MIDI beats: A Songwriter's Guide to Beat-Making in Logic Pro X

Want to create your own beats but can’t afford to record them? I’ve got you covered. Today we’ll explore how you can use MIDI to record and compose your own music, and the tools you’ll need to do so.

Step 1: Getting a MIDI controller

Keyboards with MIDI out:

If you already own a keyboard then good news – you might be able to use it as a MIDI controller. If it has a MIDI out port, connect it to your computer using a MIDI>USB cable and open up the instrument in your DAW. If you’re a pianist and want the best of both worlds, you might prefer a controller with weighted keys.

MIDI Keyboards:

MIDI keyboards have become a songwriter’s best friend since their inception. Some choose the 88-key size for their home studio, while others opt for a compact 25-key microcontroller to sit on their bedroom desk. Most come with pads too, allowing you to trigger samples or percussion sounds. They’re much cheaper than synths, and as most people use external sounds/samples, all you need is a controller to trigger them.

I bought the AKAI MPK mini years ago and it still does everything I need. I can safely recommend this to anyone starting out, or any songwriter with a lack of space. Equally, controllers such as the Novation Launchpad and the M-Audio Keystation are great options depending on your preference.

AKAI MPK mini - £79 PMT

Step 2: Making a beat:

The advantage of having a MIDI controller means that you can compose rhythms at your fingertips and assign them to different instruments in a DAW. Basically, you could play the drums on your keyboard – that’s the beauty of MIDI.

In Logic, open a new software instrument and select “drum kit” or “electronic drum kit” from the instrument sidebar (the “i” icon). Once you’ve selected a kit, click on the “drum kit” tab in between the MIDI FX and the Channel EQ (see below).

From here you can customise the sounds of the kit, but let’s focus on the recording first. When you’re ready, hit the record button and play some notes on your MIDI keyboard. Click on the audio afterwards and you should see something like this:

Now your MIDI has been recorded, you can highlight & edit each note by adjusting note length, velocity and pitch.

To save time and effort, loop regions (hover the mouse over the end of the track) or copy & paste sections or MIDI notes (hold alt & click). For a more in-depth guide to beat making, check out this quick introduction about how to make a beat in Logic Pro X

Using MIDI without a MIDI controller:

Now, there is a way that you can access MIDI without buying a MIDI controller. In Logic, open up a new track but select “drummer” instead of “software instrument.” Logic will create a drum track to match if you already have parts recorded. Then, click on the audio region and select “edit.” Scroll down and choose “convert > convert to MIDI region.”

Or, if you drag & drop the drummer region to another instrument track, Logic will automatically convert these notes to MIDI. This means that you can edit & assign MIDI to any instrument you choose. However, as you don’t have a MIDI controller, just remember you’ll have to do this manually.

Step 3: Creating custom kits & using samples:

Once you know how to navigate MIDI, it’s worth knowing how to integrate your workflow so you can create beats with ease. In terms of Logic Pro X, the drum machine designer will do the job.

If you’ve got samples of the drum sounds you want, you can drag & drop these into this plugin and save them as a custom kit. You can also mix & match your own samples/recordings with anything you’ve got downloaded. All your sounds will be saved as subtracks under the main track, so you don’t end up with a huge list of individual tracks. This way, you’ll have all your samples at your fingertips when you want to record MIDI. After creating your custom kit, save it as a patch to use in future projects.

Overall, this is a great tool for composing rhythms using multiple sounds – and it’s free!

For more drum machine plugins, check out this guide.

Step 4: VST Plugins & how to make your beats sound better

So, you’ve quantized and refined the velocity of your beat – but what if you still want a better sound? Fortunately, you don’t have to buy a drum kit and record it yourself to get a top-quality sound for your project. There are many plugins available outside of Logic’s drumkits that will truly bring your song to life.

Addictive Drums 2

For songwriters who have never sat behind a drum kit, Addictive Drums could be a good option. The drum library comes with pre-recorded grooves, so you don’t have to start from scratch. It comes with a mix of both raw and pre-mixed plugins, and the mixing tools are easy to use. With 130 presets, you can also choose exactly how clean or processed the drums are with the Sound Ideal scale. Furthermore, you can search for grooves based on genre and switch between different variations suggested in the Beats tab.

Though easier to navigate, the quality isn’t compromised. Many leading composers have used Addictive Drums, and the drums were recorded at the famous Sound City studios in LA. As an all-around package, this is arguably the best value for money.

Addictive Drums 2 (custom collection) €169 xlnaudio.com

Audio Modern Playbeat

Billed as “the world’s smartest groove machine”, this is a great option for songwriters searching for a certain feel. If you don’t know where to start or lack inspiration, this plugin will generate beats for you to customise.

Playbeat creates patterns similar to the ones you’re trying to program. The more you use it, the more the algorithm gets to know your style and preferred patterns. This is great for songwriters who like to tap out rhythms or want to utilise electronic beats.

€69 Audio Modern

EZdrummer / Superior Drummer

If you’re after a studio-quality drum sound, these VSTs from Toontrack provide the best solution. Both come with preset kits tailored to certain styles/genres, giving songwriters a more authentic sound.

Along with a choice of 7 studio-recorded drum kits, EZ Drummer also offers percussion instruments such as tambourines, shakers and cowbells. Users can create custom kits, or search based on the genre. It’s ideal for those seeking more depth to their grooves.

The “Tap 2 Find” feature allows you to tap your desired rhythm on the MIDI keyboard. Then, EZ drummer will quantize your beat and display a list of grooves similar to your rhythm. Then you can decide to keep or adapt your beat.

If you’ve got the money and you’re looking for the best plugin available, Superior Drummer 3 is the one. With over 600 electronic & 250 electric drum sounds, songwriters are spoilt for choice. It also allows you to tweak the drum sounds by adjusting tuning and articulation – the kind of things you’d be able to do in a studio.

What’s awesome about Superior Drummer is the tracker technology. This allows you to record rhythms on an audio track and the A. I technology will convert these straight to MIDI data. Furthermore, it will replace your recording with its own “superior” drum sound.

You could play & record on a live drum kit and it would convert your recording to the kit of your choice - impressive to say the least. Just be aware that these will take up a decent amount of storage. I’m having to put Superior Drummer on an external hard drive as it takes up over 43GB!

If you regularly make drumbeats or want to release songs that will mirror the quality of a real-life recording, this would be a worthy investment.

EZ Drummer 3 €165 / Superior Drummer 3 €379 Toontrack

I hope this introduction has been helpful to you. Look out for my next article where I discuss popular beats to use for your songs. Stay curious, get creative & happy songwriting!

Enjoyed this post by Jacob? Check out his awesome piece about the most sampled beats in music history here.