Today, I journeyed all the way to the Somersault Collection to attend the free GarbageBand workshop being given at the Apple Store there. What I wanted to learn was, Why does my music sound so crummy? Specifically, I wanted to learn why the music I have posted at various sites is waaaaay lower in volume than the music of others. It's kinda embarrassing -- everyone else's music at these sites comes blasting out, but mine sounds like it's coming from across the street. So I asked the Apple expert who was conducting the workshop how I could get higher volumes. I said that I had the slider next to the Time Display so far to the right that the red spots warning of clipping often came on.
According to what the expert said, the Master Volume can only be adjusted by opening the Master Volume track (Command + B) and dragging the line of the volume graph up or down. This was news to me, and I asked him pointedly if Master Volume wasn't usually set by the slider located just to the right of the Time Display.
He said no, that that control was merely the app's volume control much like the system volume control that can be placed in the Menu Bar (although he used the volume keys above the Numerical Keypad to illustrate this) or the volume control in iTunes. When I asked how one could set the maximum volume without danger of clipping, he said to get a pair of headphones and listen.
As soon as I returned home, I tried sliding the Master Mix Volume control (the slider just to the right of the time display) all the way to the left, then exported the song to iTunes. Once in iTunes, of course, I could hear nothing of the song.
Therefore, I'll ask the same question of the genuine Mac experts here at this board. Why is it that even when I have the Track Volume sliders adjusted on the verge of clipping, and the Master Mix Volume slider so far right that I occasionally get clipping, the overall volume of my files is much lower than that of other people who use GarBand?
The fellow who conducted the workshop said that he was certified in Logic, and he suggested that I sign up for the Apple Pro Care service, where I could be taught everything for $100 a year. After my experience, I was somewhat dubious, but on visiting the store's website I see that the $100 brings other benefits as well. If you purchase the Apple Pro Care plan, you can bring your computer into the store, and they'll update your software, and clean your monitor and keyboard -- "And it's free to Pro Care members." Whatta deal!
Posts: 558 | Location: Dearborn, MI | Registered: October 05, 2002
This afternoon, I made yet another hadj to a temple of Apple to seek more perfect wisdom about GarageBand. Since I had received misinformation at the Apple Store in the Somersault Collection, I decided to consult the professors in residence at the Twelve Oafs campus.
This session was shorter for me, because I was informed that the Apple GarageBand Workshop was held strictly for the benefit of new users who had no idea of what to do with the application. When I began asking questions about volume levels, I was politely told that such matters were properly the subject of Apple's new Pro Care tutoring. To obtain the answers, I'd have to enroll in the program which costs $100 and allows 52 weekly consultations with an Apple expert. I was reluctant to spend the $100 after my previous experience with a "Creative Consultant," so I didn't get any questions answered.
I see that MacAudioLab has tutorial DVDs selling for only $80, and that seems like a better value.
Posts: 558 | Location: Dearborn, MI | Registered: October 05, 2002
Go to Borders or MicroCenter, find a Garage Band book, and look into volume settings.
Some basic questions: 1. Where does your music sound so crummy? On what system, and at what point in time?
2. Does your music sound crummy in Garage Band before you post it to the web, or only after you post it and listen to it in What Application?
You probably just need to take the time to educate yourself about all the volume settings. There are software volume settings, and there are hardware volume settings.
There is a dearth of information on volume for other iLife apps, like iMovie, so maybe Garage Band is similar?
