For those late to the party, SoundFlow is macro software, enabling the creation and execution of multiple functions resulting from a single button click. Direct integration with other DAWs and tools has been around for several years. Now, SoundFlow is available for use with Logic Pro.

So, as a Logic Pro user, why should you care about SoundFlow? I wasn't prepared to like it going in. But I do. I like it very much. No one is more surprised than I am. And I am asking myself why, against all odds, I find myself attracted to it.

I consider myself a crusty old dog at this point in life. I've been using Logic for over thirty years. I know all the key commands for the functions I use regularly and I am pretty fast with it using a keyboard and mouse. After trying several control surfaces and software solutions over the years, I put myself firmly in the "You'll have to pry the mouse of my cold dead hands" camp when it comes to thinking about changing my workflow to include third-party soft or hardware elements placed between Logic and my fingers.

But I do like it. And there are three main reasons why it fundamentally changes how I interact with Logic. Discoverability. Access. It's fun. I would go as far as to say that it modifies the whole user experience. And this applies to users of all levels. Let me elaborate.

Discoverability

The SoundFlow for Logic Pro package ships with a default 5 x 3 deck. A package is a container or folder that contains Commands. A deck is a grid of buttons that each have individual commands assigned to them. Each deck can contain multiple sub-decks, so a grid of fifteen buttons can provide access to hundreds of functions. Decks are accessible on iOS or Android devices, on Stream Decks, or even on the Mac's screen.

One of the major pain points for all DAW developers is making functions easily discoverable to new users. Sure, it's all there if you read the manual, watch videos, or studiously mine the menu items and key commands, but having nice pretty icons laid out right in front of you, neatly organised by related tasks, is a new way of learning about the program. For example, new users quickly learn basic transport tasks but to get into the deeper functions requires customising the Control Bar, and knowing what to customise it with. The SoundFlow Transport sub-decks put all the related functions right in front of you for you to see and tap on. It's not a menu, it's not a key command, it's a new user interface for accessing Logic functions.

Access

I consider myself a seasoned Logic user but no single person uses all of Logic's functions. We fall into familiar habits and workflows and this is what allows you to pick up speed and fly through routine tasks. The problem is that we often bypass some of the lesser needed functions, simply for lack of familiarity. For example, I rarely use the various track selection commands; they are useful, I simply never adopted them into my workflow. Being less familiar with them, I have to think about which menu they are under and mouse around to find them. But with the Select Tracks sub-deck, selecting all soloed tracks, muted tracks or unused tracks is easily accessible and right there in front of me. It's another manner of access. It's not a menu item to click on, not a keystroke combination to memorise, it's a button to push that is staring me right in the face.

Fun

I usually don't like change. I resist it, especially when it is not necessary. But change can also be fun. And SoundFlow is fun, with the promise of a deeper level of fun right around the corner. The more I use it, the more my mind swirls at the almost limitless possibilities, when not limited by single action tasks and keystrokes. My mind starts thinking in macros and they are not difficult to construct. Using the "Pin" function is mainly a simple matter of dragging and dropping various menu items, and maybe typing in the occasional file pathway.

For example: maybe you are a seasoned film composer. You have your favourite combination of staccato bassoon, pizzicato strings, glockenspiel, and piccolo for short percussive phrases that you like to bus together with a steep EQ cut at 750 Hz. Imagine invoking a single action to make that all happen. Imagine creating a library of these custom combinations, all from different libraries, with their bespoke processing called up.

Or how about this: You have a drum template with a parallel processing bus in place. You have several different chains of plug-ins you like to use on it at different times, under different circumstances. A single tap immediately replaces the whole chain. Sure, you can save channel strip settings or presets for this directly within Logic but you have to think about what is selected, what field do I click on, then what menu do I go to, then what sub menu, or is a key command for part of the chain of actions? With SoundFlow, everything is consolidated into a single surface, either virtual or physical.

Conclusion

Do you NEED SoundFlow? Of course not. Most users will live happily ever after, blissfully unaware, without it, but why rob yourself of what could be a truly enriching experience that opens you up to Logic in new ways? It is creatively stimulating in ways different than getting a great sounding new virtual instrument or effects plug-in. It opens your mind up by presenting you the possibilities for new workflows that you previously would balk at, due to the amount of key or mouse strokes involved. Check out soundflow.org and try out a free 30-day trial. Installation is a breeze, and the default deck is a fantastic starting point. They offer a host of easy online video tutorials on site, plus there is a large user community with lots of traffic and activity. These are exciting times!