Word: garageband
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...that “throaty growl” isn’t sexy, just grating), she gives her vocal absolutely no soul whatsoever (I mean, sheesh, Cher on “Believe” sounded more into it), and the production uses every single instrument in the GarageBand (or whatever they use) arsenal. But, if you listen really carefully, right before she starts singing, you can hear the ringtone which everyone downloaded at some point during the year. And I know there are many people—so, so many people, admit it or not—who Googled...
...always been the case with musicmaking software though. Turning your computer into a recording studio with programs such as Pro Tools and Cakewalk Plasma means splashing out hundreds of dollars and slogging through dense instruction manuals. There had to be an easier way. Now Apple has found it with GarageBand, part of its $49 suite of Mac-only iLife applications released in January. As the name suggests, GarageBand is aimed at amateurs. You don't need to read the manual to put together a pretty professional-sounding tune. You don't even need much musical talent...
...simplest level, GarageBand lets you lay down loops?prerecorded short riffs by drums, bass, piano and so on. There are some 1,000 loops to choose from on the basic software and 2,000 more on the $99 add-on, Jam Pack. Here's the clever bit: the loops are arranged not just by instrument but also under mood-based headings such as "Relaxed," "Intense," "Cheerful" and so on. Click and drag your loops into the score, and they become interactive. You can stretch and splice them like lumps of Play-Doh. In just 10 minutes I found I could...
...your own musical stylings by plugging in a keyboard, microphone or guitar. Apple is selling a $99 keyboard that plugs directly into the computer via a USB connection, and a $149 amp for guitar, bass, microphone and keyboard with midi connections. There are some 50 software instruments in GarageBand and an additional 100 in Jam Pack. And if you flub the recording off beat, even with the built-in metronome? Not to worry...
...Like any other brand-new software, GarageBand has its bugs. For one thing, you're supposed to be able to use digital music files from iTunes, theoretically making sampling a snap, but most of mine kept getting rejected. And GarageBand hogs a lot of computer memory. Still, these are quibbles compared with how easy it is to create a song with up to 64 layers of loops and tracks. Coolest of all: you can save that work of genius to your iPod. After all, your music should be as simple to listen to as it was to make...