What's New in GarageBand 2
by
- Episode 34 - January 21st, 2005As you may know, Steve Jobs and/or John Mayer demonstrated some of GarageBand 2's rockin' new capabilities at the Macworld Expo keynote last week. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, many extremely cool new features of GarageBand 2 were glossed over or ignored completely.
Figure 1: John Mayer helping Steve Jobs demonstrate GarageBand 2 at the Macworld Expo keynote last week.
Mediocre Photo by Bob LeVitus
Never fear. Your intrepid reporter (that's me) is here. Not only did I have the good fortune to spend a bit of quality time with GarageBand's product manager Xander Soren last week, but due to a shipping fluke (or perhaps because I'm such a well-respected Mac Observer columnist), my copy of iLife '05 arrived yesterday-Thursday Jan 20-though it won't officially be available for sale until tomorrow-Saturday, January 22.
I know I'm not the only one to get a copy before the official release date. I saw a couple of notes to that effect during my afternoon Web surf yesterday.
The point is, I've already seen most (if not all) of GarageBand 2's best new features and because I got my copy early, I can share them with you today.
Just remember, this is a preview of GarageBand 2's new features. Do not mistake it for a review. I've only actually used GarageBand 2 for a couple of hours so I'm not prepared to comment on its performance or usability for a while. What I am prepared to do is give you what is hopefully your first detailed look at what's new and exciting in GarageBand 2.
Pitch correction
Pitch correction could become my favorite new feature. With a single slider control, you can fix a real audio track containing single-notes-vocals or instruments playing single notes rather than chords-even if it was recorded out-of-tune. Really. Of course, this effect can't perform miracles on your tracks but it can make many recorded out-of-tune tracks sound like they were recorded in tune.
Figure 2: GarageBand 2's pitch correction feature is a single slider control, so it's easy enough for anyone to try.
(Click the image for a larger version)
I don't sing particularly well, so for years I've relied on Auto-Tune (now in Version 4), by Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune 4 is a plug-in I use with GarageBand to correct the pitch of my voice. The effect is similar to GarageBand 2's pitch correction feature, but now you get the GarageBand rendition absolutely free with purchase.
Don't get me wrong. I love Auto-Tune 4 and it has worked wonders on many of my vocal tracks. But $399 is a lot to pay for a plug-in, even if it does make me sound way better than I deserve to sound.
If you don't believe me, check out my stirring rendition of James Taylor's Fire and Rain if you dare. I swear my original vocal track was nowhere near as good as the Auto-Tune 4 processed vocals on the finished MP3. (I'd offer to post the vocal track without the effect if it didn't sound so awful.)
Anyway, Auto-Tune 4 has a number of features you won't find in GarageBand 2's built-in pitch correction-which as you see in Figure 1, is a single slider control. No doubt Auto-Tune can do things the freebie can't. But I haven't tested them head-to-head yet so I'm not sure how big the difference is. Either way I have a hunch a lot of GarageBand users will be plenty happy with what the freebie can do.
Figure 3: The Auto-Tune plug-in offers a plethora of pitch correction features, but at a price ($359).
(Click the image for a larger version)
There is one more thing: you can also shift the pitch of an entire song with the new Master Pitch control, which is now an option in the Master Track.
Figure 4: Change the pitch of an entire song with the Master Pitch control located in the Master Track.
Record on up to 8 tracks at once
Another thing you'll notice about GarageBand 2 is that you are no longer limited to recording a single track-GarageBand 2 lets you record up to 8 tracks at once if you have sufficient processing power and RAM, and an appropriate audio interface.
With my M-Audio FireWire 410 interface (4-inputs and 10 outputs for around $500) I was able to record three guitars and a vocal all at the same time! Whoo ya!
Figure 5: Recording four tracks at once is a breeze if you have enough horsepower and a multi-channel audio interface; the red dots indicate the tracks are armed and ready for recording.
Notation view
In GarageBand 2 you can view software instrument tracks in musical notation, like sheet music, or the MIDI notation you know and love from GarageBand 1.1.
Figure 6: Musical notation (top) is now an option for software instrument tracks in addition to the familiar MIDI notation (bottom).
