Apple GarageBand 08 User Manual
GarageBand
Getting Started
Includes a tour of the GarageBand window
and step-by-step tutorials to help you start
creating music and podcasts with
GarageBand.
1
Contents
Chapter 1 6 Welcome to GarageBand
6
What You’ll Learn
7
Before You Begin
7
What You Need to Get Started
7
Where to Go for Help
7
Finding Out More
Chapter 2 8 GarageBand at a Glance
9
GarageBand Window
11
Timeline
13
Editor
13
For Real Instruments
14
For Software Instruments–Graphic View
15
For Software Instruments–Notation View
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For Podcasts and Movies–Marker View
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Loop Browser
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Button View and Podcast Sounds View
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Column View
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Track Info Pane
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Real and Software Instrument Tracks
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Master Track
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Media Browser
Chapter 3 24 Tutorial 1: Creating, Playing, and Saving GarageBand Projects
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Creating a New Project
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Creating a Project Automatically with Magic GarageBand
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Playing Your Project
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Saving Projects
Chapter 4 30 Tutorial 2: Adding Apple Loops
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Finding Loops You Want to Use
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Finding Loops in Column View
Finding Loops in Button View
Previewing Loops
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Refining Your Loop Searches
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Showing Loops from a Specific Jam Pack or Folder
Searching by Scale Type
Limiting Searches to Nearby Keys
Searching by Name
Adding Loops to the Timeline
Changing Apple Loops in the Same Family
Creating Your Own Apple Loops
Adding Loops to the Loop Library
Chapter 5 39 Tutorial 3: Recording Vocals and Musical Instruments
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Adding a Real Instrument Track
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Getting Ready to Record
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Recording a Real Instrument
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Recording Multiple Takes with the Cycle Region
Recording on Several Tracks at the Same Time
Changing Real Instrument Settings
Changing the Track Instrument
Choosing the Input Source
Adjusting the Recording Level
Tuning Guitars and Other Instruments
Chapter 6 47 Tutorial 4: Playing and Recording Software Instruments
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Playing Software Instruments with Musical Typing
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Playing Software Instruments with the Onscreen Music Keyboard
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Getting Ready to Record a Software Instrument
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Recording a Software Instrument
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Recording a Software Instrument with the Cycle Region
Changing Software Instrument Settings
Viewing Note and Chord Names
Chapter 7 54 Tutorial 5: Working with Music Notation
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About Notation View
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Editing Notes in Notation View
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Adding Notes
Selecting Notes
Moving Notes
Copying Notes
Changing the Pitch of Notes
Changing the Duration of Notes
Deleting Notes
Changing Note Velocity
Adding Pedal Symbols
Contents
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Changing the Clef Sign
Printing Music Notation
Chapter 8 61 Tutorial 6: Arranging and Editing Your Music
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Arranging Basics
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Moving Regions
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Resizing Regions
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Looping Regions
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Splitting Regions
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Joining Regions
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Using the Arrange Track
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Editing Regions in the Editor
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Renaming Regions
Transposing Regions
Enhancing the Timing of Regions in a Real Instrument Track
Enhancing the Timing of Items in a Software Instrument Track
Enhancing the Tuning of Regions in a Real Instrument Track
Setting Real Instrument Regions to Follow Their Original Tempo and Pitch
Using Undo and Redo
Chapter 9 72 Tutorial 7: Mixing and Adding Effects
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What Is Mixing?
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Basic Mixing
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Setting Track Volume Levels
Setting Track Pan Positions
Setting the Overall (Master) Volume
Adding a Fade-Out
Adding Effects to a Project
Types of Effects
Adding Effects to a Track
Turning Effects On and Off
Adjusting Effects Settings
Creating and Saving an Effect Preset
Creating Changes over Time with Automation Curves
Chapter 10 81 Tutorial 8: Creating Podcasts
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Creating an Enhanced Podcast Episode
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Creating a Podcast Project
Recording the Podcast Audio
Adding Podcast Sounds
Importing Media Files
Adding Music
Adding and Editing Markers
Contents
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Adding Marker Region Artwork
Adding a URL to a Marker
Adding Chapter Titles
Deleting Markers
Adding Episode Artwork
Editing Artwork
Editing Episode Information
Ducking Backing Tracks
Creating Video Podcasts and Movie Projects
90 Importing a Movie or Video File
90 Viewing the Movie
90 Working with the Movie’s Audio Track
91 Adding Audio
91 Adding Markers, Titles, and URLs to a Video Podcast
Chapter 11 92 Tutorial 9: Sharing Your Projects
92 Sharing Music Projects
93 Sharing Podcasts
94 Sharing Video Podcasts
95 Exporting Projects at the Optimum Loudness
Appendix A 96 Keyboard Shortcuts
Appendix B 100 Connecting Music Equipment to Your Computer
10 0 Connecting a Musical Instrument or Microphone
101 Connecting a Music Keyboard to Your Computer
101 Connecting Other Music Equipment
Contents
5
1 Welcome to GarageBand
1
GarageBand brings out the rock star in everyone. It puts
a music studio on your computer, where the band is
never late and always plays in tune. This document gives
you useful information and step-by-step instructions for
creating projects with GarageBand.
