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What is GarageBand? Apple Computer has a suite of applications called iLife which is used mainly for creating and organizing digital multimedia contents of the user. The iLife suite consists of the following applications: iTunes, iMovie, iPhoto, iDVD, iWeb, and GarageBand.
GarageBand was first introduced in 2004 at the MacWorld Conference & Expo which was held in San Francisco. GarageBand 2 was announced at the same conference of the following year; while GarageBand 3 was introduced in 2006.
GarageBand is an audio production software for use in Mac OS. This application is not really intended for professional musicians; instead, GarageBand is designed to help amateurs produce their own masterpieces easily. It has around 50 sampled instruments which can be played with use of an on-screen keyboard or a MIDI keyboard attached to the computer. There are also a thousand pre-recorded sampled loops integrated in the software for use in the audio production. If these inclusions are not enough, there are tons more instruments and loops available at an extra cost. A separate product by Apple Computer, the GarageBand Jam Pack is an expansion pack that consists of a dozen virtual instruments and thousands more of sampled loops. The GarageBand Jam Pack costs $99 and there are four different packs available. There are also a number of 3rd party vendors offering sample content and loop packs.
GarageBand 2 has some additional features which include the ability to record 8 tracks simultaneously, edit the audio in musical notation form, and adjust the pitch and timing of the recordings. GarageBand 3 boasts of its enhanced features that allow for production of quality podcasts.
The recent version of GarageBand allows anyone to have a good quality internet radio or podcast. Some artworks can even be added to the podcast such as changing images per chapter or segment that serves as visual cues to the audience. Several sound effects and jingles are also included in this application that can be added to the track to make the podcast sound more professional. Adding sound effects and jingles to the track can be done during post-production or during live recording.
Want to sound like a real disc jock? GarageBand also has a built-in Sound Enhancer maximizing and improving your vocal range and the sound of your voice. It can simulate a professional microphone that can give excellent sound for your Mac. It also has a ducking effect that automatically lessens the music volume whenever you speak, making your voice the dominant sound.
Remote interview and conference recording is also possible with GarageBand 3. With the use of iChat, GarageBand automatically records whenever a participant speaks. A separate track is created for each participant. It can also take a snapshot of the participant speaking when an iSight camera is used.
Musical scoring is now easy with GarageBand’s new movie track feature. You can easily add software instruments, loops, your past recordings, and even cinematic sound effects to add a sense of reality to your movie. It doesn’t really matter if you have the gift of music or not. With GarageBand, creating your own professional-sounding recording is simple and will not take too much effort on your part.
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