5 Methods to Use Monitor Stacks in Logic Professional X

When working with a variety of tracks in Logic Professional X, it will possibly get tough to maintain the whole lot organized. That is the place Monitor Stacks is available in. This unbelievable function can set up tracks into teams to save lots of you time and vitality, and extra importantly, scale back pressure in your CPU.

Monitor Stacks makes it extremely simple to create a submix, apply group results, and play a number of devices directly. So if you wish to get probably the most out of this function, and increase your workflow, listed below are 5 alternative ways you should use Monitor Stacks in Logic Professional X.


1. Group Tracks

The simplest use of Monitor Stacks is to get your workspace organized by placing a bunch of tracks right into a single folder. The advantages embrace taking on much less house on the display, and with the ability to mute, solo, and alter the amount utilizing only one fader within the mixer.

Maintain the Shift key in your keyboard and choose the tracks that you just wish to group collectively, then right-click on the monitor header and choose Create Monitor Stack. When the dialogue window seems, choose Folder Stack and press Create. After that, the group of tracks you chose might be put inside one single monitor named Sub 1.


You may go forward and alter the identify of this monitor to no matter you want. By clicking on the monitor icon it’s also possible to change the image used to label the monitor. Now that you have grouped a number of tracks collectively, and labeled them the way you need, it ought to make it simpler to visually set up your work in Logic.

To view what’s contained in the folder at any level, merely click on on the arrow straight subsequent to the monitor icon. This can increase the folder to point out each monitor that is grouped inside, and from there you may make particular person adjustments to tracks as wanted.

2. Create a Submix

Making a submix is lots simpler in Logic whenever you create a Summing Stack with the Monitor Stack function.

Maintain the Shift key in your keyboard and choose the tracks that you just wish to group collectively, then right-click on the monitor header and choose Create Monitor Stack. When the dialogue window seems, choose Summing Stack and press Create. After that, the group of tracks you chose might be put inside one single monitor named Sum 1.

The important thing distinction a few Summing Stack is that the tracks inside this group at the moment are being routed to a Bus channel. Logic conveniently handles this for you now, whereas, up to now, routing tracks to a Bus would contain manually altering the enter and output of all of the tracks you wish to group.

If you do not know a lot about how Bus teams work, don’t fret, all it’s essential know is {that a} Summing Stack is a far simpler and extra environment friendly method to create a submix in Logic. Within the subsequent level, we are going to clarify extra about what you are able to do inside a submix.

3. Apply Group Results and Automation

Upon getting created a Summing Stack, it is simple to use results and automation to the complete group by making adjustments to the group channel strip.

Press X in your keyboard to open the mixer window, then press the arrow above the Summing Stack identify, e.g. Sum 1 or Guitar Combine on this case. This can increase the view, so you may see all of the tracks inside this group. On the channel strip for the Summing Stack, click on on an empty house subsequent to the Audio FX label so as to add an impact plugin.


Any results that you just place on this channel strip will apply to each monitor throughout the Summing Stack, which is especially helpful for making use of results like EQ and Reverb to a number of takes of the identical instrument. Making use of one impact to a bunch, reasonably than the identical impact to every particular person monitor, additionally reduces the pressure in your pc’s audio processing considerably.

You can too do the identical factor with results automation, which is nice for making use of quantity adjustments to the entire group whereas additionally preserving particular person fader ranges, for instance. Within the modifying timeline, merely click on the arrow beside Learn to increase the automation view and make adjustments as wanted.

4. Play A number of MIDI Devices Concurrently

One lesser-known use of Monitor Stacks is enjoying multiple software program instrument on the identical time. This generally is a enormous time saver if you wish to file totally different devices enjoying the identical melody or concord. You can too use it to construct distinctive textures by enjoying a number of synthesizers collectively.

Maintain the Shift key in your keyboard and choose the software program instrument tracks that you just wish to play collectively, then right-click on the monitor header and choose Create Monitor Stack. When the dialogue window seems, choose Summing Stack and press Create. After that, the group of tracks you chose might be put inside one single monitor named Sum 1.

Make sure that the Summing Monitor is chosen by clicking on the monitor header area, then press the R button to arm the monitor for recording. When you’re prepared, press the file button on the prime of the display to start out recording your software program devices.

You’ll discover {that a} MIDI area is just created on the Summing Monitor, and never on every particular person monitor. Nevertheless, you may nonetheless file particular person software program devices inside a stack should you like. If you wish to take it one step additional, attempt establishing a spatial audio session in Logic and mixing your sounds in encompass format.

5. Management Options Inside Producer Drum Kits

One place you’ll encounter Monitor Stacks already in use is with Producer Drum Kits. These are pre-designed MIDI drum kits that you should use in Logic, and it seems you may tweak them by opening the Summed Stack and making adjustments.

Create a brand new software program instrument monitor through the use of the keyboard shortcut Possibility + Command + N, then choose Software program Instrument and press Create. Within the library panel on the far left-hand facet, scroll to the left and navigate to Drum Equipment > Producer Kits, then choose a drum equipment.

Now, you may acknowledge a well-known arrow subsequent to the icon of the drum equipment, indicating you can increase the stack. Clicking the arrow will present you all the person software program devices that make up the drum equipment, similar to a kick, snare, toms, and so forth. This lets you alter any of the only elements that make up the producer equipment, together with including EQ, results, and panning.

Merely wanting within the mixer view gives you an thought of how the drum equipment has been routed and combined, so you may even use it to be taught a couple of mixing tips.

For anybody trying to improve their podcasting setup, be sure that to take a look at one of the best mixing desks for podcasters.

Uncover New Methods With Monitor Stacks

The Monitor Stacks function in Logic is an important instrument for organizing your Logic challenge and protecting your workflow working easily. A Folder Stack is a good instrument for anybody beginning out, whereas for seasoned producers, a Summing Monitor makes making a submix easy.

As soon as you’ve got obtained these below your belt, check out a hidden function like layering MIDI devices, or digging into Producer Drum kits to craft the final word sound.

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