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Chapter 8 Global Tracks 341
Signature Track
The Signature track shows all time and key signatures of a song. These can be created
in either the Score Editor or directly in the Signature track: Click at the desired position
using the Pencil tool. A dialog window will open, allowing you to set the time or key
signature. Insertion of the event occurs after closing the dialog with the OK button. If
you perform this procedure when the track height is reduced, a time signature change
will be created. If the track height is expanded, you will see separate lines for time and
key signatures, which can be independently clicked with the Pencil tool to create
events.
The playback transposition for Apple Loops (and also MIDI Regions, if the No Transpose
option is unchecked in the Object Parameter box) is controlled by the root note of
chords in the Chord track. These root notes determine the global playback
transposition—relative to the current key signature—shown in the Signature track. If
no chords are available in the Chord track, the global playback key for Apple Loops and
MIDI Regions is determined by the very first key signature (default: C major).
Apple Loops can contain information about the key they are in, and can be transposed
automatically. They will be played back in the song key by default, which is defined by
the first key signature event. 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.
Note: If a Garage Band song file is imported into Logic, the initial key signature will
automatically be set in accordance with the “project key” of the Garage Band song. Any
existing Apple Loops will be played back in this key, or rather, with the key’s root note.
Key signature changes after the initial key signature only affect the display of MIDI
notes in the Score Editor—they do not have any effect on playback.
Similarly, even time signature changes don’t affect playback, but only the display of the
Score Editor. You will not hear anything different when you change the time signature
or insert a time signature change in this window.