GarageBand

[gdude30]

Has anyone used this before.

I have been trying out all of the applications of iLife 08 in depth. I'm looking forward to iLife 09.

But anyways.

I'm onto GarageBand now. It's somewhat complicated but it is kind of fun. I have one song that has all the stems, loops, and every part of the song broken down. It's pretty cool. Magic Studio or something is fun too. I think there is someway you can use a guitar hero or rock band controller. I'll figure that out later though.

But the virtual keyboard is hella cool. I can play the keyboard on my computer

I think it kinda sucks that you use that format to play all the other instruments as well but I am downloading a pack that has tons of more instruments, stems, loops, and so on. So maybe it will be better once i do that.

But yeah. Just wondering if anyone here has used GarageBand regardless if they own an instrument or not. And what their experiences are with it.

 

[trawler69]

If you have any midi files you can just drag then in and they will separate out into their different tracks and instruments then you can mess with them to your hearts content, you can also drag mp3's wavs etc straight in. If you add a real instrument track you can have a lot of fun with the built in mic in real time, just turn the "monitor" on and wear headphones.

 

[gdude30]

It is really cool. I am wondering if you can use any other virtual instrument besides the keyboard.

I am gonna borrow my sister's electric guitar though to try to do something with that. Hell she even has a video camera too. So I can play around with iMovie with that

Sisters are good for something. I am wondering if you need to buy the expansion packs to have any more virtual instruments other then the piano. I mean the software instruments are cool and you can have the guitar, drums, and etc. on there but you play it all with the keyboard virtual instrument. I also think the layout for Garageband 09 looks alot better and less confusing. But anyways. I am having fun playing around with it right now though.

Hmm. Maybe I should convert some of my MP3's into MIDI Files if that's possible. Cause that one song I have was a promotional thing and it's awesome that the song is COMPLETELY broken down and I can edit every instrument. But when I drag an MP3 into it the song isn't broken down unforunately.

But as some said I can still adjust the volume and add other cool effects.

I did notice something about podcasts being an option too. I won't get involved with podcasts now. But that might be something to try sometime. I'd rather make an AMV first though.

 

[gdude30]

Holy Crap.

GarageBand is so much fun. I made a ringtone and I love all the effects you can do with it.

And I tried a MIDI File and I can't believe how it really does break the song done by instrument.

Now I need to find a program to convert MP3 files into MIDI Files.

I can even watch how the song is played on the virtual keyboard.

 

[trawler69]

Hey Gdude The thing with midi as opposed to mp3 is that midi holds all the information about every note played, the instrument, the note, the volume, the attack, release,etc and you can modify all this. If it is in MP3 then that is purely an audio representation and you have no way of changing anything important about it.

You can convert midi to mp3 but not vice versa, or at least not easily.

 

[andysayshi]

As Trawler69 says, there's no practical way to convert audio files (like MP3s) to MIDI files - it just doesn't work that way. You can buy and download MIDI files of just about anything, though. There are dozens of high quality Backing Tracks websites that offer thousands of songs in MIDI format.

You need to investigate MIDI controllers if you are unhappy with a piano-keyboard interface. There are MIDI drum controllers, MIDI guitars and others, but they are typically designed for professional musicians and can be very expensive - ofen in excess of a thousand dollars.

A piano keyboard is, by far, the most practical device for MIDI control, and you can buy a MIDI piano keyboard for under 100 bucks if you shop around.

 

[gdude30]

You are right trawler. A MIDI File is not an audio file. And there is alot you can do with them.

And I can't really find a good audio converter to midi file program. Not that's easy anyways.

My dad is working with stuff like that though. So I can ask him about it once he learns.

Buying MIDI Files for songs sounds good. I should look into that. Probably alot easier too.

I know there is some way to use a Guitar Hero or Rock Band Instrument Set with the Mac.

