How good is the recording ability in Garageband?

[pufftissue]

I've got an expensive acoustic guitar that sounds great through a normal soundsystem.

But only now have I ever tried to plug it into Garageband.


It sounds terrible. Specifically, it sounds like there's background noise (probably of the dumb macbook pro's FAN) + it's all too soft.

I've got an LR Baggs dual source (mic + piezo) and I've got on-board controls and I've jacked those all the way up and I'm using automatic recording level control.

It sounds like I recorded it from a tape recorder. Am I doing something wrong? (I'm using a radioshack $7 1/4" to 1/8" cord.) In my experience all cords are 90% the same, so I don't think that's the issue.

Is Garageband capable of recording high-quality stuff? Will that EMU 0404 USB 2.0 external solution help me here? Mind you, I'm not looking for an awesome sound. Just something that doesn't sound like it's from a tape recorder. When I mess with the software instruments in Garageband, it sounds clean and fine to my ears. Shouldn't playing real instruments be captured just as well?

Thanks!

 

[LMO]

I think you have a level problem. The dual source is probably intended to plug into an instrument input, so the low impedance of the MBP line input is loading it down. Run it through something like an ART Tube MP for a nice, warm tube sound.

If you want to spend a lot more money, the E-MU 0404 USB looks like a good way to go. Of course in that price range you are getting close to a Edirol UA-25, or a number of other possibilities. Make sure you get something with very low latency, and check to see if the software bundle runs on the Mac.

 

[calculus]

Do you have your sound preferences correctly set? Might you inadvertently be recording using the inbuilt microphone on your mac?

 

[pufftissue]

Do you have your sound preferences correctly set? Might you inadvertently be recording using the inbuilt microphone on your mac?

Calculus, thank you for pointing this out. NOW it sounds LOVELY! The reason it sounded like I was recording from a tape recorder was because I was, in effect. I was recording from the built-in mic.
I'm still thinking of getting that tube amp for $44 shipped. Seems like a great deal.

 

[Matteye]

Recording with E-MU 0404 in GB

I am fairly new to recording, and this is my first post on this forum. I am trying to use the E-Mu 0404 with Garage Band, and I have a couple questions:

1) When recording guitar using the direct line in, the playback is only out of the left speaker. When i record into Garage Band with the standard mic on my mac, this is not the case. What am I doing wrong?

2) I am getting a lot of hissing with my guitar. I'm using a standard acoustic with an insert pickup. Adjusting gain does not seem to work.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

MF

 

[Str8edgepunker]

1. That's probably because the output from a guitar is mono, not stereo. It only outputs over one channel of audio.

2. I'm not sure. It might be the pickup on the guitar.