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.
Chapter 1 |
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Welcome to GarageBand |
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What You’ll Learn |
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Before You Begin |
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What You Need to Get Started |
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Where to Go for Help |
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Finding Out More |
Chapter 2 |
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GarageBand at a Glance |
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GarageBand Window |
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Timeline |
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Editor |
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For Real Instruments |
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For Software Instruments–Graphic View |
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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 |
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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 |
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Tutorial 2: Adding Apple Loops |
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Finding Loops You Want to Use |
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Finding Loops in Column View |
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Finding Loops in Button View |
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Previewing Loops |
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Refining Your Loop Searches |
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Showing Loops from a Specific Jam Pack or Folder |
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Searching by Scale Type |
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Limiting Searches to Nearby Keys |
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Searching by Name |
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Adding Loops to the Timeline |
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Changing Apple Loops in the Same Family |
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Creating Your Own Apple Loops |
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Adding Loops to the Loop Library |
Chapter 5 |
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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 |
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Recording on Several Tracks at the Same Time |
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Changing Real Instrument Settings |
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Changing the Track Instrument |
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Choosing the Input Source |
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Adjusting the Recording Level |
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Tuning Guitars and Other Instruments |
Chapter 6 |
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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 |
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Changing Software Instrument Settings |
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Viewing Note and Chord Names |
Chapter 7 |
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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 |
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Selecting Notes |
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Moving Notes |
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Copying Notes |
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Changing the Pitch of Notes |
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Changing the Duration of Notes |
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Deleting Notes |
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Changing Note Velocity |
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Adding Pedal Symbols |
Contents |
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Changing the Clef Sign |
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Printing Music Notation |
Chapter 8 |
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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 |
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Transposing Regions |
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Enhancing the Timing of Regions in a Real Instrument Track |
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Enhancing the Timing of Items in a Software Instrument Track |
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Enhancing the Tuning of Regions in a Real Instrument Track |
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Setting Real Instrument Regions to Follow Their Original Tempo and Pitch |
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Using Undo and Redo |
Chapter 9 |
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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 |
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Setting Track Pan Positions |
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Setting the Overall (Master) Volume |
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Adding a Fade-Out |
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Adding Effects to a Project |
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Types of Effects |
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Adding Effects to a Track |
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Turning Effects On and Off |
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Adjusting Effects Settings |
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Creating and Saving an Effect Preset |
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Creating Changes over Time with Automation Curves |
Chapter 10 |
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Tutorial 8: Creating Podcasts |
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Creating an Enhanced Podcast Episode |
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Creating a Podcast Project |
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Recording the Podcast Audio |
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Adding Podcast Sounds |
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Importing Media Files |
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Adding Music |
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Adding and Editing Markers |
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Contents |
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86Adding Marker Region Artwork
87Adding a URL to a Marker
87Adding Chapter Titles
87Deleting Markers
88Adding Episode Artwork
88Editing Artwork
88Editing Episode Information
89Ducking Backing Tracks
90Creating Video Podcasts and Movie Projects
90Importing a Movie or Video File
90Viewing the Movie
90Working with the Movie’s Audio Track
91Adding Audio
91 Adding Markers, Titles, and URLs to a Video Podcast
Chapter 11 |
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Tutorial 9: Sharing Your Projects |
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Sharing Music Projects |
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Sharing Podcasts |
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Sharing Video Podcasts |
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Exporting Projects at the Optimum Loudness |
Appendix A |
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Keyboard Shortcuts |
Appendix B |
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Connecting Music Equipment to Your Computer |
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Connecting a Musical Instrument or Microphone |
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Connecting a Music Keyboard to Your Computer |
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Connecting Other Music Equipment |
Contents |
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Welcome to GarageBand |
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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.
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:
ÂCreate a new music project and make project settings (tempo, key, time)
ÂAdd Apple Loops to start creating an arrangement
ÂRecord using a microphone or an electric musical instrument
ÂPlay and record the built-in Software Instruments
ÂArrange your music in the timeline
ÂMix your project and add effects
ÂShare your project (by sending it to another iLife application, exporting it to disk, or burning it to a CD)
ÂCreate audio and video podcasts
ÂAdd 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.
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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.
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:
ÂA microphone to record your voice or an acoustic musical instrument
ÂAn electric musical instrument, such as an electric guitar or bass
ÂAn audio interface to connect microphones and music instruments to your computer
ÂA Universal Serial Bus (USB) or other MIDI-compatible music keyboard to play and record Software Instruments
ÂA pair of speakers or monitors to hear the music you create with greater audio quality
You can access these resources for help as you complete the tutorial:
ÂOnscreen 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.
ÂHelp 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.
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 |
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GarageBand at a Glance |
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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.
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.
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Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance |
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ATrack 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.
BTrack 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.
CTimeline: 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.
