Create groove templates in Logic Pro for Mac

You can create quantization grids, called groove templates, based on the rhythms of audio or MIDI regions. You can use groove templates to capture the subtle timing deviations that give a region its “feel” and apply that feel to other audio or MIDI regions. You can even take the feel of an audio region and apply it to a MIDI region—helping a MIDI clavinet part to sit well with a funk guitar Apple Loop, for example.

Note: To use an audio region for a groove template, Flex must be activated on the track containing the region.

You can also select multiple regions to create a groove template, and all of them will contribute their transients or notes to the new groove template. When there are multiple transients or MIDI notes around the same musical position, however, only the first will be evaluated for the groove template.

Tip: Two-bar MIDI regions work particularly well for groove templates, but you can use MIDI regions of any length. Make sure that the source MIDI region actually contains a note at every desired quantization value.

Create a groove template

In Logic Pro, select the audio or MIDI region or regions from which you want to create a groove template.
If you select multiple regions, the transients or notes from all the selected regions are used for the groove template. When there are multiple transients or MIDI notes around the same musical position, however, only the first will be evaluated for the groove template.
In the Region inspector, choose Quantize > Make Groove Template (or use the corresponding key command).
The new groove template appears near the bottom of the Quantize pop-up menu. By default, the groove template takes the name of the selected region (the first selected region, when multiple regions are selected).
To apply the new groove template, select the region or regions to apply it to, then select the groove template from the Quantize pop-up menu in the Region inspector.

Important: The source audio or MIDI region (or regions) used to create a groove template must remain in your project. If you delete the source region from the project, name of the groove template remains in the Quantize pop-up menu, but selecting the name produces no result.

Remove groove templates from the Quantize pop-up menu

In the Logic Pro Region inspector, open the Quantize pop-up menu of any region, and choose the groove template.
Open the Quantize pop-up menu again and choose “Remove Groove Template from List” (or use the corresponding key command).
The selected source region is deleted from the list of possible quantization templates, removing it from the Quantize pop-up menu. The region is not removed.
Without changing the actual quantization of that region (or of any other region that may use that groove template), the previously selected groove template is deleted, and the region is set to the Quantize value “off (3840).”

Share a groove template between projects

In Logic Pro, copy or create your source regions in one project.
Name these regions with the Text tool.
Open the Quantize pop-up menu, then choose Make Groove Template for each source region (or use the corresponding key command).
Pack all of these regions into a folder (and rename the folder Grooves, for example).
Choose File > Save As Template.

Use this template as your project starting point whenever you want to access these quantization templates.

Download the guides:

Logic Pro User Guide: PDF

Logic Pro Instruments: PDF

Logic Pro Effects: PDF

Helpful?

Logic Pro User Guide for Mac

Create groove templates in Logic Pro for Mac

Create a groove template

Remove groove templates from the Quantize pop-up menu

Share a groove template between projects