How can I appreciate Garageband

[Fried Chicken]

I've never done anything in the direction of digital audio. It's been classical/acoustic for me. Piano is my go-to instrument.

Now since I'm stuck living in a city, I have a digital piano. I found out that for $15 I can buy a cable that will hook up my piano to my Macbook Pro, and all of a sudden, out of the blue, I find myself with endless possibilities.

Not even in a good way. I'm completely overwhelmed.

How can I appreciate garageband? What can it do for me?

I'm classically trained and have the creative mind of a rock. It's unfortunate, but true. Anyone know where I'm coming from? Any suggestions?

 

[casperes1996]

I recommend just following tutorials to begin with. Look some up on YouTube, or read through the Help that's built in.

Once you get a grasp of how all the tech work, it's much easier to just use it and play like you would normally and make something great

 

[Fried Chicken]

I recommend just following tutorials to begin with. Look some up on YouTube, or read through the Help that's built in.

Once you get a grasp of how all the tech work, it's much easier to just use it and play like you would normally and make something great

It’s not the using it that I have trouble with;

How do I make something great?

 

[BeechFlyer]

How do I make something great?

Not to sound unhelpful, but that is for you to find out.

Let me explain: I know the overwhelming feeling of being exposed to new tools and new capabilities... First you know absolutely nothing, then you watch a tutorial or read a book or simply learn a few things about the new tool through trial and error. You start understanding a few things about the tool, but not yet how to turn those things into good results. You get to realize that you are stepping into a world of what seems like endless possibilities, and I know how lost one can feel during that time.

This is when you have to experiment, first with help from others (YouTube, books, lynda.com, ...) and then more and more on your own, and over time you will see structure in this new world, and you will learn how to use these tools to your advantage.

I'm afraid there's no five-step recipe to creating something great in any these tools - just like a great camera doesn't create great photos without a great photographer who has learned how to use it.

So take the plunge; it may seem very hard and unrewarding for some time, but it'll get better.

 

[casperes1996]

It’s not the using it that I have trouble with;

How do I make something great?

It's impossible to give a tutorial on creativity. I can give you suggestions to workflow, but creation is about feeling your way forward.

But in the vain of workflows, just start off with a simple melody or even just a single chord you think is nice, and build around that. Find a sound you think particularly fits it and build up and refine. Sitting with an empty canvas can be a daunting experience but you just need to start putting things on the canvas and when you've put stuff on there, figure out what you want to stay and what you remove, and what you redo, reshape, reimagine or refine.

Or instead, maybe start with a feeling. What do you want the feeling or the atmosphere of your track to be. Get some images in your head or whatever you feel works for you, and start playing until you find sounds that you think fit that feeling and that atmosphere. I typically do video editing, and when you edit video, listening to music as you edit can help shape the rhythm of the footage. Similarly, look at images while you play music and try and create something that would fit the images. That could be a good starting point.

But that's just suggestions. Find the creative process that works for you
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I'm afraid there's no five-step recipe to creating something great in any these tools - just like a great camera doesn't create great photos without a great photographer who has learned how to use it.

Excellent example. Because the tools don't dictate the product. The tools just help you realise it. The product always starts as an idea.

 

[Fried Chicken]

Yeah, I know it's a stupid thing to ask. Unfortunately I have the creativity of a rock.


Is there a way for me to listen to the garageband audio through my Piano speakers? It has a MIDI in/out, but the only way for me to hear it is through the Macbook, which is kind of stupid.

 

[F1Mac]

Is there a way for me to listen to the garageband audio through my Piano speakers? It has a MIDI in/out, but the only way for me to hear it is through the Macbook, which is kind of stupid.

You need a pair of speakers and an audio interface and/or a mixer. A small one would do I guess, you don’t need 32 inputs... But you need at least 4 if you want 1/to properly listen to both GB and your piano and 2/some flexibility.

Using only the Macbook requires that you always record your piano signal into Garageband. Not very convenient imo.

I highly doubt that your piano has audio inputs so there’s no way to hear an external source through its speakers.



As for the creativity part, well... my sister and I are both pianists, I ended up a composer whereas she has absolutely no clue how to put 2 notes together But she’s a better player than me. Train your ears, listen to a lot of music, it helps, and lots of genres too. The idea must come from you first, the software is just here to help. You can have the most amazing sample libraries if the music’s not “good”, or “interesting” in the first place it will still sound like crap.

