Fast New Instrument Sounds

Here's a quick fun hint if you don't have many instrument sounds in your program.  For example, GarageBand installs with only about 8 piano sounds, including wimpy plain Piano,  a deep Grand Piano on Stage, and a swirling piano.  Pretty limiting even though of course you can edit the sound effects for each of the programmed instruments for a track.

A fast way to get pre-programmed effects:

1.    Go into your loops library to look for loops for that instrument (such as bass guitar).
2.    Find a MIDI loop whose sound you like.
3.    Import that loop into your Song Project.  It DOES NOT MATTER what the notes are.
4.    Grab the end of the loop region and extend it out about 8 measures, to give you space.
5.    SOLO this track.
6.    Skip the loop's notes and put your playhead in any measure after it.
7.    Using the Metronome, play the introduction to your song.  A few measures are fine.
8.    Quantize your introduction (including 1 measure before it).  The first note -- no matter what it is -- should be quantized to 1/4 note.  (See earlier blogs.)
9.     Click on the region if it is not already highlighted (Green in GarageBand).  Then click on the region if it is not also highlighted.
10.   Place the playhead just in front of the first note of your introduction's first measure.
11.   Select Edit --  Split.
12.   DELETE the first part of the track -- with the original loop.
13.   Slide your introduction's region into place.

You can now record anything with the new instrument sound that the original loop had.
Much joy to you looking for NEW sounds!
©2012 DianaDee Osborne;  all rights reserved