User manual APPLE GARAGEBAND - GETTING STARTED 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 6 7 7 7 7 8 9 11 13 13 14 15 16 17 17 18 19 19 21 23 24 24 26 28 29 30 31 31 32 33 Welcome to GarageBand What You'll Learn Before You Begin What You Need to Get Started Where to Go for Help Finding Out More GarageBand at a Glance GarageBand Window Timeline Editor For Real Instruments For Software Instruments­Graphic View For Software Instruments­Notation View For Podcasts and Movies­Marker View Loop Browser Button View and Podcast Sounds View Column View Track Info Pane Real and Software Instrument Tracks Master Track Media Browser Tutorial 1: Creating, Playing, and Saving GarageBand Projects Creating a New Project Creating a Project Automatically with Magic GarageBand Playing Your Project Saving Projects Tutorial 2: Adding Apple Loops Finding Loops You Want to Use Finding Loops in Column View Finding Loops in Button View Previewing Loops Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 2 33 34 34 34 35 35 37 37 38 Chapter 5 39 39 40 41 42 43 44 44 45 45 46 47 48 49 50 50 51 52 53 54 54 56 57 57 57 58 58 58 58 58 59 Refining Your Loop Searches 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 Tutorial 3: Recording Vocals and Musical Instruments Adding a Real Instrument Track Getting Ready to Record Recording a Real Instrument 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 Tutorial 4: Playing and Recording Software Instruments Playing Software Instruments with Musical Typing Playing Software Instruments with the Onscreen Music Keyboard Getting Ready to Record a Software Instrument Recording a Software Instrument Recording a Software Instrument with the Cycle Region Changing Software Instrument Settings Viewing Note and Chord Names Tutorial 5: Working with Music Notation About Notation View Editing Notes in Notation View 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 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Contents 3 60 60 Chapter 8 61 62 63 63 64 65 65 65 67 68 68 68 69 70 70 71 72 72 73 73 73 74 74 75 75 75 76 77 77 78 81 82 82 82 83 84 85 86 Changing the Clef Sign Printing Music Notation Tutorial 6: Arranging and Editing Your Music Arranging Basics Moving Regions Resizing Regions Looping Regions Splitting Regions Joining Regions Using the Arrange Track Editing Regions in the Editor 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 Tutorial 7: Mixing and Adding Effects What Is Mixing? Basic Mixing 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 Tutorial 8: Creating Podcasts Creating an Enhanced Podcast Episode Creating a Podcast Project Recording the Podcast Audio Adding Podcast Sounds Importing Media Files Adding Music Adding and Editing Markers Chapter 9 Chapter 10 4 Contents 86 87 87 87 88 88 88 89 90 90 90 90 91 91 Chapter 11 92 92 93 94 95 96 100 100 101 101 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 Importing a Movie or Video File Viewing the Movie Working with the Movie's Audio Track Adding Audio Adding Markers, Titles, and URLs to a Video Podcast Tutorial 9: Sharing Your Projects Sharing Music Projects Sharing Podcasts Sharing Video Podcasts Exporting Projects at the Optimum Loudness Keyboard Shortcuts Connecting Music Equipment to Your Computer Connecting a Musical Instrument or Microphone Connecting a Music Keyboard to Your Computer Connecting Other Music Equipment Appendix A Appendix B 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 fingertips­and 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. 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. 6 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. 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. 8 GarageBand Window A B C D E F G H I J 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. 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. 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. 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. Loop Browser and Editor buttons: Click to open the loop browser or the editor. 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. 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. 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. B C D E F G H I 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. C A D E F B G H J I Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance 11 A B Beat 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. Tracks: 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. Playhead: 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. Arrange 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. Grid button: Choose a note value for the timeline grid, or choose Automatic to have the value change when you zoom in or out. Automation 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. Regions: 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. Master 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. 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. 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. C D E F G H I J 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. E F G A B C D H I J A B Name field: Type a new name for the selected region in the field. 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. 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. 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. Beat ruler: Shows beats and measures for the area visible in the editor. Waveform display: Shows the waveform of the regions in the track. Playhead: Shows the point in the project that is currently playing. 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. 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. Scroll bar: Drag the scroller to move to a different part of the track. C D E F G H I J Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance 13 For Software Instruments­Graphic 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 J A B C D E G K A B Name field: Type a new name for the selected region in the field. 