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Jan 13 •
Troubles with Logic's Smart Tempo
Hello fellow Logic Pro experts! This question is for you. In our studio we often arrange music on a Yamaha psr-sx900. We then import a WAV file into a Logic Pro session. When I import the wave file, it follows the built in click or metronome well in the beginning, but slowly moves so that by the end of the (usually 7-8min) song it's completely out of sync with the click. There's no noticable tempo change though, as in internally the music sounds ok without the click. Smart Tempo is set to Keep (same as the tempo from the keyboard), and both "Set new recordings to" and "set imported files to" are set to OFF in the Smart Tempo project settings. Flex and Follow is OFF for the chanel, and I make sure the first downbeat of the file aligns with a downbeat on the grid. Also, everything is quantized on the keyboard before it's arranged into a MIDI file (style) and exported to audio. When I set Smart Tempo to Adapt, I see lots of small changes on the tempo line and sometimes hear noticable changes in the file itself. When I set Smart Tempo to AUTO, sometimes it's ok, but sometimes the music slows down or speeds up very obviously. So, Keep seems the least destructive. I'd rather Logic not alter my file at all. It really slows down my workflow and is super frustrating. Any thoughts??
0 likes • Jan 21
@Tom Baldwin thanks for this suggestion, I'll see what's possible considering our set up!
1 like • Mar 9
Just an update for anyone still following this thread: Our current solution to this problem is to connect our Yamaha to our workstation/DAW via MIDI cable and audio output, open the MIDI style file created by the Yamaha in Logic, confirm all instruments sound as they should, check levels, hit play (for the keyboard) and record (for Logic). So, the Yamaha is playing the MIDI (according to the Logic clock) and Logic is recording the audio. From this, we get a consistently in-time audio file of the music.
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Feb 27 •
Vocal workshop starts Monday
In case you missed it, our 5-day Vocal Production Workshop with Austen Jux-Chandler (Adele, Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga, Kali Uchis) starts this coming Monday, March 2nd, at 12pm Eastern Time. If you don't have your ticket yet, it's not too late. Grab a ticket here before the event starts on Monday. I have included the original post below with all the info. Hope to see lots of you there! Leave a comment below if you're coming 🔥 ------------- Super excited to share something with you today that's a first of it's kind for Mastering.com We're hosting an exclusive 5-day Vocal Production workshop where you'll get to learn the A to Z of recording and mixing vocals from Adele's very own engineer. Introducing Austen Jux-Chandler. Austen won a Grammy for recording Adele on her album, 25. In the attached photos, can see him on stage (second from the left) accepting the Grammy with Adele. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Austen has also recorded Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga, A$AP Rocky, SZA, Mark Ronson, and John Legend. He has earned a reputation as one of the top vocal producers in the world. We recently hung out with Austen at Lion Share Studios in LA, where he told us that he prefers to record at his artist's homes, rather than multi-million dollar studios. It helps create a more comfortable environment that improves the performance, he said. That's when I knew we had to do something with Austen, so he could show you step-by-step how he's able to record Grammy-winning vocals in a bedroom. So, starting March 2nd, Austen is going to spend 5-days with students live on Zoom, teaching his entire methodology from session prep to recording, editing, comping, mixing, creative effects, and more. Austen has never opened up his process like this before, so don't miss this chance to learn from one of the best in the industry. All the info is here: https://courses.mastering.com/product/1769595511504x935745290124299100?utm_source=Skool
0 likes • Feb 28
Can't be there Monday, but I intend to be there the other days.
Jan 19 •
Kick vs Sub Bass volumes/ratio (Foundation)
Hello, Is there a common ratio/volume balance for Kick + Sub bass in EDM/EBM/Rock genre? So let's say, if my kick is hitting at -6dbs, should the sub bass (not the main bass layer) be hitting at that same level, louder, or lower? So far I have been putting up the sub bass volume by ear, but find it hard to know when it is right. Everything sounds good to me :-)
0 likes • Jan 24
@Tom Baldwin hmmm,,, This is an interesting topic. Do you use Logic? Do you know how what you've written here is similar or different to what Logic's SubBass plug-in does?