No matter what your level of musical knowledge or experience, GarageBand lets you
unleash your musical creativity. With GarageBand, you can record, arrange, and mix
your music, and share it with the world. GarageBand puts a complete recording studio,
with pro-quality instruments and effects, at your fingertips–and the band will never
show up late for the gig! Whether you’re a pro or you’ve never played a note, you can
make your own music using GarageBand.
6
What You’ll Learn
The following chapters give you a tour of the GarageBand windows and an extensive
tutorial to help you start creating your own projects. You’ll learn to do the following:
 Create a new music project and make project settings (tempo, key, time)
 Add Apple Loops to start creating an arrangement
 Record using a microphone or an electric musical instrument
 Play and record the built-in Software Instruments
 Arrange your music in the timeline
 Mix your project and add effects
 Share your project (by sending it to another iLife application, exporting it to disk, or
burning it to a CD)
 Create audio and video podcasts
 Add a musical score to an iMovie project or video
There are also appendixes listing keyboard shortcuts and describing how to connect
music equipment to your computer.
Before You Begin
To make it easier to follow the tutorials as you work, print each tutorial before you start.
In many of the tasks shown in this document you need to choose menu commands. In
the tutorials, and in GarageBand Help, menu commands appear like this:
Choose Edit > Join Selected.
The first term after Choose is the name of the menu in the GarageBand menu bar. The
term (or terms) following the angle bracket is the command you choose from that
menu.
What You Need to Get Started
All you need to create music in GarageBand is a Macintosh computer that meets the
system requirements, as listed in the Read Me file. Optionally, you can use any of the
following equipment to expand your music-making possibilities:
 A microphone to record your voice or an acoustic musical instrument
 An electric musical instrument, such as an electric guitar or bass
 An audio interface to connect microphones and music instruments to your computer
 A Universal Serial Bus (USB) or other MIDI-compatible music keyboard to play and
record Software Instruments
 A pair of speakers or monitors to hear the music you create with greater audio
quality
Where to Go for Help
You can access these resources for help as you complete the tutorial:
 Onscreen help: GarageBand comes with a built-in help system. With a GarageBand
project open, choose Help > GarageBand Help. When the help page opens, type a
word or phrase into the search field at the top of the page, or click one of the topic
areas to get detailed instructions for completing specific tasks.
 Help tags: Help tags describe the functions of buttons, tools, and other onscreen
items. To see a help tag, hold the pointer over an item for a few seconds.
Finding Out More
For up-to-date information on GarageBand, including news about new features, user
tips, and a list of supported music equipment, go to the GarageBand website at
www.apple.com/ilife/garageband.
For support, go to the GarageBand support site at
www.apple.com/support/garageband.
Chapter 1 Welcome to GarageBand 7
2 GarageBand at a Glance
2
This chapter gives you a tour of the GarageBand window.
You will learn the names and locations of controls, to
help orient you for the following tutorials.
It’s a good idea to take a look at these pages even if you don’t plan to complete the
tutorials, because knowing the names and functions of the GarageBand controls will
make it easier to find answers to your questions in GarageBand help. You may find the
descriptions here enough to get you started working on your own projects.
8
The GarageBand window includes the timeline, the loop browser, the editor, and the
Track Info pane. You record instrument, arrange regions, and mix your projects in the
timeline, find and preview loops in the loop browser, and change instrument, effects,
and input settings in the Track Info pane.
