If you are a blind Logic Pro user who wants to add that classic fade out to a song they are working on, this screen reader friendly tutorial will walk you through the two main ways you can get it done. One relies on Logic doing all the work and automating the fade out for you, and the other method gives you all the control.
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The Automated Method – Let Logic Do All The Work!
The first and easiest way to add a fade out to the end of a project, is using some Automatic automation Logic can create for you. This is found under the Mix Menu. To be specific, Mix>Create Track Automation>Create Volume Fade Out on Main Output. The Key Command for this if you have LogicKeyboardNinja installed is Control Option O.
Note that for this to work properly, make sure your project’s end marker is set at the point you would like your fade to be finished. You can set where your project end marker is by interacting with the “Tracks time ruler time line” area inside the track area in the main logic window. Once in the “Tracks time ruler time line” area navigate to the “128 bars End Marker value indicator” and interact with it. You can use VO+Left or Right Arrows to adjust where the end of the project will be. You can add the “Shift” Key to the previous key command to move in smaller increments. Also note the actual project end will be a measure after what you choose in the timeline area. So if you select Measure 96, the project will actually end at measure 97. I believe this is to add some safety leeway for things not getting cut off or for fade outs to end more naturally.
The Manual Option with Ultimate Control Over the Fade Out!
The second option involves standard volume automation techniques, but first you will need to add the master track, or the “stereo output track” as Logic calls it, to the track headers. This can be done with Track menu>Show Output Track, or use the key command Command Shift M. Given that this is a fade out, it makes sense that this change to the volume will happen gradually over time, so one automation point is what will be using here. Also don’t forget to set the automation parameter to volume as well. Once you have the parameter set to volume, Next you will want to verify that the playhead is where you would like the fade out to begin. You can drop a single automation point at the playhead position for volume pan and sends using the key command Command Control 3. Next move the play head to where you would like the fade out to end, and set the volume all the way down to inf before dropping another single automation point again with Command Control 3.
So there you have it, the two ways to fade out a project. If this tutorial assisted you in getting that fade out right for a song you been working on, please tag Logic.Band on twitter or on Facebook.
Also if you want to go deep on some creative usages for automation on your next project or anything else to do with Logic Pro, MacOS and VoiceOver, then visit the training page and book some one on one time.