When my friend came over he did that. The green 360 light stayed on and he played the drums and everything on GarageBand. I am not aware if it was the keyboard that was showing notes though. But I just downloaded a driver which recognizes the 360 guitar controller and responds to it on the computer. Now I just need to get it to respond to the controller. So i think I'm getting close. To use my sister's actual electric guitar though I need to get a converter thing at a music store. I want to try this way first though.

Definatley gonna try both of these methods before I go with a thousand or hundred dollar instrument >_>"

Thanks though Andysayshi.

Both you and trawler seem to know alot.

 

[trawler69]

If you want to use a real guitar you should just need a 6.25mm to 3.5 mm adaptor and, if it has a preamp, it will plug straight into the line in on the mac. If not then you can get a usb adaptor with a mic input for a few dollars. Yout iphone will also act as a wireless midi controller if you are on a wireless network, there is an app on the itunes store but a midi keyboard would be your best bet.

The download of the other software instruments and loops is free from Apple, at least it was on my macs.

 

[andysayshi]

As a musician, I don't understand what use a Guitar Hero/Rock Band controller would be - they don't have enough buttons to constitute even 1 octave of notes. All it could possibly do is trigger pre-recorded music samples. It simply doesn't have enough control functions to act as a musical instrument.

 

[Apollo]

I love garageband. I used it to make 6 songs for my final project and became the class expert on it. It is really the only reason for me to ever buy a mac if I were to buy a mac.

 

[gdude30]

If you want to use a real guitar you should just need a 6.25mm to 3.5 mm adaptor and, if it has a preamp, it will plug straight into the line in on the mac. If not then you can get a usb adaptor with a mic input for a few dollars. Yout iphone will also act as a wireless midi controller if you are on a wireless network, there is an app on the itunes store but a midi keyboard would be your best bet.

The download of the other software instruments and loops is free from Apple, at least it was on my macs.

An app for a wireless MIDI Controller? COOL!

So it goes into the line out port huh. I always wondered what that was for. So that's all I need. Who knows my sister might already have that. And a cable like that shouldn't be too much. She does have an amp so no need to worry with that thank god.

Yes it is. I downloaded the update. But the extra stuff with the jam pack expansions aren't. But you can also download lots of loops and other stuff from various sites. Hell one site I found I even found some pieces of a song. And not the full song. So I can have some fun with that. Although it wouldn't hurt to find that site that has the MIDI type songs and has it broken down. That would be really useful.

As a musician, I don't understand what use a Guitar Hero/Rock Band controller would be - they don't have enough buttons to constitute even 1 octave of notes. All it could possibly do is trigger pre-recorded music samples. It simply doesn't have enough control functions to act as a musical instrument.

Actually you'd be surprised. I got the rock band guitar to work last night. I assigned the "asdfg" keys to the green, red, yellow, blue, orange" I also used the directional pad to change the octave and velocity. I have the strum bar as the sustain note. I also have the whammy bar and something else that the guitar hero controller doesn't have to control the modulation.

The only thing that I can't do which you are right the controller does have limits. Is I can't get the rest of the "h-;" keys. And it's kind of stupid becuase the rock band guitar controller has 5 extra buttons below. But those all serve as one note. In the rock band game they serve identical as the first 5 buttons. But oh well. And I don't have the black piano notes on the virtual keyboard set as well. So you are right. It's not perfection. I am gonna try it out with the drums too though.

And the reason why I tried it out. Is because I ain't a musician. I am just gonna try this out for a minute. I'll probably get frustrated that I am so limited and then I'll get the adapter and try out my sister's real guitar. But for now I don't see why I shouldn't try it this way.

I love garageband. I used it to make 6 songs for my final project and became the class expert on it. It is really the only reason for me to ever buy a mac if I were to buy a mac.

Oh wow. I bet it probably took ya a while though. I really do want to try and make a song on it. I probably won't use the guitar controller to make a controller but eventually I do want to make a song. I do hear about alot of people who are into music talking about garageband or wishing they had it.