GarageBand Window
A
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JIHG
Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance 9
A Track headers: The instrument icon and name are shown at the left of each track’s header. Click
the name to type a new track name. Click the Record Enable button (with the red circle) to turn
on the track for recording. Click the Mute button (with the speaker icon) to silence the track.
Click the Solo button (with the headphone icon) to hear the track by itself. Click the Lock Track
button (with the padlock icon) to lock the track. Click the triangle to show the track’s automation
curves.
B Track mixer: Drag the pan dial to adjust the pan position of the track (the left-to-right
placement in the stereo field). Drag the volume slider to adjust the track’s volume. Watch the
level meters to see the track’s volume level as you record and play.
C Timeline: Contains the tracks where you record Real and Software Instruments, add loops, and
arrange regions. Also includes the beat ruler, which you use to move the playhead and align
items in the timeline with beats and measures. See “Timeline” on page 11 for a description of the
features and controls of the timeline.
D Zoom slider: Drag the zoom slider to zoom in for a closer view of part of the timeline, or to
zoom out to see more of the timeline.
Add Track button: (+) Click to add a track below the existing tracks in the timeline.
E
F Loop Browser and Editor buttons: Click to open the loop browser or the editor.
G Transport controls: Click the Record button to start recording. Click the Play button to start or
stop the project playing. Click the Go To Beginning, Rewind, or Fast Forward buttons to move the
playhead to different parts of the project. Click the Cycle button to turn the cycle region on or
off.
H LCD: The LCD has four modes: Time, Measures, Chord, and Project.
In Time and Measures modes, the LCD shows the playhead’s position in either absolute time
(hours, minutes, seconds, fractions) or musical time (measures, beats, ticks). Drag or double-click
the numerals to move the playhead.
In Chord mode, you can see chord symbols when you play any Software Instrument. You can also
use the built-in tuner to tune guitars and other Real Instruments connected to your computer.
In Project mode, you can choose a different key and time signature for the project, and change
the project tempo.
I Master volume slider and level meters: Drag the volume slider to adjust the project’s master
volume level. Watch the level meters to see if clipping is occurring before you export a project.
Track Info and Media Browser buttons: Click to open the Track Info pane or the Media Browser.
J
10 Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance
Timeline
The timeline contains the tracks where you record Real and Software Instruments, add
loops, and arrange regions.
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A
B
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Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance 11
Beat ruler: Shows beats and measures (the units of musical time) in the timeline. You can click
A
the beat ruler to move the playhead to any point in the timeline.
Tracks: You organize your music, record Real and Software Instruments, and shape their sound
B
in tracks. When you add a loop to a project, a new track is created. You arrange your music by
working with regions in tracks in the timeline.
Playhead: Shows the point in the project that is currently playing, or where playback starts
C
when you click the Play button. Cut and copied items are pasted at the playhead position. You
can move the playhead to change what part of the project is playing.
Arrange track: You can add Arrange regions to the Arrange track to define different sections of
D
a project (such as intro, verse, and chorus). You can copy and move the Arrange regions to
rearrange your project.
Grid button: Choose a note value for the timeline grid, or choose Automatic to have the value
E
change when you zoom in or out.
Automation curves: Add automation curves for volume, pan, and other parameters to a track,
F
then add and adjust control points on each curve to create changes over time.
Regions: When you record a Real Instrument or Software Instrument, or add a loop, you create a
G
region in the timeline. You can copy and paste regions, loop and resize them, move and
transpose them, and make other changes to build the arrangement of your music.
Master track: You can add automation curves to the master track to create changes to the
H
overall project volume, add a fade-in or fade-out, change the tempo, or transpose parts of the
project to a different key.
I Playhead Lock button: Click to unlock the playheads in the timeline and the editor, so that you
can see different parts of the project in the timeline and the editor.
J Scroll bars: Drag the horizontal scroller to move to a different part of a project. Drag the vertical
scroller to see tracks not currently visible.
12 Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance
Editor
The editor is like a microscope showing a close-up view of part of a track. You can edit
Real and Software Instrument regions in the editor.
For Real Instruments
When you select a Real Instrument track, the editor shows the waveform of the regions
on the track. You can crop, join, move, transpose, and rename regions in the editor.
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A Name field: Type a new name for the selected region in the field.
