Apple's new Garage Band app

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Any of you Mac users tried this yet? It's pretty freakin' awesome, especially for a frustrated musician like myself. You can create some pretty cool ambient dance tracks, in particular.
My one suggestion to Apple would be this: How about including a Wesley Willis backing track in the package? I'd like to record something along the lines of "Tammy Smith" for my wife. Anyone know where I could find one?

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Friday, 23 January 2004 16:22 (twenty-two years ago)

cubase for dummies?

― vahid (vahid), Friday, 23 January 2004 16:26 (twenty-two years ago)

are they going to make a windows compatible version?

― Chris V (Chris V), Friday, 23 January 2004 16:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Haven't heard anything yet, but they should. Apple may be hoping to lure Windows users over to their side with the bait being all the cool iLife programs (iTunes is the only one for Windows so far, I think). But that ain't gonna happen. Apple's focus is on music now anyway, so it will probably be available to all at some point.

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Friday, 23 January 2004 16:49 (twenty-two years ago)

does it have MIDI out? I really want a cheap/free simple midi sequencer for OSX

― tomp (tomp), Friday, 23 January 2004 16:54 (twenty-two years ago)

I am "borrowing" it as we speak.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Friday, 23 January 2004 17:11 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Garageband is based largely on Logic Audio from eMagic, which they acquired and subsequently killed Windows versions of. So I wouldn't hope for a Windows version any time soon.

― southern lights (southern lights), Friday, 23 January 2004 22:59 (twenty-two years ago)

they most likely won't release it for windows; what good would it do them? they only ported itunes to sell more ipods...

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 23 January 2004 23:02 (twenty-two years ago)

I just got it the other day from a friend's mom (!)

It seems pretty cool, but it just makes me realize that I need a fair bit of equipment before I can start making music via computers. I mean, off the bat, I need an audio input for my iMac, MIDI cables for my keyboard (because good luck with pointing-and-clicking on that keyboard icon!), monster instrument cable for guitar, etc.

Also, doesn't it seem like options are pretty limited when it comes to effects? Is there even an option to reverse a track?

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 23 January 2004 23:06 (twenty-two years ago)

So...in layman's/non-musician's terms, can you generate any sounds with this app alone or do you need real live instruments to plug in before you can start playing with stuff?

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Friday, 23 January 2004 23:11 (twenty-two years ago)

i have a guitar and a guitar lead and a midi keyboard. how much am a looking at before i can make music w. garageband, jaymc?

― cozen (Cozen), Friday, 23 January 2004 23:15 (twenty-two years ago)

The ILX GarageBand comp is only months away, surely. My contribution will be myself screaming like David Yow over Italo-house pianos.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Friday, 23 January 2004 23:17 (twenty-two years ago)

our flat has mics too! and a delay pedal. and a flanger. and some zoom 12 track w. inbuilt drum machine thingy... and actually 7 guitars (2 jags, a tele, a les paul copy, a strat, several acoustics). i really shda made some music by now. : /

― cozen (Cozen), Friday, 23 January 2004 23:22 (twenty-two years ago)

The app has pre-recorded, non-copywrited loops from many different instruments that you can use to build a basic track. There's also an on-screen keyboard that you can use, but I found it to be fairly cumbersome. I'm going to end up buing a midi keboard that Apple recommends for $100.
You can add your own vocals with your computer's built-in microphone and using different effects, with surprisingly good results.
My 10-year-old son built a jungle-themed techno track in about 15 minutes, featuring some improvised rhymes and animal screams. It sounds way cool and he's thrilled with it. Clearly, it is a dumbed-down version of other similar apps, but that's the point. It's designed so even people with very limited musical knowledge can make music.

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Saturday, 24 January 2004 13:52 (twenty-two years ago)

one month passes...

Somebody post a tune they made...

― 57 7th (calstars), Friday, 12 March 2004 04:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Somebody post a tune!

― 57 7th (calstars), Friday, 12 March 2004 04:39 (twenty-two years ago)

eight months pass...

I made a terrible triphop tune. I will maybe post it when I get home but it will blow all of my "cred".

― adam... (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 16:03 (twenty-one years ago)

I made my first bad song on it, too. Naturally, I mixed things together that don't belong together. Now that I'm resettled I may tinker around with it again over the holidays.

It is addictive, though.

― k3rry (dymaxia), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 18:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh - I'm downloading GarageBand now - didn't realise it was free and worked with Jaguar.

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 18:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh - hang on. I downloaded the update - not the real thing. Whoops. I guess it's not free then.

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 19:01 (twenty-one years ago)

This is stupid - I don't want to buy 'iLife' - I have all the other applications already. Bah.

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 19:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, that's too bad - you can't get it without iLife? It's really fun.

― k3rry (dymaxia), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 19:05 (twenty-one years ago)

My flatmate's just bought a new Powerbook - would 'borrowing' her copy of GarageBand work or is it more complicated than that?

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 19:06 (twenty-one years ago)

you should be able to borrow it no prob, it doesn't ask for a cd key or anything.

― 57 7th (calstars), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 19:11 (twenty-one years ago)

So, just copy over the .app and that's it?

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 19:13 (twenty-one years ago)

It is "free" from some places...

― adam... (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 19:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Alba yeah, just put in the cd and install it.

― 57 7th (calstars), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 19:17 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't know if I can get the CD.

I just tried copying over the .app file and when I ran it got this message:

"The Instrument Library is invalid. GarageBand expects a valid Instrument Library folder in /Library/Application Support/GarageBand.
Please choose a valid Instrument Library folder or quit and re-install GarageBand."

If I copy over her /Library/Application Support/GarageBand files do you think it will work or should I give up?

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 19:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh dear God, there's 1.8Gb of files there - my HD only has about 4GB left. I think I'll leave it for now and watch you kids play.

― Alba (Alba), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 19:44 (twenty-one years ago)

four years pass...

i've never used garage band, but i lent a friend who i'm working on some music with my old m-audio oxygen keyboard/controller (the idea is to use the soft synths in garage band with the keyboard, obv.). he tried connecting it via usb and didn't have any luck...anyone know if there's a trick to this? would midi cables help?

― Ømår Littel (Jordan), Thursday, 10 September 2009 14:25 (sixteen years ago)

i use my novation keyboard connected with a USB to operate the soft synths in garageband all the time, it should work fine. sometimes i have to fiddle with the software settings to get it to work right, just get him to experiment until it works

― congratulations (n/a), Thursday, 10 September 2009 14:28 (sixteen years ago)

sorry, that's vague, but the point is he should be able to work the soft synths with a USB connection

― congratulations (n/a), Thursday, 10 September 2009 14:28 (sixteen years ago)

ok cool, i'm sure i can figure it out if i go over there

― Ømår Littel (Jordan), Thursday, 10 September 2009 14:31 (sixteen years ago)

My son has put together some pretty cool techno backing tracks that he uses for the video games he writes.

― Jazzbo, Thursday, 10 September 2009 14:46 (sixteen years ago)

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