Work in the plug-in window

You edit plug-in parameters in the plug-in window, which opens automatically when you insert a plug-in.

Note: You can turn off this behavior by deselecting the “Open plug-in window on insertion” checkbox in the Logic Pro > Preferences > Display > Mixer pane.

The header area at the top of a plug-in window is common to all plug-ins. You can use it to adjust the size of the window, link plug-in windows when more than one is open, switch the plug-in parameter view, and route side chain signals.

Some plug-ins have additional parameters that don’t appear in the main plug-in window. In this case, a disclosure triangle appears at the bottom-left corner of the plug-in window.

Open a plug-in window (when it’s closed)

Click the center area of the plug-in slot.

Close a plug-in window

Click the close button at the top-left corner of the plug-in window.

Adjust plug-in parameters

Do any of the following:

To adjust a slider: Drag it vertically or horizontally. You can Command-click anywhere in the slider’s value range to set it to the clicked value.
To adjust a rotary knob: Drag it vertically. You can Command-click anywhere in the value circle surrounding the knob to set it to the clicked value.
To adjust a numerical field: Drag its numerical value vertically. You can also double-click in the numerical field, then type a new value using your computer keyboard.
To reset any parameter to its default (or centered) value: Option-click the parameter.
To make finer parameter adjustments: Hold down the Shift key before dragging a control.

Hide or show the plug-in window header

Click the icon at the top-right corner of the plug-in window.

Adjust the size of a plug-in window

Do one of the following:

Drag any corner of the plug-in window.
Choose a window size from the plug-in window’s View menu.

Both of these scalings apply to individual plug-ins.

Switch the plug-in parameter view

Choose Editor or Controls from the plug-in window’s View pop-up menu.

Editor view shows the plug-in’s graphical interface, if it offers one. Controls view displays all plug-in functions as a set of horizontal sliders, with numerical fields to the left of each parameter. These fields are used for both the display and entry of data.

Link or unlink plug-in windows

Click the Link button to the right of the plug-in window header.

When linked, a single plug-in window is used to display all open plug-ins. Each time you open a new plug-in, the window updates to reflect the newly chosen plug-in.

Route an instrument channel strip as the side chain signal

Click the instrument channel strip’s Send slot, then choose an unused bus from the pop-up menu.
An aux channel strip is created.
Click-hold the Output slot of the aux channel strip, then choose No Output from the pop-up menu.
The output signal of the aux channel strip, which you don’t want to hear, is turned off.
Open the plug-in from the instrument channel strip.
Choose the newly created aux channel strip from the plug-in’s Side Chain pop-up menu.

The plug-in processes the audio of the aux channel strip chosen in the Side Chain pop-up menu, and not the audio of the instrument channel strip that the plug-in is inserted into.

Hide or show additional parameters (if available for the plug-in)

Click the disclosure triangle at the bottom-left corner of the plug-in window.