B Pitch slider and field: Drag the slider to transpose the selected region up or down by up to 12
semitones. You can also type the number of semitones in the field. The Pitch slider and field are
visible only when a region on the track is selected.
C Follow Tempo & Pitch checkbox: Select to have the selected region follow the project tempo
and key. The checkbox is visible only when a region on the track is selected.
D Zoom slider: Drag to zoom in for a closer view or to zoom out to see more of the track or
selected region. Zooming in the editor is independent of the timeline.
E Beat ruler: Shows beats and measures for the area visible in the editor.
F Waveform display: Shows the waveform of the regions in the track.
G Playhead: Shows the point in the project that is currently playing.
H Enhance Tuning slider and checkbox: Drag right to increase the amount of tuning
enhancement, or drag left to lower the amount. The “Limit to Key” checkbox limits tuning
enhancement to notes in the project key.
I Enhance Timing slider and pop-up menu: Drag right to increase the amount of timing
enhancement, or drag left to lower the amount. Choose the note value to use as the basis for
timing enhancement from the pop-up menu.
J Scroll bar: Drag the scroller to move to a different part of the track.
GF
Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance 13
For Software Instruments–Graphic View
When you select a Software Instrument track, the editor shows a graphic display of the
track or selected region. You can edit individual notes in Software Instrument regions,
fix the timing of notes, and transpose and rename regions. You can also show and edit
controller data for pitch bend, a modulation wheel, or a sustain pedal, recorded when
you play your music keyboard.
F H I
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B
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A Name field: Type a new name for the selected region in the field.
B Pitch slider and field: Drag the slider to transpose the selected Software Instrument region up
or down by up to 36 semitones. You can also type the number of semitones in the field. The
Pitch slider and field are visible only when a region on the track is selected.
C Velocity slider and field: Drag the slider to change the velocity of selected notes. You can also
type the velocity value in the field. A note’s velocity reflects how hard the key is pressed when
you play the note. The Velocity slider and field are visible only when a region on the track is
selected.
D Zoom slider: Drag to zoom in for a closer view or to zoom out to see more of the track.
E Graphic/Notation View buttons: Click to change the editor to graphic view or notation view.
F Display pop-up menu: Choose whether to show notes or controller data in the editor.
G Enhance Timing slider and pop-up menu: Drag right to increase the amount of timing
enhancement, or drag left to lower the amount. Choose the note value to use as the basis for
timing enhancement from the pop-up menu.
H Beat ruler: Shows beats and measures for the area visible in the editor.
I Playhead: Shows the point in the project that is currently playing.
J Notes/controller data display: Shows the individual notes of Software Instrument regions in a
graphic format. You can move and resize notes to adjust their pitch, where they start playing,
and how long they play. To see controller data, choose the type of data you want to see in the
Display pop-up menu.
K Scroll bar: Drag the scroller to move to a different part of a track.
14 Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance
For Software Instruments–Notation View
You can also view Software Instrument tracks and regions in notation view. In notation
view, notes and other musical events are shown in standard music notation. You can
edit notes and edit controller information (including velocity and pedal markings for
sustain) in notation view.
F I
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A Name field: Type a new name for the selected region in the field.
B Pitch slider and field: Drag the slider to transpose the selected Software Instrument region up
or down by up to 36 semitones. You can also type the number of semitones in the field.
C Velocity slider and field: Drag the slider to change the velocity of selected notes. You can also
type the velocity value in the field. A note’s velocity reflects how hard the key is pressed when
you play the note.
D Zoom slider: Drag to zoom in for a closer view or to zoom out to see more of the track.
E Graphic/Notation View buttons: Click to change the editor to graphic view or notation view.
F Note Value button: Click to choose the note value for notes you add.
G Enhance Timing slider and pop-up menu: Drag right to increase the amount of timing
enhancement, or drag left to lower the amount. Choose the note value to use as the basis for
timing enhancement from the pop-up menu.
H Clef selector: Choose a different clef for the notation view display.
I Beat ruler: Shows beats and measures for the area visible in the editor.
J Playhead: Shows the point in the project that is currently playing.
K Notation display: Shows the musical events of Software Instrument regions in standard music
notation. You can move notes to adjust their pitch and where they start playing, and change
how long they play.
L Scroll bar: Drag the scroller to move to a different part of a track.
