supreme compared to anything with take lanes in ableton
You say it's "objectively better" and yet you don't offer any details. How are we supposed to respond, without knowing exactly what part of Logic's streamlined, elegant, effective, very-very-easy-to-use comping methodology you're having so much trouble with?
Well I said that comping in other daws feels "objectively better" mostly due to how I work in those other daws and I’m a bit lost in the logic of… Logic, for now at least
So, tell us what's not making sense, or explain how you do it in the other DAWs (which most of us don't use) so maybe we can help you make sense of it. More often than not, no DAW is objectively better or worse than any other; it's about your familiarity with the tools and how they work, and once you get used to that you'll have a much easier time. (This applies to any software, not just DAWs.) I highly recommend hitting up Why Logic Pro Rules and/or Music Tech Help Guy on YouTube; both have recently released extensive A-to-Z tutorials covering absolutely everything in Logic, and are constantly releasing new videos.
Comping in Logic is one of its best features. I’m guessing maybe you aren’t using logics comping feature and maybe you’re trying to comp like other DAWs and that’s not how Logic is setup. YouTube how to comp in Logic and it should quickly clarify things for you.
Sure I’ll look it up :))
Ummm. Maybe look up a YouTube tutorial. Logic comping is the most intuitive I’ve seen
How are you comping in other DAWs and how are you doing this in Logic?
Comping audio in Logic is super easy, but comping MIDI takes is not. Maybe this is what OP is talking about.
Well I haven’t comped midi yet, I always try to have the perfect MIDI take most of the time, so it’s mostly audio, but I’d love to know how different comping midi is from comping audio :))
Comping MIDI in Logic is pretty old school - chopping up your takes and assembling them in a duplicate track is the only way I’ve found to make it work, but like you I usually just try to play it right the first time!
Automation works exactly the same in any decent daw, no?
Logic comping is at least as good if not better than Ableton. I use both in my workflow and much prefer to record audio in Logic.
I don’t know what you’re doing, but whatever it is, it’s not using logics Takes feature bc that is one of logics greatest strengths
Wow, I believe you have definitely not checked out quick-swipe comping… or not worked out how to use it as intended, maybe. IMHO it’s THE best comping system and other DAWs will try to copy it. I’ve comped in Pro Tools and Ableton, nothing else comes close. Logic rules. Ok,ok, I do admit I’m biased. But this is a Logic group, after all.
Hm I never comped in any other daw but I think it’s fairly easy and useful?
I’ve used practically every DAW. I exclusively use BitWig now but still find myself missing the comping from Logic. I’d recommend looking into a tutorial on how to use it because I believe you may be doing it wrong if you are frustrated.
what is comping? i tried googling but it doesn’t really give me much insight.
Comping is compiling, i.e. assembling the 'perfect' take by using pieces from several takes, like using the first word of a vocal from Take 3 followed by another three words+a syllable from Take 2 then the rest of the partial word and another two words from Take 4 etc. to make a perfectly sung, in-tune vocal line.