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GarageBand 6 with Voiceover, Basic Recording, Editing, Using Loops and More Revision 03

This guide was created to get you started and was never meant to provide all of
the answers to all of the questions. Feel free to write on an aspect of
GarageBand 6 if you feel that something needs explained more fully.

Information for this guide was provided by,
Ashley Cox,
Ricardo Walker,
Brian Smart
Keith Reedy
And others

You will find a list of over 100 keyboard commands at the bottom of this guide.

First of all, a brief look at the GarageBand project screen.

When you are in a project, you will find the screen far less cluttered.
Information will only appear in groups and only when called for.

When you have opened a group and you are finished with it be sure to close it by
pressing the same command again, or, unchecking the box which ever is called
for.
The time line layout area will always be on the screen in a project window. In
this area after you have interacted with the area, you will find information on,
track headers. Interact with track headers, select your track, interact to find
Pan and level controls and more.
If you interact with the time line group you will be able to edit the track by
interacting with instrument tracks and moving up and down with the up and down
arrows to select your track. Move through the time line with left and right
arrows..

Track Info

Checking the track info box, or, pressing command-i will add a track info group
to the screen. When you interact with this group you will be able to find,
information such as, the type of track, software instrument track and so on.
To change tempo key and so on, make sure that the brows button is selected and
press the master track button.
In this window you can name your track under save instrument. You can select
the edit radio button to find and use effects. Nearly everything seems to be
clearly marked.

Checking the Editor check box will present you with the Editor group.
Interacting with this group may allow you to view and, edit notes. Just how
much you can do is not known at this time.

Pressing command-l or,checking the loop browser check box, or, selecting show
loop browser from the control menu will present you with another group, the Loop
browser group which we will talk about in some length later in this guide.

In this guide we will discuss,

  1. Basic recording with GarageBand 6 and Voiceover..
  2. Editing with GarageBand 6 with Voiceover.
  3. Adding a loop to your project in GarageBand 6 with Voiceover.
  4. Stretching a loop in GarageBand 6 with Voiceover.
  5. Working with Regions in GarageBand 6 with Voiceover.
  6. Moving media in to your GarageBand 6 Project from the finder.
  7. Using the LCD group.
  8. Using Effects.
  9. EQ.
  10. GarageBand 6 Keyboard Shortcuts.

1 Basic Recording with GarageBand 6 with Voiceover.

When you open GarageBand 6 you will be presented with a screen which will give
you a number of choices, but, I like to use keyboard commands.
Creating a new project is done with command-N. Fill in the information and
select create.

Creating a new track is done with command-option-n. You will be ask to choose
one of the buttons for either a software instrument or a real instrument as with
a microphone or Electric guitar.

Note the electric guitar function will also work with a microphone for you who
use an acoustic guitar.

You will need to choose these with VO keys-right or left arrow keys. When you
have chosen one of these buttons, select the button with, VO keys-space bar.
Now tab to create and press, VO keys-space bar.

You are now ready to press r to record.

One of the unique things you can do in GarageBand is name your tracks.

While you are in your track, use the item chooser and find the save instrument
button VO keys-space bar on this button and you will be presented with an edit
box. Type in the name and VO keys-right arrow to save and press VO keys-space
bar.

When you have a few tracks created, you can find a list of your tracks. by
interacting with the arrange layout area, then interacting with the timeline
group. You can choose your track by using the up and down arrow keys and name
of your track should speak.
Now solo that track if you wish with the letter s, pressing the letter s again
will take solo off. You are now ready to do what ever work you want to do on
your selected track. When you are finished, don't forget to lock your track, so
that you don't accidentally record over your work and to save system resources.
l to lock your track and l to unlock your track.

Punch-in.

Punch-in is done when you need to record over a part of a track that you have
already recorded. ***This does not seem to work when recording MIDI.

GarageBand allows you to move around in a song just as you would with a cassette
player, or, an old analog tape transport. To move around in your project use
right and left arrow keys to move through the timeline.
First of all, make sure that you are in the correct track, by pressing s to
sample your track, press s again to go back to full song. Each one of your
tracks should be named. You can also select your tracks in the track header
area. This is where the track information is located.
Go to the part of the track that you want to record over, just before the
place that you want to record over, press "r" to record.
Press the space bar to stop recording
Lock your track with l and
unlock your track with l
You will want to lock your tracks so that you don't record over your work and to
save system resources

Good recordings are hard work, but, the finished product will make you smile.

