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AudioArtist « Well balanced and efficient recording software for the novice to intermediate »
Published on 11/27/12 at 13:17GarageBand is an excellent place to start for the aspiring engineer. If it came with your brand new Mac then you are ready to roll as soon as you turn your machine on! The help files/manual are easily accessible within the program and sufficiently cover anything you need to know about using the software. All of the typical functions are quite easily accessible with just a little bit of poking around.
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
I've been using GarageBand since 2005 and have upgraded since then as newer versions arrived. In terms of performance, GarageBand does quite well. As long as you have a sufficiently powerful computer you can easily create tracks using up to 30 some software and real intrument tracks without too much slow down or crashing. This is quite a good track count for a program like this.
OVERALL OPINION
Obviously what is to like about GarageBand is it's simplicity and the amount of power and control over your recording and mix that can be had, especially for a newcomer to digital recording. It does have it's limitations though. One of the biggest issues that I have encountered with GarageBand is dealing with editing. GarageBand only allows you to zoom in on a waveform just so much. Ocasionally you may encounter a waveform that you just cannot trim to a null point, this can be worked around using volume automation but it's still annoying,(what you may experience are some unwanted clicks/pops at times)
The newer versions have increased the power of GarageBand alot! Now it offers real time multi-tracking!-(you'll need an external interface) Also, it even comes with a real-time spectrum analyzer! Although the spectrum analyzer is VERY primitive it is helpful and, like the program itself, a good starting point for training yourself to do your own recordings/mixes.
Another limitation is a shelf on how many effects can be used on a certain track. There is a workaround but it can be frustrating at times.
The overall sound quality of GarageBand is adequate for the beginner or intermidiate engineer but it falls way short of the quality that a professional engineer would prefer. However, GarageBand's easy to use function to export directly to iTunes or to a podcast is definitely a plus.
I've personally used many, many DAWs over the years and while GarageBand certainly would not be my first choice for serious recording, it does have it's charms and remains a tool that I use often regardless if it doesn't quite meet my quality desires. Since it comes pre-installed on nearly every Mac you really can't go wrong playing around with it!
SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE
I've been using GarageBand since 2005 and have upgraded since then as newer versions arrived. In terms of performance, GarageBand does quite well. As long as you have a sufficiently powerful computer you can easily create tracks using up to 30 some software and real intrument tracks without too much slow down or crashing. This is quite a good track count for a program like this.
OVERALL OPINION
Obviously what is to like about GarageBand is it's simplicity and the amount of power and control over your recording and mix that can be had, especially for a newcomer to digital recording. It does have it's limitations though. One of the biggest issues that I have encountered with GarageBand is dealing with editing. GarageBand only allows you to zoom in on a waveform just so much. Ocasionally you may encounter a waveform that you just cannot trim to a null point, this can be worked around using volume automation but it's still annoying,(what you may experience are some unwanted clicks/pops at times)
The newer versions have increased the power of GarageBand alot! Now it offers real time multi-tracking!-(you'll need an external interface) Also, it even comes with a real-time spectrum analyzer! Although the spectrum analyzer is VERY primitive it is helpful and, like the program itself, a good starting point for training yourself to do your own recordings/mixes.
Another limitation is a shelf on how many effects can be used on a certain track. There is a workaround but it can be frustrating at times.
The overall sound quality of GarageBand is adequate for the beginner or intermidiate engineer but it falls way short of the quality that a professional engineer would prefer. However, GarageBand's easy to use function to export directly to iTunes or to a podcast is definitely a plus.
I've personally used many, many DAWs over the years and while GarageBand certainly would not be my first choice for serious recording, it does have it's charms and remains a tool that I use often regardless if it doesn't quite meet my quality desires. Since it comes pre-installed on nearly every Mac you really can't go wrong playing around with it!