1 like • Jan 28
@Tom Baldwin Thank you for looking into this even though you're not a Logic user. Knowing how the SubBass plug-in works is helpful. Really, I should have looked into it before. I understand it didn't address the question in the original post, but I want to try what you've described with the sub-bass sine wave and hear what it does to the music we mix. Thanks again.
Jan 5 •
Still Tryna Understand "The Foundation"
So after watching a few replays the kick is supposed to sit at 0 on the VU meter. Does it have to sit at -5 on the LUFs meter? Sometimes my kick is: *PERFECTLY at 0 on the VU meter, *but is like -7db on the LUFs meter. OR •PERFECTLY at -5db on the LUFs meter •but completely in the RED on the VU meter. They are not covering this in these videos. @Caleb Loveless please help!
7 likes • Jan 5
Hello Phillip! I remember Caleb saying in something to the effect that successfully finding this balance takes some skill, and to keep working at it (don't not try because you can't do it) because it's worth it. Congrats to you for continuing to try to figure this out. You could give up, but you haven't, and that's good. I think it's important to confirm we have a common understanding with all these numbers and meters. From what I understand, there are 3 different measurements to be metered. I can't say my understanding is complete, but here's what I understand where I'm at now. 1. RMS which is measured by the VU meter and incorporates more low end or low frequency energy than other measurements and meters. Having a low end focused measurement and meter helps us more accurately shape and define the low end. 2. Decibels, or DBs which is measured in the channel strip and the stereo out. This is more objective than other measurements and helps us to know digital 0, or the point at which the signal becomes distorted. 3. LUFS, which is measured in short term and integrated numbers on a loudness meter, I.e. not the channel strip in the DAW's mixer or by a VU meter. This is more accurate to what our ears hear than other measurements and incorporates more of the high end or upper frequencies than RMS in the VU meter or DBs on the channel strip. In what I remember from the "foundations first" method, we are aiming for 0 on the VU meter (for RMS) and -5DBs on the channel strip in the mixer. In this stage we are not looking at LUFS. Once we get the balance where we want it to be with the kick, snare, and bass, we continue to mix, etc... using short term LUFS metering. Just to note for anyone else who might read this post, I value developing and using my ears for this kind of work, but I find that measurements and metering helps me create a good baseline that I can then tweak without having exhausted my ears.
Jan 3 •
Bass Won't Sit Right In The Mix!
I'm following the Mix Cheat Sheet. I've gain staged my kick & snare to peak at -5 on my LUFs meter. They are both sitting at 0 on my VU meter. But when I add my bass my LUF meter spikes to -3.7 no matter how much I reduce the gain on my bass track or my compressor, It will not go back down to -5 on my LUFs meter. Why is this happening? It's frustrating the hell out of me!
0 likes • Jan 5
Hey Phillip, thanks for this thread! I've had similar issues figuring out the kick-bass relationship in the "foundations first" method, but haven't been able to post. I remember hearing in the mix events that VU meters measure primarily low end frequencies. I personally have experienced higher levels there when adding subbass (via the Logic stock plugin) and so am learning to live with a 3 on a VU meter with both kick and bass and somewhere between -6 to -4db, especially when I've got the tone I'm looking for. Also, are we looking at 0 on the VU meter and -5db? Or should it be 0 VU and -5 LUFS (short term, presumably)? I haven't tried to get a kick and bass to -5 LUFS. Maybe I'll give it a try in my next session. I don't have much experience with EDM or hip-hop directly, but the people we produce, mix, and master for appreciate feeling the music in their bodies, which to me, translates to subbass. And I appreciate a clean, well defined kick, bass and a balanced mix, so getting this right has been important for me. Has anyone here who values a heavy low end tried to work through this "foundations first" method? I'd love to learn from your experience, if you're willing to share. Thank you!
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@stephanie-biggs-8791
Hi! I'm Stephanie.
So much to say, and so little time.
Active 12d ago
Joined Nov 23, 2025
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