I have the Snap and Nudge key commands that I use regularly assigned to the numeric keys below the function keys. I have reassigned my favourites to the numeric keys above the alphabet. Open your Key Commands window, using Option-K, and make a note of the snap mode and Division key commands. You can also set key commands to raise or lower the Division setting in the transport bar, to change the snap resolution when using the Snap Division setting. It really helps to set up dedicated key commands to switch between the different snap settings, so that you can quickly toggle between them. When the Snap Mode menu is set to Division, your editing actions will snap to the value of the Division setting in the transport bar in this case, 16th notes. With Snap to Absolute Value ticked, when you move a region it will go to the nearest exact bar line to the left or right of the region, regardless of the region's original position. For example, with a snap setting of Bar, a region being moved will snap to a bar to the left or right of its original position. With this option unticked, all your snap actions are relative to the original position. You can further configure whether your snapping actions will be relative to the original position or absolute to the grid using the Snap to Absolute Value option from the Snap menu. For example, if you set the snap mode to Division and the Division setting in the transport bar to /16, your editing actions will snap to a 16th-note grid. While most of the snap settings are self-explanatory, the Division setting is special, as it works in conjunction with the Division setting in the transport bar, using its value to decide what your editing movements will snap to.
I find the most useful options to be Smart, Bar and Division. The other settings in the Snap menu are ordered in increasing grid resolution: Bar, Beat, Division, Ticks, QF and Samples. Its default setting is Smart, which tells Logic to try to guess the resolution of the grid you want your editing actions to snap to by how far you are zoomed in or out on the Arrange page.
The Snap Mode menu in Logic is located at the top right-hand corner of the Arrange page. The snap function in Logic forces your editing actions, such as moving, copying, resizing and splitting, to Logic's timing grid, and choosing the right snap setting for the resolution you want to work at can help your workflow. In this month's column we'll be looking at using Logic's snap, nudge and transient detection facilities to improve workflow for basic data input and editing tasks, both on and off the grid. We're reading between the lines in Logic this month, with a look at editing using the snap and nudge facilities.