For those familiar with Garageband software: editable drums?

[Phil M]

The singer from my old band and I have been writing songs like crazy for the past 3 or 4 months. To record, we're using his Mac laptop with Garageband software. The drums are kind of cool, but he says they're not editable because they're .wav files. So we're stuck with the canned beats that the software provides. Is there no way to create custom drum beats, change ups, and cymbals with this software? He says no, and he's probably right since it's his stuff, but I'm just curious if there's a way to do it and he just isn't aware.

Thanks.

[mike@switchback]

You can create/edit/import midi files into GB and use one of the software instrument drum kits that's included. So in that sense, yes, editable drums are available in GB. But the editing power isn't nearly as great as with the bigger programs - Logic, DP, PT, etc.

[retro]

It depends what type of track you want to edit.

Tracks in Green, either in Loops or generated can be edited. So you can create your own drum beats, etc.

These links should be helpful.


http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=150583

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=164919

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=150580


And just in case this can be helpful also...

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93615

[Phil M]

Thanks much, I will look into those. Not sure what you mean by Green, but I will read up.

[retro]

Sorry,

Tracks have a color...Software Instruments and Software Instrument Loops regions are Green. Real Instruments and Real Instrument Loops will be Purple and Blue, and Imported Tracks are Orange.
In GB the Green Software Instrument tracks and Loops can be edited in the piano roll style editor as per the link instructions.
Note the color and icon of different loops for example. The green ones have a Note icon (midi) and the blue ones a WaveForm (audio). I think or am guessing what your friend may have been saying is that the tracks you can't edit are the Wave (Form) tracks, not meaning .Wav format. GB's bundled loops AFAIK are .AIF format.
If your songs are using the Blue Waveform drum loops then your friend is essentially correct about editing them. You can however add and create your own drum tracks using the drum Software Instruments or Loops, and mix them in with the blue drum tracks. Hope this is not more confusing.

It may be worth noting that besides adding loops, since GB utilizes Audio Units (AU plugins) and Soundfonts that it is fairly easy to expand GB's instruments and drums capabilities also. For example, for drums, iDrum and BFD, etc., or Natural Studio's free sampled drum kit in Soundfont (SF2) format are a few things that one could use to expand GB's drums.

http://www.glaresoft.com/products/idrum/

http://www.fxpansion.com/product-bfd-main.php

http://naturalstudio.co.uk/ns_kit7free.html

[d7music]

If I recall, you can also use parts of the drum loops and put them together.
For example, the first three quarter notes of a bar are one loop, but the last beat is a fill from another loop.

I read it in GarageBand 2: The Missing Manual
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/059...books&v=glance

I think it is a pretty good book for revealing these kind of hidden little tricks in GarageBand.

[slhguitar]

How do you expand the software instrument library? The horns on garageband 2 are pretty horrible....Is there a way to simply use General Midi instruments instead of the included software instruments?

[retro]

Of course Jampacks. I haven't tried them so I can't say anything.

Soundfonts in SF2 format are a pretty good way to add sound samples I think.
There are quite a few sites to find them.
You will need to get sfArk for Mac from Melody Machine to decompress the files.
The MacJams link explains how to use them..and has the link to Hammersound files. If you google soundfonts you will find more sites and lot's of info. I've found some good horns in SF2 and other instruments.

http://www.macjams.com/article.php?s...40520083956868

http://melodymachine.com/sfark.htm

Much like selecting SoundFonts, you can also use Apples DLSMusicDevice to access Apple's Quicktime Synth banks.
Select DLSMusicDevice in the Generator pulldown menu and click on the Pencil icon to the right and you should have access to the Quicktime Synth soundbanks and SoundFonts.

I tend to use SoundFonts and software samplers in AU format to access additional instruments.
Mach Five, Native Instruments, Sampletank, etc..add samples as you need.

I use Reason in Rewire mode with GB also.

Some other options...

http://sonicamigos.com/index.php

.exs files can work with GB also.

http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/audio/gar....html#storytop

[retro]

Here are a couple of IK Sampler freebies that work with GB that may be worth posting here also.
There a couple of drum kits and a sax.

http://www.soniksynth.com/Main.html?SSFreeDwn

http://www.sampletank.com/Main.html?main_menu

[Orren]

Originally Posted by retro

Of course Jampacks. I haven't tried them so I can't say anything.

I have them all. I use them with both GarageBand and Logic. They are excellent quality--I highly recommend them. The $99 Symphonic Jam Pack, for example, has some of the best orchestral samples and loops you'll find unless you start paying closer to $299 for the Garritan Strings and other more complete packages.

If you have a .Mac account, they often have free Apple Loops for download.

Hope that helps,
Orren