Garageband!

Andrew Blakk · September 28, 2012, 09:36:43 PM

http://soundcloud.com/andrewscorner/2a

Anyone using it?

Fooled around with it last night on the Ipad and did a short recording.

Kind of fun and it doesn't sound so bad acctually. Especially for that amount of money.

rayinreverse · September 30, 2012, 01:21:43 AM

I find garageband does me great for demos. It's faster to open than pro tools and is less resource heavy.

Lumpy · September 30, 2012, 01:47:01 AM

It's going to sound as good as your source material sounds -- sound quality is limited by your recording equipment and analog/digital interface, not by the software.

On the plus side, it's easy to use. On the minus side, it's too easy to use (it's missing some functionality and precise controls).

I've used it some, and I liked it a lot.

Hemisaurus · September 30, 2012, 11:44:49 AM

I've used it on a Mac, never tried it on an iPad, is it still all loop based?

Lumpy · September 30, 2012, 03:18:34 PM

It's not any more loop-based than any other recording/arranging software. You can use loops if you want to. You don't have to use any loops.

morgantician · October 03, 2012, 07:22:18 AM

I love GarageBand, especially for demoing. In fact, I just bought an iPad specifically for ease of demoing using GarageBand.

My new band just recorded our whole demo using GarageBand on an iPad. I think it turned out really, really well. Check it out: xaphan.bandcamp.com

rayinreverse · October 03, 2012, 03:31:03 PM

I dont think people actually realize what a functional piece of software garageband is.
I run an mxbox 2 into it, and with a decent mic and pre I get great sounds!
You can do editing, but not quite with the same detail as with something like pro tools. Fades, and effects are a little more difficult in some ways. .

James1214 · October 03, 2012, 03:50:04 PM

the Heavy Action ep was done in Garageband

http://heavyaction.bandcamp.com/

most of the songs had tons of overdubs and little shit in the background, I need to actually do a mastering as its a bit quiet.

I'd say my only issue with Garageband (at least the 2011 version i have) is that if you accidentally delete a track and then save its gone for fuckin ever. theres no way to recover it as there is no archive of tracks, which blows. i lost a Kick track on a recorded song that didn't make it on the ep.

Hemisaurus · October 03, 2012, 04:52:49 PM

So y'all recording using the inbuilt mic / interface, or summat else?

James1214 · October 03, 2012, 05:18:39 PM

l was using a firepod interface into my MacBook. not using the iPad.

db3jed · October 03, 2012, 09:10:13 PM

Garageband is a great little piece of software and yes you are limited sound wise by your interface rather than the software itself.
There's absolutely no reason to not be able to record a complete album with it.
It was through my experiences with Garageband that I moved up to Apple Logic for my primary recording setup.
I still use some of the Garageband plugs as well.
I personally have never used loops (I'm a drummer that plays guitar/bass) so no it is not just loop based.

I've used various versions of Cubase, Cakewalk, Pro Tools, and Reaper over the years and it was my experience with a buddy's Macbook Pro w/Garageband (and later on Logic) that prompted me to ditch my Windows machines and pony up for the Mac and Logic.
I haven't looked back since.

Hemisaurus · October 03, 2012, 09:20:44 PM

ProTools has to be the most non-intuitive piece of software. I was told it would make sense to engineers, but it still seems cumbersome, perhaps because I played with other audio suites before. I'm looking at Reaper as a replacement.

I still can't see the iPad as more than a musical notebook.

rayinreverse · October 03, 2012, 09:21:01 PM

If I were to buy another software package, I wouldnt bother with Pro Tools, and would go right with Logic.

chille01 · October 04, 2012, 04:26:35 PM

Count me as another Logic convert. The Pro version and some plugins I found at the bottom of the driveway work awesome.

Lumpy · October 04, 2012, 04:59:29 PM

I went with Logic because I use Macs, and Apple makes Logic. If I had a PC I would have considered Pro Tools, but that (running native on Mac) and the smaller pricetag (and a little bit of background using Garage Band) convinced me to go with Logic.

If I had the goal of possibly being a professional or semi-pro, I would go with Pro Tools, because it's still more of an industry standard.

chille01 · December 10, 2012, 10:13:14 PM

Resurrection! I've recently begun trying to use my iPad as a songwriting/demo tool. I've got an interface to plug my guitar in, and have loaded Garageband which I am semi-familiar with (I use Logic Pro for real production). What I want to do with the iPad is just sketch out tunes as demos for the rest of the band. I don't want nor need to be able to make professional sounding recordings with it. I simply want to be able to convey the basic feel, arrangement, and dynamics of a song to my fellow musicians.
My biggest issue I am having so far is with drums. Seems I either use one of the very limited selection of loops that come with GB, or I program the entire track by hand in the sequencer. I'm no good at being a drummer even with a real kit, and I certainly can't tap something useful out on an iPad with my fingers. Ideally, what I would like to do is have a good selection of drum loops that I can use as a starting point, and then edit them in the midi sequencer to fit the specifics of the song. Seems with GB for iPad the loops are all audio files, and so therefor can't be edited in midi.
Is there a better app for this? A better drum sequencer that can be loaded as some sort of plugin? Or a better library of loops that can be edited in midi?
Basically, I want to be able to get demos down quick with a minimal amount of drum programming, but still convey the sounds in my brain. Thanks!

xayk · December 11, 2012, 07:41:47 AM

The reason I like sketching out songs on the iPad vs a laptop or somesuch is because I like using the iPad GB's drum grid-thingy (I'm sure it has a real name.) That works well for me, keeping time but not sounding ultra-robotic. I like to record a good chunk of that pseudo-random percussion, and then, when I import that to GB on the laptop, chop it up - re-use the best parts, hand edit here and there, loop interesting sections. Dunno if that helps at all, but I never seem to have preconceived drums in my head, so that's how I roll.

On the subject of plugins, this just launched this week: http://audiob.us/

Garage Band is *not* currently compatible, sadly, but the app opens up some interesting interactions. I have a few bucks left from a gift card, so I may buy that + the looper it's compatible with to futz with. Not sure my first gen iPad can keep up, but I'll give it a go.