OB and Logic X - Setups Detailed

Hi - I’ve read through a number of threads of setting up OB + Logic and thanks to anyone who has posted helpful info on this. I thought it might be nice to have a thread where people can post their specific setups, and the limitations or advantages of the setup, so that people can have one place to come and find hopefully all the information they need. What would be most helpful I think is to state what instruments you are using (RYTM, DT, A4 etc), give a concise explanation of how you have things set up (include logic preferences, if you’re using aggregate devices, things of this nature), and then a description, what works well, what doesn’t.

I’m hoping in this way we can have a relatively clean thread and users who are new to this can come to it and easily try out various ways of setting things up. To be clear, I’m not saying people should refrain from asking questions, but best would be if it’s a question about an already working setup either outlined here already, or outlined in detail by you yourself before you ask the question!

So, my current setup (and also perhaps an example of how to outline things when contributing to this topic):

Instruments - RYTM and A4
AudioMidi Setup (in computer’s system preferences) - Aggregate Device (Motu 8A, RYTM, A4, with drift connection checked for RYTM and A4)
Logic X preferences>Audio>Devices - Input: Aggregate Device, Output: Motu 8A
RYTM Routing: no tracks to main, all tracks to fx
A4 Routing: same as above

I’m using the method explained here - Logic Pro X + Overbridge + Digi´s (thank you to @spikysimon)
Which in summary says: create software instrument track, select OB plugin, then click the plus button at the bottom of the mixer to add aux tracks until the button becomes greyed out. As far as which option for the plugin, the most common seems to be one stereo track (Main) + however many individual (mono) tracks your instrument has (ex RYTM has 9 tracks if you include FX). THEN right click each channel in the mixer and create a corresponding track for the arrange window.
(I’ve left out the part about bussing to audio tracks because it’s not really necessary to make things work, though I do use this once I have an arrangement finished and am at the mixing stage)
----as a side note I will say I don’t have a good idea of what the FX track is for, since in this setup the FX come through on the “Main” track----

For the most part this setup works very well. If you want to automate, set the main track to “Latch” and simply press record and use the knobs on the Elektron device (you can then delete and draw in if you prefer - it’s just an easy way to have the parameter you’re looking for pop up).

Problems with this setup:
-can’t record on more than one track at a time (workaround - record into the Main plugin track, right click on the region–>Midi–>Separate by Midi Channel, then you’ll end up with two new tracks, so copy/paste or drag/drop to the appropriate aux channels and delete the extra tracks)
-(for RYTM) the shared tracks can only accept Midi Input from one channel (workaround is to duplicate the track in the arrange window)
-if you want to record MIDI into Logic from Elektron sequencer, you must enable “Trk x send Midi” which for some reason results in hearing doubled sounds (doesn’t affect resulting recorded MIDI though)
-no idea what the FX track is for :thinking:

Questions: Does anyone have a specific way they are setting things up using Environment to solve any of the above?

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I’m totally baffled by how to get my A42 into Logic and record individual Tracks and the Summed FX track - I too have used @spikysimon method and adapted @rgarner Rhythm template and so far I can get summed Main output but no individual tracks. I’m finding it very frustrating.

Could you be more specific about what’s not working? For example, are you trying to record audio from one track at a time by playing each sound manually, or are you trying to record notes out of the A4 sequencer? (if so make sure you have send midi enabled for each track in your track settings). Also note with this method (sending from sequencer) iirc I heard doubled sounds when recording, didn’t affect final outcome of recorded audio, please report back if you find a way around this…

Also make sure you have the proper channels/tracks enabled in overbridge control panel.

I just did a full test with Logic pro X and my very old Mac today.

It’s a Macbook Pro 13" from early 2011 with SSD and 16GB Ram.
Digitakt,Digitone and A4 MKII all plugged into a cheap Speedlink hub.
USB2 of course.OSX is Sierra.Souncard the internal one or my Soundcraft Mixer.

In the Elektron Audio routings i deactivated all"Tracks to Main out"so i have only the stereo FX on the Main channels.

I want to be able to record all tracks from a hardware jam live into Logic on seperate tracks.So i created software instruments with multiple outputs and routed all channels to seperate busses.The busses are then inputs for a large number of audio tracks.

24 bit,44,1 and 256 buffer.

That way i recorded 29(!) tracks live into single audiofiles (some stereo,most mono) at once.Without ANY problems.I’m still blown away :slight_smile:

CPU usage was arround 38%

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