User Guide

Chapter 7 Using Apple Loops 55
Provided that the audio file matches the song tempo, and that its length fits a whole
number of beats (or you entered the correct length in the “Open Audio File in Apple
Loops Utility” dialog), the Apple Loops Utility sets the correct default value for the
Number of Beats field.
Note: If you open an audio file directly in the Apple Loops Utility this information is not
available. In this situation, the Apple Loops Utility uses different assumptions to set the
Number of Beats value. Please consult the Apple Loops Utility manual for more
information on this.
The File Type tag allows you to set the file type, which can be Non-Looping or Looped.
Looping files are matched to the song tempo and, if the Key tag is set to a value other
than None, are matched to the song key. Non-looping files (or one-shots) are not
matched to the song key or tempo. If you import them into Logic, they behave like
“normal” audio files. This is useful if you want to add discrete, non-musical sounds (such
as sound effects) to the loop library, which should not be altered by the tempo or key
properties. Non-looping audio files still contain metadata tags, allowing easy searching
and categorization in the Loop Browser.
In general, you will tag files featuring rhythmic patterns or musical passages intended
for music composition and arranging as “looping”, allowing Logic Express to match
them to the song tempo and (for musical, pitched loops) the song key. Files with non-
rhythmic elements, such as sound effects and voice-overs, intended for occasional use
on soundtracks, should usually be tagged as non-looped.
The Key tag controls how Logic Express matches the key of a loop to the song. When
you import the loop into Logic Express, it matches the key of the loop to the song by
transposing the loop the required number of semitones. The loop is either transposed
up or down, in whichever direction requires the smaller number of semitone steps.
As an example: If the song key is C, and the given loop’s Key tag is D, Logic Express
transposes the loop up by two semitones (instead of transposing it down by ten
semitones). Both would match the loop to the song key.
The global playback key for Apple Loops is determined by the very first key signature in
the Signature track (default: C major).
No distinction is made between major and minor keys for these global transposition
functions; in fact, only the root of the initial key signature is relevant for playback of
Apple Loops and MIDI Regions.
By default, Apple Loops Utility sets the Key tag to the information Logic Express
provides in the Signature track.