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Garageband flaws?

Garageband seems to be a great free app

Yet there doesn’t seem many people on here using it.

Whats the major reasons and flaws why people don’t use garageband?

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Comments

  • It's good for what it is but when starting to dig deeper it's missing a thing or two.

    If I'd have to pick a few areas where i'd love to see it improved they would be...

    • Editing of recorded Touch Instrument automation.
    • Ability to use user samples in the Drum Machine.
    • Tuning & Reverse of the sounds in the Drum Machine.
    • Merge a Region and not the entire track...(The merged region could be muted on the source track).
    • Destructive trim of audio in the sampler prior to saving the instrument.
    • Basic Sample editing in the sampler (Normalise & Trim. The envelope can take care of fade in/out).
    • AUv3 automation for instruments and effects.
    • Editing of AUv3 automation.
    • Support for AUv3 Midi Plug-Ins.
    • Group/Split Tracks (The Drum Machine is based on 'Drum Designer' in Logic so it already supports multiple outputs).
    • Advanced mode for editing the instruments.

    But hey, GarageBand is free and thus it makes it easier to accept the shortcomings :)
    I do like the provided sound packs and new packs pop up on somewhat regular basis.

    All in all it remains as one my most used music apps my iPhone 8.

  • GarageBand is a really great app, personally I use it a lot. The touch instruments are excellent: I love the Bass Guitar, the included synths (especially Alchemy), the Percussion Sequencer and the electric piano (which is one of the best on iOS IMO).

    GB is a wonderful app for writing songs and tracks, with lots of high-quality sounds. It also supports external instruments and effects which makes the palette of potential sounds even greater.

    The main drawback of the app is the primitive mixer, and the lack of manual freezing when projects become large (GB will do an automatic freeze, but there is no user control over this and it can really slow down your workflow when the app pauses and displays a message saying "optimizing performance").

    Another flaw is the lack of stem export, which coupled with the lack of a decent mixing workflow does mean that the process of getting your tracks out of GB and into a DAW with a better mixing engine is pretty cumbersome. It's still worth IMO, but I do wish that the process was more streamlined.

  • Both great assessments, thanks guys!

  • I should probably use it more than I do but I agree that it is the mixing side that could do with improvement. Group tracks would be great.

  • edited September 2019

    I use it on the go as portable recorder (with the iTrack dock) but I used more garageband desktop so the iPad goes Logic Remote mode

    I think here at AB forums it hasn't too much users since it even doesn't support AB? and being IAA deprecated probably it will keep going as the Host (in Apple's eyes of course).

    Being iPad still seen as non professional or toy for majority of users it makes garageband iOS the most unknown software in the wild since it's pointed towards amateurs prosumers middle step to Logic but most of these users aren't aware of it (typical miss shot from Apple once again) IMHO and experience of course.

    Every time I show garageband iOS on my iPhone to newbies I sell an iPad/Mac for Apple due it's overrated workflow from Musical notepad sung idea to Logic Pro fine production and there Garageband is the key puzzle piece.

  • I feel like a lot of us started our iOS journey with garage band, but when those people , like me , start to nerd out and explore all the possibilities iOS now holds you find apps that are generally a lot more fun , initiative and modular and then you look back at garage band like wow it really is walled in compared to these new things I found.

    I think it all depends on how you work and how willing you are to try new and less traditional workflows than what garage band offers.
    When you see the world open up before you its hard to work strictly in garage band when you are trying to do specific things

    Garage band is far from horrible, it just kinda feels not so fun or unlimited compare to its iOS cousins

  • edited September 2019

    It's not flawed if viewed as it is clearly intended, as an easy entry into audio on iOS.

    It's far from a 'professional' DAW and is missing many features that many experienced musicians would be looking for in a DAW but that's not its intended market. The main problem with GB isn't with GB itself, just that there isn't a GB Pro or Logic for iOS to upgrade too when you want more 'pro' like features such as sends, aux tracks, etc.

    My main gripe with GB is that whilst it's easy to drag audio into the live loops view from the files app, it's much fiddlier to do this into the normal tracks/arrange view as you have to go via an intermediary step which is a PIA.

    Also, whilst it can bounce tracks (Merge in GB parlance) you can only do one at a time and end up with loads of extra project files as GB saves a copy of the project with MIDI tracks intact each time. You can't export all loops as stems in one go either.

    If you are going to export to the Mac for Logic or GB for Mac especially, you need to merge/bounce the tracks that use plugins you only have for iOS so that's a bit annoying.

    On the plus side it's very stable, works well with almost all auv3s I'v tried it with and has a ton of good, free content. The included Alchemy synth is fantastic but would be even better with more editing available and more presets. You can also access the samples from the touch instruments to play back 'normally' with MIDI/on screen keyboard as well as via the touch interfaces for each instrument.

