One of the announcement at the iPad 2 launch a few weeks ago was that Apple would be releasing 2 new Apple iPad apps, GarageBand & iMovie. I have used Mac GarageBand briefly on the Mac a few times, but never actually given it too much time. So I wasn’t in a rush to get the new iPad Garageband when it released on Friday, but after seeing a few tweets about how cool the app was, I decided to drop the measly $5 for the app. And what a good decision. Actually, I think I have probably used the app so much this weekend, I would have easily spent $50 for the app. Seriously :)
GarageBand turns your iPad into a collection of Touch Instruments and a full-featured recording studio — so you can make music anywhere you go. Use Multi-Touch gestures to play pianos, organs, guitars, drums, and basses on your iPad. They sound and play like their counterparts, but let you do things you could never do on a real instrument. Enjoy a full range of Smart Instruments that make you sound like a pro — even if you’ve never played a note before. Plug an electric guitar into your iPad and play through classic amps and stompbox effects. Use the built-in microphone or a guitar to record, or capture any performance. Then mix up to eight tracks to create a song you can share.
As you can see from the app store description above, the app is full of features. The Smart Instruments for me is amazing. You select your type of instrument, (Piano, Guitar or Drums) and it almost teaches you about the instrument. You can then record your tune into a track, and mix it with other effects. I have always been a fan of drums, but never got round to playing them (apart from the pots in the kitchen & annoying my wife) and now with Garageband, it is so simple.
I have been playing quite a bit, and put a few tracks together. I honestly have a bit of a dull ear when it comes to music, so this track below, self titled “House” might sound a bit out of sync, but you will see how simple it is to get something like this going. This track probably took me around half an hour to do with all the tweaking. To get it off the iPad, you can either email it, or send to iTunes. You can also save the files as a GarageBand file for the Mac & edit on the Mac afterwards.
House Mix from Garageband iPad by MarcForrest
If you own an iPad, I highly recommend you download GarageBand for the iPad from the iTunes store. At $5, it is a steal ! I am also thinking of putting up a few tutorials about how to use GarageBand and some of the features it offers.
Related articles
- Apple Releases GarageBand for IOS (pcworld.com)
- GarageBand for iPad Review (lockergnome.com)
- Demo of GarageBand shows off a killer app for the iPad 2 (video) (venturebeat.com)
- GarageBand for iPad: A look under the hood (tuaw.com)
One reply on “Garageband for the iPad Rocks !”
Yip – Apple has done magic with GarageBand. I dropped $30 on an app called Music Studio a while back, but GarageBand is way better (and sounds much better) for an amateur like me.