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. 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. Zoom slider: Drag to zoom in for a closer view or to zoom out to see more of the track. Graphic/Notation View buttons: Click to change the editor to graphic view or notation view. Display pop-up menu: Choose whether to show notes or controller data in the editor. 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. Beat ruler: Shows beats and measures for the area visible in the editor. Playhead: Shows the point in the project that is currently playing. 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. Scroll bar: Drag the scroller to move to a different part of a track. C D E F G H I J K 14 Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance For Software Instruments­Notation 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 J K A B C D E G H L A B C Name field: Type a new name for the selected region in the field. 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. 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. Zoom slider: Drag to zoom in for a closer view or to zoom out to see more of the track. Graphic/Notation View buttons: Click to change the editor to graphic view or notation view. Note Value button: Click to choose the note value for notes you add. 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. Clef selector: Choose a different clef for the notation view display. Beat ruler: Shows beats and measures for the area visible in the editor. Playhead: Shows the point in the project that is currently playing. 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. Scroll bar: Drag the scroller to move to a different part of a track. D E F G H I J K L Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance 15 For Podcasts and Movies­Marker 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. B D A C E F G H I A B Episode Artwork well: Drag artwork here to represent the podcast. (Appears only when you are creating a podcast.) "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 D E F Add Marker button: Add a marker at the playhead position. Marker list: Shows each marker's start time, artwork (for podcasts) or video frame (for videos), chapter title, URL, and URL title. Time column: Shows the start time for each marker. 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 H I Chapter Title column: Shows the title of each chapter marker. Click and type a title for a marker. URL Title column: Shows the title of each marker region's URL. Click and type a title for the URL. 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. B H A C D E F G A B C D E F Keyword buttons: Click a keyword button to display matching loops in the results list. You can click multiple keyword buttons to narrow your results. Reset button: Deselects all currently selected buttons, so you can start a new search. View buttons: Click one of the buttons to show column view, button view, or podcast sounds view. Scale pop-up menu: Choose a scale type to see only loops using that musical scale. Search field: Type text in the field to see loops with the text in their file name or path. Preview volume slider: Drag the slider to adjust the volume of the loop being previewed. Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance 17 G Results 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. Loop library pop-up menu: Choose the loops you want to show in the loop browser from the pop-up menu. H 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 B C D E F G H A B C D E F G H Keyword type column: Click a keyword type to show the categories for that keyword type in the middle column. Category column: Click a category to show keywords for that category in the right column. Keyword column: Click a keyword to show matching loops in the results list. You can click multiple keywords to expand your results. View buttons: Click one of the buttons to change the view between column, button, or podcast sounds view. Scale pop-up menu: Choose a scale type to see only loops using that scale. Search field: Type text in the field to see loops with the text in their file name or path. Preview volume slider: Drag the slider to adjust the volume of the loop being previewed. 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 A C D E G F H I Chapter 2 GarageBand at a Glance 19 A B C D E F Instrument library pop-up menu: Choose which instruments you want to see in the category and instrument lists from the pop-up menu. Instrument category list: Click an instrument category to see the instruments for that category in the instrument list on the right. Instrument list: Click an instrument from the list. 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. Details triangle: Click to show the instrument and effects settings. 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. 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. Effect edit buttons: Click to show an effect's preset window, where you can edit the effect preset. 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. G H I 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 A C D E F G H I I J 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 B C D E F G H Master effects pop-up menu: Choose which master effects you want to see in the category and effects lists from the pop-up menu. Master effects category list: Click a category to see the effects for that category in the master effects list on the right. Master effects list: Click a set of master effects from the list. Tempo slider and field: Drag the slider to change the project's tempo, or type a new tempo in the field. Time pop-up menu and field: Choose a time signature from the pop-up menu. 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. Details triangle: Click to show the global effects settings. 