 

[Fishrrman]

"It’s not the using it that I have trouble with;
How do I make something great?"

You just push the "more talent, please" button, of course !!

Don't you see it... ??

 

[StoneJack]

Yeah, I know it's a stupid thing to ask. Unfortunately I have the creativity of a rock.


Is there a way for me to listen to the garageband audio through my Piano speakers? It has a MIDI in/out, but the only way for me to hear it is through the Macbook, which is kind of stupid.

play a cover of a song or melody you like and use Garageband to alter the instruments, add strings etc. And you will have some creative

 

[Fried Chicken]

Apparently I can output MIDI to the keyboard, however garageband doesn't have a MIDI out function.
I found this out with some 3rd party program.

Also, is there a way I can record video and garageband at the same time so I can become a youtube star xD

 

[casperes1996]

Also, is there a way I can record video and garageband at the same time so I can become a youtube star xD

That's a camera you're looking for there... Or just use QuickTime or ScreenFlow or something

 

[fastlanephil]

I think you’ll find that your digital piano will be best suited as a piano action midi controller. Then you need a virtual piano that you can use with GarageBand. I’d suggest starting with the Garritan CFX lite. You can buy it at Sweetwater for $60. It is upgradeable to the full version. There are a lot of pretty nice software piano out there but almost all of the lower priced ones require the full version of Kontakt as a host which is $400 or 1/2 that if you can catch it on a rare sale. The Garritan CFX lite comes with it’s own player.

I have a Kawai MP7 digital piano and I own Garritan CFX Concert Grand and a few other software pianos. The MP7 sounds pretty nice with good headphones when playing live but software pianos have much larger sampling than the ROM chips in a digital piano and record much better piano sound in your DAW.

 

[BrianBaughn]

The KVR audio website has a really nice database of plugins...including a lot of really good AU virtual instruments. There's a lot of free ones, too. Some might not pass muster.

 

[user_xyz]

Shoot Some Dope?
Maybe Try a "Speedball" ??

Please Don't !!

Try to have Fun!!
[doublepost=1544890908][/doublepost]

Yeah, I know it's a stupid thing to ask. Unfortunately I have the creativity of a rock.


Is there a way for me to listen to the garageband audio through my Piano speakers? It has a MIDI in/out, but the only way for me to hear it is through the Macbook, which is kind of stupid.

Get a cheap Audio Interface--Like the Focusrite Scarlet 2i2 and some Studio Monitors like M-Audio BX5's

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...io_bx5carbonblk_bx5_carbon_black_monitor.html

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E6T56EA/ref=psdc_11973691_t1_B01LZBM7OR

Good Luck!!

 

[ChrisA]

Apparently I can output MIDI to the keyboard, however garageband doesn't have a MIDI out function.
I found this out with some 3rd party program.

Also, is there a way I can record video and GarageBand at the same time so I can become a youtube star xD

You can do a lot with Garage Band. I would advise staying with it until you find there is something you want to do but can't, then upgrade to Apple's Logic.

What to do? That is easy, Make a multi-track recording. Have you ever wanted to record Edvard Grieg's Piano Concerto where you play every instrument and conduct at the same time?

OK that is too large of a project. But what about a piano duet? What you do is record the MIDI data from the keyboard for the first piano then re-wind the recording and put on headphones and play the second piano as you listen to the first on the headphones. Later you can either use GB's built-in piano samples (which sound like a toy) or use a 3rd party piano sample (that can soubd better then any real piano you could ever afford) And you mix the two MIDI tracks down to stereo.

Or learnto play a violin sound on the kayboard -- you likely need to usemod and pitch bend wheels maybe sustain pedal and have a light touch. The record a violin/piano duet.

Some times rather then listeing to the other instrument you listen to metronome clicks, especially if recording the first track.

OK more tricks to try.....

Try recording MIDI at a reduced tempo. This makes it easy to play a hard hard piece like from List that goes very fast. You play it a 1/2 tempo and then inside GB you change the tempo. With MIDI only the temp changes not the pitch.

I have a recording made by Gershwin himself. He recorded in paper piano rolls for player piano. He recorded so three hand pieces and even went as far as to edit the paper with a razor blade and paste. If he did it, it must be OK. How else to do a two-octave chord with one hand?

you can use all kinds of tricks to make a recording of performance you can't play live. If is fun (for me) to hear things that are "impossible"

SO what I am getting at isEXPERIMENTT with impossible to play a variation of piece you know.


