Logic Pro X: Troubleshooting basics
If Logic Pro X isn't performing as expected, try these basic troubleshooting steps to attempt to isolate and resolve the issue. Note that these steps are not intended to cover any specific issue and are not comprehensive.
- Review Logic Pro X documentation
In order to verify that Logic Pro X is working as expected, it's always a good idea to review the documentation to ensure that you clearly understand the expected behavior of what you're trying to do in Logic Pro X. Following this step thoroughly could save a lot of time by eliminating perceived issues.
The user guides are available from the Help menu in Logic Pro X, or as a PDF download.
To access the user guides in Logic Pro X , choose Help and select the user guide you wish to view.
To access the user guides online or download PDFs, visit http://support.apple.com/manuals/#professionalsoftware.
- Verify that your computer meets the system requirements for Logic Pro X
- Ensure Logic Pro X is up to date
Installing the latest update ensures that your software has the latest improvements and enhancements.
Choose Apple () menu > Software Update and make sure that you have the most recent update for Logic Pro X.You can also download and install updates from the Mac App Store. See Mac App Store: Update OS X and apps for more information.
- Check third-party compatibility
If you're using a third-party audio interface, MIDI interface, storage system, control surface, or plug-ins, check the support area on the manufacturer's website to be sure that you're using the latest version of the relevant driver or other software for your product. For information on troubleshooting possible issues with Audio Unit plug-ins, click here.
- Test with no audio driver
You can isolate issues with audio devices by starting Logic Pro X with no audio driver. Press and hold the Control key immediately after Logic Pro X starts to open. A dialog asking whether you wish to launch audio drivers will appear. Click "No" and see if Logic Pro X starts up normally.
- Test using the computer's built-in audio hardware
If you use external audio hardware, try setting Logic Pro X to use the built-in audio hardware on your computer. Choose Logic Pro X > Preferences > Audio from the main menu and click the Devices tab. Choose the built in audio hardware from the Input Device and Output Device pop-up menus. If the issue is resolved using built-in audio, refer to the manufacturer of your audio interface.
- Start Logic with a different project template
Sometimes project files can become damaged, causing unexpected behavior in Logic. If you use a template, damage to the template can cause unexpected results with any project subsequently created from it. To create a completely fresh project choose File > New from Template and select Empty Project in the template selector window. Test to see if the issue is resolved in the new project.
Sometimes, issues with the data in a project can be repaired. Open an affected project and open the Project Information window with the Project Information key command. Click Reorganize Memory to attempt to repair the project. When you reorganize memory, the current project is checked for any signs of damage, structural problems, and unused blocks. If any unused blocks are found, you will be able to remove these, and repair the project. Project memory is also reorganized automatically after saving or opening a project.
- Delete the user preferences
You can resolve many issues by restoring Logic Pro X back to its original settings. This will not impact your media files. To reset your Logic Pro X user preference settings to their original state, do the following:
- In the Finder, choose Go to Folder from the Go menu.
- Type ~/Library/Preferences in the "Go to the folder" field.
- Press the Go button.
- Remove the com.apple.logic10.plist file from the Preferences folder. Note that if you have programmed any custom key commands, this will reset them to the defaults. You may wish to export your custom key command as a preset before performing this step. See the Logic Pro X User Manual for details on how to do this. If you are having trouble with a control surface in Logic Pro X, then you may also wish to delete the com.apple.logic.pro.cs file from the preferences folder.
- If you have upgraded from an earlier version of Logic Pro, you may also need to remove ~/Library/Preferences/Logic/com.apple.logic.pro.
- Reinstall Logic Pro X
Another approach you might consider is reinstalling Logic Pro X. To do this effectively, you need to remove the application, then reinstall Logic Pro X. You don't have to remove everything that was installed with Logic Pro X. Follow the steps below to completely reinstall a fresh copy of Logic Pro X.
- In the Finder, choose Applications from the Go menu.
- Locate the Logic Pro X application and drag it to the trash.
- Open the Mac App Store
- Click the Purchases button in the Mac App Store toolbar.
- Sign in to the Mac App Store using the Apple ID you first used to purchase Logic Pro X.
- Look for Logic Pro X in the list of purchased applications in the App Store. If you don't see Logic Pro X in the list, make sure it's not hidden. See Mac App Store: Hiding and unhiding purchases for more information.
- Click Install to download and install Logic Pro X.