DZoom 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.
EAdd Track button: (+) Click to add a track below the existing tracks in the timeline.
FLoop Browser and Editor buttons: Click to open the loop browser or the editor.
GTransport 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.
HLCD: 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.
IMaster 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.
JTrack Info and Media Browser buttons: Click to open the Track Info pane or the Media Browser.
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Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance |
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The timeline contains the tracks where you record Real and Software Instruments, add loops, and arrange regions.
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Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance |
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ABeat ruler: Shows beats and measures (the units of musical time) in the timeline. You can click the beat ruler to move the playhead to any point in the timeline.
BTracks: You organize your music, record Real and Software Instruments, and shape their sound 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.
CPlayhead: Shows the point in the project that is currently playing, or where playback starts 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.
DArrange track: You can add Arrange regions to the Arrange track to define different sections of a project (such as intro, verse, and chorus). You can copy and move the Arrange regions to rearrange your project.
EGrid button: Choose a note value for the timeline grid, or choose Automatic to have the value change when you zoom in or out.
FAutomation curves: Add automation curves for volume, pan, and other parameters to a track, then add and adjust control points on each curve to create changes over time.
GRegions: When you record a Real Instrument or Software Instrument, or add a loop, you create a 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.
HMaster track: You can add automation curves to the master track to create changes to the overall project volume, add a fade-in or fade-out, change the tempo, or transpose parts of the project to a different key.
IPlayhead 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.
JScroll bars: Drag the horizontal scroller to move to a different part of a project. Drag the vertical scroller to see tracks not currently visible.
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Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance |
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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.
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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AName field: Type a new name for the selected region in the field.
BPitch 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.
CFollow 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.
DZoom 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.
EBeat ruler: Shows beats and measures for the area visible in the editor.
FWaveform display: Shows the waveform of the regions in the track.
GPlayhead: Shows the point in the project that is currently playing.
HEnhance 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.
IEnhance 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.
JScroll bar: Drag the scroller to move to a different part of the track.
Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance |
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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.
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AName field: Type a new name for the selected region in the field.
BPitch 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.
CVelocity 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.
DZoom slider: Drag to zoom in for a closer view or to zoom out to see more of the track.
EGraphic/Notation View buttons: Click to change the editor to graphic view or notation view.
FDisplay pop-up menu: Choose whether to show notes or controller data in the editor.
GEnhance 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.
HBeat ruler: Shows beats and measures for the area visible in the editor.
IPlayhead: Shows the point in the project that is currently playing.
JNotes/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.
KScroll bar: Drag the scroller to move to a different part of a track.
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Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance |
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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.
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AName field: Type a new name for the selected region in the field.
BPitch 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.
CVelocity 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.
DZoom slider: Drag to zoom in for a closer view or to zoom out to see more of the track.
EGraphic/Notation View buttons: Click to change the editor to graphic view or notation view.
FNote Value button: Click to choose the note value for notes you add.
GEnhance 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.
HClef selector: Choose a different clef for the notation view display.
IBeat ruler: Shows beats and measures for the area visible in the editor.
JPlayhead: Shows the point in the project that is currently playing.
KNotation 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.
LScroll bar: Drag the scroller to move to a different part of a track.
Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance |
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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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AEpisode 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.
CAdd Marker button: Add a marker at the playhead position.
DMarker list: Shows each marker’s start time, artwork (for podcasts) or video frame (for videos), chapter title, URL, and URL title.
ETime column: Shows the start time for each marker.
FArtwork 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.)
GChapter Title column: Shows the title of each chapter marker. Click and type a title for a marker.
HURL Title column: Shows the title of each marker region’s URL. Click and type a title for the URL.
IURL column: Shows the URL for each marker region. Type a URL (address) for the website for which you want to show a link.
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Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance |
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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.
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.
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AKeyword buttons: Click a keyword button to display matching loops in the results list. You can click multiple keyword buttons to narrow your results.
BReset button: Deselects all currently selected buttons, so you can start a new search.
CView buttons: Click one of the buttons to show column view, button view, or podcast sounds view.
DScale pop-up menu: Choose a scale type to see only loops using that musical scale.
ESearch field: Type text in the field to see loops with the text in their file name or path.
FPreview volume slider: Drag the slider to adjust the volume of the loop being previewed.
Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance |
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GResults list: Shows 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.
HLoop library pop-up menu: Choose the loops you want to show in the loop browser from the pop-up menu.
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.
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AKeyword type column: Click a keyword type to show the categories for that keyword type in the middle column.
BCategory column: Click a category to show keywords for that category in the right column.
CKeyword column: Click a keyword to show matching loops in the results list. You can click multiple keywords to expand your results.
DView buttons: Click one of the buttons to change the view between column, button, or podcast sounds view.
EScale pop-up menu: Choose a scale type to see only loops using that scale.
