GarageBand to host Plugins and EQ

This approach uses only free software!

Overview

We will route the sound (digitally) through a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), and insert audio plugins, call Audio Units, into the sound path. For the DAW, we use GarageBand, which is free from Apple. The downside? GarageBand uses a lot of RAM. If you have 16GB of RAM, you likely will not feel it. If you have 8GB of RAM, you might want to watch the Memory tab of Activity Monitor to see if you have enough RAM.

The only software you will need is BlackHole. Just download it, unzip it (double-click in it), and install it, then come back here to configure GarageBand.

• Set your sound output to BlackHole
• Start playing some music in iTunes or the web or your favorite player.
• Launch GarageBand
• Select New Project, Empty Project, click the Choose button
• In the Choose a track type screen, select the microphone
• Click the little > button (there are two, click either)
  • Input Device: BlackHole 16ch
  • Output device: [select your preferred sound output device. Don't select System Setting, as you system setting will be BlackHole!]
  • You can change these settings in the GarageBand Preferences
  • Make sure Enable Audio Units in checked on.

• Close the Preferences window to return to the Choose a track type screen
• From the input dropdown menu, select Input 1+2. Its way down below Input 16.
• Click the I want o hear my instrument as I play and record
• Click the Create button

• From the View menu, hide the Library (or press Y)
• In the Smart Control section (the lower part of the screen), expand the Plug-ins section.

• The Channel EQ plug in will be "on" (blue) and ready to use. The built-in EQ is a little wonky, but it's a decent parametric Eq.
  • If you click on the blue Channel EQ in the Plug-in section, the Equalizer will open in a new window. Alternatively, you can click the EQ tab to the right of Controls.
  • Their are dots on the frequency graph. Click on a dot and move it up or down to increase or decrease the gain for a frequency. Move the dot to the left or right to change the frequency. To change the "Q" (how wide is the effect), select the dot, then select the Q number in the lower right of the graph. The lower the Q, the wider the effect.
  • Use the Analyzer to "see" the music in real time.
• If you prefer a more "traditional" graphic equalizer, read on. You can add any other Audio Unit plugin (there are many you can download for free or buy), in the same way.
  • You can turn off the parametric equalizer by hovering over the blue Channel EQ and click on the left side, which is the universal on/off button.
• Make sure you can see the plug-in section (you may need to click the Controls tab if you were on the Eq tab).
• Oh, turn off Master Echo and Master Reverb. You don't need them.
• Click right below the blue Channel EQ line to select and add a new Audio Unit

• The AUGraphicEQ is a 31 or 10 band graphic equalizer.
• If you installed another Audio Unit, like CanOpener Studio, it will be in this list.
• Change it as you want, then save presets.
• You can also just use the "Compressor" in the Controls section. Just click on the the knobs and move the mouse up or down to "turn" the dials to set the EQ, or initially set it.

• Now save the GarageBand file. Just use this file to start up the whole thing.
• Finally, look in the Imaging section for Stereo Spread. Sort of like crossfeed (sort of), right there for free!

There you have it. It should be working now if you have set your sound output to BlackHole.