Syncing DP with Logic 9

[apanacci]

Hey guys, how do I sync up Logic 9 to DP to use the VI,s from Logic in DP.Read it in a post and Bayswater had mentioned it, thanks !

[bayswater]

I did a post on this some time ago. The basics are in a tech note published by MOTU on how to use Garageband sounds in DP. It's the same basic process. I'll try to dig up the details and post them later, but for now:

1. Use Interapplication MIDI in DP. Name the MIDI port something distinctive. When you launch Logic, it will see that port.

2. Have Soundflower running.

3. Send MIDI from DP to Logic via the Interapplication MIDI port.

4. Return audio from Logic via Soundflower.

You might need to have the MIDI sent to Logic advanced slightly to keep it in sync with other MIDI being processed entirely within DP.

For some people, this appears to be all you have to do to use Logic, Mainstage, or Garageband as a slave to DP. In my case, I have to do some extra setup to get Logic to respond properly to multiple MIDI channels. Without this extra step, Logic plays all instruments on all channels. I can't figure out why. I built an Environment layer to deal with that, and I'll post something on that later when I have time to dig it out.

[alex2035]

I read your old post, the Garageband PDF and everything I could find about this, somehow I have a similar problem as you mention, Logic keeps playing the first instrument in the tracks sequence disregarding what MIDI channel/track I try to engage. If you could take the trouble to explain a bit further how did you managed to get this working I would be thankful. I tried without Soundflower as nightcrawler mentioned as well without even getting a sound even if I tried to use DP as "MIDI Only" to drive Logic..

[bayswater]

I read your old post, the Garageband PDF and everything I could find about this, somehow I have a similar problem as you mention, Logic keeps playing the first instrument in the tracks sequence disregarding what MIDI channel/track I try to engage. If you could take the trouble to explain a bit further how did you managed to get this working I would be thankful. I tried without Soundflower as nightcrawler mentioned as well without even getting a sound even if I tried to use DP as "MIDI Only" to drive Logic..

I went and tried to find the templates I used to do this, and they appear to been obliterated with the installation of Logic X. I got further distracted because my Kirk Hunter EXS24 instruments also seem to have disappeared. I'll have to recreate and test it, and when I do, I'll post a sample DP and Logic project files that should work together.

Basically you go into the Clicks and Ports Environment layer and filter the MIDI input by channel and direct each channel to the strip that should be using it. More when I get it working again.

[alex2035]

Thanks for your prompt reply and the effort towards helping others.

[dewdman42]

If you can't get it to work, you might also play around with JackOSX, which is also free. I have always liked it a little bit more then soundflower for whatever the reason. Personal preference, but anyway maybe you'll have more luck with it if soundflower doesn't work out for you. I'm not familiar enough with Logic to know how to setup interapplication MIDI reception there.

[bayswater]

If you can't get it to work, you might also play around with JackOSX, which is also free. I have always liked it a little bit more then soundflower for whatever the reason. Personal preference, but anyway maybe you'll have more luck with it if soundflower doesn't work out for you. I'm not familiar enough with Logic to know how to setup interapplication MIDI reception there.

I've done it with JackOS and Soundflower. Jack is a bit fussier to set up and didn't work any better in this case.

As for setting up interapp MIDI at the Logic end of the link, it shows up just like any other MIDI source according to the name you give it in DP.

[dpart]

Is this only possible with Logic 9 ? i.e. is it possible to do this with LPX? Thanks in advance.

[bayswater]

I had it working with 8 and 9. If and when I get it working again, it will be with Logic X. I don't have Logic 9 installed any more.

[Shooshie]

I never really figured out Jack OR SoundFlower, but I accidentally configured SoundFlower to work, without ever really knowing why.

Jack? I don't know Jack! All my twiddling didn't get it working, but I may have been impatient that night.

SoundFlower seems a little more idiot-friendly.

Shoosh

[bayswater]

I never really figured out Jack OR SoundFlower, but I accidentally configured SoundFlower to work, without ever really knowing why.

Jack? I don't know Jack! All my twiddling didn't get it working, but I may have been impatient that night.

SoundFlower seems a little more idiot-friendly.