FSearch field: Type text in the field to see loops with the text in their file name or path.
GPreview volume slider: Drag the slider to adjust the volume of the loop being previewed.
HResults 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.
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Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance |
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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.
Some controls in the Track Info pane are different for Real Instrument tracks than for Software Instrument tracks (as noted in the following descriptions).
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Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance |
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AInstrument library pop-up menu: Choose which instruments you want to see in the category and instrument lists from the pop-up menu.
BInstrument category list: Click an instrument category to see the instruments for that category in the instrument list on the right.
CInstrument list: Click an instrument from the list.
DInstrument 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.
EDetails triangle: Click to show the instrument and effects settings.
FEffect 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:
ÂGate slider (Real Instrument tracks only): Drag the slider to adjust the strength of the gate. The gate reduces noise from your input source.
ÂInstrument Generator and Generator Preset pop-up menus (Software Instrument tracks only): Choose an instrument generator and a generator preset from the menus.
ÂCompressor pop-up menu: Choose a compression setting from the pop-up menu.
ÂVisual 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.
ÂEffect 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.
ÂEcho slider: Drag the slider to adjust the amount of echo.
ÂReverb slider: Drag the slider to adjust the amount of reverb.
GInput 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.
HEffect edit buttons: Click to show an effect’s preset window, where you can edit the effect preset.
ISave Instrument and Delete Instrument buttons: Click the Save Instrument button to save an instrument. Click the Delete Instrument button to delete a saved instrument.
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Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance |
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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.
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Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance |
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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.
AMaster effects pop-up menu: Choose which master effects you want to see in the category and effects lists from the pop-up menu.
BMaster effects category list: Click a category to see the effects for that category in the master effects list on the right.
CMaster effects list: Click a set of master effects from the list.
DTempo slider and field: Drag the slider to change the project’s tempo, or type a new tempo in the field.
ETime pop-up menu and field: Choose a time signature from the pop-up menu.
FKey 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.
GDetails triangle: Click to show the global effects settings.
HEffect 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:
ÂEcho pop-up menu: Choose a global echo preset.
ÂReverb pop-up menu: Choose a global reverb preset.
ÂEffect 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.
ÂVisual EQ pop-up menu: Choose a global equalizer setting from the menu.
ÂCompressor pop-up menu: Choose a global compressor setting from the menu.
ÂDucker pop-up menu: When ducking is turned on, choose a ducking setting from the menu.
IEffect edit buttons: Click to show an effect’s preset window, where you can edit the effect preset.
JSave 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.
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Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance |
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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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AAudio, Photos, and Movies buttons: Click the button for the type of media files you want to work with.
BSource list: Navigate to the folder containing the files you want to use. You can also add folders by dragging them from the Finder.
CMedia list: View, preview, and select media files to add to your project.
DPlay button: Click to preview the selected media file.
ESearch field: Type text to search for files with matching names.
Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance |
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Tutorial 1: Creating, Playing, and |
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Saving GarageBand Projects |
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:
ÂCreate a new project
ÂSet the project tempo, time signature, and key
ÂPlay the project
ÂSave the 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.
To create a new project: 1 Choose File > New.
2 When the GarageBand screen appears, select Create New Music Project.
3In the New Project dialog, type a name for the project in the Save As field, and then browse to the location where you want to store the project.
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4 Set the project tempo, time signature, and key, as described in the following steps.
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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.
5Set 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 |
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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.
7Choose 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.
8When 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:
ÂBy adding Apple Loops
ÂBy recording sound from a microphone or an electric instrument connected to your computer
ÂBy connecting a USB or MIDI keyboard and playing the Software Instruments built into 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.
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Chapter 3 Tutorial 1: Creating, Playing, and Saving GarageBand Projects |
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3When 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
4To 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.
5To 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 |
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6Select one of the instruments on the stage, and then choose a different instrument from the list of instruments that appears below the stage.
7After you choose the instruments you want, click Play again to hear the song with the new instruments.
8When 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.
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:
ÂRecord: Starts recording on tracks that are enabled for recording
ÂGo to beginning: Moves the playhead to the beginning of the project
ÂBack (Rewind): Moves the playhead back one measure
ÂPlay/Pause: Starts the project playing, or stops playback
ÂForward: Moves the playhead forward one measure
ÂCycle: Turns the cycle region on or off
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Chapter 3 Tutorial 1: Creating, Playing, and Saving GarageBand Projects |
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Now that you’ve made some changes to your project, it’s time to save your work.
To save a project:
mChoose 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.
2In 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.
3Choose 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 |
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Tutorial 2: Adding Apple Loops |
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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.
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:
ÂFind and preview loops in the loop browser
ÂAdd loops to the timeline
ÂCreate your own Apple Loops
ÂAdd loops to the loop library
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