Can't Hear Logic Internal Sound Banks Options

[pwpi]

Hello, My first post here, hopefully the beginning of many more.

I've just installed Logic Pro and have a couple of issues:

I can't seem to get any sound from Logic's stock instruments. My midi in/out is active in the right side of the transport window but the selected track (let's say for argument purposes "grand piano") can't be heard. I see the midi signals being sent in the console section (little green light flashing when I press a key on my midi controller) but no sound from the actual instrument.

The loops can be heard and manipulated no problems.
I can import audio files no problem and hear them. (aif, wave, etc.)

I suspect I'm doing something wrong or not enabling a switch/button or whatever so that I can hear the sound.


Also . . . none of my VST Plug-ins are showing up. (Absynth, Vanguard, Arp 2600, Reason, etc.) They are all located in User Library/Audio/Plugins/VST

Any help with these matters would be graciously appreciated.

Thanks so much in advance for reading this post.

PW

[Jim Hoyland]

On the VST front, you'll need something like this:

http://www.fxpansion.com/index.php?page=5&tab=22

there may be freeware equivalents but someone else will have to fill you in on this. On the plus side, Logic comes with a huge array of plug-ins and there are many freeware Audio Unit (AU) plugs out there. Bear in mind that with all the programmes out there, people wouldn't use Logic if it wasn't any good.

On the instrument side, it sounds like you're actually addressing a midi channel rather than a built-in instrument. When you load Logic the Arrange page shows a selection of tracks available to use (Audio Tracks, Audio Instruments, Midi Instruments). The default view for midi instruments (unless you've set up your enviroment properly) is a selection of GM sounds and I think you've selected one of these.

To access the internal instruments, select an Audio Instrument track. On the left hand side of the screen you'll see a channel strip with a volume fader, pan pot and an IO section with two small boxes. The bottom box will usually show the selected audio output (defaulting to 1 & 2). The top box is where you select your audio instrument. Click and hold on this box and a dialogue box will appear where you can select the type instrument (Apple / AU / Logic), then the number of channels (Mono / Stereo / Multichannel) and then the actual instrument itself.

Once you've picked the instrument, you may have to choose the patch. Often this is located in a drop-down menu indicated by a downwards pointing triangle, but click around the interface and you'll find out what the thing can do.