(Click the image for a larger version)
Use your QWERTY keyboard to play software instruments (rather than the obnoxious miniature piano keyboard)
If you're stuck without a MIDI keyboard, you can now use your Mac keyboard instead by choosing Musical Typing from the Window menu. If you've ever tried to use the teeny-tiny one-note-at-a-time-if-you-can-click-it-in-time on-screen keyboard in GarageBand 1, you're going to love this feature. A lot.
Figure 7: GarageBand 2 lets you use your Mac keyboard to play software instruments instead of the dorky little keyboard you had to use in Version 1.
(Click the image for a larger version)
And yes, you can play chords this way, and quite easily I might add.
There is one more thing here, too: The dorky little keyboard can now be resized.
Figure 8: The dorky little keyboard can now be resized into a dorky big keyboard.
(Click the image for a larger version)
It's better when it's bigger, but still not anywhere near as useful or usable as the new Musical Typing keyboard.
Lock tracks
GarageBand 2 lets you lock real or software instrument tracks. Of course, locking protects the track from unintended changes. But more importantly, it renders the track to your hard disk, which reduces the amount of processing power and RAM you'll need to play the track. This feature alone should make GarageBand much more usable, especially on machines with lesser processors and/or insufficient RAM (G4 and 512MB or less; GarageBand runs best on a G5 with a gigabyte or more of RAM).
Figure 9: The lock icon tells you that the Orchestra Kit track (top) is locked and the Orchestral Cello track (bottom) is not.
You can change a track's pan settings within the song
In GarageBand 1 you set a track's pan (placement in the left or right speaker) and that was it for that track. If you wanted the sound on a track to move from left to right (or vice versa) during the song, you could either be very clever (e.g. double the track and use the volume curves to crossfade between them and fake it), or you could do without.
Not any more. GarageBand 2 gives you a rubber band control, just like the track volume control. Merely slide the rubber band up to pan left, and slide it down to pan right.
Figure 10: The Cello Section will start out in the right speaker, cross over to the left speaker, back to the right speaker, and back to the left speaker again.
Automation-what the track pan and track volume controls provide-is a very good thing and something I pined for in version 1. Since I want to produce songs that sound like Todd Rundgren or Brian Wilson productions, this feature looks sweet to me.
Built-in instrument tuner
Another feature I've always thought GarageBand should have is a built-in instrument tuner. I've got standalone guitar tuners and Audio Units plug-in guitar tuners, and they work well. But it's much more convenient with the tuner in the main GarageBand window.
Figure 11: Click the tuning fork to the left of the time display and the new built-in instrument tuner appears.
In Figure 11 I'm plucking an in-tune E string on my guitar (top), and somewhat flat D string (bottom).
And much more...
And that is not all, oh no, that is not all. GarageBand 2 also includes new instruments, new guitar amp simulations, and new effects including the most bizarre vocal transformer effect I've ever heard. This puppy lets you do things like change a female vocalist so she sound like a dude singing, or vice versa. But it can also create interesting vocal harmonies without you having to sing on a second (third, fourth) track.
Very interesting if you ask me…
Figure 12: The vocal transformer effect offers interesting possibilities.
And if your MIDI keyboard isn't responsive enough, or is too responsive, you can use a new preference to adjust your MIDI keyboard's sensitivity.
Finally, GarageBand 2 is supposed to be able to import MIDI files directly, something that required third-party software such as Dent du Midi or GB Midi Import in version 1. Alas, in three times I've yet to be successful. It seems to work-I see the green arrow cursor and can drag and drop a MIDI file onto GarageBand 2, as the Help page instructs. I even see the progress bar that says, “MIDI File Import,” and an instrument track appears behind it temporarily as shown in Figure 13.
Figure 13: I'm trying to import a MIDI file but nothing happens.
(Click the image for a ginormous version)
I expect I'll figure it out, or Software Update will straighten it out, soon.
There are probably more new features I haven't discovered yet, but that's all I can think of for now. Give me a few weeks and I'll be back with a real hands-on review of GarageBand 2.
