The Shift key in Logic is an often overlooked modifier that offers a powerhouse of useful enhancements to regular editing functions. Be it tracks, regions, or Environment objects, we probably all know about Shift clicking to add to or remove from multiple selections. This is standard Mac OS functionality. But Logic has some built in functions for the Shift that are rarely used or discussed. Here I’ll look at three specific uses where the Shift key enhances editing functionality at the Arrange / Region level, Event level, and Sample level.

 

1.    One of the great features of Logic’s interface is that (usually) the most recently touched parameter being edited can be moved incrementally with the Plus and Minus keys. In the Arrange Window for example, if you are altering a parameter in the Region Parameter Box, the most recently touched function can be further moved up or down by increments of one with the Plus and Minus keys.  Adding the Shift key to the Plus and Minus keystrokes will increment or decrement the values by a factor of ten. So, for example, when editing the Velocity parameter of a Region, Shift along with the Plus or Minus keys will increment / decrement the values by ten instead of just by one when using the Plus or Minus keys alone. This is very useful for when you need to audition values far away from their initial levels. This is also good for moving the Transpose value in large steps.

 

2.    In the Event List, the actual note values respond similarly to having the Shift Key added to standard Plus and Minus keystrokes. When editing note positions, length, velocity, or any other Event List parameter, adding the Shift key with the Plus and Minus keystrokes will increment or decrement the most recently edited parameter by a value of ten. This will work with whatever specific field is being edited. For example, if the note length is being edited by bars, they will move ten at a time. If by ticks, or format values, these will move separately by ten steps. This is very useful for both very fine adjustments and very coarse adjustments. I personally use this often for transposing pitch. If I want to move something by an octave, it can be done in three keystrokes rather than twelve.

 

3.    In the Sample Editor, the Shift Key can be used in conjunction with scrubbing (via mouse dragging in the Sample Editor Window’s scrub zone – directly above the waveform display) to create or edit selections of audio. This is very useful for modifying or creating region boundaries. And particularly powerful is the fact that this interacts with the Zoom Level the Sample Edit Window is set at. So, it can be useful for very fine or very coarse selections.

 

Here’s two examples: Suppose you have an audio track from a drum loop CD that contains several drum loops. Scrub in the Sample Edit Window while holding the Shift Key to snap the selection to the positions of the beginning and end of each specific loop; then use the Create Region command to create a Region based on the selection. You can easily move through long files in this way, very quickly isolating the individual loops.

 

Second example: suppose you want to edit Region boundaries of some freshly recorded live audio to omit a vocal breath, or mouth click, or unwanted pre or post roll that was captured. Scrub with the Shift key to zero in on the exact position, the selection will conform to the new positioning. The Region -> Selection Key Command will then modify the actual Region start / stop markers to the new selection. This is a great way to zero in on a very specific location at the either the beginning or end of a Region.

 

So there you have three examples of how using the Shift Key can enhance basic day-to-day editing tasks. In conjunction with the Plus and Minus keys, values can be shifted by a factor of ten in both the Arrange Window and Edit Window. And when used in conjunction with Sample Edit Window scrubbing; selection boundaries can be snapped to new positions accurately and quickly.