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Garageband sampler

Garageband iOS Tutorial: The Sampler

One of Garageband iOS’ frequently overlooked features, the sampler is a fantastic tool that you can use to turn practically any sound into a melody.

Capturing sounds using your iPad/iPhone’s built in microphone couldn’t be easier and the sampler also allows you to import tracks and sounds from your iTunes library.

Here’s how:

 

Recording sounds

Sampler-pic-2-1024x768

When you first open the sampler, you’ll be prompted to ‘point your iPad/iPhone towards a sound you want to record, then tap Start’.

Doing this will begin recording – hit the big red ‘Stop’ button when you’re done.

 

Finding Your Way Around

Once you’ve recorded your sample (or tapped the ‘my samples’ button), you’ll be taken to the editing screen. Here you can play with the sound you’ve recorded, import and edit stock or saved samples and bring tracks from your iTunes library into your project.

Some of the buttons and switches will definitely be familiar to you with many of Garageband’s other Smart Instrument controls being present.

As for the other controls and options at the top of the screen:

Sampler-pic-3-1024x768

1. The Pitch Wheel allows you to affect the pitch of your sample during playback or while recording in real time

2. Like the Pitch Wheel, the Modulation Wheel will add expression and change the sound of your sample during playback or while recording in real time.

3. Tapping the ‘New Sample’ Button will take you back to the recording screen.

4. Tapping ‘My Samples’ wil open the sample selection menu, allowing you to import pre-made samples or samples that you’ve saved previously.

5. Tapping ‘Trim’, ‘Tune’ or ‘Shape’ will open the corresponding editing window.

Trim (shown above) allows you to crop the length of your sample.

 

Sampler-tune-pic

Tune lets you adjust the tuning and pitch of your sample.

Sampler-Shape-pic

Shape allows you to change the volume of your sample over time.

6. Tapping ‘Rev’ or ‘Loop’ will reverse your sample, while loop as you might imagine, loops it!

 

Importing Sounds

As I mentioned previously, you can import sounds and even whole tracks from your iTunes library into Garageband’s sampler.

From the recording screen (tap ‘New Sample’) tap ‘Import’. A menu will appear, allowing you to import from Garageband’s Loop library, any Audio Files you may have stored on your iDevice and Music from your iTunes library. You can now edit and play with these imported tracks and sounds to your heart’s content!

Sampler-Import-Garagebandios-1024x768

 

Sampler-pic-4-1024x768

 

Garageband’s Sampler is a great way to insert some awesome sounds and unique personality to your project. What kind of sounds have you created with it? Do you find it useful? Let me know in the comments below!

Show Comments (7)
  1. Great tutorial, Patrick! Thank you! By the way: I love your new website!
    I tried the sampler out, yesterday. I have a little metal ashtray which has a nice bell sound. I recorded it, (just with the build-in mic of my 5S), set the tone-scale to South East Asiatic and there I had my Thai sound bowls! Nice!

    1. Cheers Jan, I appreciate the kind words. Nice work – I love using ‘found sounds’ to add something unique to a track. How did it turn out? Can I hear it anywhere?

  2. Thankuou very much. Your tutorials are very usefull.

    I’ve tried to download your ios’s Grarageband tutorial *with the link attached in the email you sent me), but the link don’t runs.

    Is there anyway to get the tutorial.
    Thankyou so much.

  3. I listen to all kinds of music but my heart is with rap. Im nowhere near experienced but have a pretty good ear for music. i have a question though. I listen to rap and in some verses the words they say would make a really good hook. my question is using the sampler can i import a rap sound and edit the sample to were only the rappers voice is heard?

  4. Hello Patrick,
    I have been playing around with GarageBand on my iPad fot some time, but I have a problem I’m not able to resolve. When I first started playing with the program (keyboard instruments in particular), I could play 3 note cords on keyboards and guitar. I don’t know if I changed a setting or if I lost the ability during an upgrade, but I can play 2 notes simultaneously but not 3. Any idea what I can change to regain the 3 note cords. Three note works on my iPhone 6 Plus but not on my iPad Air 2. Any help or advise would be appreciated. Thanks for tutorials, they are great.

  5. Does anyone know if it is possible to assign chops of samples to individual keys if I am using a midi? I’ve seen videos of this for GB via Mac. But IOS is a different story.

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