Anyone record with Garageband?

B

BRX rad

New member
Hey guys, my name's Chris. I'm new here, but not so new to the recording world. Let me explain my situation....

For the past 2 years or so, I've been using my Macbook Pro laptop to record all of my drum track, as well as to record my band. I don't really have the money to spend on interfaces, mixers, mics, etc. So all I do is plug my mics into my 5-channel Behringer mixer board, and from the board's main output's, I run it into the line-in jack of my laptop. The idea works fine, it's just that everything is recorded onto one track in Garageband. It's not like a pro recording software where each mic gets its own track. So I'm very limited with what I can do as far as how each mic sounds. My recordings sound ok, but eh. I've been using a snare mic(SM57), kick mic(PG-52), and two overheads(MXL 604's) to do my drum recordings.

This past week I borrowed my friend's 24-channel Mackie board and some more drum mics to try and mic more things since I had a bigger board to work with. I was using a Beta 52 kick mic, and a Behringer B-1 Large Diaphragm condenser mic as an overhead, which I really liked. I realized though that with using Garageband, it sounded like crap micing everything (toms, cymbals). So I just went back to using the 57 on the snare, the Beta 52 on the kick, and the Behringer condenser as the overhead, and got a pretty decent sound.

So my question is, does anyone else record with Garageband and what's your system?

My plan is to sell my MXL 604's, and get two of those large diaphragm condenser mics that I now like. I'm also going to sell my PG-52 and get either a Beta 52 or an AKG D 112 (which one?)

Any suggestions on mics as far as what to get or how I'm using them?

Thanks guys,

Chris
 
I used to use garageband. It's too basic, the audio editor just wasn't for me. The editor is kinda weak and its a clumsy and stiff ui. But it's free and has unlimited tracks so it's better than most. maybe you should get a 4 channel audio interface and then be able to split the tracks... allowing post editing and thus getting a better sound rather than buying all new mics?
 
tojo said:
I used to use garageband. It's too basic, the audio editor just wasn't for me. The editor is kinda weak and its a clumsy and stiff ui. But it's free and has unlimited tracks so it's better than most. maybe you should get a 4 channel audio interface and then be able to split the tracks... allowing post editing and thus getting a better sound rather than buying all new mics?
Click to expand...

I'm gunna buy some new mics regardless. But maybe buying a small interface would be the answer, then I gotta buy some recording software too.
 
you could keep up with garageband, work with the sound of your present mics with Garageband and pick up like a firebox?

or wait! Even better... I figured this out on my mac: You can aggregate your devices... so you can have more than 1. I have configured my 2 channel mixer so I can record two tracks (say overheads) and then I have my brothers toneport kb37 sending two channels in via usb... so I have 4 channels (kick and snare) , so you can seperate them. The only things that you might not like is running two interfaces at once, having different pres and one having a better transfer system (usb vs unbalanced line in or whatever it is)
 
BRX rad said:
I'm gunna buy some new mics regardless. But maybe buying a small interface would be the answer, then I gotta buy some recording software too.
Click to expand...


A lot of interfaces will come with Lite versions of a popular DAW like Cubase or Sonar... so you don't have to buy software just yet. Keep that in mind when you're shopping around for an interface.

The Lite versions are more limited than the full-blown (expensive) versions, but you probably can still do most everything you want.

Peace,
 
It's free, so I guess that's one good thing about it

Since it comes with all of the OS X programs, I had to try it and I did. For some people that need to use samples, I suppose it's okay, but I deleted it from my computer. I use ProTools and I like it best for editing and I use it on occasion to do computer based recording. My preferred method is to use my DAW and export to Protools and then edit and burn from my computer.
Garage Band was just too simplistic for my tastes and it took up way too much space on my hard-drive and the samples were useless and stupid.
 
Thanks guys. I'm gunna have a friend of mine burn me a copy of Logic Express 8. I'll give that a shot. Any suggestions on cheap interfaces?
 
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