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. Effect edit buttons: Click to show an effect's preset window, where you can edit the effect preset. 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. I J 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. A B C D E A B C D E Audio, Photos, and Movies buttons: Click the button for the type of media files you want to work with. Source list: Navigate to the folder containing the files you want to use. You can also add folders by dragging them from the Finder. Media list: View, preview, and select media files to add to your project. Play button: Click to preview the selected media file. 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. To create a new project: 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 browse to the location where you want to store the project. 24 4 Set the project tempo, time signature, and key, as described in the following steps. Tempo slider Scale pop-up menu Time pop-up menu Key pop-up menu 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 () 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. 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 30 Finding Loops You Want to Use GarageBand includes a loop browser that lets you search for loops by instrument, genre, mood, and other criteria. You can also search for loops by name and refine your searches in several ways. No matter how big your collection of loops becomes, you can quickly find the ones you want using the loop browser. If the loop browser is not visible, show it so you can use it to search for loops. To show the loop browser: m Click the Loop Browser button (the button with the open eye). You can search for loops using either column view or button view (there's also a special view for podcast sounds, which is covered in Chapter 10). In column view, you choose from different keyword types, categories, and keywords to find matching loops. In button view, you click keyword buttons to find loops that match the keywords. You can select either view using the view buttons in the lower-left corner of the loop browser, and move back and forth between them freely. To choose column or button view: m Click the left button (with columns) to show column view, or click the center button (with musical notes) to show button view. (The button on the right shows podcast sounds view, covered in Chapter 10.) Finding Loops in Column View In column view, clicking a keyword type in the left column shows categories for that keyword type in the middle column. Clicking a category shows keywords for that category in the right column. Clicking a keyword shows matching loops in the results list. You can expand your results by clicking multiple keywords. Keyword type column Category column Keyword column Results list To find loops in column view: 1 Click the column button in the lower-left corner of the loop browser to switch to column view. 2 Click a keyword type in the left column. 3 Click a category in the middle column. Chapter 4 Tutorial 2: Adding Apple Loops 31 4 Click a keyword in the right column to show matching loops in the results list. Now find some bass loops in column view by first selecting the By Instruments keyword type, then the Bass category, and then the Grooving keyword. When you find loops in either button view or column view, the total number of matching loops is shown next to the search field at the bottom of the loop browser. Finding Loops in Button View Button view features a grid of keyword buttons. You click a button to see the loops matching the selected keyword in the results list to the right. You can narrow your results by clicking multiple buttons. Click a keyword button. Matching loops appear in the results list. To find loops in button view: 1 Click the button with musical notes in the lower-left corner of the loop browser to switch to button view. 2 Click a keyword button to show matching loops in the results list. The columns in the results list show the type of loop, name, tempo, key, and number of beats for each loop. 3 To refine your results, click multiple keyword buttons. This narrows the matching loops to only those that match all of the selected keywords. 4 To end a search, click the Reset button to deselect all selected keywords. You can also click keywords to deselect them individually. When you click a keyword, incompatible keywords (those that share no loop with the selected keyword) are dimmed. Now find some drum loops in button view by clicking the All Drums keyword button. Scroll through the list to see all the matching loops. Notice that the number of matching loops is shown next to the search field. 32 Chapter 4 Tutorial 2: Adding Apple Loops Previewing Loops When you find loops that fit the criteria you want, you can preview them in the loop browser to hear which loop will sound best in your project. You can preview the loop by itself (solo), or preview it together with the project. To preview a loop: m Click the loop in the results list. Click the loop again to stop previewing it. You can preview a loop together with the material you've already added to the project by clicking the Play button before you click the loop. When you preview a loop together with a project, GarageBand matches the tempo and key of the loop to the project's tempo and key, and syncs the loop with the project so it starts playing on the beat. When you preview a loop, you can control the volume of the loop using the volume slider in the loop browser. Drag the volume slider to adjust the volume of the loop. To adjust the volume of the loop you are previewing: m Drag the volume slider in the loop browser left to lower the loop's volume, or right to raise the loop's volume. If you adjust the volume of a loop in the loop browser, and then add the loop to your project by dragging it to an empty part of the timeline, the volume of the