Any guitarist who has spent time mastering their licks and chord progressions knows how important it is to be able to capture good takes when it’s time to record. If you’re considering your options when it comes to digital audio workstations (DAWs), Logic Pro X is a great choice for guitarists. It contains many powerful and flexible tools for recording guitar that are remarkably easy to use and sound great. In this brief guide, we take a look at everything you need to know about how to record guitar in Logic Pro X, from the essential requirements to the final editing of your guitar track.
Is Logic Pro X Good For Recording Guitarists?
Logic Pro X is a great DAW for recording guitar! It has many built-in features that cater to guitarists, such as an interactive amp designer, pedalboard, plugins, and the potential for customizing your overall guitar sound.
One thing that makes Logic Pro X a popular DAW choice amongst recording guitarists is that it features a simple and intuitive interface that makes it easy to plug and play!
What Do I Need To Record Guitar In Logic Pro X?
To record your guitar in Logic Pro X, you’ll need a few essential pieces of gear to get started. Obviously, you will need to have a guitar first and foremost. You will also need an audio interface (AI) to connect & record your guitar or mics directly to your computer.
Whether you record your guitar directly through your AI or by miking it is a matter of personal preference and something we will cover in the next section. Depending on how you choose to record, you will need to have the correct cables on hand as well (i.e. XLR or guitar cables).
Finally, you’ll need Logic Pro X installed on your computer. If you are new to recording with Logic Pro X, they offer a free 90-day trial if you would like to feel it out before committing to it as your DAW!
How To Record Guitar In Logic Pro X (3 Tips)
To get started with recording guitar in Logic Pro X, just follow the steps below. Remember, Logic Pro X offers a wide range of guitar-related tools & effects. Once you are plugged in and ready to go, don’t be afraid to do a little bit of experimenting!
#1) Choose How You Want To Record Your Guitar
As we mentioned above, deciding how you want to record your guitar is the first step. With Logic Pro X, you can choose between recording with direct input (DI) or miking your guitar or amp directly.
With direct input, you will plug your guitar directly into your AI with a guitar cable, allowing you to record directly into Logic Pro X. This will allow you to record guitar tracks using Logic Pro’s amp & pedal designers directly. Miking your amplifier involves placing a microphone in front of your guitar amp and recording the sound that comes out.
Both DI and mic recording have their advantages and disadvantages, so it’s up to you to decide which one is best for your needs.
#2) Create A Track & Hit Record
Once you’ve decided on your recording method, the next step is to create a new session in Logic Pro X and begin recording.
To create a new track, go to the “Track” menu and select “New Track.” Choose the “Audio” option and select the input that corresponds to your audio interface. If you are miking your guitar then you can simply select “Audio.” If you are recording DI, then we recommend selecting the“Guitar or Bass” option.
Finally, you are ready to hit the record button and start laying down your tracks. Logic Pro has an easy-to-use metronome that you can activate to help you stay on time and ensure that all of your tracks sync up.
#3) Color Up Your Sound
After you’ve successfully recorded a guitar track you’re happy with, it’s time to add some color and effects to your sound. This is where you can really customize your sound.
Logic Pro X has an impressive variety of native plugins and effects that you can use to create a guitar tone that’s all your own. The amp designer and pedalboard plugins are great for emulating different amplifier sounds and adding effects like distortion, delay, and reverb. You can also use EQ and compression plugins to shape your guitar tone and make it sound more polished.
What To Do Once You Are Satisfied With Your Guitar Track
Once you’ve recorded your tracks and built out your tone, it’s time to export the track(s) to send for further editing or share with others. If you want to export your tracks at their highest quality, you will need to export Logic Pro to wav files.
To do this, simply go to the File menu and select “Export,” and then “Export as Audio File.” A dialogue box will appear, where you will choose “WAV” as the file type, followed by selecting the location where you wish to save the file. From there, simply click “Export,” and Logic Pro X will export the track as a WAV file!
Hopefully, this article has covered any basic questions you had about how to record guitar in Logic Pro X. Remember, there are a lot of ways to record guitar & create your sound in Logic Pro X. Don’t be afraid to take your time and have some fun playing around with all the features at your disposal, you won’t be disappointed!