2. Editing in GarageBand 6 with Voiceover.

First of all, open your project and make sure that the track you want to edit is
selected by moving to Arrange layout area and interacting with it.
Next you will hear, timeline group, interact with this as well.
Then you should hear, instrument tracks and interact with this as well.
At this point you can move through the tracks with the up and down arrow keys to
hear the names of the tracks. If they are software instruments they will
already be named, but, if they are tracks you have created you will need to name
them as you create them.

After finding the track you wish to edit, move to the proper place on the
timeline with the right and left arrow keys, or, play your project until you
find the spot where you wish to make your edit and press command-t to make a
split. Now you have 2 regions with the same name. If you like you can rename
one of the regions by interacting with it and arrowing to that option. If you
just want to delete the region VO keys left and right arrow between the 2
Regions until you are on the correct one then from the edit menu press delete.

If you want to take out something from the middle of the track, each time you
press command-t you should have another split and another region.

You may want to do other things with these regions. You will want to explore
the other editing possibilities.

3. Adding a Loop to Your Project in GarageBand 6 with Voiceover.

1. You will want to find the place in your project where you want to add your
loop, by noting the timeline marking, or, playing your project until you come to
the place where you want to add your loop and note the timeline markings with
the left and right arrow keys.
2. Stop interacting with the arrange layout area.
3. open the loop browser with command-l, or, from the control menu.
4. Find and interact with the Loop browser group.
5. Find the edit box type in your loop type and press enter and if it is found
a table will appear with your choices.
6. Arrow through the choices until you find the loop you want to use, you can
sample your loop with command-shift-l to start the sample and again to stop
sampling. Now press command-c to copy the loop.
7. If your project is stopped at the place where you want your loop, press
command-v to paste your loop. If you are not sure, check your location with the
left and right arrow keys.
8. If it is not exactly where you want it, you can move the loop by using,
VO keys-command-accent, then the left and right arrow keys to move it where you
want it. You will hear the time line markings as you move.

4. Stretching a Loop in GarageBand 6 with Voiceover

When you place a loop in to a GarageBand 6 project it is only a few seconds
long, but, we can now with GarageBand 6 stretch a loop, like a drum track for as
long as you want.

Heres how.

1. After you have placed your loop in to your project in the time line, make
sure that the mouse is on the loop with VO keys-command-F5.

2. Now, press VO keys-command-shift-accent which will give you a layout items
resize options menu.

3. arrow down once to loop and press enter. You will hear resize loop.

4. Stretch or shrink the loop with the right and left arrow keys. You will hear
the timeline markings as you stretch or shrink your loop.

To move the loop to any place you choose on the timeline use,
VO keys-command-accent. As before, you will hear the timeline markings as you
move with the right and left arrow keys.

5. Working with Regions in GarageBand 6 with Voiceover

if you check the cycle check box, then the cycle region will appear as a layout
item, just like the other regions. However, it isn't located with the other
regions. In the timeline, interact with the ruler at the top. If cycle is on,
besides the play head and song length indicators, there will also be a region
layout item representing the cycle region. You can move and size it just like
other regions. In that way, it is possible to, for example, move it to bar 9,
expand it to 16 bars, and be able to overdub in to a 16 bar loop when you press
record.

This is pretty cool. We can now record in to exact locations of the song.

You can also select an existing region's time this way, and overdub additional
takes in to it. It isn't MIDI event editing, but, together with the region
editing approaches, is enough to handle essential editing tasks.

6. Moving media in to your GarageBand 6 project from the finder

If your media is in iTunes you will need to move it to the finder by interacting
with the name of the file, pressing, VO keys-shift-m and arrowing down to show
in finder and pressing Vo keys-space bar.
Once your media is in the finder and selected, press command-c to copy, then
move to your GarageBand 6 project to the place on the timeline where you would
like your media to be placed and press command-v to paste.

7. Using the LCD Group

The LCD group was in earlier versions of GarageBand not accessible, but, as it
has become accessible in iTunes it is now accessible in GarageBand 6 and it can
be very helpful.