K
Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance 15
For Podcasts and Movies–Marker View
When you are working on a podcast episode, you can view and edit markers in the
editor. In the marker list you can edit each marker’s time position, marker region
artwork, URL, URL title, and chapter title. You can also add episode artwork in the
editor.
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A Episode Artwork well: Drag artwork here to represent the podcast.
(Appears only when you are creating a podcast.)
B “Marks a Chapter” checkbox: Shows whether the selected marker marks a chapter.
Displays Artwork checkbox: Shows whether the selected marker contains marker region
artwork. (Appears only when you are creating a podcast.)
Display URL checkbox: Shows whether the selected marker has a URL.
C Add Marker button: Add a marker at the playhead position.
D Marker list: Shows each marker’s start time, artwork (for podcasts) or video frame (for videos),
chapter title, URL, and URL title.
E Time column: Shows the start time for each marker.
F Artwork column: Shows the artwork for each marker region. Add artwork by dragging image
files from the Media Browser. (Appears only when you are creating a podcast.)
Still Frame column: Shows the video frame at the position of each marker.
(Appears only when you are working with a video.)
G Chapter Title column: Shows the title of each chapter marker. Click and type a title for a marker.
H URL Title column: Shows the title of each marker region’s URL. Click and type a title for the URL.
I URL column: Shows the URL for each marker region. Type a URL (address) for the website for
which you want to show a link.
16 Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance
Loop Browser
The loop browser lets you quickly search for loops to add to your projects. You can find
loops using keywords for instrument, musical genre, or mood. You can also perform
text searches and refine your results in several ways. The loop browser shows the
tempo, key, and number of beats for each matching loop. You can preview loops in the
loop browser before you add them to a project, and add more loops to GarageBand by
dragging them onto the loop browser. The loop browser gives you three ways to find
loops: button view, column view, and podcast sounds view.
Button View and Podcast Sounds View
In button view, the loop browser contains a set of keyword buttons. Click a button to
show matching loops in the results list. Clicking multiple buttons narrows the results to
those loops that match all of the selected keywords.
Podcast sounds view is similar to column view, but with a different set of keywords
featuring sound effects, jingles, and other loops suitable for podcasts. You work with
the keywords in podcast sounds view the same way you do in column view.
HB
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C E
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A Keyword buttons: Click a keyword button to display matching loops in the results list. You can
click multiple keyword buttons to narrow your results.
B Reset button: Deselects all currently selected buttons, so you can start a new search.
C View buttons: Click one of the buttons to show column view, button view, or podcast sounds
view.
D Scale pop-up menu: Choose a scale type to see only loops using that musical scale.
E Search field: Type text in the field to see loops with the text in their file name or path.
F Preview volume slider: Drag the slider to adjust the volume of the loop being previewed.
Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance 17
Results list: Shows loops that match the selected keywords. Also displays the tempo, key, and
G
number of beats for each loop. Click a loop in the results list to preview it. Click the Favs
checkbox for a loop to add it to your favorites.
H Loop library pop-up menu: Choose the loops you want to show in the loop browser from the
pop-up menu.
Column View
In column view, the loop browser features columns for keyword type, categories, and
keywords. Click a keyword type to show categories for that type, click a category to
show keywords, and then click a keyword to show matching loops in the results list.
Clicking multiple keywords expands the results to those loops matching any of the
selected keywords.
A
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A Keyword type column: Click a keyword type to show the categories for that keyword type in
the middle column.
B Category column: Click a category to show keywords for that category in the right column.
C Keyword column: Click a keyword to show matching loops in the results list. You can click
multiple keywords to expand your results.
D View buttons: Click one of the buttons to change the view between column, button, or podcast
sounds view.
E Scale pop-up menu: Choose a scale type to see only loops using that scale.
F Search field: Type text in the field to see loops with the text in their file name or path.
G Preview volume slider: Drag the slider to adjust the volume of the loop being previewed.
H Results list: Shows the loops that match the selected keywords. Also displays the tempo, key,
and number of beats for each loop. Click a loop in the results list to preview it. Click the Favs
checkbox for a loop to add it to your favorites.
18 Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance
Track Info Pane
The Track Info pane shows the current instrument, effects, and input settings for the
selected track, and shows the master effects settings for the master track. You can
change these settings in the Track Info pane.
Real and Software Instrument Tracks
Some controls in the Track Info pane are different for Real Instrument tracks than for
Software Instrument tracks (as noted in the following descriptions).
