The fade tool is an excellent feature to take advantage of if you want to know how to fade in Logic Pro X. You can also automate fades, which is a good way to do fade-ins or add customized volume adjustments to your tracks.
My name is Donovan, and I live for making music. I’ve been writing, recording, and producing for years and have a lot of experience using Logic Pro X. I know through first-hand experience how to fade in the app.
This post will show you how to fade in Logic Pro X. I’ll walk you through the steps to use the fade tool and add fade automation to your projects. I’ll also provide some other helpful tips and information along the way.
Let’s start mixing.
Contents
Key Takeaways
- Fade-outs are a common element of many different songs, and knowing how to do this is a must for any producer or audio engineer.
- The two easiest ways to fade in Logic Pro X involve using the Fade Tool or Automation. Both give you the same result, and which you choose just depends on your preferences.
- Fades are also a good tool to use during mixing because they allow you to blend various elements of a song really well.
How to Fade in Logic Pro X
There are several ways to fade in Logic Pro X. I’ll give you instructions on how to fade using the most popular methods here. There isn’t one way that is better than another, it just depends on your preferences.
How to Fade Out Using Fade Tool
Using the Fade Tool is probably the easiest way to fade in Logic Pro X. I like to use this tool often and do it at the end of most of my songs. It makes for a quick and easy way to put a fade out on any track.
The downside of using the Fade Tool is that it will only work on audio tracks, not MIDI tracks.
Follow these steps to fade out using the fade tool in Logic Pro X.
1. Open the Logic Pro X project where you want to add a fade.
2. Move your cursor over the Tool Selector.
3. Select the Fade Tool from the available options.
4. Locate the region in the track where you want the fade to begin. Left click to start the fade, then hold down and drag to the right. Release when you want the fade to end.
That’s all there is to it, and you now have a quick and easy fade-out built into your track. You can also use the Fade Tool Logic Pro X shortcut by pressing the A key when the tool menu is open. This doesn’t save a lot of time, but it might add a bit to your workflow.
Quick Tip: If the fade tool in Logic Pro X is not working, try closing and restarting the app. Make sure you save your progress in your project before doing this. A quick restart often fixes weird glitches like the Fade Tool not working or appearing.
How to Fade Using Automation
Using the fade tool mentioned above is a great way to add a quick fade-out to the end of a song. But what if you want to add a fade-in or multiple fade-ins and fade-outs in a song? Well, that’s where using fade automation comes in very useful.
Automation lets you set up pre-established levels for many elements and effects on a track. You can do this with volume, which is what enables you to utilize automation to create fades.
Automation will work on any type of track. Some people call this type of fade an automatic fade because once you have the parameters set, the fades will occur automatically throughout the track where you placed them.
Follow these steps to fade in Logic Pro X by using automation.
1. Open the Logic Pro X project that you want to add a fade to.
2. Click on the track you want to add automation to highlight it.
3. Hit the A key on your keyboard to pull up the Automation view. You’ll see a yellow line across the entire track, like in the image below.
4. Now, all you need to do is tweak this volume automation line to create the fades you want. Click on the line at the beginning of the section you wish to make a fade. Click at another point where you want the fade to end.
5. Drag the first point down to create a fade-in. This will look like an upward slope on the line. Drag the endpoint down to create a fade-out. This will look like an upward slope.
In the image below, I created several fade-ins and one fade-out using automation. You can set up your track however you want to achieve the desired fades.
6. Repeat the same process for any other tracks in the project that you want fades on.
Quick Tip: You can also use the faders to create automation. This is sometimes known as “riding the faders.” To do this, switch the automation mode to Write instead of Read. Then start the track at the beginning and turn down the volume as you see fit.
How to Fade Drums in Logic Pro X
Fading drums in Logic Pro X can be done following the steps mentioned above. You can either use the fade tool or automation to create fades in or out.
Drums typically require several mics during the recording process. So you’ll need to add the same fade to each track within your recording project that you have a microphone for. Then you need to go through each track individually and add the same fade.
How to Fade MIDI in Logic Pro X
You can’t fade MIDI instruments using the Fade Tool in Logic Pro X, but you can use the automation feature to add fades to MIDI tracks. I’m not sure why Logic won’t let you use the fade tool for this, but that’s how it is.
Follow the steps in the section above for how to fade using automation for any MIDI tracks you want to fade. The automation window will treat these tracks the same as any other type of audio, so adding fades is pretty straightforward.
How to Remove Fade in Logic Pro X
If you want to remove a fade in Logic Pro X, you can reverse the steps mentioned in the above sections. Or an easier way is to use the Undo command by pressing Command Z. This will remove fades that you just made.
Fades can be removed from tracks as long as they haven’t been fully edited into the audio waveform. So if you made the fade yourself in Logic Pro X, there should be a way to get rid of it by either removing automation or deleting the fade.
However, if you received tracks from another musician or producer, you might be unable to remove the fade. It depends on how the track was bounced and how the fades were put on the track in the first place.
Final Thoughts
Knowing how to fade in Logic Pro X can give you a lot of power during the mixing and editing process. Fades are a common technique used in all sorts of songs and arrangements, so keep that in mind as you record.
The steps shown here will allow you to create a fade in or out of any Logic Pro X track. Remember that the fade tool can’t be used with MIDI tracks but that automation will work on any type of track.
How do you use fades in your Logic Pro X recording projects? Let me know in the comments below.
