Working in the Media Area

The Media area can be opened or closed by clicking the Media button in the Arrange toolbar. The Media area is where you manage all files associated with your project, including audio, video, and plug-in settings. It has four tabs:

Introducing the Audio Bin

The Audio Bin shows all audio files used in the project. You can picture the Bin as an audio file catalog for the project. It also provides an overview of regions that are derived from each audio file.

You can add, edit, delete, and rename audio files and regions in the Bin. All audio files and regions can be dragged directly from the Bin into the Arrange area, where you can edit, move, and copy them. You can also add files that aren’t yet used in the arrangement to the Bin, allowing easy access during project construction.

Figure. Media area showing the Audio Bin.
  • Name column: Displays all audio files in the current project by name. The disclosure triangle to the left of the filename reveals all regions associated with the selected audio file.
  • Info column: Displays audio file and region information. Horizontal bars indicate the overall audio file length. Colored sections of these bars indicate the location and size of regions within the audio file. Additional data, including the sample rate; bit depth; mono, stereo, or surround status; and file size are also shown in the Info column. Mono files are identified by a single circle symbol, stereo files by a double, interlocked circle symbol, and surround files by five circle symbols.
  • Play button: Click to hear the selected audio file or region. Click a second time to stop playback.
  • Loop button: Click to hear the selected audio file or region repeatedly. Click a second time to stop playback.

When you open the Audio Bin as an independent window and resize it, the Bin’s Info column can display waveform overviews of audio files and regions.

Figure. Audio Bin window.

Introducing the Loop Browser

The Loop Browser is designed to make finding Apple Loops intuitive and efficient. You can search for loops by using keywords, perform text searches, preview loops, view information about loops, and limit the display to loops from a specific Jam Pack or loop library. Matching files are displayed in the Search Results list. When you find files you want to use, you can add them to your project by dragging them into the Arrange area.

Figure. Media area showing the Loop Browser.

The Loops pane has three views:  Music view, Sound Effects view, and Column Effects view. The default Music view displays 54 buttons, each featuring a musically related category. Click buttons in the matrix to narrow your search for appropriate Apple Loops. Activated buttons are highlighted.

Sound Effects view offers effect-related category buttons such as Explosions, Foley, or People.

Figure. Loop Browser showing FX category.

Column view offers a standard Mac OS X column file menu that is hierarchically separated into All, By Genres, By Instruments, By Moods, and Favorites search criteria.

Figure. Loop Browser showing category columns.
  • View buttons: Click to switch between the three views. The left button switches to Column view, the second button (featuring the note icon) switches to Music view, and the third button (featuring the FX icon) switches to Sound Effects view.
  • View pop-up menu: Restricts displayed loops to a specific loop library.
  • Search field: Type text in the field to display files with names that contain the search text string.
  • Category buttons (Music view and Sound Effects view only): Click to display files matching the category in the Search Results list.
  • Category columns (Column view only): Select a category column to display its subcategories.
  • Search Results list: Displays all loops that match the set search criteria.
  • Volume slider: Adjusts the playback volume of the selected file.

Introducing the Library

The Library is a powerful tool that you can use to access the following file types.

  • Channel strip settings (.cst)

  • Plug-in settings (.pst)

  • EXS instruments (.exs)

  • Environment instruments, and programs or banks of MIDI instruments created in the Audio MIDI Setup utility

  • ReWire MIDI instruments, and active ReWire hosts

Figure. Media area showing the Library.

The Library automatically displays setting files that match the selected channel strip type and section (Channel Strip Settings menu, Insert slot, Instrument slot). A white frame indicates the selected section of the Arrange channel strips.

You can browse for files by opening folders, or search by performing text searches. Matching files are displayed in the Search Results list. When you find a file you want to use, you can load it by selecting it.

Introducing the File Browser

The File Browser allows you to navigate to, or search for, all file types that can be used in Logic Pro, giving you easy access to (and use of) this data during production. It displays the following file types on any connected media volume:

  • Logic project files

  • Song files of older Logic versions

  • GarageBand projects (Mac, iPad, iPhone)

  • All project interchange file formats Logic Pro is compatible with (OMF, AAF, OpenTL, XML, MIDI files)

  • Audio files

  • QuickTime movies

Figure. Media area showing the File Browser.
  • Back and Forward buttons: Move through previously viewed levels of the folder hierarchy.
  • Path menu: Displays the levels of the file path to the current location, allowing you to move back to a previous level.
  • Computer button: Displays the contents of the local hard disk, optical drive, and other storage media connected to your computer, if applicable.
  • Home button: Displays the contents of your home directory.
  • Project button: Displays the contents of the current project folder.
  • View buttons: Switches the file list between Column and List view.
  • Search field: Type text in the field to display files with a name that contains the search text. In addition to searching for files by name, you can search by other criteria (further information stored with your files). Click the plus button to display additional search filters. Logic Pro always searches at the displayed location.
  • Search filters: Use the menus to narrow down your search to specific file types, file formats, date, size, and other criteria.
  • File list: Displays Logic-related files and folders at the current location. In Column view, you can browse folder contents by selecting the folders.
  • Action pop-up menu: Choose menu items to add a selected audio file to the Audio Bin, or show the file location in the Finder.
  • Volume slider: Adjust the playback volume of the selected file.
  • Play button: Click to hear the selected file. Click a second time to stop playback.