You use the Lane inspector to change the parameters of the selected lane. The most important parameters are Status and First Data Byte. The Status parameter sets the event type for the selected lane. The First Data Byte parameter (shown as “Number” in the image) sets the value for the chosen event type. The appearance of the First Data Byte parameter changes when different event types are chosen.
The name of the selected lane is shown beside the disclosure triangle in the inspector. This is mirrored in the Name column in the Step Editor.
Select the name to open a text field, enter a name, then press Return.
Note: If you define a named MIDI controller, or a note from a mapped instrument in the Status and First Data Byte parameter lines, the relevant name is automatically shown. Changing a note name in the inspector also alters the corresponding note name in the mapped instrument.
The inspector’s Delay parameter is very useful for drum programming (flams, for example), as only individual event types or note numbers are affected. It’s also useful for tightening up or sliding notes in a region, without resorting to quantization.
Set the Delay parameter to the value you want to use.
Position changes are immediately reflected by the steps in the lane. New events (inserted when a grid was active) are offset from the grid positions by the Delay parameter value.
Tip: In general, you should transmit controller data slightly before or after note events, to improve the timing of notes. In other words, place controllers before (use a negative delay value) the grid positions of the notes lying exactly on the grid positions.
Drag the Length parameter values vertically to change the length of events (this primarily applies to note events) to be added, measured in divisions (the left number), and ticks (the right number).
You should avoid the use of small tick values because many MIDI devices do not respond quickly enough when note on/note off messages are sent in quick succession, resulting in no note being heard.
Select the MIDI channel checkbox.
If selected, the display is restricted to events on the set channel.
If unselected, the Channel parameter is ignored, and matching events on all channels are displayed.
Choose a MIDI channel number from the pop-up menu to the right of the Channel parameter.
Just as you can adjust the parameters for several MIDI regions at once, you can set the parameters of several lanes simultaneously.
Do one of the following:
Press and hold Shift, then click several lanes in the Name column.
Choose Lanes > Select All Lanes, then deselect lanes you don’t want to change by Shift-clicking them.
Any alterations you make in the inspector affect all selected lanes.
The event status determines the type of event controlled by each lane.
Drag the event type shown beside the Status parameter vertically to choose one of the following:
Fader: Defines a fader event lane. Fader event data can be used to control any possible parameter (except channel volume and pan that use controllers). Fader data can also be used to create meta events.
Meta: Defines a meta event lane. Meta events are internal Logic Pro commands that can perform tasks such as screenset switching.
Note: Defines a lane for a particular note pitch (useful for drum programming).
Control: Defines a MIDI controller lane.
C-Press (Channel Pressure): Defines a lane for channel pressure (also known as aftertouch), a feature of many synthesizers that adds vibrato, for example, when you press down on MIDI keyboard keys that are already held.
P-Press (Polyphonic Pressure): As above, but each note can be independently modulated.
Program Change: Defines a lane that is used to create and send MIDI program change events, allowing you to switch between sounds (electric piano and clavinet, for example) midway through a region.
Pitch Bend: Defines a lane for pitch bend information.
Important: The chosen Status parameter value (event type) directly affects the behavior (and appearance) of the First Data Byte parameter. For example, if Note is chosen as the Status parameter type, you can use First Data Byte to determine the pitch (MIDI note number) of the selected lane. If the MIDI region is played by a mapped instrument, a pop-up menu of input note names (drum sound names) appears here.
The First Data Byte checkbox and pop-up menu are shown at the bottom of the inspector.
The name of the First Data Byte parameter reflects the chosen Status parameter, as follows:
Fader, Meta, Control, Program: A number is shown as the first data byte.
Note, P-Press: Pitch is shown as the first data byte.
C-Press and PitchBd: The first data byte is dimmed, as it has no function.
Select the First Data Byte checkbox to show the defined first data byte. Select the box a second time (unselected) to hide the first data byte. In the case of note events, the velocity values of all notes (regardless of pitch) are displayed in the relevant lane.
Choose a value from the First Data Byte pop-up menu. The choices shown in the pop-up menu depend on the parameter shown in the Status line:
If Control is chosen in the Status line, the First Data Byte pop-up menu determines the controller type (controller number).
If Meta or Fader is chosen in the Status line, the First Data Byte pop-up menu determines the meta or fader event type (meta or fader message number).
If channel aftertouch (C-Press), or program change events (Program) is chosen in the Status line, the First Data Byte parameter setting is ignored and the first data byte is displayed as a beam height.
When pitch bend data (PitchBd) is chosen in the Status line, the First Data Byte parameter setting is also ignored because both data bytes are used to display the beam height.