Chapter 1 - Creating a Multi Output String Quartet Instrument

1: Setting up the string quartetLets start by creating the string ensemble by creating a multi output Logic Instrument that will contain the string instruments. Choose multi-timbral with 4 tracks, software instrument and hit create:

- This will create tracks in the arrange window, each on its own channel. You can change the track icons in the inspector after which it will look like this:

- From the I/O in the inspector, choose a Multi output (16xstereo) Kontakt Instrument:

Working with Kirk Hunter Solo Strings 2 in Apple Logic Studio 8/9

Copyright 2012 by Andr van Haren - www.andrevanharen.com 5

This will open the Kontakt window in which we are going to choose the actual string instruments:

- From the Files menu, browse to your Kirk Hunter library and load the 1st and 2nd violin, viola and cello:

Our string quartet is now loaded. As you can see, all output channels are set to st.1 and the Midi Channels are set the channel 1, 2, 3, 4, as it is in the tracks in the Logic Arrange window:



All string instruments need to be routed to their own separate channel into the Logic Mixer now so we have control over their volumes, mute, solo etc. For this, we have to create a new channel inside each string instrument.

- Start by opening the Output Section if not opened, by clicking on the output icon:

The Output Section in Kontakt:



The string instruments will be routed into the first 4 channels. At the moment we see only 3, the 3rd one being a surround channel. We will have to change that one into a normal stereo channel and add one extra channel for the cello. Lets do this one by one. Whenever you see this message...

...click OK and ignore the warning:

The 1st and 2nd channel look OK, but we will have to change the output of the first channel to 3/4 because the 1/2 stereo channel is being used by Logic as standard output. After that we will have to change the 2nd channels output to 5/6 (the double numbers represent the left and right side in a stereo channel).

- Click on the output button:

- and choose the 3rd and 4th outputs by clicking on the plugin out number:

You can ignore the names, just count from the top. After that change the Channel name into the name of the string instrument.



- Do the same for the next channel in the output Section. The result will look like this:

Look at the output of the surround channel, you see that its using 6 channels. Lets change this into a normal stereo channel and rename it to Viola:

- Click on the output button:

- In the channel output configuration window, change the 6 Audio channels to 2 and after that rename the Channel name into Vla. Click Ok:

- Add the channel for the Cello by clicking on the Add channels button:

In the Outputs window, you see Quantity set to 1 and number of channels set to 2. On other words it will create 1 stereo channel and that is what we need, so we leave this as it is. We only need to choose the Sound card/Host output. Click on that drop down menu:



This can be confusing because the names that you see are not very accurate. We will have to count again to find the correct output. We know that the vl 1 uses the 3/4 stereo channel, the Vl 2 5/6, the viola 7/8 so the cello is going to use 9/10.

Here is the output Section after choosing the 9/10 stereo channel for the cello and renaming it. We see now 4 stereo channels, one for every string instrument:

Now have a look at the output channels for the separate string instruments. Click on the down arrow in the drop down menu and choose the correct instrument channel. If everything went fine, the correct channels will already be set:

To avoid having to do this again for a next project, you can save this output section as default:

Every time you start a new Logic project, this string quartet channel configuration will be loaded.



Now we have finished setting up the instrument and the routes in Kontakt, lets save this complete instrument. From the Files drop down menu, choose Save Multi as... give it a name, for example string Quartet and hit save :

The next step is to route the string instruments signal from the Output Section towards the Logic Mixer. Without this, these instruments only still exists in the Kontakt player, we have to route their signal further before we can start making music.

- In Logic, open the Mixer by clicking one the Mixer button in the Arrange Window:

In the Mixer window, you will see a channel strip named Inst 1, thats our Main Instrument that contains the four string instruments. I like to keep things organized and clear, so I changed its name to String Quartet:

To create a channel strip for every string instrument, we have to press the little + sign for times, after which it will look like this:



So remember that its the 4 Auxes that are going to control the 4 instruments, and NOT the String 4 channel strip. All the changes you make on the String 4 strip will change all the strings at the same time, but not the single string instruments. This can for example be used to change the volume for the complete string quartet at the same time.

- Lets give the newly created Auxes the correct names by double clicking on them:

The last step is setting the correct input channel for every Aux.

- Click on the Kontakt 4 button in the Vl 1 Aux.- Choose from the drop down menu: Instrument 1... Kontakt 4 3/4

By doing this, you have connected the loaded 1st violin software instrument in the Kontakt player with the Mixer in Logic. Do the same with the 2nd violin, the viola and the cello.

You are able now to record music on the different tracks in the Arrange window and control their volume and other settings separately with the 4 Aux strips.



Documents

Chapter 1 - Creating a Multi Output String Quartet Instrument