    LiveLoops is pretty cool, with a Live-like clip launching interface that works pretty well and can be recorded into the tracks view.

    And it's universal. It's good being able to open projects on the iPhone (but this makes non-universal plug-ins even more annoying!) ;-)

    On the iPhone I don't think there's any other DAW that really comes close to what it can do.

  • Never got into GB mainly for 2 reasons
    No AB out (can’t stand the internal FX routing)
    Not able to change the language

    Pity since there are many good sounds

  • The more I think about I do feel that at some point we'll get FlexTime & FlexPitch for user recorded audio in GarageBand.

    This would allow us to easily create 'AppleLoops' from audio recorded in GarageBand.
    Currently one has to take detour via BM3 to add transient markers and bpm info to the file and then re-import it into GarageBand.

    Also being able to chop & stretch audio would be pretty handy :)

  • GarageBand is the best on iPadOS for me. The things that would completely take it home are

    AUv3 automation
    AUv3 on sends
    Master/groups track
    Cycle section in timeline
    Markers in timeline
    Audio clip fades

    All of this I’m sure they can do quite easily. Not sure if there’s an incentive though.

  • I quite like it, I’ve tried Cubasis but couldn’t get on with it. It’s the drummers that hit the spot in GB for me. Being a guitar type, the drummers are fantastic, something I could get nowhere near on Cubasis.

    It’s not perfect by any means but, it’s easy to get things off and running and is quite stable apart from the dreaded optimise song. However due to the sonic port issue I’m stuck at 12.4. I may have to bite the bullet and get an irig hd 2, but does that work in 13?

  • @Bachus said:
    Garageband seems to be a great free app

    Yet there doesn’t seem many people on here using it.

    Whats the major reasons and flaws why people don’t use garageband?

    GarageBand is far more widely used than you realize. It is worth keeping in mind that AB forum isn't a representative cross-section of either iOS musicians or iOS users.

    It is a great app that is much deeper than many here realize, and a lot more people here probably use it than we realize. Most of its users in the real world, aren't the hard-core app collectors that make up the active members of the AB forum.

    It especially shines for demo recording ...the drummers, the touch instruments , the amazing liveloops make it easy work up a demo and arrange a tune.

    Check out YouTube. Tons of great tutorials. Lots of people are using it.

  • @espiegel123 said:

    GarageBand is far more widely used than you realize. It is worth keeping in mind that AB forum isn't a representative cross-section of either iOS musicians or iOS users.

    True that, even my sisters kids love GarageBand.
    I didn't even have to show it to them, they 'discovered' it on their own.
    (And then they went like 'Uncle Sam, did you know that....').

    One of them just loves to play the piano and the other one records crazy sounds with the sampler, go figure...

  • iOS to me is all about intuitivity and getting things done quickly ( sketching ideas etc. ).
    If I have to use more "professional" functions ( e.g. surgical editing or complex mixing tasks ) I usually turn to my desktop DAW.
    To me GB is still king.
    Most of the instruments sound great and are a joy to use. Every time I open it I come up with new ideas, I love it.

    ( Though I also would to love to see some of the above mentioned suggestions being realised )

  • edited September 2019

    So basically the main gripe of most is lack of integration with AB, which makes sense on the AB forums..

    But it also seems to trigger a lot of possitives..

    I think i definately need to spend time with it... instead of buying another DAW (cubasis) because its on sale...

  • ...that it ain’t Logic.

  • @Samu said:

    @espiegel123 said:

    GarageBand is far more widely used than you realize. It is worth keeping in mind that AB forum isn't a representative cross-section of either iOS musicians or iOS users.

    True that, even my sisters kids love GarageBand.
    I didn't even have to show it to them, they 'discovered' it on their own.
    (And then they went like 'Uncle Sam, did you know that....').

    One of them just loves to play the piano and the other one records crazy sounds with the sampler, go figure...

    Heh... my sister’s twins didn’t know about it a few weeks ago, so it made me the favorite uncle for at least the day that I brought my iPad over and let them play with it. I teased my sister for depriving them.

    @Bachus - I use it, but if it had stems export I would use it a LOT more. I wouldn’t call it flawed, just as I don’t expect a pug to be a doberman pincher. Not being talked about much on this forum is probably a good sign.

  • @supadom said:
    ...that it ain’t Logic.

    Lol. I’m a few weeks away from a new mac purchase. So, I’ll bug you with all my Logic newbie questions 😉

  • edited September 2019

    @ZenLizard said:

    @supadom said:
    ...that it ain’t Logic.

    Lol. I’m a few weeks away from a new mac purchase. So, I’ll bug you with all my Logic newbie questions 😉

    Oh man, I'm in trouble now! I only use it for mastering but hear a lot of people moaning about it not being on ios.