Until then, I hope my little preview has piqued your appetite. My first-blush opinion: If you enjoy using GarageBand, you're going to enjoy using GarageBand 2 a whole lot more.
And that's all he wrote.
Bob "Dr. Mac" LeVitus has been a Macintosh user for a long, long time and has written 49 computer books including Mac OS X Tiger For Dummies and GarageBand for Dummies. He also offers expert technical help and training to Mac users, in real time and at reasonable prices, via telephone, e-mail, and/or unique Internet-enabled remote control software. For more information on Bob and his services, visit www.boblevitus.com.
Send polite comments to
Send impolite comments to DeleteWithoutReading@boblevitus.com, or post your comments below.Most Recent Columns From Dr. Mac: Rants & Raves
- Resolving the Interview Recording Conundrum - September 9th
- Killer Software That’s Either Free or Inexpensive - August 25th
- Audio Chatting Devices Compared & Contrasted - August 11th
Dr. Mac: Rants & Raves Archives
Observer Comments
I just ordered iLife '05 (and iWork) today, I can't wait for the new garageband either. Especially the part where you can make your own loops, that should really save some time if you've got a custom thing that you've made up and easily want to share it or port it from project to project.
Sat Jan 22, 2005 12:53 am Subject: Got mine today too
You're right about the panning control - it made version 1 difficult to use. While I normally use MOTU DP 4.5.2 on my Dual 2.0 G5, I've found GarageBand to be a really nice scatchpad for fast and easy demos. Hard to believe how much power it provides for a few bucks. It's only been a few years since I paid several grand to build an ADAT studio with rack-mount effects, 24 channel mixer, etc. Now I can get superior results with a laptop and decent mic. Amazing.
Sat Jan 22, 2005 6:01 am Subject: Male to female voice?
How well does this work? is it more then just a pitch change? Does it work for spoken dialog? I've been dabbling with some audio dramas, but I didn't want the bother of getting other voice actors. (Very spur-of-the-moment stuff.)
And what does a male speaking into the female-to-male process sound like?
A year ago for GarageBand 1.0, David Pogue stated that it couldn't let you change tempo in a song. Since then, I've been waiting to hear whether this would be added to GarageBand in a future version. Has it changed? Can it be done now in GarageBand 2?
Here's Pogue's quote:
"Most seriously of all, GarageBand doesn't let you create tempo changes. Your song can never speed up or slow down, which puts a severe limit on musical expressiveness."
http://tech2.nytimes.com/mem/technology/techreview.html?res=9A01EFD71030F936A25752C0A9629C8B63
Dear Dr. Mac...
I am glad to have found your site. I am a singer and songwriter, who does not play an instrument, so the newest
upgrade of Garageband sounds great to me...but what about
being able to print out the notation. I have an iMac G5.
I want to record my vocals for my original songs, yet I
am hearing that in GB2, I can't print out the sheet music. What is up with that?
I am guessing that I can do a Print Screen, as a last resort? Please advise...
Thanks for your help...
Patti
Mon Jan 24, 2005 7:46 pm Subject: How to fix the MIDI import issue
I wish I had time to answer each of your questions but I'm so overloaded this week I just can't.
One thing I did find out is that if you add the TLE (three letter extension) .mid to MIDI files names, they will import properly into GarageBand. So they only fail when the file name doesn't have the .mid suffix.
So add .mid to your MIDI files and have fun. Now that it works for me, GarageBand does a nice job assigning appropriate-sounding software instruments to each of imported MIDI tracks.
I'm impressed.
Bob "Dr. Mac" LeVitus
Writer & Raconteur
FYI…
I spent an hour on the phone with apple support and reclaimed ~40.00 of the purchase price towards iLife. Based upon the information Apple has advertised below and from the keynote, Apple says that you can record a live track and generate the musical notation. This is not true. It only works for software instruments, not real instruments. So, plugging in a guitar and strumming a few chords or doing some picking does not generate the example notation below in real time. Reading the first paragraph they state â€Whether you’re recording software instruments or recording your own live performance, GarageBand can now generate music notation in real timeâ€. Apple reps tried to tell me it was poorly worded, I informed them it was false advertising. I’m sending this info on because I’ve noted they still haven’t updated their web site with better information, and don’t want anyone else to fall for the same thing.