B CA
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Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance 19
A Instrument library pop-up menu: Choose which instruments you want to see in the category
and instrument lists from the pop-up menu.
B Instrument category list: Click an instrument category to see the instruments for that category
in the instrument list on the right.
C Instrument list: Click an instrument from the list.
D Instrument icon pop-up menu: Click to choose a new instrument icon from the icon menu that
appears. Icons make it easy to distinguish tracks that use similar instruments.
E Details triangle: Click to show the instrument and effects settings.
F Effect checkboxes, sliders, and pop-up menus: Click an effect checkbox to turn the effect on or
off. Drag the sliders to adjust the level of the effects, or choose an item from the pop-up menus.
Drag effects up or down by their left edge to reorder them.
The Track Info pane includes the following effects for Real and Software Instruments:
 Gate slider (Real Instrument tracks only): Drag the slider to adjust the strength of the gate.
The gate reduces noise from your input source.
 Instrument Generator and Generator Preset pop-up menus (Software Instrument tracks
only): Choose an instrument generator and a generator preset from the menus.
 Compressor pop-up menu: Choose a compression setting from the pop-up menu.
 Visual EQ pop-up menu: Choose an EQ (equalizer) setting from the pop-up menu. Click the
Edit button to see and graphically edit the Visual EQ.
 Effect and effect preset pop-up menus: Click a checkbox to turn additional effects on or off.
Choose an effect from a pop-up menu on the left, then choose an effect preset from the popup menu on the right.
 Echo slider: Drag the slider to adjust the amount of echo.
 Reverb slider: Drag the slider to adjust the amount of reverb.
G Input Source pop-up menu (Real Instrument tracks only): Choose the input source for Real
Instrument recording.
Monitor pop-up menu: Turn on monitoring to hear your instrument as you play. You can turn
on monitoring with or without feedback protection.
Recording Level slider and checkbox: Drag to set the input volume for the track. Select the
Automatic Level Control checkbox to have GarageBand lower the recording level to prevent
clipping.
H Effect edit buttons: Click to show an effect’s preset window, where you can edit the effect
preset.
I Save Instrument and Delete Instrument buttons: Click the Save Instrument button to save an
instrument. Click the Delete Instrument button to delete a saved instrument.
20 Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance
Master Track
The Track Info pane for the master track shows the global project settings and effects
settings for the overall project. Global project settings include tempo, time signature,
and key. Global effects settings include master echo, reverb, EQ, and compressor.
B CA
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Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance 21
The Echo and Reverb sliders for each track control the amount of echo and reverb sent
from that track to the master echo and reverb effects. In the Track Info pane for the
master track, you can change the master echo and reverb effects.
A Master effects pop-up menu: Choose which master effects you want to see in the category and
effects lists from the pop-up menu.
B Master effects category list: Click a category to see the effects for that category in the master
effects list on the right.
C Master effects list: Click a set of master effects from the list.
D Tempo slider and field: Drag the slider to change the project’s tempo, or type a new tempo in
the field.
E Time pop-up menu and field: Choose a time signature from the pop-up menu.
F Key and scale type pop-up menus: Choose a key from the Key pop-up menu, and then choose
a scale type from the Scale pop-up menu.
G Details triangle: Click to show the global effects settings.
H Effect checkboxes, pop-up menus, and slider: Click an effect checkbox to turn the effect on or
off. Choose an item from the pop-up menus, or drag the slider, to adjust an effect. The Track Info
pane includes the following effects for the master track:
 Echo pop-up menu: Choose a global echo preset.
 Reverb pop-up menu: Choose a global reverb preset.
 Effect and effect preset pop-up menus: Click a checkbox to turn an additional effect on or off.
Choose an effect from a pop-up menu on the left, then choose an effect preset from the popup menu on the right.
 Visual EQ pop-up menu: Choose a global equalizer setting from the menu.
 Compressor pop-up menu: Choose a global compressor setting from the menu.
 Ducker pop-up menu: When ducking is turned on, choose a ducking setting from the menu.
I Effect edit buttons: Click to show an effect’s preset window, where you can edit the effect
preset.
J Save Master and Delete Master buttons: Click the Save Master button to save a set of master
effects. Click the Delete Master button to delete a saved set of master effects.
