The Logic Pro integrated software sampler, EXS24, is one instrument that can greatly benefit from this feature, allowing you to process sampler instrument groups individually. Here's how to set up EXS24 to use multiple outs:
- In the Arrange window, select an Audio Instrument track that you want to use.
- In the channel strip pane (on the left side of the Arrange window), insert the EXS24 plug-in as an input: Click the slot directly below I/O and from the pop-up menus, choose Multi Channel > Logic > EXS24
- The EXS24 instrument interface opens. Though you can configure the EXS24 to have multiple outputs for various instruments, one of the most common uses for this feature is to configure a drum kit that allows you to independently process and control the kit's individual drum elements. Let's take an existing drum kit and set it up for multiple output.
- From the instrument selection menu, choose Factory > 08 Drum Kits > Rock Kit. This loads the rock drum kit that is included with the Logic Pro 7 installation.
- To the right of the instrument selection, click the Edit button.
The EXS24 Instrument Editor opens.
The zones that appear along the left side of the window define which samples are triggered by MIDI notes. These zones are then assigned to the groups that make up each instrument sound, shown on the right side of the window.
- Click the disclosure triangle for the group BD02 to reveal the group settings for the bass drum sound. By default, all groups are assigned to the Main output pair, Output 1-2, as dictated in the Audio Instrument channel strip (the assigned output pair appears in the slot directly below the EXS24 insert). Note: If the EXS Output is not displayed, select the option View > Group: EXS Outputs. Alternatively you may want to select View > View All.
- To change this setting, click the current EXS Output for the group and select another output from the pop-up menu. In our example, we routed the bass drum sound to the output pair 3-4.
You can assign a group to any of the single outputs or output pairs you like. Repeat with all other groups.
- When you're satisfied with the assignments, save the instrument by choosing Instrument > Save from the EXS24 Instrument Editor window.
- Close the EXS editor window and open the Track Mixer window.
- Click the Global button in the upper left corner, and then click the Aux button a few buttons below it. (Logic Pro uses auxiliary channels as routing destinations for multichannel instruments.)
- Click the input slot (the slot below I/O) for Aux 1; a pop-up menu opens. Besides the usual Input and Bus source submenus, the menu now has an instrument channel submenu for assigning the EXS24's multiple channels.
- From the Instrument submenu, choose which output stream you would like the Aux channel to use as its input source. If the Aux channel is set to mono, then the streams will appear as individual channels (such as EXS24 3, EXS24 4). If the Aux channel is set to stereo, then the the streams will appear as pairs (such as EXS24 3-4, EXS24 5-6, and so on). In our example, we set Aux 1 to accept input from EXS24 3-4. Therefore, any EXS24 voice that we assigned to output 3-4 (such as the bass drum), can now be processed on the Aux 1 channel.
- Repeat as necessary to assign more Aux channels to support the number of outputs that you have coming from the EXS24. Note that EXS outputs that are assigned to Aux channels are automatically removed from the EXS's Main output.
You can now use any Aux channel to process the EXS24 stream in any way you like. You can insert plug-ins, use Sends, and so forth. If your audio interface offers more than two outputs, you can route the Aux channel to different physical outputs for external processing.