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GarageBand

Page history last edited by Francis Eyth 8 years ago

GarageBand Review

by Sarah Crowe

Further Reviewed by Francis Eyth

Description

GarageBand is a multifunctional audio tool where one can make music, write a song, learn to play guitar, record audio, create podcasts, and play a wide variety of musical instruments. Users can make things as simple as voice recordings or invite friends to take part in Jam Sessions- intricate multi-instrumental musical numbers. This application is exclusively available to Apple products- iPads, 3GS or later iPhones, iPod Touch 3G or later, and Macs running OS X v10.6.8 or later. For those wanting to mix a multitrack audio session though are intimidated or do not have access to pro-tools this is a quick intuitive alternative.

GarageBand video

Access

If you have a Mac, this tool is available without cost in your Applications menu. If you desire to have the program on iOS- iPhone, iPad, or iPod, it costs $4.99 in the App store. You can access various versions of GarageBand on the Apple machines within ATEC.

Sample Usage

Sample 1

Sample 2

Here is one of the first tracks I made in GarageBand, this was made several years ago on the 2009 or 2011 version of garageband

https://soundcloud.com/the-woods-1/biscut-3

Here is another recording I engineered of a friend free styling over a beat made by a friend in a different program. The vocals were recording using a Blue Snowball USB microphone https://soundcloud.com/the-woods-1/here-we-go-feat-jr

Here is a weird kind of rap beat I made with the latest version of garageband and the new Smart Drummer feature https://soundcloud.com/the-woods-1/zombiebeat11-28-15-147am-wavmaster-feyth

What the Tool Does Well

Complete collection of software instruments to create musical arrangements from
Well organized and cataloged loop collection
Great software recording interface, works well with different usb mic's and hardware interfaces
The new smart drummer feature is one of the coolest, intuitive, and innovative drum machines I have ever used
Not overly complicated to learn basics
Export/Share
iCloud- access mixes across devices
allows access to users iTunes library, iPhoto
Lesson Store

What it Does Poorly

Can be intimidating
Sharing is not that easy
Lessons not available on iPad version
Sharing to Facebook
Smart Drummer feature can begin to feel limiting, though creative uses with layering can possibly circumvent this
Program can become unresponsive or even crash
Too many tracks with mic'd audio recordings can overload the system on a lower end laptop in my experience
Recently the "Tuner" feature has been removed from the most recent desktop version.

What Happens When You...

GarageBand is a highly useful and versatile tool. It serves a role in many various workflows and is not limited strictly to audio as you think it may be. I have often used as a quick and dirty audio file management and preparation tool in 2D animation workflows using flash. More so a good sound engineer in the right sound room can create quality recordings using this tool, though higher end tools are likely to be desired with those users. Even so GarageBand is as worthy of a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) as any of the others and can serve as a economic home recording, or audio production software solution.

Within my own use I often find it easy to work with pre-recorded samples of instruments, live recording, software instruments, and various loops and sound effects. The intuitiveness of GarageBand makes it easy to sit down tweak a synth you like and begin composing your own instrument within many prerecorded loops. Regarding the many loops the tool has these can often be converted into sound effects or other types of textural or ambient elements through creative equalization and application of effects. Related to that one can select various elements from many smart drummer tracks to better create the type of beat or rhythm one has in mind. Also many of the software instruments, while being presets, have a good set of parameters to tweak to create subtle variations. One could possibly have several tracks of the same software instrument with a single parameter changed, maybe something relating to rhythm, reverb, or echo, to create more depth and texture to a sound piece in a subtle manner.