Do you want to learn GarageBand? Click HERE to get started (it's free)
Garageband 10 Preview

The Big Garageband Update – First Impressions

It’s finally happened – Along with the release of their brand new Mac operating system Mavericks, Apple have also completely revamped and updated both the iOS and OSX versions of Garageband…

..there’s some BIG changes!

 

The Garageband iOS App

Garageband 2.0 iOS Update

 

The ability to record up to 32 tracks on your iPad/iPhone is pretty mind blowing. Even without an iDevice with an A7 chip, 16 tracks is nothing to be sneezed at! I always found the 8 available tracks a little limiting, so this is brilliant news.

If you’ve purchased the Garageband App previously, then you get all the that the new version has to offer at no extra cost. If this is your first time taking Apple’s portable studio for a whirl however, you’ll need to cough up an extra £2.99/$5 to gain access to all the loops etc.

The Inter App Audio works pretty much the same way the Audiobus does – allowing you to link and record third party apps into your Garageband projects. The user interface even looks the same!

 

Garageband Inter App Audio

 

Garageband OSX

Garageband Update

For better or worse, Apple have rebuilt Garageband from the ground up. There’s a whole new layout to wrap your eyes around, new loops, effects and much more. I should point out that you need to have the latest version of OSX (Mavericks) installed to be able to download “new” Garageband.

Taking it’s cues from the recently released Logic X, Garageband now sports a darker colour scheme with the faux textures, wood effects and big chunky plug in slots making way for a minimal and sleek user interface.

Garageband Update

I’ll be taking an in depth look at what is perhaps Garageband’s most intriguing addition very soon – the Drummer track. The feature essentially puts a virtual session drummer at your fingertips, with the option to not only intuitively control which percussion instruments he plays, but how they’re played and when. It’s all very impressive, cool and most importantly – useful.

 

What Now?

I’ll be looking at the new features in both versions of Garageband and how you can make the most of them in the coming weeks as well as completely updating The Garageband Quick Start Guide to help you hit the ground running with this latest version of our favourite recording marvel.

Make sure you don’t miss out on any of the forthcoming awesomeness by entering your email address below – I’ll send you a wee message every time a new feature, video or article is ready to go! You’ll also get a copy of The Garageband Quick Start Guide on the house. (As well as the updated version when it’s ready)!

We’re in this together – let me know of any bugs, problems or just share your successes with *new* Garageband over on Twitter or Facebook – i’d love to hear from you!

Show Comments (10)
  1. Hi Patrick,

    Looking forward to your comments on the new Garageband. One thing I’ve found that has me scratching my chin, is the new inter-app audio apps feature. I have 4 third party audio apps I like playing around with and Garageband only shows one of them in the options menu. That one is Galileo. It doesn’t see that I have Sunrizer, Sample Tank or I Grand Piano waiting in the wings. Any idea on why it doesn’t recognize those audio apps?

    1. Hey Lewis,

      I noticed the same thing with Inter-App Audio App. It only picked up Amplitube and Amplitube Fender for me, even though i’ve also got Sunrizer and a few others. I’d take a guess that it’s just a compatibility issue, what with it being a brand new feature and all.

      Audiobus didn’t work with everything to begin with either. Hopefully it will just be a matter of time before more third party apps are useable!

  2. Can’t wait to see what you make of it! I’d love to see you do a video about how to use the new drummers feature. I’ve found it confusing so far.

    Keep up the good work

      1. Unfortunately, its put the brake on a growing Mac Garageband to iPad, iPhone and Ipod Touch cross collaboration. With Mac Garageband 11 and Garageband 1 for iOS I worked with a great set of users to figure out how we could quickly transfer projects/songs.

        Unfortunately although the converters work with Mavericks and 10.8, converting a Garageband song for any of the idevices. The moment such a song hits iOS7 Garageband 2 it can never go back to Garageband 11. The only way to open it is with Garageband Free 10, but once you do there is no way to share that song again as a fully tracked Garageband song with any iOs Devices.

        You can read about it on my blog.

        http://fixed1t-music-software.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/garageband-2-ios7-and-10-prevent-mac-to.html

        Sad News for a growing collaborating community.

        fixed1t

  3. I am completely lost in the new version. I want to sweeten the sound on a vocal recording but everything’s in a different location and looks different. Ahhhh. Now have to develop new muscle memory!

  4. Hi Patrick I’m super happy with my garage band the thing is when I recorded some vocals, some how the metronome was hidden, now I can’t find a way to get it back and use it again , nothing major just have to know more about the new version

  5. I keep getting a prompt message every time I open my old Garageband. I look over the new layout, and am concerned that I see no images or information about the traditional musical notation feature, which is the only way I work with Garageband. I will not update if I lose this capacity.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.