track created for the loop is set to the preview volume of the loop. Now try previewing the loops you found earlier, and see which ones you like. Refining Your Loop Searches You can refine your searches in the loop browser in several ways. You can:  Display only loops from a specific Jam Pack or folder  Display loops using a particular scale type  Display only loops in keys near the project's key  Search for loops by name Chapter 4 Tutorial 2: Adding Apple Loops 33 Showing Loops from a Specific Jam Pack or Folder If you have installed one or more of the GarageBand Jam Packs on your computer, your loop library can contain many thousands of loops. To make searching for loops easier, you can choose to display only loops from a specific Jam Pack, or only the loops included with GarageBand. If you have created your own loops or added loops from another source, you can also choose to display only those loops. Click here to show the loop library pop-up menu. To view loops from a specific Jam Pack or folder: m Choose the Jam Pack or folder with the loops you want to see from the loop library pop-up menu, located next to the word "Loops" at the top of the loop browser. Searching by Scale Type Most loops other than drum loops are recorded using a particular musical scale. In most cases, when you arrange several loops so that they play together, you'll want to use loops with the same scale type. You can narrow the loops shown in the results list to those using either the major or minor scale, those using neither scale, or those that are good for both. Choose a scale type here. Enter search text here. To display only loops with a particular scale type: m Choose the scale type from the Scale pop-up menu. Try refining the bass loops you found earlier to show only those using the major scale. Limiting Searches to Nearby Keys Loops with melody and harmony instruments are recorded in a specific musical key. When you add a loop to a project, GarageBand matches the loop's key with the key of the project. The closer the loop's original key is to the key of the project, the more natural the loop will sound when transposed to the project key. When a loop is transposed by a large number of semitones, the result can sometimes sound unnatural or distorted. 34 Chapter 4 Tutorial 2: Adding Apple Loops To view loops only in keys near the project key: 1 Choose GarageBand > Preferences, then click Loops. 2 In the Loops pane, click the "Filter for more relevant results" checkbox. Note: The "Filter for more relevant results" checkbox is selected by default. To see loops in keys farther away from the project's key, deselect the checkbox. Searching by Name You can quickly find loops by name using the search field. This makes it easy to find a specific loop or a group of related loops. To search for loops by name: m Type the name you want to search for in the search field, then press Return. Loops with the text in their file name appear in the results list. Try refining the drum loops you found earlier by typing "acoustic" "club" or "funk" in the , , search field. You can try typing other words to see what results you get. You can use several methods together to find specific loops. For instance, you can use keywords with the Scale pop-up menu, or with the search field, to find only bass loops using the major scale, or to find only percussion loops with "latin" in the file name. Adding Loops to the Timeline When you find a loop you want to use, you add the loop to the project by dragging it to the timeline. Drag a loop to an empty part of the timeline to create a new track for the loop. Chapter 4 Tutorial 2: Adding Apple Loops 35 To add a loop to the timeline: m Drag the loop from the loop browser to an empty part of the timeline where there is no track. A new track of the appropriate type is created, and the loop is added to the new track. There are two types of Apple Loops: Real Instrument loops and Software Instrument loops. In the loop browser, the loop's icon shows which type each loop is. Real Instrument loops have a blue icon with an audio waveform and Software Instrument loops have a green icon with a musical note. Note: You can also drag a loop to a track of the same type (Real or Software Instrument) to add it to the timeline. If you drag a Software Instrument loop to a Software Instrument track, a dialog appears, asking which instrument you want to use. You can also convert a Software Instrument loop to a Real Instrument loop when you drag it to the timeline. Real Instrument loops require less processing power for playback, which can allow you to use more tracks and effects in your project, especially for projects with many loops. To convert a Software Instrument loop to a Real Instrument loop: m Option-drag the loop from the loop browser to the timeline. By default, Option-dragging a Software Instrument loop converts it to a Real Instrument loop. You can change the default so that dragging a Software Instrument loop converts it to a Real Instrument loop, and Option-dragging does not convert it. You can change the default behavior in the Loops pane of GarageBand preferences. When you add a loop to a project, a region is created in the timeline for the loop. The edits you make to the region do not change the original loop, so you can always return to the original sound of the loop or use it in another project. Now try adding some of the drum and bass loops you found earlier to the timeline. You can also add audio files in any of the following formats to your project from the Finder: AIFF, WAV, AAC (except protected AAC files), Apple Lossless, or MP3. When you add a compressed file to a project (such as an AAC or MP3 file), it stays compressed, saving space and time. To add an audio file: m Drag the file from the Finder to the timeline, either to a Real Instrument track or to the empty area below the existing tracks. If you drag an audio file to the empty area below the existing tracks, a new basic track is added to the timeline, and the audio file is placed in the new track. 