Logic X Key Commands

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