How to Edit Songs in GarageBand

GarageBand is Apple's official audio-editing software for aspiring musicians and hobbyists. If you use Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) or 10.6 (Snow Leopard), you can already find GarageBand in your "Applications" folder. If you use an older version of Mac OS X, you can find the software as part of the iLife software bundle. Once installed, GarageBand lets you create original music from scratch and edit audio to your desired specifications.

Instructions

1. Load your song file in GarageBand. If editing a song that you already recorded using the software, click "File" on the GarageBand menu bar and select "Open." Then use the navigation window to choose your GarageBand file from your hard drive (Macintosh HD > Music > GarageBand). If editing a song file, such as an MP3 from your music library, create a new GarageBand project by clicking the "File" menu and selecting "New." When the project window appears, drag the MP3 or other audio file directly onto the project space to load it .

2. Open your "Track Info" column by clicking the black "i" symbol on the right side of your screen. Your "Track Info" column contains your audio effects and filters.

3. Apply effects to your track(s). Just click the track that you want to edit and choose an effect from the "Track Info" column. Your tracks are the long horizontal bars spanning along your GarageBand project window, containing your recording layers (such as vocals, guitars, bass, drums). If you loaded an MP3 or other audio file into GarageBand, you should see only one track on your screen. If, on the other hand, you recorded your song using multiple tracks, you will need to select each track before applying effects. For example, if you want to add reverb to your guitars, click the track containing your guitar recording, and then check the "Reverb" box in the "Track Info" column.

4. Open your track editor by clicking the editor symbol along the bottom of your project window. It resembles a pair of scissors. Using the track editor, you can fix the timing and pitch of your recordings. Select the track that you want to edit, drag the "Enhance Tuning" slider to the right to fix your pitch, and drag the "Enhance Timing" slider to the right to fix any inconsistencies in your timing.

5. Edit your overall mix. In addition to adjusting individual tracks, you may want to make adjustments to your main mix. Click "Track" on your main menu and select "Show Master Track" on the drop down list. When the master track appears at the bottom of your track list, click it once, and use the "Track Info" column to apply effects to your main mix. If your mix has only one track, you can skip this step.

6. Save your GarageBand project by clicking "File" on the menu bar and selecting "Save." To export it as an audio file, click "Share" on the menu bar and click "Send Song to iTunes." Enter a name for your song and click "Save."

References

• Apple: GarageBand '09 Getting Started

Resources

• Apple: GarageBand