Garageband Tips

[godpunk]

This thread is to post any useful info regarding how to fix hardware conflicts, performance issues, etc. in GarageBand. Please post only tips, no comments.

If you want to thank someone for providing a useful tip, please PM them with a "thank you".

Also, If you get the tip from another person, forum, etc., please credit them.

-godpunk

[godpunk]

Problem: GarageBand runs slow on a G3 computer, often crashing halfway through playing a song

Solution: This is usually caused by the use of software instruments (this includes some of the loops included in iLife by Apple). Software Instruments are easily distinguished- they have dots on the track that represent audio, rather than audio waves. The following table shows this:

Technically, you must have a G4 to use software instruments, but even G4's are put under severe strain by these digital instruments. G3's can get away with running 2-3 tracks of Software Instruments, but only if they are 700-900mhz G3's with at least 384MB RAM.

Until Apple releases an update to GarageBand that will fix these slow-downs, I suggest you stick to using Live Instruments (actual instruments recorded into the computer) or using Real Instrument Loops provided by Apple. Both can be seen in the diagram above.

-godpunk

[godpunk]

Problem: My Griffin iMic works with GarageBand, but the audio I recorded with it has horrible hissing and popping in the background.

Solution: This problem is mostly experienced by users of laptops. This can be easily solved by disconnecting your AC Power adapter and running off battery power- it is the AC current making the hissing and popping noises.

Before doing this, however, make sure that your battery is fully charged. Also, plug your computer back in to recharge if you take any long breaks between recordings.

-godpunk

[godpunk]

Problem: I cannot get my M-Box to work with GarageBand.

Solution: Follow these steps:

1. Go into your Digidesign folder

2. Select the Digidesign Core Audio Set-Up

3. Select "Supported Applications"

4. Select "Add Application" and choose GarageBand

5. Select "Done" and "Done" again on the previous window

6. Open GarageBand

7. Select "Prefrences"

8. Select "Audio/MIDI Set-Up"

9. From there you should be able to switch between the Built-In Sound Driver and your MBox

Special thanks to "Kevin Kwada" at the Apple Forums for his steps.

-godpunk

[godpunk]

Tip: In GarageBand's 'Preferences', setting the Optimization to "Faster Response" in the 'MIDI/Audio' panel can give G3 systems a slight performance boost, even though the "Faster Response" mode is recommended for G4's. This can give some lower end G3's a shot in the arm, so to speak, easing the strain of running GarageBand.

Keep in mind though that this does not necessarily apply to all G3's- results vary according to individual system specifications.

-godpunk

[godpunk]

Tip: I have my 40 GB hard drive partitioned into 10 GB and 30 GB; this is so I can have the OS on one partition and other information stored safely on the other.

When installing GarageBand, you can only install the app on the drive containing the OS. This includes the 2+ GB of loops that come with GarageBand. Add the 2+ GB more of loops that come with the JamPack, and my drive is near full. I need to store the loops on another drive, but if I do that, GarageBand won't be able to find the loops. Fortunately, astroboy at Mac OS X Hints came up with the following work-around:

1. Move the GarageBand folder contents into another folder (I did not move the GarageBand folder itself, in case the app wants to have it on the same hard drive for any unknown reasons). The three directories to move are named Apple Loops, Apple Loops Index, and Instrument Library.

2. Launch the Terminal and type:

% cd /Library/Application\ Support/GarageBand/

3. Create the links to the moved folders:

% ln -s /Volumes/DiskName/Path/Apple\ Loops/ ./Apple\ Loops

% ln -s /Volumes/DiskName/Path/Apple\ Loops\ Index/ ./Apple\ Loops\ Index

% ln -s /Volumes/DiskName/Path/Instrument\ Library/ ./Instrument\ Library

Replace DiskName with the name of the hard drive holding the directories, and replaced Path with the names of any subdirectories between the hard drive and the location of the loop files.

GarageBand should launch and your loops should be visible by clicking the eye icon on the bottom ... Voila!

Basically, this is the Unix way of creating aliases (shortcuts) to the new folders in the old folder.

If Unix commands scare you, then you should download this Contextual Menu Module that will do it for you. Using this CMM, you select the new folders, right-click (or Command-click) on them, and select "Make Symbolic Link". Move these new symlinks to the old GarageBand folder in /Library/Application Support/Garageband. Remember to delete the word 'symlink' from all the names of the Symbolic Links you just created.

Hope this helps other users with low disk space

-godpunk

[Mr. EFF]

A couple simple tips... but very useful if you previously overlooked these.

HIDE THE TRACK MIXER DURING PLAYBACK -- trust me your computer will run atleast 2 times faster, most noticeably during playback.

Also, for more choices in the loop browser try dragging the area above it upwards like so:

And for people who are having trouble exporting to iTunes (like I did when I first started with Garageband) try setting your itunes music library to it's default location -- that should work fine.

Hope this helps...

[Guest CyberWoofer]

Originally posted by godpunk@Jan 28 2004, 11:16 PM

Problem: My Griffin iMic works with GarageBand, but the audio I recorded with it has horrible hissing and popping in the background.

Solution: This problem is mostly experienced by users of laptops. This can be easily solved by disconnecting your AC Power adapter and running off battery power- it is the AC current making the hissing and popping noises.

Before doing this, however, make sure that your battery is fully charged. Also, plug your computer back in to recharge if you take any long breaks between recordings.

-godpunk

typo! you mean iMac not iMic, right? you can delete this post if you need to fix that up or if you dont

[godpunk]

Originally posted by CyberWoofer@Feb 17 2004, 12:04 AM

typo! you mean iMac not iMic, right?

No, I mean exactly what I say. I usually try to think before posting.

If you had done a Google search on 'iMic' before posting, you would have found this: the iMic, by Griffin Technologies.

-godpunk

[astoreitem]

Thank you for your help