CSE2MA Sound Tutorial #2

GarageBand lets you create authentic-sounding, studio-quality music, even if you are not musical, by using loops. There are Real Instrument loops - short, precorded pieces performed in recording studios by professionals.

There are also Software Instrument (MIDI) loops. All loops are only a few seconds long, so it is your job to patch them together.

Compose Using Loops

To find the loops specified here, use the find input dialog box at the bottom of the left-hand panel of the loops window, or select the appropriate category and find the loop within the category (reset loops between selections).
  1. File > New
  2. Close the keyboard and delete the default Grand Piano track (Track > Delete Track).
  3. Find the loop Upbeat Electric Piano 03 and drag it into the timeline area. This is two measures long. Drag it to 9 measures.
  4. Find Funky Pop Drum 08 and drag below the first track - start it at measure 3. Drag it so it ends at measure 7. Listen to the result so far.
  5. Find RnB Horn Section 05 and drag to the beginning of the composition beneath the first two tracks. This loop starts with a single note and later there is some melody.
  6. We want to split the RnB Horn Section 05 loop in half.
    • Make sure RnB Horn Section 05 is selected.
    • Position the Playhead at 002.2.1.001 (measure 2, beat 2).
      To change the blue numbers in the time display, double click on them so they start blinking, and then edit.
    • Edit > Split
  7. Select only the second (melodic) part of the split.
    Edit > Cut
  8. Find RnB Horn Section 08. Drag to existing Horn/Wind track, measure 3.
  9. Position Playhead at 002.4.1001 (measure 2, beat 4).
    Drag newly installed Horn Section 8 slightly left, until its left edge aligns with the playhead (so it will now begin on the 4th beat of measure 2).
    Listen to the result.
  10. Position Playhead at 006.2.1.001 (measure 6. beat 2).
    Paste back the melodic part.
    Edit > Paste
  11. Find Funky Pop Drum 07. Drag into the second track at measure 7, next to the original Funky Pop Drum loop.
  12. Find Edgy Rock Bass 01. Drag beneath the other tracks so it lines up with measure 5, creating a new Electric Bass track. Listen to the completed 8 bars (measures).
  13. Find Groovy Electric Bass 04 - place it at measure 9 in Electric Bass track. Extend this loop to stop at measure 21.
  14. Find Shaker 04. Drag below the other tracks, measure 9. Extend it to the beginning of measure 15.
  15. Find Funky Latin Drums 08. Drag up to measure 15, in same track as Shaker - extend it to beginning of measure 19.
  16. Click the blue RnB Horn Section region in measure 1.
    Edit > Copy
  17. Move Playhead to measure 11: Edit > Paste
  18. Paste more copies at measures 13, 17, and 21.
  19. Copy Upbeat Electric Piano loop at the top. Click in the beat ruler at measure 13, and paste. It is one measure too long - drag it back to 19.
  20. Find RnB Horn Section 08 and drag into Horn/Wind track.
    • You need to edit this loop, so put it out of the way for the time being at measure 23.
    • In the track editor, position cursor at left edge so special trimming cursor appears. You should be able to select a region with the mouse.
    • Trim away (delete) the first two groups of waves and the bit following - right up to the final group of sound waves. Only the melody at the end is retained.
    • Position playhead at 0014.3.1001
    • Drag shortened horn loop left - its left end should line up with the Playhead.
  21. Find Distorted Finger Bass 01. Drag it beneath the other tracks, measure 21.
  22. Double-click track header (Image + "Electric Bass"). Select Bass in the left-side list. In right-side list, select Slapped Electric Bass.
  23. Drag right side of Distorted Finger Bass inward until only the first two notes remain.
  24. Find Single Open High Hat 01 and drag to Shaker track at measure 21. This is the ending.
  25. Save. Perhaps use the name Funky.

Export to iTunes

Export from GarageBand to iTunes and then use iTunes to create a compressed file.

  1. File > Share > Send song to iTunes
    GarageBand will creates a mixdown high quality audio (AIF) file. It silently plays the track through, capturing output to audio file on disk.
  2. iTunes should automatically open.
  3. Select the newly created track and press ctrl + mouse click
    A drop down menu should appear.
    Select > Get Info
  4. Note the size of the file (probably about 10 MB). Also notice the following information.
    Sample Size: (eg. 16 bit)
    Bit Rate: (eg. 1411 kbps)
    Sample Rate: (eg. 44,100kHz)
  5. To be able to export as an MP3 it first has to be imported as one.
    iTunes > Preferences > General> Import settings
  6. Fill in the following.
    Import Using - select MP3 encoder
    Setting: Good quality (128kbps)
You are now ready to export as MP3, which is the preferred online music format. (Even though AAC (the default) outperforms MP3 like-for-like in listening tests.)

Export from iTunes as a compressed MP3 file

  1. Make sure the track is highlighted.
    Advanced > Create MP3 version.
  2. A new track should appear in iTunes.
  3. Now get the info for this track - notice how much smaller it is than the original (should be KB rather than MB). Record the size.
    Size =
  4. Select the Info tab and fill in details about the track here. What genre is it?
  5. Listen and compare the two tracks. Can you tell the difference?
  6. Also export in other formats - at least Apple Lossless and WAV in iTunes. Record the sizes of the different files.
    Size AIF =
    Size MP3 =
    Size Apple Lossless =
    Size WAV =
  7. Can you hear any differences?

References

Pogue, D. (2004) GarageBand: The Missing Manual 1st edition Beijing: Pogue Press, O'Reilly

Fran Soddell
updated 29 Aug 2008 P.Somerville@latrobe.edu.au
last updated 10 Sep 2009 l.staehr@latrobe.edu.au