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I am having a lot of trouble understanding the software instrument tracks in Logic Pro and how tempo works within them. If you record into logic using a software instrument as an input, there seems to be no way to separate the track from the project's tempo. I.e., I record into logic at 120bpm and then I speed the project tempo up to 130bpm, the software instrument track speeds up with it. This is fine in some cases, but in others I really want to be able to "unlock" this from the project tempo.

One other incredibly frustrating issue I'm having right now, is that this tempo locking feature seems to be completely throwing off my attempts at recording variable tempo tracks. So I have created a tempo curve from around 110bpm to around 120bpm. I then turn on the metronome and hit record on my software instrument track. I record along to the metronome, and then listen back, and the track is just completely out of time. I think what's happened is that logic has embedded in the track a flat 110bpm tempo, and then while I've sped up with the project tempo while recording, it's not taken that into account. Then once the track is fully recorded, logic goes and speeds up the track again to match the tempo curve. Not what I want! How can I make sense of this?

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2 Answers 2

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Bounce your software track to an audio track. It should then stay at the same speed, unless you specifically ask Logic to change the speed of the audio. You can bounce any midi region using the shortcut Ctrl-B.

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  • This is the strategy I have been using (though not ideal because I can't modify the midi region now, which would be useful) but I'm still stuck with the variable tempo use case as Logic shifts the tempo of the midi track as soon as i'm done recording it, so there's no point at which it correctly matches the tempo where I can bounce the track.
    – Leon Aves
    Commented Nov 3, 2018 at 14:44
  • idk Logic well-enough, but are you sure there's no master tempo track you need to switch on first? [& btw, but not really relevant to the issue, Logic is Mac-only, so no worries about what the command might be on Win ;)
    – Tetsujin
    Commented Nov 3, 2018 at 15:00
  • You need to bounce the audio while still at the first tempo. You can always edit the midi and then record again, as long as you change the tempo back before bouncing. In the end, this is how any DAW is designed to work: it would be crazy if all midi tracks didn't automatically change speed when you change the tempo. But I do understand what you're trying to do; layers with different tempi are really interesting, but not what most people need to do in a DAW.
    – Bob Broadley
    Commented Nov 3, 2018 at 18:17
  • Hello again folks - I think you might be able to do exactly what you want by locking the position of midi notes - I'm just going to try it and then post another answer if it works.
    – Bob Broadley
    Commented Nov 3, 2018 at 18:24
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I wouldn't usually post two answers for one question, but this is a completely different approach, so here we go. Both work, but this might be more what you are looking for...

  1. Record some MIDI data at a particular tempo.
  2. Select the region, right click, then go to SMPTE Lock->Lock SMPTE Position.
  3. Change the project tempo at the point where your region begins.
  4. Unlock the region SMPTE Lock.
  5. Change the project tempo at whichever point you like (for instance, for the whole piece).
  6. Move MIDI region as desired.
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