Johnathon R. Lee –ticked off mac fan.
http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband/
Display Musical Notation
Wish you could view full musical notation as you record? Now you can. Whether you’re recording software instruments or recording your own live performance, GarageBand can now generate music notation in real time, displaying it on the fly.
There’s more. You can now choose how you’d like to edit software instrument recordings. You can use the “piano roll†view you’re used to using. Or you might want to try something new. GarageBand 2 lets you edit your recorded music — adjust, replace or move notes — using the new music notation view.
I was wondering if anyone knows of multi-channel audio device that will allow you to connect up to 8 line instruments or mics so that I could actually record up to 8 tracks at a time.
Tyler Smith
trsmith@banknorth.com
GarageBand isn't there (yet), but if you can manage to get MIDI output captured as described in other threads here, you might consider LilyPond for typesetting:
http://www.lilypond.org/
http://www.lilypond.org/doc/v2.4/Documentation/user/out-www/lilypond/Converting-from-other-formats.html#Converting-from-other-formats
T'would be truly wonderful if GarageBand would allow export of an XML that exposes more of the inner structures of a project, rather than the current ones that mainly encapsulate Logic-encoded data...
I have been doing some research on interfaces and from what I gather the firewire 410 can only do 2 analog inputs at once. If this is true how did you "
With my M-Audio FireWire 410 interface (4-inputs and 10 outputs for around $500) I was able to record three guitars and a vocal all at the same time! Whoo ya!" I would love to know. Or maybe I should ask how much money you made to review both products.
i'm on the road now, so i love the musical typing feature. i'm wondering if the big programs like DP or Reason have that feature, or at least if Reason's amazing sound bank can be teamed up somehow with garageband. is garageband really the only program that thought up this great idea? if so, i hope other programs will catch on.
Recent Headlines - Updated January 9th
- Fri, 8:31 PM
- Photo Gallery - Cirque du Mac 6.0 with the Macworld All Star Band!
- 5:45 PM
- Macworld Expo 2009 - It’s About Time Products Shows Switcher and iPhone 3G Training Applications
- 5:30 PM
- News - ApiMac Releases Protect Files 1.0 Security Utility
- 3:09 PM
- Photo Gallery - Macworld Photo Gallery: Day 3 - Mac Art, Music, More
- 12:55 PM
- News - launch2net 1.8.8 Adds ZTE Modem Support
- 12:40 PM
- Analysis - Optical Illusions and Glossy Displays
- 11:43 AM
- News - Apple Launches iLife ‘09 Up-to-Date Program
- 8:00 AM
- Reports - A Perspective on Mac OS X Security from an Expert
- Thu, 5:56 PM
- Macworld Expo 2009 - Orbicule Announces Undercover 3 with Location Technology
- 5:49 PM
- News - TOM BIHN, Waterfield Designs Release 17” Unibody MacBook Pro Notebook Cases
- 3:50 PM
- Macworld Expo 2009 - Targus Shows File Share Cable for Mac
- 3:40 PM
- Macworld Expo 2009 - Blackmagic Demonstrates Video Recorder
The Mac Observer Reader Specials
- Download Typestyler, still the Ultimate Styling Tool for Internet, Print and Video Graphics. Works great in Classic with a Native OS X Version on the way. Free Tryout: www.typestyler.com
MacPro Memory 667Mhz With Apple Spec Heat Sink - 2GB $62 / 4GB $80 / 8GB $158. Click to Maximize your Macs...
Mac observers can now play Party Poker for Mac as well as Mac casino games by going to MacPokerOnline.com.
RamJet Memory: Upgrade a MacBook to 4GB RAM for $99! Add a 320G MacBook Hard Drive for $73! MacBook Pro 17" 8GB Kits Available Now! Click hereFor the latest Apple products use Ciao a comparison website to find laptops like MacBook Air. Then find the best prices on MP3 players and use our comparison tool to evaluate cell phones.
Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.
