How to Use Garageband Effects

Apple's GarageBand is one of the cheapest and easiest-to-use music recording programs available on the market. GarageBand's extensive menu of effects is a key value for many artists who use the program. Whether you want to add "echo" and "reverb" to make your drums sound "big," or you want to insert your own unique ambiance to a session, GarageBand's effects offerings give the recording musician plenty of options.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Mac computer
• GarageBand software program

1. Open the GarageBand program on your computer. Open an existing session.

2. Select a track in the session window. Move the cursor over the track you wish to add an effect to and highlight it by clicking the mouse on it once. For instance, if you want to add an effect to a guitar track, click the guitar track in the session window.

3. Open the "Track Info" pane. In the GarageBand menu at the top of the screen, select "Track," then select "Show Track Info."

4. Select "Real Instrument" at the top of the "Track Info" pane.

5. Click on an item from the menu on the left. For instance, select "Guitars" if you want to add a guitar-related effect to your guitar track.

6. Select your desired effect from the list of items on the right side of the "Track Info" pane. This automatically adds an effect to the entire highlighted track.

7. Open the "Details" tab at the bottom of the "Track Info" pane to further refine the selected effect. Here, you can fine tune the effect, as well as add echo and reverb to the track, as desired.

Tips & Warnings

• Save often. This ensures you won't lose any of the effects you've fine tuned.

References

• Macworld