You can record guitar on Logic Pro X by using an audio interface or microphone and setting up the recording session inputs to match that. You can also use the guitar software instruments built into Logic if you don’t have a guitar.
My name is Donovan, and I’ve been an avid musician for decades. I love to write, record, and produce as often as possible and have years of experience working with Logic Pro X. I also play the guitar and know how to connect that instrument to Logic.
This post will show you how to record guitar on Logic Pro X. I’ll walk you through all the steps to recording guitars in a few different ways and also tell you how to take advantage of the guitar presets that come with the app.
Let’s start recording.
Contents
Key Takeaways
- The two main ways to record guitar on Logic Pro X are by using an audio interface or setting up a microphone. Both of these require additional equipment that you’ll need to have or purchase.
- Logic Pro X comes with many different guitar amp sounds, and you can connect a guitar to the app and get a lot of possibilities with these. The amp designer is also great for practicing when you can’t play a real amp.
- You can also record the guitar software instruments in Logic if you don’t have a real guitar or know how to play one. You only need to have basic skills with a keyboard to get cool guitar sounds.
How to Record Guitar on Logic Pro X
Recording a guitar on Logic Pro X is pretty straightforward. If you have experience setting up a basic recording session in the app, all you need to do is make sure that you have the correct input source for your guitar.
The two primary ways to record guitar on Logic are by using an audio interface or microphone, and both of these essentially follow the same process. But you can also get guitar sounds with the software instruments and a MIDI keyboard if you don’t have a guitar.
Follow these steps to record a guitar on Logic Pro X using an audio interface.
1. Connect your audio interface to your Mac using the necessary cables.
2. Connect your audio interface to a power source if needed.
3. Connect your guitar to your audio interface. Your guitar will need an output to do this, and you plug the guitar into the interface just like you would a guitar amp. If you don’t have an output (or pickup), you’ll need to mic the guitar to record it.
4. Open a new project in Logic Pro X.
5. From the New Project window, select either Audio or Guitar or Bass.
6. Select the appropriate input source in the Audio Input drop-down menu. This will be the name of your interface in this situation.
7. Select Create. A new logic project will open with the interface as the input source for your guitar.
You can also select the input source for any track in an open project from the Mixer or Region windows of an already open project. This is good to know if you want to add a guitar track to an existing project.
Just click on the input channel strip indicated in the image below and select your interface as the source.
8. Now you are all ready to record a guitar track. Select the track on which you want to record the guitar and click the record button (marked as an R) to arm the track for recording.
9. Hit R on the keyboard or press the Record button to begin recording.
10. Play your guitar track and hit stop when you are done.
If you want to record a guitar using a microphone like if you have an acoustic guitar without a pickup, the process is basically the same. But instead of selecting your interface as the input source, you’ll choose whatever input your mic is plugged into.
To keep things easy, I typically set up my guitar input as input 1 or 2. You can choose whatever you want, but just remember what is what if you are using a lot of tracks in a single project.
When you have the correct input selected, arm the track, and then you are all set. Hit record and lay down a good track!
How to Record Bass Guitar on Logic Pro X
Recording a bass guitar is really no different than recording an electric guitar. You’ll follow the same steps above, plug your bass into your audio interface, and set up the recording session from there.
You can’t really mic a bass guitar, so you’ll need an interface to connect it to Logic. You can mic a bass amp, but I like to have a direct bass line and an amp line, so you have more control over how the bass sounds and how it’s mixed.
Logic Pro X Guitar Presets
Logic Pro X comes with a bunch of guitar presets. These are basically virtual amps that give you a ton of different sounds to play with when you have a guitar plugged into the app. It’s a fun way to experiment with different amp sounds or practice if you don’t already have an amp.
You can access these presets in the Sound Library. With your guitar plugged into an interface and the correct input source selected, you can scroll through the various amp sounds and record with whatever option you like the best.
The Sound Library also has bass guitar and acoustic guitar sounds, in addition to the electric guitar amps. Connect your guitar to Logic and play around with all of these to see all the possibilities.
Best Guitar Plugins for Logic Pro X
There are a lot of different guitar plugins that you can use in Logic Pro X. Everything from amp designers to effects are available, and the sky is the limit with all of the options. Some of these are free, while others you need to pay for.
Like guitars and guitar amps, every player has their favorite options for plugins. But you can learn more by checking out my post on the best guitar plugins for Logic Pro X here.
FAQs
Here are a few short answers to some of the most frequently asked questions relating to how to record guitar on Logic Pro X.
Is Logic Pro X good for guitar?
Logic Pro X is a great platform for recording guitar tracks. You can plug in an electric or acoustic guitar using an audio interface or mic them up. The app has a lot of different effects and virtual amps that you can use to shape the sound of your guitars.
How do I track my guitar on Logic?
To track your guitar on Logic, make sure to have an audio track selected and then choose the appropriate input source. Then all you need to do is arm the track, hit record, and lay down your guitar track.
Why is my guitar not recording in Logic?
Ensure you have selected the correct input source for your guitar track. If you are using an audio interface or microphone, select that as the input source for your guitar track. Also, make sure that you have the volume on your guitar turned up.
Final Thoughts
Recording guitar on Logic Pro X is straightforward, but you’ll need a microphone or audio interface to do it properly. Once your guitar is connected to an interface or mic’d up, recording is as simple as hitting the red button and rocking out.
If you are a guitar player, you’ll love all of the guitar presets built into Logic Pro X. There are also many different plugins to play around with to achieve a unique sound, so take advantage of all that Logic Pro X has to offer!
What type of guitar do you have, and how do you record it in Logic Pro X? Let me know in the comments below.
