Logic Pro 7: Using the External Instrument

One of the little known but most useful new features in Logic Pro 7 is the External Instrument. This is a special instrument plug-in that allows you to route MIDI information to an external MIDI hardware module and, utilizing your audio interface, feed that module's audio output directly into Logic. This allows you to treat the MIDI module like a software audio instrument in Logic; you can add plug-ins, bounce it as part of your mix, and so on.

Here's how to set up an External Instrument track for your MIDI device:

1. Select an available Audio Instrument track in your Arrange window.
2. In the channel strip to the left, click the input insert (the field directly below "I/O") and choose Stereo > Logic > External (for stereo) or Mono > Logic > External from the menus.

   

3. The External Instrument window opens.

   

   Note: If it does not open, double-click the plug-in (preference).

4. Click the MIDI Destination insert area to display a menu that lists the MIDI devices defined in your Environment, and choose an instrument. (In our example, we chose the strings channel in our Roland JV1080.) Your menu items will vary, depending on what MIDI modules you own, and how you have them configured in your Environment.

   

5. To configure the External Instrument with your audio interface input (make sure that you physically connected your MIDI module's audio output to your audio interface's input), click the Input insert area to display a menu of available audio inputs for your audio interface.
6. Choose the audio input that your MIDI module is physically connected to from the menu. If you need to adjust the gain from the module, use the Input Volume slider to adjust the volume from -24db to +12db.

   

You can now record MIDI to the Audio Instrument track. Logic will route MIDI to the external module, and will see its audio at the input you defined. You can insert DSP plug-ins and (as with a software instrument) use sends to busses, and so on. You can also include sounds from External Instruments when you bounce your mix, but keep this in mind: You must perform your bounce in "Realtime"—not "Offline"—for this to happen. Logic cannot process the audio from an external device offline.