It’s been a funny old year to be a Garageband user…
Personally, I started the year still getting used to the newly released Garageband 10’s layout and nuances. It was definitely a rocky start, with several hundred users still having trouble with performance issues, bugs (an unchangeable French language version of the Garageband help menu, anyone?) and software compatibility concerns.
It was definitely NOT all bad news though, with Apple releasing version 10.0.2 into the wild in March. As well as bringing back the ability to export your projects in Mp3 format, the update introduced 3 new Drummer options and a host of bug fixes.
It wasn’t until October that things got REALLY interesting though…
If you’re a regular reader of The Garageband Guide you’ll be familiar with my overwhelmingly positive feelings towards the 10.0.3 update. In my opinion it has fixed a lot of the issues present in previous versions as well as re-introducing some of the best features of Garageband ’11. You can read/watch me gush all about it here: Garageband 10.0.3 Update – The Good, The Bad And The Awesome
All that leaves us with the (In my opinion) best version of Garageband there’s ever been. I honestly can’t wait to see what Apple has in store for us music makers in 2015!
8 Must Read Audio Articles From 2014
I read and watched a TON of music/production based articles and videos over the course of this year – some for research, some just for fun.
I’ve put together a list of what I reckon are the most useful, interesting and/or just plain brilliant of them for you to have a wee gander at!
I’ll kick things off with this article from Makeasong.net on the reasons behind Adin Walls’ decision to “downgrade” from Logic to Garageband for his future projects.
http://www.makeasong.net/why-i-man-switch-from-logic-pro-to-garageband-10/
Joe Gilder from Home Studio Corner excels at providing easy to follow and implement recording and mixing tutorials that just work. Proof in point; this deceptively simple tip from September.
http://www.homestudiocorner.com/whats-better-than-doubled-guitars/
Drew from DIY Garageband spent the majority of 2014 putting together insanely useful tutorials and videos just like this one. If you haven’t grabbed his free Garageband Recording checklist yet then now’s the time!
http://www.diygarageband.com/blog/garageband-tutorial-smart-controls-and-master-track
Dave at Music Theory Is Your Friend achieved the impossible this year and actually made me interested in learning about music theory! He has an easy to follow ‘non-technical’ approach to it that I really love – you will too!
http://musictheoryisyourfriend.com/resources/
Not content with compiling the definitive list of killer AU Plug ins last year, Ilpo from Resoundsound also put together a ton of useful articles in 2014 – like this one from January.
http://www.resoundsound.com/9-tips-working-compression/
The Godfather of Garageband tutorials on YouTube, Lewin Barringer’s channel ‘Garageband & Beyond’ has been around for over 5 YEARS! After a hiatus of sorts, he returned to what he does best in the latter part of 2014. Find out what’s next for his channel below:
Garageband & Beyond Version 2.0 UPDATE VIDEO
Whether you’re a recording/mixing beginner or seasoned audio veteran, Graham Cochrane will have something to interest and educate you. The Recording Revolution went from strength to strength this year, thanks in no small part to awesome articles like this:
Bullets & Bones are the unsung heroes of Garageband troubleshooting. When they’re not making awesome music or solving Garageband users’ problems in the Apple Support Community (under the pseudonym ‘Hangtime’) they’re putting together excellent 1 minute tutorial videos that cover everything from bug fixes to adjusting keyboard sensitivity and everything inbetween.
http://www.bulletsandbones.com/GB/GBFAQ
Here’s To 2015
Did I miss anything out? What Garageband/audio/recording/mixing articles and videos did you love in 2014?
Let me know in the comments below and i’ll see you in 2015.
Sláinte!
