GarageBand helps you turn your Mac into a fully-functional recording studio. The newest member of the iLife suite comes with pre-recorded loops utilizing hundreds of musical instruments to enable you to sound like a symphony orchestra or a one-man band. GarageBand ships with only limited documentation and that's where this book fills the gap. The MacAddict Guide to Making Music with GarageBand shows you how to create, perform and record your own music, even if you can't read a note or play an instrument - you can easily produce tunes that sound like you can! If you are musically inclined, this book shows you how to hook up your instruments and record your own sound, then you can mix it with as many other instruments as you want for a truly professional result. Once you have your tunes mixed to perfection, you can use them to score your iMovie projects, your iPhoto slide shows, and your iDVD projects. The MacAddict Guide to Making Music with GarageBand teaches you how to do all of that - and much more!

Table of Contents

Introduction. 1. Getting Started with GarageBand. What Is GarageBand? Installing GarageBand. What to Expect from GarageBand on Your Mac. 2. Making Music with Apple Loops. Starting a New Song. Using the Loop Browser. Adding and Modifying Apple Loops. Adjusting Track Volume. Working with Tracks and Regions. Creating a Dance Song. 3. Recording Your Own Music with Software Instruments. Playing GarageBand's Software Instruments. Recording a Software Instrument Track. Editing a Software Instrument Track. Editing Software Instruments. Creating a Jazz Tune. 4. Recording Your Guitar. Getting Your Guitar to Play Well with GarageBand. Choosing an Amplifier. Recording Your Performance. Editing Your Performance. Overdubbing Your Guitar. Recording a Rock Song. 5. Recording Vocals and Other Instruments. Using Microphones and Headphones. Setting GarageBand's Input Levels. Setting Up Your Vocal Style. Recording Your Performance. Editing Your Performance. Overdubbing Your Performance. Recording a Blues Tune. 6. Editing and Mixing Your Music. Editing and Arranging Regions. Optimizing Track Effects. Choosing Master Track Effects. Mixing a Rock Song. 7. Finishing Up. Exporting to iTunes. Burning to CD. Making an MP3 File. Moving Songs to Your iPod. Sharing Your Music on the Internet. Using Your Song with Other Software Applications. 8. Making Your Own Software and Real Instruments. Using Generators. Using Built-in Effects. Creating and Saving Software Instruments. Creating and Saving Real Instruments. 9. Making Your Own Loops. Recording Your Own Audio Loops. Creating Apple Loops. Importing Your Apple Loops into GarageBand. Using Third-Party Apple Loops. 10. Advanced Techniques. Using Audio Unit Instruments and Effects. GarageBand Tips and Tricks. Recording Tricks and Techniques. Final Thoughts. Glossary. Appendix A: Expanding GarageBand. The GarageBand Jam Pack. Third-Party GarageBand Expansion Options. Appendix B: Configuring Your Studio. Monitoring. Hooking Up a MIDI Keyboard. Hooking Up a Guitar Directly to Your Mac. Hooking Up a Microphone Directly to Your Mac. Using an Audio Interface. The Ultimate GarageBand Studio. Appendix C: Keyboard Shortcuts. Menu Shortcuts. General GarageBand Window Shortcuts. Track Information Window Shortcuts. Appendix D: GarageBand Software Instruments. Bass. Drum Kits. Guitars. Horns. Mallets. Organs. Pianos and Keyboards. Strings. Synth Basics. Synth Leads. Woodwinds. Synth Pads. Appendix E: Effects List. Built-in Effects. Included Audio Unit Effects. Appendix F: General MIDI Instruments List. Piano. Chromatic Percussion. Organ. Guitar. Bass. Strings/Orchestra. Ensemble. Brass. Reed. Pipe. Synth Lead. Synth Pad. Synth Effects. Ethnic. Percussive. Sound Effects. Appendix G: MIDI Implementation Chart. MIDI Implementation Chart for the DLSMusicDevice and GarageBand. Appendix H: General MIDI Drum Key Map. Appendix I: Online Resources. GarageBand and Mac Audio Sites. Sources for Loops. Mac and Music Magazines. Music Sharing Sites. Gear Retailers. References. Index.

Author Biography

Jay Shaffer is a freelance sound designer, audio engineering consultant and music composer. He has over 20 years experience in the recording industry and has produced and recorded several award-winning albums as well as having composed music for computer games, videos and films. Although he cut his teeth on Commodore 64s and Amigas, Jay is a certified Mac addict and is now on his eighth Macintosh since 1986. He also administers the Mac Audio Guy Web site, a resource for Mac audio professionals and enthusiasts. Gary Rosenzweig is the chief engineer, founder and owner of CleverMedia, a game and multimedia development company in Denver, Colorado. He has written 10 books on Macromedia Director and Flash. Gary has degrees from both Drexel University in Philadelphia and the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. He has been building multimedia projects since 1989. CleverMedia was founded in 1995 and has produced more than 250 Shockwave and Flash games for CleverMedia's sites and other companies. Some of Gary's other Que Publishing books are Special Edition Using Director MX, Advanced Lingo for Games and Flash MX ActionScript for Fun and Games.