Logic Express' Environment

[Sweetnighter]

Can anybody help me get to know how to use Logic Express' Environment? The Transport Bar reads the incoming MIDI and I can record that input, but I can't get it out of Logic to my hard-synth nor can I make it do anything with Logic's soft-synths. I have a hard-synth that uses MIDI (Korg MS2000B) and I also have a MIDI controller (M-Audio Radium 61-key) that are connected to my computer. I'm also using Reason, which works perfectly with both of those keyboards as well. So how do I get my MIDI to work in Logic?

[Riverdog]

Hey Sweetnighter...

You've just asked someone to explain the finer points of HEART surgery to you...!

First, it's a good thing that Reason works with your outboard gear - It means that your connections are properly wired to your system...

I'm using Logic Pro7 - Not sure how much of the environment is actually in Express... But here's what I did - And maybe this will make some sense for you...

First thing you need to do is go into the environment - and create a "multi instrument" for your MS2000B...
Select the new instrument you've made by clicking near the little emblem above the numbers at the top of the new instrument where the little picture is...
Look to the left pane after selection - You'll see a word that says "Port" under this new instrument - Select the "port" and assign the MS2000B to the port for which it's out is plugged in...

(When you select "port" you should see a list of all the recognized MIDI outputs in your system - This is where you select how Logic will communicate with your outboard gear)...
Click each number in the instrument to indicate which MIDI channels the MS can receive on...

You need to do this for each outboard piece of gear you have in your system if you want Logic to communicate with this gear...

You should then be able to select this instrument in your "Arrange" window and begin recording with it...

Secondly - Your soft synths will need to be setup a little differently - you'll need to create an "audio device" (I think it's what it's called! - Not sure it's 1:30 in the morning!) And assign the soft synth to the channel like it were an effect... Once you select it in this manner in the environment - You should be able to select it like you did with the normal synth again - In the Arrange window...

Hopefully this will give you a little booster to begin working with the Environment... Let me know if this helps - Send me an email offline and we'll see if we can continue to help strengthen the Environment concept...

Good Luck!