You must first of all choose what you want the LCD to show you and you can
choose this in The control menu.
Choose either:
Show tuner in LCD, keyboard command, command-f,
Show time in LCD, keyboard command, command-shift-f,
Show measures in LCD, keyboard command, command-option-f
Show tempo in LCD, keyboard command, command-control-f.
You can also choose these from with in the LCD group.

When you choose and interact with summary after interacting with the group, you
will find a number of sliders which you may interact with to move you through
the timeline depending on which mode you have chosen.

8. GarageBand 6 Effects, echo and reverb

Show track info, by either checking the box, or, using command-i.
Move to the track info group and interact.
Now, with VO keys-right arrow move to the edit button and select it with VO
keys-space.
If you want echo for instants on just one track, move to the enable master echo
check box and uncheck it. These instructions can be used for track reverb as
well.
With VO keys-left arrow, from that check box, move to the group of 4 select
effect buttons and lets use the first one and VO keys-space to select it.

For this session, I am going to arrow down to track echo, and select it with VO
keys-spacebar. Remember when you arrow down through this list and make a
selection, a new group will appear in the place of the select effect button and
you will need to interact with it.

Now that you have interacted with the group, VO keys-right arrow past the track
echo button, to the last button which may say, default preset button and VO
keys-space on this button to select it.

Move down and up in this list with the up and down arrow keys and I am going to
choose, Rockabilly and press VO keys-space.

You will find 38 selections all the same selections, for each of the 4 select
effect buttons and each effect will have a number of presets so you can have up
to 4 different effects on 1 track, hundreds of variations.

9. GarageBand 6 EQ.

After reviewing your tracks you may find that one or more of your tracks needs a
little more brightness, or, base, or, just that little something. Well here is
where you will want to use GarageBand 6 EQ feature.

Show track info, by either checking the box, or, using command-i.
Move to the track info group and interact.
Now, with VO keys-right arrow move to the edit button and select it with VO
keys-space bar.

With VO keys-right arrow, move to the visual EQ group and interact.

Make sure that the enable check box is checked and with VO keys-right arrow,
move to the preset popupbutton, which may say manual and press it with VO
keys-space.
Here is where you will choose your EQ presets. You can choose from 50. Select
them with VO keys-space and try your track. If it is not the one choose another
until you find the one you like then stop interacting with the group..

10. GarageBand 6 Keyboard shortcuts

It will be easier to move through this list with VO keys-up and down arrows.

