Mix & master in Logic Pro
Two jobs, two pages
Mixing in Logic Pro is mostly about the stock tools you already have, used in a sensible order. This hub has two guides, each built around Apple's own feature names so you can follow them in the app.
- A vocal or instrument is out of tune. Go to Flex Pitch and pitch correction in Logic Pro. It covers note-by-note editing in the Audio Track Editor, the real-time
Pitch Correctionplug-in, and which to use when. If you searched for "autotune in Logic", that is the page. - The mix is done and needs to be release-ready. Go to Mastering in Logic Pro. It walks through
Mastering AssistantonStereo Out, the loudness and true-peak numbers platforms publish, dither, and the point at which a mastering engineer is worth the money.
When you are ready to deliver, the Bounce & export hub covers the Bounce dialog and stem exports. If Logic stutters under a heavy plug-in load while you mix, Logic Pro system overload lists Apple's buffer and freeze settings.
Guides in this hub
GuideFlex Pitch and pitch correction in Logic Pro (the built-in autotune)
Flex Pitch for surgical note edits, the Pitch Correction plug-in for the hard-tuned effect or a quick fix, and the settings that decide whether it sounds natural.
10 min read
GuideMastering in Logic Pro with Mastering Assistant
Mastering Assistant on Stereo Out, step by step, with sourced loudness and true-peak figures, dither rules and an honest line on when a human mastering engineer is worth it.
10 min read
More guides in this hub are planned; the ones below cover the highest-demand jobs first.
How to think about a mix in Logic Pro
The order of operations in a mix
Most mix problems come from doing things in the wrong order rather than with the wrong plug-in. A workable sequence for a Logic project:
- Fix the source. Comp takes, tune with Flex Pitch, tighten timing, and remove noise. Processing cannot hide a bad edit, and tuning after compression exaggerates artifacts.
- Gain-stage and organize. Use the Region inspector
Gainfield or clip gain so each track peaks well below 0 dBFS, then group related tracks into Summing Track Stacks (Drums, Vocals, Music). Color-code and name everything; your stem export later depends on the names. - Static balance with faders and pans only. Get a rough mix that already sounds like a song before any EQ. If it cannot be balanced with faders, the arrangement is the problem.
- Subtractive EQ, then compression, then additive EQ. Cut what masks first (
Channel EQhigh-pass on everything that is not bass or kick), control dynamics (Compressor), and only then add tone. - Space. Send-based reverb and delay on aux channel strips (
Space Designer,ChromaVerb,Tape Delay), not inserts, so one reverb glues many tracks and the CPU load stays low. Apple's own overload guidance recommends send effects for reverb for the same reason. - Bus processing. Light compression or saturation on the Drums or Vocals stack, then a gentle bus compressor on
Stereo Outif the genre wants it. - Automation. Fader rides on vocals, effect throws, mutes. Do it last so it is reacting to the finished balance.
- Reference and rest. Compare against two commercial tracks at matched loudness (drop them on a track routed around your bus processing), take a break, and listen again at low volume and in mono.
Mastering is a separate pass. Bypass anything on Stereo Out that is louder than a gentle bus compressor before you reach for Mastering Assistant.
Stock plug-ins worth learning first
| Plug-in | What it is for | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
Channel EQ | The everyday eight-band EQ with an analyzer | High-pass unneeded lows, cut a narrow band where a track sounds boxy, then broad gentle boosts. Leave the analyzer on while learning so you can see what you hear. |
Compressor | Seven circuit models in one plug-in, from transparent to vintage FET and VCA styles | Start with the Platinum Digital model, aim for 2 to 4 dB of gain reduction on vocals, slow attack and fast release on drums. Switch models once the settings feel right. |
ChromaGlow | Apple's saturation effect, listed with the distortion effects in the Logic Pro guide and named among Logic Pro 12's headline features | Use it on a bus or a single track for warmth and density instead of a stack of EQ boosts; small amounts on the Drums stack go a long way. Apple's documentation lists its controls on the ChromaGlow controls page. |
Space Designer | Convolution reverb using sampled real spaces and synthetic impulses | Put it on an aux channel strip, feed it from sends, and start with a medium hall or plate preset. Use the pre-delay to keep the vocal in front. |
Four other stock tools pay off quickly: Tape Delay for rhythmic throws, Multipressor once you understand single-band compression, Limiter or Adaptive Limiter for a quick loudness check, and the Level Meter and Loudness Meter to see what you are doing. All of them are included; there is no need to buy anything before you have outgrown these.
Loudness basics
Streaming services turn tracks down to a playback target, so mastering louder than that target buys nothing and costs dynamics. Spotify's artist documentation states that it normalizes to -14 dB LUFS by default, with Loud and Quiet listener settings at -11 and -19, and asks for a true peak no higher than -1 dBTP (or -2 dBTP if the master is louder than -14 LUFS). Apple's Mastering Assistant documentation states that the Loudness knob's center position lands around -14 LUFS-I and that the plug-in limits output to -1 dBFS true peak for streaming.
So: measure in LUFS, not peak dB. Use the Loudness Meter plug-in or the meters inside Mastering Assistant to read integrated loudness (I) over the whole song, keep true peak at -1 dBTP or lower, and treat genre as the deciding factor between roughly -14 and -9 LUFS-I. Mastering in Logic Pro has the sourced numbers in a table and explains what happens to a hot master on each platform.
FAQ
Does Logic Pro have autotune?
Logic Pro has two built-in tools for it: Flex Pitch for editing individual notes in the Audio Track Editor, and the Pitch Correction plug-in for real-time correction with a key and scale. Auto-Tune is a separate product by Antares that also runs in Logic as an Audio Unit.
Can I master a song in Logic Pro without other plug-ins?
Yes. Mastering Assistant on Stereo Out analyzes the mix and applies EQ, loudness and width processing, and its meters show LUFS and true peak. For a commercial release, a mastering engineer still adds a second set of ears and a calibrated room.
What loudness should I mix to in Logic Pro?
Leave the mix with headroom (peaks around -6 dBFS) and set loudness at the mastering stage. Spotify documents -14 LUFS as its default normalization level with a true peak of -1 dBTP; Apple's Mastering Assistant targets about -14 LUFS-I at its center setting.