    Of what I dabbed with it it is quality throughout. There's also a lot of video tutorials on YouTube so it shouldn't be too traumatic for ya. Good luck. ;)

  • edited September 2019

    We can import MIDI but cannot export MIDI. Cannot edit Drummer MIDI data.
    GB takes but doesn’t give much in terms of exposing itself to other apps.

    I like its Alchemy, Drums, Drummer, Live Loops, Beat Sequester, Sound Library, Loops... That’s a TON of fun!

  • Garageband is ideal for recording own keyboard, guitar tracks, making backing tracks etc. Look at tutorials on Youtube from Pete Johns and Dan Baker to discover hidden depths of the IOS version. Depends on the degree of polish you want but it fits the bill for my efforts. In the real world, I think it satisfies many users needs.

  • I love GB on the small device, but usually use other stuff on my iPad because I can.
    It lacks some features, but every DAW on iOS is lacking something, it seems.

  • @supadom said:

    @ZenLizard said:

    @supadom said:
    ...that it ain’t Logic.

    Lol. I’m a few weeks away from a new mac purchase. So, I’ll bug you with all my Logic newbie questions 😉

    Oh man, I'm in trouble now! I only use it for mastering but hear a lot of people moaning about it not being on ios.

    Of what I dabbed with it it is quality throughout. There's also a lot of video tutorials on YouTube so it shouldn't be too traumatic for ya. Good luck. ;)

    Don’t worry. I apparently prefer to flop and flail around like a fish on land until I finally get it, so you’re safe.

  • Tbh now that gadget has some sort of audio tracks using gb never excites me much even if AU hosting expands its boundaries considerably.

  • @MobileMusic said:
    We can import MIDI but cannot export MIDI. Cannot edit Drummer MIDI data.
    GB takes but doesn’t give much in terms of exposing itself to other apps.

    I like its Alchemy, Drums, Drummer, Live Loops, Beat Sequester, Sound Library, Loops... That’s a TON of fun!

    No midi export, definately a letdown for me..
    I prepare a lot of midi clips for my arranger..
    This would disqualify GB for that function..
    (I can see why tough, with all the apple propriety midi loops inside the GB)

    So basically this makes GB more like a recording studio in IOS?

  • So how does it compare to teh competition...
    I.e. Cubasis?

  • @Bachus said:

    No midi export, definately a letdown for me..
    I prepare a lot of midi clips for my arranger..
    This would disqualify GB for that function..
    (I can see why tough, with all the apple propriety midi loops inside the GB)

    I honestly don’t think that enters into the decision to leave out midi export. You can open any GB project in logic and export from there anyway.

    So basically this makes GB more like a recording studio in IOS?

    Exactly. It’s not designed as a tool for the studio, it’s designed to let anybody have a recording studio in their pocket. It’s a one stop shop.

    As I said above, my only real criticism with GarageBand on iOS is that there isn’t a GB pro or Logic to upgrade to. I think most of the design decisions in GB are made to keep it simple but it’s also powerful enough to do everything most people need. And for its intended purpose I think it works really well.

    I can get more done in GB than most other DAWs on iOS. And it’s universal.

  • @Bachus said:
    Garageband seems to be a great free app

    Yet there doesn’t seem many people on here using it.

    Whats the major reasons and flaws why people don’t use garageband?

    I think a lot use it. Just that it is not discussed a lot
    If I were to sum it short

    GB encourages completion of all songs in GB itself
    It is third party integration shy ( including auv3, which do not mix down well at times)
    If you are happy with all GB sounds , no reason to look else

  • It's my preferred vehicle of choice for remixes. It handles very long, very large audio stems quite a bit better than I thought it would, and having proper linear audio tracks makes it very easy to work with them. The touch instruments are quite good, Alchemy is quite good, my biggest gripe would be the lack of AUv3 automation and automation editing overall. Otherwise, it's a really solid piece of kit, especially for the price!

  • @Bachus said:

    @MobileMusic said:
    We can import MIDI but cannot export MIDI. Cannot edit Drummer MIDI data.
    GB takes but doesn’t give much in terms of exposing itself to other apps.

    I like its Alchemy, Drums, Drummer, Live Loops, Beat Sequester, Sound Library, Loops... That’s a TON of fun!

    No midi export, definately a letdown for me..
    I prepare a lot of midi clips for my arranger..
    This would disqualify GB for that function..
    (I can see why tough, with all the apple propriety midi loops inside the GB)

    So basically this makes GB more like a recording studio in IOS?

    You can use RouteMIDI, MIDI Flow and other apps to export MIDI out of GB. I used RouteMIDI which is simpler

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