Use these keyboard shortcuts to play, navigate, and edit in GarageBand 6.
ACTIONSHORTCUT
Playback and navigation
Start or stop playbackSpace bar
Go to beginningReturn or Z or Home
Go to endOption-Z or End
Go to beginning of selected regionControl-Home or
Function-Control-Left Arrow
Go to end of selected regionControl-End or
Function-Control-Right Arrow
Move back in smaller incrementsLeft Arrow
Move forward in smaller incrementsRight Arrow
Move back in larger incrementsOption-Left Arrow
Move forward in larger incrementsOption-Right Arrow
Move back by the visible width of the timelinePage Up
Move forward by the visible width of the timelinePage Down
Zoom inOption-Control-Left Arrow
Zoom outOption-Control-Right Arrow
Tracks
Create a new trackCommand-Option-N
Create a new basic trackCommand-Shift-N
Duplicate the selected trackCommand-D
Delete the selected trackCommand-Delete
Select the next higher trackUp Arrow
Select the next lower trackDown Arrow
Mute/Unmute the selected trackM
Solo/Unsolo the selected trackS
Lock/Unlock the selected trackL
Turn monitoring on or off for the selected trackI
Turn monitoring on for the selected track, without feedback
protectionControl-I
Show/Hide the automation curves for the selected trackA
Unmute all tracksOption-click Mute button
Unsolo all tracksOption-click Solo button
Show/Hide the Record Enable buttons for all tracksCommand-Option-R
Show/Hide the Track Lock buttons for all tracksCommand-Option-L
Show/Hide the Monitor buttons for all Real Instrument
tracksCommand-Option-I
Show/Hide the arrangement trackCommand-Shift-A
Show/Hide the master trackCommand-B
Show/Hide the podcast trackCommand-Shift-B
Show/Hide the movie trackCommand-Option-B
Track Info pane
Show/Hide the Track Info paneCommand-I
Select the next higher category or instrumentUp Arrow (when the Track Info
pane is open and a category or instrument is selected)
Select the next lower category or instrumentDown Arrow (when the Track
Info pane is open and a category or instrument is selected)
Move from instrument list to category listLeft Arrow (when the Track Info
pane is open and an instrument is selected)
Move from category list to instrument listRight Arrow (when the Track Info
pane is open and a category is selected)
Choose the next higher guitar presetComma (,)
Choose the next lower guitar presetPeriod (.)
Learning to play
Automatic notation view1 (in a Learn to Play lesson)
Show chord names2 (in a Learn to Play lesson)
Show chord grids (guitar) / Show left hand only (piano)3 (in a Learn to
Play lesson)
Show tablature (guitar) / Show right hand only (piano)4 (in a Learn to
Play lesson)
Show tablature and standard notation (guitar) / Show both hands (piano)5
(in a Learn to Play lesson)
Hide notation0 (in a Learn to Play lesson)
Easy View (piano)E (in a Learn to Play lesson)
Full-page notationF (in the Play chapter of a Learn to Play lesson)
Show/Hide the instrumentS (in a Learn to Play lesson)
Editing and arranging
UndoCommand-Z
RedoCommand-Shift-Z
CutCommand-X
CopyCommand-C
PasteCommand-V
DeleteDelete
Select allCommand-A
Split selected region at the playheadCommand-T
Join selected regionsCommand-J
Loop selected region continuouslyO
Turn snap to grid on/offCommand-G
Show/Hide alignment guidesCommand-Shift-G
Lock automation curves to regionsCommand-Option-A
Show/Hide Flex edits for the selected trackCommand-Option-E
Delete selected arrangement region and its timeline
contentCommand-Option-Delete
Delete selected region and fill in timeControl-Delete
Add marker to podcast/movie trackP
Turn ducking on/offCommand-Shift-R
Recording
Start or stop recordingR
Turn the cycle region on/offC
Turn the metronome on/offCommand-U
Turn count-in on/offCommand-Shift-U
Score view
Move selected notes to previous grid positionLeft Arrow
Move selected notes to next grid positionRight Arrow
Move selected notes back one measureShift-Left Arrow
Move selected notes forward one measureShift-Right Arrow
Transpose selected notes up one semitoneUp Arrow
Transpose selected notes down one semitoneDown Arrow
Transpose selected notes up one octaveShift-Up Arrow
Transpose selected notes down one octaveShift-Down Arrow
Print notation (must be visible in editor)Command-P
Adjusting master volume
Raise master volumeCommand-Up Arrow
Lower master volumeCommand-Down Arrow
Showing windows and editors
Show/Hide the Track Info paneCommand-I
Show/Hide the editorCommand-E
Show/Hide the loop browserCommand-L
Preview the selected loopCommand-Shift-L
Show/Hide the Media BrowserCommand-R
Show/Hide the onscreen keyboardCommand-K
Show/Hide the Musical Typing windowCommand-Shift-K
Show/Hide the NotepadCommand-Option-P
Minimize the GarageBand windowCommand-M
LCD mode commands
Show Chord mode in LCDCommand-F (with Software Instrument track selected)
Show Tuner mode in LCDCommand-F (with Real Instrument/Electric Guitar
track selected)
Show Time mode in LCDCommand-Shift-F
Show Measures mode in LCDCommand-Option-F
Show Tempo mode in LCDCommand-Control-F
File menu commands
Create a new projectCommand-N
Open an existing projectCommand-O
Close the current projectCommand-W
Save the current projectCommand-S
Save AsCommand-Shift-S
Print notation (must be visible in editor)Command-P
Application menu commands
Show GarageBand preferencesCommand-Comma (,)
Hide GarageBandCommand-H
Hide other applicationsCommand-Option-H
Quit GarageBandCommand-Q
Help menu commands
Open GarageBand HelpCommand-Question Mark (?)

I think the biggest changes in GarageBand 6 other than the much improved
accessibility is that things are grouped and that in its self makes GarageBand 6
much easier to use.

We who have added information to this guide hope that it has been and will be
helpful.

Keith Reedy
wa9dro@gmail.com
http://www.icanworkthisthing.com/

 


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