Apple 8 manual Using the Bar Ruler, Setting the Playhead Position and Controlling Playback

Using the Bar Ruler

The Bar ruler displays the project timeline, from left to right. It is broken down into bar and beat divisions, indicated by vertical lines and numbers. You can also view actual time values by clicking on the note icon at the right-hand end of the Bar ruler, and choosing a suitable option from the pop-up menu.

Playhead

The Bar ruler and Transport are closely tied to each other, with several functions accessible in both. These include the play and stop commands, plus activation of Cycle mode, and setting the cycle length. The Bar ruler also changes color when the Transport Record, Solo, or Sync buttons are active—providing clear visual feedback on the current mode. Keep an eye on the different fields in the Transport bar while trying out the following Bar ruler techniques. If you click-drag vertically on the corresponding numerical values in the Transport, your change will be reflected in the Bar ruler.

Setting the Playhead Position and Controlling Playback

The playhead indicates the current project position. You can directly interact with the playhead by dragging it in the Arrange area, or in the Bar ruler. The latter option is safer because there’s no chance that you’ll accidentally alter any regions.

To move the playhead to any position:

mClick at any position in the lower half of the Bar ruler.

The playhead will instantly move to the clicked position. You can also click-drag the playhead, if preferred.

To start or stop playback at any project position:

mDouble-click at any position in the lower half of the Bar ruler.

The playhead will instantly move to the clicked position, and playback will begin from this point. If Logic is already in play (or record) mode, a double-click in the Bar ruler will stop playback at the clicked position.

Chapter 1 Starting Your Project and Importing Media Files

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