36 Chapter 4 Tutorial 2: Adding Apple Loops Changing Apple Loops in the Same Family Some Apple Loops belong to a series, or family. Loops that belong to the same family have the same name, but with a unique number at the end. (For example, Classic Rock Guitar 01 and Classic Rock Guitar 02 belong to the same family.) When you add a loop belonging to a family to the timeline, the loop has a pair of arrows in its upper-left corner. You can change it to any other loop in the same family. To change an Apple Loop to another loop in the same family: 1 Click the arrows in the upper-left corner of the loop. A menu appears, showing all the loops in the same family. 2 Choose a loop from the menu. Creating Your Own Apple Loops You can save your Real and Software Instrument recordings as Apple Loops. When you save a region as an Apple Loop, it is added to the loop library and appears in the loop browser, so you can use it in other projects. Apple Loops you create from recorded regions match the tempo and key of the project, just like the Apple Loops included with GarageBand. To save a region as an Apple Loop: 1 Select the region in the timeline. 2 Choose Edit > Add To Loop Library, or drag the region over the loop browser. 3 In the Add Loop dialog, do the following: a b c d Type a name for the loop. Choose the scale and genre from the pop-up menus. Choose an instrument category and instrument name from the list. Click the appropriate mood buttons for easy searching. 4 Click Create. Chapter 4 Tutorial 2: Adding Apple Loops 37 Adding Loops to the Loop Library When you install GarageBand, the loops included with the application are installed in the Apple Loops library. When you add more loops to your collection, they are installed in the loop library and appear in the loop browser for you to use. To add Apple Loops to your loop library: m Drag the loops, or the folder containing the loops, over the loop browser. The loops are added to the Apple Loops library and are immediately available to use in your projects. If you add loops located on a different hard disk or partition, a dialog appears asking whether you want to copy them to the loop library, or index them in their current location. If you add loops from the desktop, a dialog asks if you want to move them or index them in their current location. If you add loops located on a CD or DVD, GarageBand copies them to the loop library. 38 Chapter 4 Tutorial 2: Adding Apple Loops 5 Tutorial 3: Recording Vocals and Musical Instruments 5 You can record your voice or any other sound you can capture using a microphone. If you play a musical instrument, you can also record it in a GarageBand project. In GarageBand, you record audio from a microphone or a musical instrument, such as an electric guitar or bass, in a Real Instrument track. Real Instrument tracks have blue headers, and the regions you record in them appear purple. You can change track settings and add effects to Real Instrument tracks in the Track Info pane. In this tutorial, you'll learn how to:  Add a Real Instrument track and change instrument settings  Record a Real Instrument  Record multiple takes  Tune instruments with the built-in tuner Adding a Real Instrument Track To record vocals or instruments in a Real Instrument track, you first add the track to your project and prepare it for recording. To add a new Real Instrument track: 1 Click the Add Track button, or choose Track > New Track. 2 In the New Track dialog, click Real Instrument Track, then click Create. A new Real Instrument track appears in the timeline, and the Track Info pane opens to the right of the timeline. The Track Info pane is where you choose different settings for each track. 3 In the Track Info pane, select an instrument type from the list on the left, then select an instrument from the list on the right. 4 From the Input Source pop-up menu, select the audio input to which your microphone or instrument is connected. 39 The Input Source menu lists all the available inputs for each audio device connected to your computer. If the instrument you are recording has a single input, choose a mono (monophonic) input. If the instrument has both left and right inputs, choose a stereo input. (You can change the audio device in the Audio Input pop-up menu in the Audio/ MIDI pane of GarageBand preferences.) 5 If you want to hear your microphone or instrument as you play, choose On (with or without Feedback Protection) from the Monitor pop-up menu. Turning on monitoring can cause feedback (loud, sharp noise) if the audio input picks up the output from your speakers. You can choose "On with Feedback Protection" to have GarageBand automatically turn off monitoring if feedback from the input source occurs. You can also avoid feedback by listening with headphones rather than speakers when you play or record. You can reduce possible feedback by making sure the microphone or instrument is pointed away from your speakers, and by turning down the master volume. You can also add a basic track. A basic track is a stereo Real Instrument track containing no effects. You can change the input source and effects settings of a basic track after adding it to the project. To add a basic track: m Choose Track > New Basic Track. The basic track appears in the timeline, and the Track Info pane opens. You can make the same input settings described in the previous section. Getting Ready to Record After you have connected your instrument and added a track to record in, there are a few things to check before you start recording:  Make sure the microphone or instrument is connected properly and is working.  Make sure the correct audio drivers are selected in the Audio/MIDI pane of GarageBand preferences. When you add a new audio device, GarageBand asks if you want to use the device for audio input and output.  