Logic X Power User Tips – Key Commands
One of my top tips for improving workflow is learning your Digital Audio Stations key commands (also know as shortcuts or quick keys). Slowly mousing around the screen, clicking on the various menus or functions wastes time and can lead to a loss in creativity.
Here are a selection of the shortcuts I find most useful in Logic Pro X. I use the ‘US preset’, this can be found in the key commands list, located under the Logic Pro X menu.
Try pressing each key command a few times to memorise it, much like learning a new scale, your muscle memory remember the key positions and you’ll be whizzing around your Logic X like a power user in no time…
Create New Tracks
Alt cmd N – Open new track dialogue
Alt cmd A – New audio track
Alt cmd S – New instrument track
Alt cmd X – New external MIDI track
Cmd D – Create new track with duplicate settings
Ctrl N – Create new auxillery channel
Shift cmd F – Create folder stack
Shift cmd G – Create summing stack
Navigation Tools
Cmd using cursor arrows – Zoom in and out.
Z – Zoom in on selected region
Ctrl alt and drag pointer – Zoom in on selected section.
G – Show/hide global tracks
Ctrl alt cmd R – Show minutes and seconds in timeline
Alt ‘ – Create marker
Numeric number keys – Go To Marker number (1-9)
Ctrl Numeric number key – Go to marker number (10-13)
Main Arrangement Screen Panes
X – Show/hide mixer pane
P – Show/hide piano role for selected MIDI region
W – Show/hide audio editor
Y – Show/hide the library tab
O – Show/hide Apple Loops browser
F – Show/hide browser pane
I – Show/hide inspector pane
N – Show/hide score editor
A – Show/hide automation
B – Show/hide smart controls
Cmd K – Show/hide musical typing keyboard
Alt cmd P – Show/hide note pad pane
Transport Functions
Spacebar – Start and stop playback
Shift space – Play from selected region
, – Rewind – 1 bar
. – Fast forward 1 bar
Shift , – Rewind 8 bars
Shift . – Fast forward 8 bars
Cntrl , – Rewind by transient
Cntrl . – Forward by transient
R – record
Ctrl alt cmd P – Show punch recording markers
C – Cycle mode on/off
Cmd U – Sets locators to region/event length and enables cycle mode
K – Metronome on/off
Helpful Edit keys
Cmd T – Splice region at playhead position.
Ctrl Shift – Enables fade tool when placed at the top edge of an audio region.
Alt drag – enables timestretch tool when placed at the edge of an audio region.
Q – Quantise selected events.
L – Loop selected regions.
Cmd F – Show/hide Flex Audio.
Cmd C – Copy
Cmd X – Cut
Cmd V – Paste
Cmd A– Select all
Main Arrangement Screen Tools
T – Show/hide tools window, (this should be visible to use the following key commands)
P – Pencil tool
R – Marque tool
T – Press twice to revert back to pointer tool
Piano Roll Tools
T – Show/hide tools window (this should be visible to use the following key commands)
V – Velocity tool
B – Brush tool
Q – Quantise tool
Mixer Key Commands
Shift S – Select instrument channel strips
Shift A – Select audio channel strips
Shift F – Select auxiliary channel strips
File Commands
Cmd S – Save
Shift cmd – Save As
Cmd B – Bounce project
Ctrl B – Bounce selected regions
Cmd E – Export track as audio file
Shift cmd E – Export all tracks as audio files
Shift cmd I – Import audio file
Cmd I – Import MIDI or other file
Alt cmd F – Save selected audio region as new file
Ctrl E – Export regions to new sampler track