How To Pitch Bend In Logic Pro | Top 3 Methods

The tools available in music production have allowed producers to create thrilling sonic experiences. Today’s Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) are powerful enough to emulate almost all analog gear that producers and audio engineers used back in the day.

Pitch bending is one of the ways you can create interesting dynamics and shift the mood of your song entirely.

Logic Pro offers different ways to apply this effect to your project. Choosing among these methods depends on your workflow and what you’re after. However, knowing different strategies for bending the pitch can be a valuable addition to your arsenal of production skills.

In this post, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about how to pitch bend in Logic Pro.

Using The Pitch Shifter Plugin

You can use various stock plugins in Logic that can change the pitch of your track. One of them is the Pitch Shifter. Compared to other plugins in this list, Pitch Shifter has some unique advantages. However, it comes with its drawbacks as well.

To add Pitch Shifter to your track:

•  Click on the little “i” in the circle on the top-left corner of your screen to open the Inspector menu.

•  Open the “Audio FX” slot and hover your pointer on “Pitch.”

•  Select the “Pitch Shifter” plugin.

The plugin’s interface is relatively straightforward. The first knob on the left allows you to control how many semitones you want to shift. The knob in the middle lets you detune the pitch shift value in cents (1/100 of a semitone). The last knob controls how much of the shifted pitch you want to be mixed with the original track.

Moreover, you can add a subtle delay to the track with the altered pitch to create interesting dynamics. The plugin offers different timing presets for Vocals, Drums, and Speech.

On the other hand, if you want to create smooth transitions and automations, the Pitch Shifter plugin may not be your best option. Since the plugin shifts your pitch in semitones, automating it wouldn’t result in notes sliding to the next one. Automating the control knob in the middle can be helpful to bend the pitch by cents ever-so-slightly.

AUPitch & AUNewPitch Plugins

Another plugin that you can use for pitch bending is Logic’s AUPitch. This simple yet powerful tool allows you to change the pitch up to an octave lower or higher, cent by cent.

To add the AUPitch Plugin to your track:

•  Click on the little “i” in the circle on the top-left corner of your screen to open the Inspector menu.

•  Open the “Audio FX” slot and hover your pointer on “Audio Units.”

•  Choose “Apple” and select “AUPitch.”

You can use the first knob on the left to change the pitch by cents. You can go from -2,400 to +2,400 cents.

Another plugin that works similarly is the AUNewPitch. I personally prefer this one since it’s more straightforward, and the pitch scale can be controlled via a fader rather than a knob. Moreover, you can enter the pitch scale value number for more precision.

To add the AUPitch Plugin to your track:

•  Click on the little “i” in the circle on the top-left corner of your screen to open the Inspector menu.

•  Open the “Audio FX” slot and hover your pointer on “Audio Units.”

•  From the “Apple” category, select “AUNewPitch.”

These plugins work both for audio and MIDI tracks. Automating pitch bend is a really cool production trick that can add subtle changes in the background or shift the entire atmosphere of your track.

For instance, you can automate the Pitch Scale value to raise 200 cents to change the key of your track a whole step. If you need more help, check out my guide on how to use automation in Logic Pro.

Editor Menu Pitch Bending Automation For MIDI

If you’re working with MIDI, you can take advantage of the automation tools in the editor menu to apply pitch bend to your track. You can bend up to two semitones higher or Lower.

•  Open the editor menu by pressing “E” on your keyboard.

•  With the editor menu open, press “A” on your keyboard to activate automation tools.

•  Select “Region” for the automation type, and choose “Pitch Bend” from the parameter pop-up menu.

Now, you can click on the automation grid to write new events for your pitch-bending effect. 0 would be the original pitch, while +64 is a whole step higher and -64 is a whole step lower.

Final Thoughts On Pitch Bending In Logic

Logic offers various tools to change the pitch value of your track. Whether you want to modulate it by semitones or you want a smooth slide from one key to another, you can achieve your goal by using Logic’s stock plugins.

Moreover, learning some automation techniques can take your production skills to the next level and help you create interesting dynamics throughout your track.

If you need more help regarding mixing, mastering, and producing music, I suggest getting my Free 6 Pillars To Learn Logic Pro Fast.