Open the Track Info pane to make sure the instrument has the instrument and effects settings you want, and is using the correct input source. See "Changing Real Instrument Settings" on page 44 for more information.  Sing or play a few notes and watch the track's level meters in the track mixer to make sure the track is receiving input, and isn't clipping. If the red dots at the right of the level meters (called clipping indicators) light up, adjust the input level by dragging the Recording Level slider, selecting Automatic Level Control, or lowering the level of the audio device connected to your computer.  Set the project tempo and key so you won't have to change them later. 40 Chapter 5 Tutorial 3: Recording Vocals and Musical Instruments Recording a Real Instrument Now you're ready to record your microphone or electric instrument to a Real Instrument track. To record to a Real Instrument track: 1 Click the header of the Real Instrument track you want to record in, to select the track. 2 Move the playhead to the point in the timeline where you want to start recording. 3 Choose Control > Count In to have the metronome play a one-measure count-in before recording starts to make it easier to start playing on the beat. (Alternatively, you can move the playhead a few beats before the point where you want the music to come in.) 4 Click the Record button in the transport controls to start recording. Play button Cycle button Record button 5 Start playing your instrument or singing into your microphone. As you record, a new region appears in the selected Real Instrument track with the music you record. 6 When you are finished, click the Play button to stop recording. After a few moments, an audio waveform appears in the newly recorded region. Now you can listen to your new recording to see how you like it. To hear your new recording: 1 Move the playhead to the point in the timeline where the new region starts (align it with the left edge of the region). You can also move the playhead to an earlier point in the project, or to the beginning of the project, to hear the new recording in the context of the project. 2 Click the Play button, or press the Space bar. Chapter 5 Tutorial 3: Recording Vocals and Musical Instruments 41 Recording Multiple Takes with the Cycle Region GarageBand lets you record over a specific part of a project by setting a cycle region in the timeline. When you record using the cycle region, you can record multiple versions, or "takes," and then choose which take you want to use. To set the cycle region: 1 Click the Cycle button. The cycle region appears as a yellow strip just below the beat ruler. 2 Move the cycle region to the point in the timeline where you want to start recording, then drag the end of the cycle region to the point in the timeline where you want to end recording. You can drag in the cycle region ruler (below the beat ruler) to move the cycle region to a new part of the timeline. Drag the end of the cycle region to change its length You may want to have the cycle region start a few extra beats before the point where you want to start recording, to make it easier to start playing on the beat, and end a few beats after you want to stop recording, in case your last note extends past the end of the cycle region. To record multiple takes using the cycle region: 1 Select the Real Instrument track you want to record in. 2 Click the Record button to start recording. 3 Play your musical instrument or sing into your microphone. As you record, a new region appears in the selected Real Instrument track. 4 When you are finished, click the Play button to stop the cycle region. 5 If you want to record additional takes, click the Record button and play the part again. 6 When you have finished using the cycle region, click the Cycle button again to turn it off. When you record multiple takes, the recorded region has a circle in its upper-left corner showing the selected take (the one you will hear). You can choose and listen to different takes to decide which one you like best. 42 Chapter 5 Tutorial 3: Recording Vocals and Musical Instruments To choose a different take: 1 In the timeline, click the circled number in the upper-left corner of the loop. A Takes menu appears showing the takes recorded in the region. 2 Choose a different take from the Takes menu. When you choose a different take, the loop changes to show the waveform of the new take. To delete the selected take: m Choose Delete from the Takes menu. You can also delete all takes except for the selected one. To delete all unused takes: m Choose Delete Unused Takes from the Takes menu. Recording on Several Tracks at the Same Time You can record up to eight Real Instruments and one Software Instrument at the same time. This lets you record voices and instruments together, and simultaneously record a backing track, for example. When you select a track, recording is enabled for that track (meaning that recording will start on that track when you click the Record button). You can enable up to seven additional tracks by clicking the round Record Enable button in each track's header. The Record Enable button turns red to show that the track is enabled for recording. To disable a track for recording, click the Record Enable button in the track's header again. To record multiple Real Instruments at the same time: 1 In the Track Info pane, be sure each Real Instrument track is set to use a different input source. 2 Enable the tracks you want to record by clicking their Record Enable buttons. 3 Click the Record button in the transport controls to start recording. To record a Software Instrument at the same time as one or more Real Instruments: 1 Enable the Software Instrument track for recording by clicking its Record Enable button. 