MWSF: GarageBand 2: the Revenge
Gather 'round ye music makers, for there's a happy tale to tell of all the new goodies we shall happily find in the new release of GarageBand. The biggest news is the addition of multi-track recording capabilities. This little audio wonder can handle 8 simultaneous tracks of you and yours in riotous cacaphony. Look for a lot of aging hipsters on reunion tours after this puppy ships.
Next up we have the classical musician's dream:
GarageBand will generate musical notation in real time and display it on the fly as you play. This will be a truly handy tool for composers and songwriters who want to get the ideas out and send off the sheet music to collaborators and session players. I can also see this feature, normally relegated to high-end digital audio workstations (or even as separate add-ons to the big DAWs) being incredibly useful to music educators.
The new GarageBand comes with a host of new recording capabilities and post-production enhancements. A built-in tuner will keep those strings honed as you start in on your session. If you nail a take with the exception of a few tiny errors, you can make adjustments to both pitch and tempo. Plus, this release adds the ability to generate your own Apple Loops from your recordings. Just record 4 bars of your groove and loop yourself instead of needing multiple takes of your 5 minute track. More available import formats means you can bring in your MIDI files and Acid loops. Throw in some tight integration with iLife and iWork and you've got a killer, low-cost production suite.
Last but not least we find a new Jam Pack release accompanying GarageBand 2: Jam Pack 4: Symphony Orchestra makes the fourth Jam Pack package to choose from.
Each offers 2000 Apple Loops and playable software instruments. Symphony Orchestra adds over 30 of the major orchestral instruments to your library.
Personally, I'm a big fan of loop-based music production and I'm tickled at the inroads Apple has made towards making music-making intuitive and fun for the layperson. Even though everyone has latent natural creative talent, not everyone is encouraged to pursue the knowledge necessary to exercise that creativity. Traditionally, the cost of the tools of production has been a major factor in discouraging the average person from creative pursuits. Apple is spear-heading a movement that is not just about 'the digital lifestyle' – it is about recognizing everybody's inner creative and discovering the joy of self-expression. Apple will reap monetary rewards from all of this, oh yes, but this is not mere marketing hype – this is a vision of the future, and it is one I can happily and wholeheartedly support. Thanks, Apple,
for making it ever-easier to create.