Configuring Logic Pro for Surround
Before you can create a project in surround, you need to tell Logic Pro which outputs of your interface are connected to which speaker. If actually recording in surround, you’ll also need to define what inputs of your audio interface will be used. This is done in the Output and Input panes of the Audio > I/O Assignment preferences.
Opening the Surround Preferences
There are a number of ways to open the I/O Assignment Preferences in Logic Pro.
Choose Logic Pro > Preferences > Audio, then click the I/O Assignments tab (or use the Open Surround Preferences key command).
Click the Preferences button in the Arrange toolbar, choose Audio from the menu, then click the I/O Assignments tab.
Setting the Surround Preferences
The I/O Assignments tab features three sub-tabs: Output, Bounce Extensions, and Input. All three tabs are linked, but can be adjusted independently.
Note: As a general rule, the default settings for each surround format should meet your needs in all but the rarest circumstances.
Click either the Output or Input tab.
Choose the surround format you want to work in from the Show As pop-up menu.
This automatically sets the input and output channel pop-up menus in the assignment sections of both the Output and Input tabs.
Note: The surround format chosen here only alters the layout/routing of channels to speakers in the assignment section. The actual project surround format is determined by the Surround Format setting in Audio project settings (see Setting the Project Surround Format).
Choose the output of your audio interface from each of the active pop-up menus: Left, Center, Right, and so on.
You can choose outputs that don’t exist for your hardware, allowing you to work on, or create, a surround project with a computer that is not equipped for surround playback. These are shown in parentheses. As examples: (Output 17) or (Output 32).
Click one of the three Initialize buttons below the Show As pop-up menu.
- Default: Click to activate the default setup of Logic Pro. For example, for the 5.1 format, this means that output 1 is routed to the left speaker, output 2 to the right one, output 3 is assigned to left surround, output 4 to right surround, output 5 to the center speaker, and output 6 to the LFE channel.
- ITU: Click to assign the International Telecommunications Union standard, used by many professionals.
- WG 4: Click to use the WG4 standard, set by the DVD Forum for DVD-Audio.
Choose the input of your audio interface from each of the active pop-up menus: Left, Center, Right, and so on.
Click one of the three Initialize buttons below the Show As pop-up menu.
- Default: Click to activate the default setup of Logic Pro. For example, for the 5.1 format, this means that input 1 is routed to the left speaker, input 2 to the right one, input 3 is assigned to left surround, input 4 to right surround, input 5 to the center speaker, and input 6 to the LFE channel.
- ITU: Click to assign the International Telecommunications Union standard, used by many professionals.
- WG 4: Click to use the WG4 standard, set by the DVD Forum for DVD-Audio.
Click the Bounce Extensions tab.
Enter a new extension name in any of the active fields.
For example, the default left extension “.L” could be renamed to “.Left,” or the left surround extension “.Ls” could be changed to “.LSurr.” Don’t forget the period before the extension.
If you change your mind, click the Reset Extensions button to revert to default entries.
Note: Changing the extension has no impact on the files—it simply makes them easier to identify. If you find the defaults clear enough, there’s no need to change them.