2 Click the Record button in the transport controls to start recording. If you enable more than eight Real Instrument tracks or more than one Software Instrument track, the track farthest from the last track you enable is disabled for recording, so as not to exceed the maximum number of recording tracks. Chapter 5 Tutorial 3: Recording Vocals and Musical Instruments 43 To record on multiple tracks, you need to have an audio interface with at least two input channels for recording. Changing Real Instrument Settings When you create a Real Instrument track, you select an instrument for the track in the New Track dialog. You can change the instrument, effects, and input settings in the Track Info pane. Changing the Track Instrument You can change the track instrument for a Real Instrument track. Each instrument includes preset effects optimized for the instrument. To change the track instrument for a Real Instrument track: 1 Select the track, then click the Track Info button to open the Track Info pane. 2 Select an instrument category from the list on the left, then select a track instrument from the list on the right. Select an instrument category from this list. Select an instrument from this list. Use these controls to set the input format and input channel and to turn monitoring on or off. 44 Chapter 5 Tutorial 3: Recording Vocals and Musical Instruments Choosing the Input Source You can choose the input source for a Real Instrument track. If you have more than one input source (an instrument or an audio interface with multiple channels, for example), you must choose the correct input source before you play or record Real Instruments. To choose the input source for a Real Instrument track: m In the Track Info pane for the track, choose the source from the Input Source pop-up menu. Note: Some audio interfaces have more than one input channel. If you are connecting a microphone or instrument using an audio interface, be sure to choose the correct channel in the Input Source menu. Choose a mono source if your microphone or instrument is connected by a single cable, and choose a stereo source if it is connected by a pair of stereo cables. Adjusting the Recording Level You can adjust the recording (input) level for a Real Instrument track. The recording level controls the level of the signal coming from the instrument or microphone. In general, you'll get the best results if you set the recording level as high as possible without causing clipping or distortion. To adjust the recording level, do one of the following:  If the instrument or microphone has a volume control, adjust the volume control on the device.  If the instrument or microphone is connected to an audio interface, adjust the volume control on the audio interface.  In the Track Info pane, drag the Recording Level slider left to lower the input volume for the selected channel, or drag it right to raise the input volume. Note: You can't control the volume of some audio interfaces and other devices from GarageBand. If the Volume slider in the Track Info pane is dimmed, you cannot adjust the input volume in GarageBand.  Select the Automatic Level Control checkbox to have GarageBand automatically lower the input level to avoid clipping, and raise the level to avoid excessive noise when recording. Note: If "On with Feedback Protection" is chosen in the Monitor pop-up menu, you cannot select Automatic Level Control. You can also add and adjust effects for a Real Instrument track. For information about using effects, see Chapter 9, "Tutorial 7: Mixing and Adding Effects." Chapter 5 Tutorial 3: Recording Vocals and Musical Instruments 45 Tuning Guitars and Other Instruments GarageBand includes an instrument tuner that you can use to check the tuning of a guitar, bass, or other instrument connected to your computer. The instrument tuner works for any Real Instrument, but not for a Software Instrument. The instrument tuner shows a horizontal scale with the note name displayed in the center of the scale. When you play a single note on your Real Instrument, the pitch is shown in relation to the correct pitch for the note displayed. To use the instrument tuner: 1 Make sure the Real Instrument you want to tune is connected to your computer. 2 Select the Real Instrument track for the instrument you want to tune. 3 In the LCD, choose Tuner mode, or choose Control > "Show Tuner in LCD." 4 Play a single note on your instrument, and watch the tuner. As you play, the tuner shows the note name of the closest note. If the note is not in tune, the note name and the tuner glow red, and a vertical red bar appears, showing whether the note is sharp or flat. The bar appears to the right of the note name if the note is sharp, and to the left if the note is flat. When the note is in tune, the note name and the tuner scale glow blue, and the vertical bar disappears. Be sure to play only a single note at a time while tuning. The instrument tuner can't tune to a chord, or if you play different notes rapidly 46 Chapter 5 Tutorial 3: Recording Vocals and Musical Instruments 6 Tutorial 4: Playing and Recording Software Instruments 6 GarageBand includes an extensive set of Software Instruments, including drums, guitars, pianos, organs, and synthesizers, that you can use in your projects. Software Instruments are a special kind of instrument. You play the notes (using your computer keyboard, the onscreen keyboard, or a MIDI-compatible music keyboard connected to your computer) and your computer generates the actual sound, depending on which Software Instrument you choose. You can add effects to a Software Instrument, and edit Software Instrument regions in the editor. You can also add more Software Instruments to the Track Info pane by purchasing one of the Jam Packs available for GarageBand. In this tutorial, you'll learn how to:  Play Software Instruments using your computer keyboard, the onscreen keyboard, or a connected music keyboard  Record a Software Instrument  Change Software Instrument settings You play and record a Software Instrument in a Software Instrument track. You can change the instrument for the track, even after you have recorded on it. You start by adding a new Software Instrument track. To add a new Software Instrument track: 1 Click the Add Track button, or choose Track > New Track. 