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GarageBand and an iPad

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2023 10:44 am
by VikingBlues
Music-wise I've been distracted away from a significant portion of my guitar playing this last 7 weeks.

Over the years my wife has used Mac's for a computer while I have stuck with Windows. I tried a couple of times to get to grips with the versions of GarageBand ("GB") she had on her Mac at those times, but didn't get on with it or get inspired by it. Not to mention being confused by the way a Mac works. :wall:

A few months back I saw a demo of the new iOS version of GB on an iPad, which is way more advanced than those earlier GB versions I'd seen, and has the benefit in a number of ways of being operated on a touch screen. I was very intrigued.

Yes, it lacks the huge number of presets and lacks some of the advanced bells and whistles and editing and mixing of the Mac version but it is better suited for those (like me) lacking in the advanced knowledge of DAWs, MIDI (yuck!) or even the abilities to use big name high powered DAWs. What it does have is Smart Guitar, Smart Strings, Smart Piano and Smart Bass. Plus a much more user friendly system of using drums and the Smart Drummer. Also as the Apps are generally simpler they are also a lot cheaper. I can get quickly to the attempts at the creative side of things instead of being bogged down in detailed tweaking and tinkering.

So December came along and ho-ho-ho, Merry Christmas :xmas_1: - I got an 2021 iPad in late December - my first Apple machine of any sort - I got quickly absorbed in GB and also in Generative Music apps and the like. Once I'd got the hang of the iOS version of touchscreen operation.
I'm not keen on how Apple make it trickier to share things with non Apple products. A £35 adapter is needed to turn a Lightning port into USB and also as the Lightning port is low powered it means I also need a powered USB hub to use the Focusrite or condenser microphones. BUT it instantly recognises what's plugged in, different Apps work fine together, and there's no glitches to sound because of system resources not being available.

The main thing is it's been fun.
If anyone cares to take a listen I've linked 3 of the dozen or so pieces that sounded OK to keep so far.

https://app.box.com/s/v3t0smyiy97zooatg6839bbcww0zxpy2
[b]Swirling[/b] - a piece based around an external acoustic guitar with an included GB fx plug in called Endless Ambient. I opted to do the percussion parts myself so excuse the lack of good rhythm / timing and lack of any following of rules of drum parts. But I didn't want a conventional drum track here - it got in the way when I tried it.

https://app.box.com/s/147lvzy3mtdxo7drexqix8c4nxr8cabt
Air Today - Using a Generative Music App called Air (£1.79) by musician / software designer Peter Chilvers and Irish vocalist Sandra O’Neill, based on concepts developed by Brian Eno who often collaborates with Peter Chilvers. A Moonlight Glimmer synth setting and Taiko drums complete the line up.

https://app.box.com/s/cpc34kc5i0n7d3k51w3udzl5ejpgpk9r
A Cape for Twilight Moods - Using a Rob Jackson App called Moodscaper (£0.89) in "sad" mode. With an added Alchemy synth (included in GB) added on in the last half of the piece.

Re: GarageBand and an iPad

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2023 12:20 pm
by HalfBlindLefty
Your 3 pieces sound like very nice soundscaping to me :thumbsup:

I know of the musical "powers" of the Ipad and of cource also about the lack of options for of sharing. In my case I use amongst others a Windows system that connects to my piece of the Icloud as do my Iphone and Ipad.
My I pad and I phone also connect to the NAS (network attached storage) I have. (using the "Files" app)
Wired connection do tend to disappear in case of apple devs.

Re: GarageBand and an iPad

Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2023 11:18 am
by VikingBlues
Thanks Hans! :D

All very far from blues and guitar, but I find it relaxing and fun.
Recently been exploring another Rob Jackson App called Touchscaper where you have more input into the arrangement, keys, chord choices etc.
While it still has it's own interpretation and probability based choices going on in the background meaning that the same setup for a piece will never produce the same piece of music twice.
More complex and takes more effort to get to grips with it but it's promising so far.

I note what you say about the Windows / iCloud link - thanks for that. :thumbsup:
I had recently seen something to the effect that this was possible and it's on my (long) list of things to look at.
In these early stages it's OK jsut e-mailing myself the pieces in m4a format.
But if I'm to get more serious about it I'll all be looking to do Wav files or the like at some point I need an alternative!

Re: GarageBand and an iPad

Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2023 9:30 pm
by 12bar
I won't buy an apple, but those ambient sounds are impressive! :thumbsup:

Re: GarageBand and an iPad

Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2023 2:33 pm
by HalfBlindLefty
I’m almost sorry I sold my Roland guitarsynth some years ago. :tears: :motz:

Re: GarageBand and an iPad

Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2023 8:17 pm
by VikingBlues
I see there's a Guitar Synth for iOS called ROXSYN - Polyphonic and apparently tracks bends and vibrato.
Just plug the guitar in through the USB interface or one of those iRig type thingys.
Not looked into it much, so don;t know whether it'll do the job that well. :icon_whoknows:
But I recall using one of those guitar synth devices that required attached to the guitar and then struggling to get it tracking properly and not converting my imprecise accidental touching of strings into notes. :wall: