You use channel strips to process audio or MIDI information that is routed from tracks. The Mixer shows all channel strips in your project, including track channel strips, auxiliary and output channel strips, VCA channel strips, and the master channel strip. When you create a new project, the Mixer already includes channel strips for any audio, instrument, and MIDI tracks in your template, as well as the master channel strip and one or more output channel strips depending on your audio interface. As you add audio, instrument, and MIDI tracks to your projects, channel strips are added to the Mixer for each new track.
You can also add Auxiliary and VCA tracks from the Mixer > Options menu, as described in the use aux channel strips and Use VCA groups sections.
You can filter channel strips by type when Show Advanced Tools is selected in the Advanced preferences pane, displaying only those channel strips that you need for the task at hand.
Audio channel strips: Used to control the playback and recording of audio signals on audio tracks. All data on the audio track is automatically routed to the audio channel strip assigned in the track list.
Instrument channel strips: Used to control software instruments. Software instruments are inserted via the channel strip’s Instrument slot. The instrument channel strip can then be driven by a recorded MIDI region, or by playing your MIDI keyboard.
Aux (Auxiliary) channel strips: Used for a variety of signal-routing purposes. Aux channel strips are used to set up send returns, where a channel strip signal is routed to an aux channel strip for effects processing. They are also used for grouping and for distributing a signal to multiple destinations via sends.
Output channel strips: Represent the physical audio outputs of your audio interface. They are used to adjust the overall level and stereo balance—or pan position, in the case of mono output channel strips—of all audio, instrument, or aux channel strips routed to them. The number of available output channel strips is determined by the audio interface in use.
VCA channel strips: Represent a VCA group, used to control the volume, or automate a submix, of tracks that are assigned to the VCA fader.
Master channel strip: Used as a global volume control for all output channel strips. The master channel strip changes the gain of all output channel strips without affecting the level relationships between them. This is helpful as a proportional output volume control and is particularly useful in Logic Pro surround format where you can use it to create fades in the complete surround mix.
MIDI channel strips: Used to control external MIDI tracks. MIDI data on these tracks is routed to a MIDI output port and channel, for control of MIDI sound modules and keyboards.
Note: Bus and input channel strips are included for compatibility with earlier versions of Logic Pro. Signal routing and other bus channel strip functions are now handled by aux channel strips. Audio hardware inputs are now handled by audio channel strips.
Select one or more channel strips and press the Delete key.
If the channel strips you wish to delete are assigned to tracks or receiving signal from active busses, a dialog appears informing you that you can choose to delete all the selected channel strips, or to deselect those that are assigned and only delete the remaining channel strips.
Click a filter button to show or hide the channel strip type.
Option-click a filter button to show that channel strip type; all other channel strip types are hidden.
When you have more channel strips than can be viewed in the Mixer at once, scroll the mixer by doing one of the following:
Select Autoscroll to Selection in the Mixer > View menu.
When you select a channel strip, the mixer scrolls to include the selected channel strip.
Choose a channel strip type in the Scroll To submenu in the Mixer > View menu.
The Mixer scrolls to the first channel strip of the type selected.
To select a single channel strip, do one of the following:
Click on a portion of a channel strip not containing a channel strip control.
With the Mixer in focus, use the right and left arrow keys to select a channel strip.
When a channel strip is selected, any tracks associated with the selected channel strip are selected in the Tracks area.
To select multiple channel strips, do one of the following:
Click on a portion of a channel strip not containing a channel strip control and drag the pointer over additional channel strips to add to your selection.
With a channel strip selected, press the Shift key and use the right and left arrow keys to add additional channel strips to your selection.
When multiple channel strips are selected, any tracks associated with the selected channel channel strips are selected in the Tracks area.