studio-timer · v1.0
StudioTimer Manual
Session time tracker for Logic Pro — automatically logs work time per project.
Getting Started
StudioTimer is an AU MIDI FX plugin for Logic Pro that automatically tracks how long you work on each project.
Requirements
- Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or newer)
- macOS 13 (Ventura) or newer
- Logic Pro (or another AU MIDI FX-capable host)
Installation
- Download the
.pkginstaller and run it. - Open Logic Pro. StudioTimer appears under MIDI FX in the plugin browser.
- Insert StudioTimer on any MIDI channel strip (e.g., the first instrument track).
First Use
- Insert StudioTimer on a track in your Logic Pro project.
- Click the project name field (top center of the plugin) and type your project name.
- Press Return to confirm — the name is saved with the Logic project.
- The timer begins automatically after one second — you don’t need to start playback.
- Click Stop in the footer to save the session. Or close Logic / remove the plugin — both also finalize the open session.
Note: Logic Pro’s sandbox prevents StudioTimer from reading the project name automatically. You need to enter the name once manually — it is remembered from then on.
Hotkeys
StudioTimer has no keyboard shortcuts. All controls are on-screen.
| Control | Function |
|---|---|
| Project name field | Click to rename the current project. Saved with the Logic project file. |
| Power icon (top right) | Pause / Resume tracking. Timer shows amber when paused. |
| Stop / Start (footer) | Toggle. Stop ends the current session and saves it. Start begins a new session. The label switches automatically based on state. |
| + Session | Manually add a session or edit an existing one. |
| CSV Export | Export all sessions for this project as a .csv file. |
| Session table | Right-click any row to edit or delete that session. |
Stop and Start
Click Stop in the footer to save the current session. The timer resets to 00:00:00 and the button label switches to Start. Click Start to begin a new session — the timer starts from zero again. Both actions are manual; tracking does not auto-restart while you have pressed Stop.
Pause and Resume
Click the power icon in the top-right corner of the plugin header to pause tracking. The big timer turns amber. Click again to resume. Unlike Stop, the running session stays open — only the time is frozen.
Logic Pro’s channel strip bypass does not affect StudioTimer for MIDI FX plugins — use the power icon instead.
Cmd-W and Closing the Project Window
When you close the project window with Cmd-W in Logic, the project stays alive in the background (use Cmd-1 to bring the window back). StudioTimer deliberately keeps running in this case, because from the plugin’s point of view the project is still open. If you want to end the session at that moment, click Stop in the footer first.
Glossary
Session A single continuous work period. Starts automatically one second after the project opens and ends in one of three ways: (1) manually by clicking Stop in the footer, (2) by quitting Logic, (3) by removing the plugin from the channel strip. Sessions can also be added and edited manually via + Session.
HEUTE (Today) The elapsed time of the current open session — shown as the large timer in the plugin center.
GESAMT PROJEKT (Total) The sum of all finalized sessions plus the current open session for this project.
AU MIDI FX Audio Unit MIDI Effect — a Logic Pro plugin format that sits on MIDI channel strips. StudioTimer uses this format because it starts reliably when the Logic project opens.
Where is my data stored?
StudioTimer stores all sessions in a local SQLite database on your Mac — nothing is sent to the cloud. You can find the file at:
~/Library/Palmetshofer Audio/StudioTimer/sessions.dbThe database is intentionally open: you can open it with any SQLite tool, back it up, or use it for your own analysis.
Troubleshooting
The timer does not start. StudioTimer begins tracking about one second after the Logic project opens — you don’t need to start playback for this. If it still does not run, check that the plugin is inserted on an active MIDI FX slot, and that the footer shows Stop (not Start — the latter means tracking was manually stopped; click it to begin a new session).
The project name shows “Neues Projekt” after re-opening. This happens if you did not rename the project before saving. Open the project, click the name field, type your project name, and press Return. Save the Logic project to persist it.
A very short session (a few seconds) appears in the table. This can happen if Logic briefly plays back during plugin loading. You can delete it via right-click and Delete.
CSV Export is empty. Only finalized sessions (with a start and end time) are exported. The currently open session is not included until it is finalized.
The timer keeps running after Cmd-W. This is intentional. Cmd-W in Logic only closes the main window — the project itself stays alive in the background (use Cmd-1 to bring the window back). As long as the project lives, the timer keeps running too. To end the session, click Stop in the footer.
Credits
StudioTimer v1.0 Developed by Palmetshofer Audio — palmetshofer-audio.com