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82 Chapter 1 Using Logic
OpenTL Export
To export the current song’s audio in the OpenTL format, select File > Export > Song as
OpenTL File. This will launch a file selector dialog which asks if you want to create a
dedicated folder for the exported OpenTL files. You can specify the destination folder,
and file name, of the resulting OpenTL file. After confirming this dialog, Logic will ask
you if the song’s SMPTE start time should be added to event start positions. In this
scenario, audio parts in the resulting OpenTL file will have the same SMPTE start time
as in the Logic Song. If you choose Don’t add, the part positions are calculated relative
to the song start position (an audio part that starts at Bar 1 will have a start time of
00:00:00:00.00).
At the next step, Logic will ask if a copy of all audio files should be made. You should
use this option if you want to copy the resulting OpenTL file, including all audio data,
to another hard disk. Logic will then create two sub-folders in the folder that contains
the OpenTL file: namely “Audio Files” and “Track Files” (which is the suggested structure
for OpenTL exports). The “Audio Files” folder will contain copies of all exported audio
files. If you choose that no copy is to be made, the file references in the OpenTL file will
point to the original audio files.
Alternatively, you can have all exported files placed in one folder, which is named after
the exported file. This is the convention used by the Tascam MX recorders, so it is
recommended that Create be selected in response to the “Create a dedicated folder for
OpenTL export files?” question.
OpenTL Import
To import an OpenTL file, choose File > Import. A file selector opens, which allows you
to choose OpenTL files. Note that if you choose the Open TL files option in the Open File
Type menu, only files with the “.TL” extension will be shown in the file selector. If the
first event in the imported song starts at a time greater than 1 hour, the following
dialog appears:
Set SMPTE start time of song so that events start at the same SMPTE time as they do in the
imported project?
Confirm it by pressing Set if you want the SMPTE start time of the song to be changed
accordingly, or Don’t set if the song’s SMPTE start time should not be changed.
Should the first audio part found by OpenTL import have a start time greater than zero
(less than zero is impossible), Logic will ask if you wish to: Set the start time of first
imported event to start of song? If you answer with Set, the first audio part imported will
be placed precisely at the song start position.