About video recording. Keep the video and audio separate. Record audio to the computer and video to the video camera or iPhone. But this is the KEY trick: Let the camera record a low-quality audio tack. Later in post processing this track isused to synchronize the high quality audio with the video or even better to aim two or three video camera, one at your hands, one at your face and shoulders and one to cover the entire space. Just keep all of them or the same side, left of right of middle C. Then later the camera audio tracks allow the video edit software to keep everything in sync. The camera audio is not used in the final version.


You can appear to be the pianist you are not in the video. Record three video tracks and then MIDI. Use a Steinway sample over the MIDI and record while playing at a slow relaxed tempo then play it back at 150% tempo and you will have video "proof"

Also notice that in GB miDI files you can edit wrong notes and tighten up the timing.

 

[macnewbie86]

I usually just browse and read the forums, but I saw your post and wanted to help. There's a lot of great content on youtube, but stick with GarageBand for as long as you can...master it as best you can..then you can upgrade to Logic Pro X and do even more. But don't buy that right away because you will be even more overwhelmed.

I was like you just a few years ago. Played guitar..bought a MacBook, saw GarageBand and thought hey, why not try this out. Fast forward a few years and I have recorded an album and several songwriting demos and still continue to fool around creatively with it. Usually just to come up with quick demos that I can later fool around with in Logic.

I learned as much as I could about GarageBand before I went on to buy Logic Pro and don't regret it. Logic Pro has almost the same interface and tools...but has more professional features..but they won't help you necessarily be more creative.

I'll give you a direct link to someone I found about a few months ago on youtube that I think is terrific...his channel name is garagebandandbeyond...you can find it here...

https://www.youtube.com/user/GaragebandandBeyond

This guy is a multi-instrumentalist and he is a great teacher of GarageBand. He does gear reviews on monitors, microphones etc. but he also does great tutorials on how to use GarageBand like a pro. He also records and posts his own creations and music videos to show you what GarageBand is capable of.

I know he doesn't have like 100,000 views per video, but don't let that influence you because he posts like 2-3 videos a week and they are either really informative of GarageBand or a great creative demonstration of what's possible with GarageBand.

Anyways, you say you are classical trained and are lacking creatively. Don't worry. Again, I was in the same boat. Everything I recorded for the first little while was not good because I was inhibited creatively and was just learning how to get my ideas out. I didn't like hearing myself played back. It felt weird. But with some time and patience you will be able to do a lot with it. I think especially because you are a piano player, you will benefit from learning GarageBand. There are so many synthesizers out there. I don't know what generation you were born, but I'm a millennial and we love EDM music. I wish I had learned piano first because there's so much you can do recording yourself in real time with GarageBand.

Anyways..if that was too long just take away these points from my post...

-don't buy logic until you master GarageBand
-consider yourself lucky you are a piano player
-don't worry about your creativity..it will come in time especially with GarageBand
-look up GarageBand and beyond channel on youtube

My hand is sore from all this typing. This is why I usually lurk lol...

All the best.
[doublepost=1549276759][/doublepost]Here's a direct link to his how to record and mix like a pro...

Also I forgot to mention how good the official apple documentation is for GarageBand. It's really clearly written and always updated when they release new updates for the software. You can find it in the iBooks store or online

https://help.apple.com/garageband/mac/10.2/

Another great resource if you prefer video and don't mind paying like 10-15 bucks is udemy. I used this site a lot for learning more advanced features and concepts for DAWs(digital audio workstation) like garageband

https://www.udemy.com/courses/search/?src=ukw&q=GarageBand

 

[macnewbie86]

The KVR audio website has a really nice database of plugins...including a lot of really good AU virtual instruments. There's a lot of free ones, too. Some might not pass muster.

Yes KVR is a great website. I also recommend free plugins to start..BUT like you say some aren't that great. The greatest free plugins are usually from companies that sell plugins..but offer a limited version of their flagship plugins...

like for example izotope offers neutrino and vocal doubler for free...Native Instruments JUST announced a bunch of free plugins

native instruments has a TON of great plugins but they cost a lot. The free stuff from them, although limited, is great and gives you an idea of possible sounds you could come up with their products (like Reaktor).