22 Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance
Media Browser
The Media Browser lets you find and add songs from your iTunes library, photos from
your iPhoto library, iMovie projects, and other video files.
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D
E
A Audio, Photos, and Movies buttons: Click the button for the type of media files you want to
work with.
B Source list: Navigate to the folder containing the files you want to use. You can also add folders
by dragging them from the Finder.
C Media list: View, preview, and select media files to add to your project.
D Play button: Click to preview the selected media file.
E Search field: Type text to search for files with matching names.
Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance 23
3 Tutorial 1: Creating, Playing, and
Saving GarageBand Projects
3
GarageBand projects hold your music and all the changes
you make.
You can create and save projects, add loops and record your own performances in the
timeline, and play the project to hear your music.
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to:
 Create a new project
 Set the project tempo, time signature, and key
 Play the project
 Save the project
Creating a New Project
You start working in GarageBand by creating a project. Projects hold your music and all
the changes you make. When you create a new project, you set the project tempo, key,
and time signature. You can change these settings later in the LCD (liquid crystal
display) or the Track Info pane.
1 Choose File > New.
2 When the GarageBand screen appears, select Create New Music Project.
3 In the New Project dialog, type a name for the project in the Save As field, and then
24
To create a new project:
browse to the location where you want to store the project.
4 Set the project tempo, time signature, and key, as described in the following steps.
Tempo slider
Scale pop-up menu
menu
Key pop-up menuTime pop-up
Setting the Tempo
Each project has a speed, or tempo. The tempo defines the rate at which beats, the
basic rhythmic pulse, occur in the project. The tempo is measured in beats per minute,
or bpm. You can set the tempo to any speed between 60 and 240 bpm. The default
tempo is 120 bpm, which is a common tempo used in popular music.
5 Set the project tempo by dragging the Tempo slider (drag left to make the tempo
slower, or drag right to make it faster). You can also type a tempo in the Tempo field
(marked “bpm”).
Setting the Time Signature
Each project has a time signature, which controls the relationship between beats and
measures. A project’s time signature consists of two numbers separated by a forward
slash, which look similar to a fraction. The number on the left controls the number of
beats in each measure, and the number on the right controls the beat value (the length
of the note that gets one beat).
You can use any of the following time signatures in a GarageBand project: 2/2, 2/4, 3/4,
4/4, 5/4, 7/4, 6/8, 7/8, 9/8, or 12/8. The default is 4/4, the most commonly used time
signature.
6 Choose a time signature from the Time pop-up menu.
Chapter 3 Tutorial 1: Creating, Playing, and Saving GarageBand Projects 25
Setting the Key
Each project has a key, which defines the central note to which the other notes in the
music relate. The key can be any key between A and G-sharp (G#). Along with the key,
you can choose to use either the major or minor scale.
7 Choose a key from the Key pop-up menu, and choose “major” or “minor” from the Scale
pop-up menu to the right of the Key pop-up menu.
8 When you have finished making the project settings, click Create.
Note: You can change the tempo, time signature, and key later in the LCD or in the
Track Info pane for the master track.
Your new project appears. New projects have one track by default, with the Grand
Piano instrument loaded and ready to play. A project can be up to 9999 measures long.
The central area of the GarageBand window is the timeline, which is organized into
horizontal rows called tracks, which hold your music. The left area shows the track
headers, where you can adjust volume and other settings for each track. Below the
timeline is a row of buttons for different editors and inspectors, and transport controls
you use to play your projects. For more information about the controls in the
GarageBand window, see Chapter 2, “GarageBand at a Glance.”
You can make music in three different ways using GarageBand:
 By adding Apple Loops
 By recording sound from a microphone or an electric instrument connected to your
computer
 By connecting a USB or MIDI keyboard and playing the Software Instruments built
into GarageBand
Creating a Project Automatically with Magic GarageBand
You can also have GarageBand create a project for you automatically with Magic
GarageBand. When GarageBand creates a Magic GarageBand project, you can choose
the genre (style) of music, and choose the instruments. GarageBand creates the project,
which you can play, edit, and share as you can any GarageBand project.
To create a project automatically:
1 Choose File > New.
2 In the GarageBand screen, click Magic GarageBand.
26 Chapter 3 Tutorial 1: Creating, Playing, and Saving GarageBand Projects
3 When the Magic GarageBand stage appears, click one of the genre buttons (the large
square buttons located under the stage) to select a genre for the song.