2 In the New Track dialog, click Software Instrument Track, then click Create. A new Software Instrument track with a Grand Piano instrument appears in the timeline, and the Track Info pane opens to the right of the timeline. 3 In the Track Info pane, select an instrument category from the list on the left, then select an instrument from the list on the right. The header of the Software Instrument track changes to the name of the instrument you selected. 47 If you have a USB or MIDI keyboard connected to your computer, you can play notes and hear the Software Instrument right away. Even without a keyboard connected, you can play Software Instruments with the Musical Typing keyboard or onscreen keyboard. Playing Software Instruments with Musical Typing With Musical Typing, you can play and record Software Instruments using your computer keyboard. When you show the Musical Typing window, you can play the top and middle rows of your computer keyboard just like the keys on a music keyboard to play notes. To show the Musical Typing window: m Choose Window > Musical Typing (or press Command­Shift­K). If the onscreen keyboard is visible, you can switch to the Musical Typing window by clicking the Musical Typing button on the left side of the window. To play notes using Musical Typing: m With the Musical Typing window open, play the keys shown on the Musical Typing keyboard.  The keys in the middle row of your computer keyboard play the "white keys" on the Musical Typing keyboard, in a one and one-half octave range from C through F.  The keys W, E, T, Y, U, O, and P in the top row of your computer keyboard play the "black keys" (sharps and flats). To move up or down by octaves, do one of the following:  Press Z to move down by an octave.  Press X to move up by an octave.  Click the small keyboard at the top of the Musical Typing window to move to the octave shown, or drag the blue rectangle. The blue rectangle shows the current range of Musical Typing. 48 Chapter 6 Tutorial 4: Playing and Recording Software Instruments To change the velocity level of notes you play using Musical Typing:  Press C to lower the velocity level.  Press V to raise the velocity level. To add pitch bend to notes you play using Musical Typing:  Press 1 to lower the pitch of notes.  Press 2 to raise the pitch of notes. The pitch is bent for as long as you press the key. To sustain notes you play using Musical Typing:  Hold down the Tab key. Notes are sustained for as long as you hold down the Tab key.  Release the Tab key to stop sustaining notes. To add modulation to notes you play using Musical Typing:  Press 4 through 8 to add increasing amounts of modulation. Press 3 to turn off modulation. The level of modulation lasts until you change it or turn it off by pressing another key. Playing Software Instruments with the Onscreen Music Keyboard You can use the onscreen music keyboard to play and record Software Instruments. When you show the onscreen music keyboard, by default it displays a four-octave range of keys. You can resize the keyboard to display up to ten octaves. To show the onscreen music keyboard, do one of the following: m Choose Window > Keyboard (or press Command-K). If the Musical Typing window is visible, you can switch to the onscreen keyboard window by clicking the Keyboard button on the left side of the window. To play the onscreen music keyboard: m Click the notes on the keyboard. You can click when the project is playing, when it is stopped, or when you are recording. Clicking a note lower on the key plays the note with a higher velocity (equivalent to pressing the key harder), and clicking a note higher on the key plays the note with a lower velocity (equivalent to pressing the key more softly). Chapter 6 Tutorial 4: Playing and Recording Software Instruments 49 The onscreen keyboard also shows notes you play on your connected keyboard, and shows notes in regions on the selected track when you play the project. To move the keyboard: m Place the pointer anywhere in the space above the keys and drag. To resize the keyboard: m Drag the resize control in the lower-right corner of the keyboard window. To change the range of notes you can play: m Click the small triangle to the left or right of the keys. Clicking the triangle to the left lowers the keys by an octave, and clicking the triangle on the right raises the keys by an octave. Getting Ready to Record a Software Instrument If you are recording Software Instruments using a music keyboard, there are a couple of things to check before you start recording:  Make sure your music keyboard is connected to your computer and is working.  Select a Software Instrument track and try playing your music keyboard, clicking notes on the onscreen music keyboard, or using Musical Typing. You should hear the Software Instrument as you play. Recording a Software Instrument Now you're ready to record a Software Instrument. You can record one Software Instrument track at a time. To record a Software Instrument: 1 Click the header of the Software Instrument track you want to record in to select the track. 2 Move the playhead to the point in the timeline where you want to start recording. 3 Choose Control > Count In to have the metronome play a one-measure count-in before recording starts. You can also set the playhead a few beats before the point where you want the music to come in to make it easier to start on the beat. 50 Chapter 6 Tutorial 4: Playing and Recording Software Instruments