Shoosh

There are two problems with Soundflower. It's not that easy to locate a current version, and know that you have it. And a while back there was a release that drifted timewise. There is a more current release out there that I've had running for more than a week at a time with no incidents or glitches, does 64 channels, and barely shows up in Activity Monitor.

JackOS is very cross platform, and can be useful for running audio apps originally written for Linux. You have to use it for Harrison Mixbuss, but the next version of Mixbuss will work like any AU or VST plugin. The thing I don't like about JackOS is the need to set up a server and configure it before you can use it. It also seems to use more CPU than Soundflower.

[dewdman42]

Here is a thread from another forum I found which might help you setup the Logic MIDI Environment to use specific MIDI ports.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5174298?tstart=0

I didn't realize Logic was so difficult in this regard, DP is a zillion times easier for this particular thing. The MIDI Logic Environment looks to be very powerful and capable of doing some amazing routing things that are probably awesome, but I don't really know what that would be, but it does seem rather cumbersome to have to pull out this swiss army knife of a tool just to specify which physical MIDI input port you want to use for a track. But anyway there it is, see if that helps.

As an aside, I tried this in Mainstage and it was VERY easy to setup. If you are only wanting to use Logic instruments in DP somehow, and do not need to play back the logic sequencer in sync, for example; then mainstage might be your ticket. Its cheap and includes all the logic instruments. Basically you go into the Mainstage Layout editor to edit the layout of the screen, and add a keyboard for each MIDI input port you need to use. The screen control inspector will have a drop down box for MIDI port to chose what MIDI port you want used for each of these virtual keyboards. Once you've done that, then you can add as many different patches as you want which use that same layout, each patch has a mixer where you can have whatever combination of instruments you want and for each one you specify which virtual keyboard will feed it( ie, which MIDI port)

but forget about syncing time based plugins this way, I don't think it will work. Maybe, but I don't think so. I think I tried to get something like that working once and never really did.

[dewdman42]

I never really figured out Jack OR SoundFlower, but I accidentally configured SoundFlower to work, without ever really knowing why.

Jack? I don't know Jack! All my twiddling didn't get it working, but I may have been impatient that night.

SoundFlower seems a little more idiot-friendly.

Shoosh

There are two problems with Soundflower. It's not that easy to locate a current version, and know that you have it. And a while back there was a release that drifted timewise. There is a more current release out there that I've had running for more than a week at a time with no incidents or glitches, does 64 channels, and barely shows up in Activity Monitor.

JackOS is very cross platform, and can be useful for running audio apps originally written for Linux. You have to use it for Harrison Mixbuss, but the next version of Mixbuss will work like any AU or VST plugin. The thing I don't like about JackOS is the need to set up a server and configure it before you can use it. It also seems to use more CPU than Soundflower.

That's interesting and good to know. I may have to mess around with SoundFlower some more, its been a lot of years since I first tried it and for some reason I didn't have any success with it that time or something I didn't like about it, can't remember what it was now. JackOSX just kinda worked for me. But if its taking more CPU then Soundflower I should like to reinvestigate that. One reason to use JackOSX is because I have a few wine32 plugins which I occasionally host with wine and there is a very low latency audio solution for wine in the form of wineasio, which depends on JackOSX. So for that reason I have JackOSX installed and probably have to stick with it. I'm gonna mess around with Soundflower some more though its been a long time since last time I tried it.

[Shooshie]

Yeah, MainStage is a gas to use. I loved that, and other apps that came with Logic. I just didn't like Logic!

There is also a MainStage-like app that one of our forum buddies wrote, but I'm having a senior moment, and can't think of his name OR his app's name. Seems like his avatar was always a multi-colored hot-air balloon, looking up at it from the basket, or colored keys, or something like that. Surely one of you knows who and what I'm talking about. I never used it, but I do remember him saying that it's more DP friendly than MainStage, and more flexible.

Shoosh

[dewdman42]

Its called Jambalaya

http://www.audiofreakshow.com

But Mainstage is way better, costs less and includes all the logic instruments..

At one point he gave a great discount to motunation members, I missed that and I've tried to follow this product on and off for a while, havne't seen it updated or really worked or marketed in quite a while. I'm not even sure its still for sale actually, looking at the website it only has a slide show of screen shots now.