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Logic Chunks (like performer)


Gitano5150

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Sorry if this has been covered before.

I have been using Performer / Digital Performer for many years. I've recently, over the past couple years, have transitioned into using logic for most of my composing / sequencing. The only thing that keeps digital performer on my computer is the chunks feature. In one of the groups I play in we are partial live and partial tracks. I have a couple hundred songs (as chunks) in a master file that I use for gigs. It's extremely simple and efficient. All chunks are right in front of me, I press the play button next to the chunk, and hit play. I run the outputs through a MOTU Ultralight. Every track has its own output (click, strings, aux perc, etc...).

I actually record the sequenced music into Pro Tools, get a nice mix and EQ on things, then bring them back into DP as audio files.

Is there a way to do this in Logic? I'd love to scrap DP and just use Logic exclusively.

I've heard people mention doing this type of thing in SoundTrack......

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,

Tim

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Hey.

Logic unfortunately doesn't have a feature exactly like chunks that are used in DP. However there is an option to get the same live play behavior using touch tracks in Logic, but is not as straightforwards to use as chunks.(You'll need to get your audiofiles into EXS24 sampler in order to play them, because touch tracks cannot play audio files directly,only midi files)

Here is an article in SOS: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/dec04/articles/logicnotes.htm

And here is an extract from Apples Logic documentation

http://documentation.apple.com/en/logicexpress/usermanual/index.html#chapter=37%26section=6%26tasks=true

I've used this feature with success in the past at our live shows, you just need to get used to it.

Regards J

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I'm not sure I understand quite how you're using Chunks, but you could try using Folders as chunks. Select whatever regions you want and then Pack Folder. Now you can move that folder around, make copies of it, mute/solo it, etc. Not exactly like DP chunks, but very close if I remember correctly.

You can pack audio and midi regions, and other folders, too.

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qtruck said:

I'm not sure I understand quite how you're using Chunks, but you could try using Folders as chunks. Select whatever regions you want and then Pack Folder. Now you can move that folder around, make copies of it, mute/solo it, etc. Not exactly like DP chunks, but very close if I remember correctly.

You can pack audio and midi regions, and other folders, too.

That's my impression as well.

To add to the above list of uses , you can also copy, then cut a folder into separate sections if needed.

As a thought, you could add markers to your "Logic folder chunks,", then select them from the Marker List, hit play, etc.

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  • 9 years later...
I'm not completely familiar with Digital Performer chunks, however my understanding is that the feature allows you to sequence parts of your arrangement, meaning you could for (ultra simplified) example have a "Verse" arrangement, a "Chorus" arrangement, and have DP play Verse—Chorus—Verse—Chorus—Chorus. There's no way to do that in Logic Pro.
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  • 5 months later...

From memory chunks can all have independent tempos and time signatures, and (I think) can actually run together (so it's like multiple songs all at different tempos all running together), but my memory of DP is fuzzy these days...

More info here:
https://www.admiralbumblebee.com/music/2019/11/23/DP-Chunks-Blow-Your-Mind.html

 

This is from a DP 3.2 review, when the Chunks feature was first added:
"Version 3.2's meatiest feature is the "Chunk". Chunks are songs or sequences that can be arranged to play sequentially or simultaneously. "

http://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/mark-of-the-unicorn-performer/321

Edited by des99
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50 minutes ago, des99 said:

This is from a DP 3.2 review, when the Chunks feature was first added:
"Version 3.2's meatiest feature is the "Chunk". Chunks are songs or sequences that can be arranged to play sequentially or simultaneously. "

http://www.muzines.co.uk/articles/mark-of-the-unicorn-performer/321

I'm quite sure that Chunks existed well before Performer was ever "Digital" Performer, and when MotU was still Mark of the Unicorn. 

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Sorry for the confusion - my use of "DP" was a shorthand for the current product - the review I linked to is of Performer 3.2, from 1990. In the archive, the only earlier review I have of Performer is from 1986, and the Chunks feature did not exist. So Chunks look like they came with with Performer 3.2, as stated.

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Simple explanation...

Chunks in DP, kind of a funny term, are a few different things...which is why it ended up with the peculiar name I guess.

But one of the things you can do with this feature is have multiple "sub projects" for lack of a better word.  This type of chunk is called a "sequence".  Each sequence is a completely self contained sequence with its own set of tracks, its own mixer hosting plugins, its own automation, etc.  Each one by default starts at bar 1, but you can change them to start at any bar or SMPTE time you want.  So its like the entire LogicPro "project", except you can have many of these inside one DP project file.

Only one sequence chunk is active at a time.  Whichever one is the currently selected one will be the one that plays when you press PLAY.

So this already is a super cool feature because while working on a project you can quickly create a sequence chunk at any time and experiment on some idea to your hearts content inside this self-contained sequence and keep it around or whatever you want...use it in your main sequence, etc.  Or for film scoring you might be able to have all the cues of the film all in one single DP project file, which you can quickly jump between...for starters...

but you can also have all the cues of the film sharing the same "v-rack", which is another type of chunk.  A V-rack is a mixer-only that hosts instrument and FX plugins without any sequence data.  You can have your sequence chunks direct midi track data over to a v_rack mixer where the instruments are hosted...and if you have 23 cues in the film, each one in a seperate sequence...they can all share the same v-Rack mixer..which means they will have a consistent mixer setup and consistent orchestral mix.

Also if and when you need to build the entire film score from all the cues, you can assemble a master sequence that pulls in each of the cue sequences at whatever SMPTE time you specify and presto you have an assembled complete film score.

For example...

I believe you can also build songs out of chunks, but that is something I have not tried yet.

And I think there are some other chunk related features, but mainly I am interested in being able to have a lot of sequences inside one project.

None of the other mainstream DAW's have anything like this, but Reaper supposedly has a subproject feature which might be able to do SOME of the above...

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