Use one of these
buttons to choose
the genre
Click this button to hear
a preview of the song
4 To preview the song, click either Snippet or Entire Song, then click the Play (π) button.
The first time you click Play, the song takes a few moments to start playing. A progress
indicator below the stage shows the progress of opening the song.
5 To choose different instruments to use in the song, click the Audition button.
The curtain opens on the Magic GarageBand stage, showing the instruments used in
the song.
Use these buttons to
change the selected
instrument
Click to create
the new project
Chapter 3 Tutorial 1: Creating, Playing, and Saving GarageBand Projects 27
6 Select one of the instruments on the stage, and then choose a different instrument
from the list of instruments that appears below the stage.
7 After you choose the instruments you want, click Play again to hear the song with the
new instruments.
8 When the song is ready, click Create Project.
The GarageBand window appears. Tracks appear for each of the instruments, with
regions containing the music for each instrument.
After the song appears in the GarageBand timeline, you can edit the regions for the
different instruments, record the part for My Instrument, and make other changes to
the project.
Playing Your Project
After you have added some loops and recordings to your project, you’ll want to play it
back to hear how it sounds. You play projects using the transport controls, which are
located in the bar below the timeline.
Play button
Cycle button
Record button
The transport controls are similar to the playback controls used on tape and CD players.
They include, from left to right:
 Record: Starts recording on tracks that are enabled for recording
 Go to beginning: Moves the playhead to the beginning of the project
 Back (Rewind): Moves the playhead back one measure
 Play/Pause: Starts the project playing, or stops playback
 Forward: Moves the playhead forward one measure
 Cycle: Turns the cycle region on or off
28 Chapter 3 Tutorial 1: Creating, Playing, and Saving GarageBand Projects
Saving Projects
Now that you’ve made some changes to your project, it’s time to save your work.
To save a project:
m Choose File > Save (or press Command-S).
When you close a project, by default GarageBand creates an iLife preview for the
project. An iLife preview lets you preview the project in the Media Browser and in other
iLife applications. It can also increase the project’s file size. You can select whether to
create an iLife preview for projects in the General pane of GarageBand preferences.
You can also save a project as an archive. When you save a project as an archive, all the
audio files, loops, and other media the project uses are saved in the project file. This is
especially useful if you want to copy the project to another computer, or are
duplicating a project with your own Real Instrument recordings.
To save a project as an archive:
1 Choose File > Save As.
2 In the Save As dialog, select the Save As Archive checkbox.
You can also compact projects to make sharing easier. Compacting a project reduces
the file size by compressing audio in the project. Compacting can result in some loss of
audio quality.
To compact a project:
1 Choose File > Save As.
2 In the Save As dialog, select the Compact Project checkbox.
3 Choose the compression settings you want to use from the pop-up menu next to the
Compact Project checkbox.
Chapter 3 Tutorial 1: Creating, Playing, and Saving GarageBand Projects 29
4 Tutorial 2: Adding Apple Loops
4
You can use Apple Loops to add backing and rhythm
tracks to your projects. You can also add Apple Loops to
your loop library and create your own Apple Loops.
GarageBand comes with a large collection of Apple Loops. Apple Loops are
prerecorded musical phrases in a variety of genres, instruments, and moods that you
can add to your projects. Loops are recorded to create seamlessly repeating patterns
that you can extend (or “loop”) to fill any amount of time. What’s great about using
Apple Loops in your GarageBand project is that you can freely mix loops that were
recorded in different keys and at different tempos, but they all play back in the project
key and at the project tempo.
Most popular music today is based on repeating rhythmic patterns (sometimes called
“grooves” or “riffs”), especially in the drum and bass parts. To create music in a groovebased style, an effective way of working is to add loops for the drums, and then add
loops for bass and other rhythm parts. Working this way, you can define the rhythmic
feel of the project and also build the basic shape of the project by blocking out
sections with different grooves. After the rhythm parts are in place, you can record
voices and instruments to add lead, solo, and harmony parts.
30
You can quickly set the feel of a project by adding a few Apple Loops. GarageBand
makes it easy to search for loops that fit the criteria you want, preview them, and add
them to the timeline.
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to:
 Find and preview loops in the loop browser
 Add loops to the timeline
 Create your own Apple Loops
 Add loops to the loop library
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