GarageBand Basics

Objective:

Students will demonstrate understanding of GarageBand's basic functions by using GarageBand to record, cut, and copy a piece of audio.

Setting the Sound Input and output:

1. Open the System Settings in the dock or in the Apple Menu in the upper left

2. Select Sound by clicking it

3. Click the 'Output' tab and select Internal speaker (or headphones, if you have them plugged in)

4. Click the 'Input' tab and select Internal Microphone

5. Close the window by clicking the red button in the upper left of the window

Creating a New Project:

1. Open GarageBand by clicking on the guitar/amp icon in the dock, launchpad, or in the applications folder in the finder

2. Select the 'Empty Project' choice by either double-clicking it, or clicking it once and the choose button next

3. Select the 'Record using a microphone...' choice by either double-clicking it, or clicking it once and the create button next

4. You should now have a new project with a single audio track set to record

Settings and Saving:

1. To save your project, click the file menu and select 'Save'

   1. Check that you are saving your project in the 'GarageBand' folder

   2. Enter a name for your project such as 'GarageBand Basics'

   3. Click the save button in the lower right of the window

2. To check your audio preferences, click the 'GarageBand' menu and select 'Preferences'

   1. Select Audio/MIDI

   2. Set the Output and Input Devices to 'System Setting'

   3. Close the window by clicking the red button in the upper left of the window

Panels and Buttons:

1. Library:

   • Shows or hides the left panel that allows you to choose preset Patches for certain types of audio sources

2. Quick Help:

   • Shows or hides labels and notes over different areas of the interface

3. Smart Controls:

   • Shows or hides the bottom panel with controls for changing the sound characteristics of a track or the entire project

4. Editors:

   • Shows or hides the bottom panel that allows fine editing of the waveform of a selected track

5. Transport Controls:

   • The buttons for controlling playback and recording

6. LCD

   • Shows time, tempo, and key settings

   • Allows you to change these settings

7. Metronome/Tuner

   • Keeps the beat for recording purposes

   • Allows you to tune an instrument

8. Zoom Sliders

   • Set the zoom level for the regions and waveforms on tracks and in the editor

Recording using the internal Microphone:

1. Metronome Settings:

   • Turn off the metronome so it doesn't end up in your recording

2. LCD

   • Click the arrow on the right and choose 'Time'

   • This keeps the playhead from locking to the beat

3. Record your voice:

   • Click the record button

   • Count from one to ten slow and separated

   • Make sure you leave space between each number when you say them. This will make editing easier!

Edit the Audio:

1. Resize the Region

   • Use the resize pointer at the lower corners of the region to remove empty space at the beginning and end

2. Split the numbers:

   • Select the region with you numbers by clicking it once

   • Move the playhead to a location that splits number one and two

   • Select 'Split Regions at Playhead' from the Edit menu or press 'Command T' simultaneously

   • You must select the region that you want to split, or it won't work

   • Repeat this process until all numbers are separated

   • Use the resize pointer to take out unwanted extra space on either end of your numbers

3. Duplicate the Track:

   • Click the 'Track' menu and select 'New Track With Duplicate Settings' (Command D)

   • This will create another track below you original

4. Copy and Paste:

   • Select the number 10 by clicking on its region

   • Select 'Copy' from the Edit menu (Command C)

   • Move the playhead to the zero second (the beginning of the song)

   • Click the new track by clicking on any empty space on the left label part of 'Audio 2'

   • Select 'Paste' from the Edit menu (Command V)

   • Repeat this process and move the playhead to a spot immediately following the previous number so that your second track counts down from 10 to 1 in the opposite order of the original

5. Playback your tracks:

   • Move the playhead back to the beginning and press the play button to playback both tracks simuntaneously

   • To listen to one track at a time use the 'Mute' or 'Solo' buttons on the left of the separate tracks to hear only one

6. Join Regions:

   • While holding the Shift button, select all the regions in your second track

   • Select 'Join Regions' from the Edit Menu (Command J)

   • This will create on region out of the 10 that you have arranged