Channel Strip Settings vs Saving as Performance in Logic Pro

To all the studio nerds… This helped me a lot!

The difference between saving “as a performance” and saving a “channel strip setting” in Logic Pro comes down to the scope and intent of what you’re saving.

Channel Strip Setting:

• Scope: A channel strip setting saves the technical configuration of the channel strip, such as the loaded instrument, effects, and any routing (e.g., buses, sends). It’s essentially saving the state of the channel at that point in time.
• Intent: This is primarily used when you want to reuse a certain sound or effect chain across different projects. For example, you might save a guitar tone with a particular amp, EQ, and reverb settings that you want to recall later in different contexts or projects.
• Focus: This is about the structural and static elements of your sound, not necessarily how you’ve played or performed with it.

Saving “As a Performance”:

• Scope: Saving “as a performance” captures not just the technical settings but also the dynamic and expressive aspects of how you used those settings. This might include automation, modulation, or real-time tweaks during recording or playback.
• Intent: The idea here is to preserve the unique character of a particular musical performance with its creative nuances, such as specific volume or effect automation, modulation wheel usage, or other performance-related adjustments.
• Focus: The focus is on preserving both the channel settings and the artistic intent behind them, making it more specific to the performance, not just the sound.

In Summary:

• Channel Strip Setting: General technical settings for reuse across projects (instruments, plugins, effects).
• As a Performance: Specific settings tailored to the exact way you performed or manipulated the sound in a particular session (including automation, modulation, etc.).

If you’re trying to recall the exact emotional or musical feel of a recorded session, saving “as a performance” is more tailored to capturing that moment.