Playing real instruments

When I connect my electric guitar to my MBP via the input jack on the left hand side I cannot hear the amp simulation until after recording and only during playback. In other words, I have to imagine what the guitar sounds like while playing and hope that im doing it right. I have connected the guitar directly to the computer as well as connection through my Fender amp with the same results. I want to know if there is a way to hear my instrument play in Garage Band during the actual recording. I would like to be able to connect the guitar through the amp as I have better control over the sound than using the simulators in GB. Any input will be greatly appreciated.

I have been where you are, and i love that you use the same method i do, it is so cheap. (you are just using a 1/4" to 1/8" adapter right? i got mine at radio shack for less than 5 dollars.)
and there is good news, you don't need a special unit for this. there are a few things you have to do.
first, make sure you have "monitor" turned on. it is on the right of the screen.
it is in the box above the details area where you change effect parameters.
then on the input, make sure you have channel 1 selected. channel 1 is mono and if it isnt selected then all the sound is on the left headphone or speaker and it is really annoying. (maybe you already know this, or you like the sound on the left, but just in case)
when you are using this method, and also depending on how powerful of a system you have, there will be a pretty noticeable lag (or latency as they call it) from the time at which you are playing your guitar to the moment you hear it being played back on your system. any effects you are using worsens this. but the good thing is that garage band sometimes will forget about that. it really just goes in and out, but a great way to ensure really fast latency is dedicating your system to garageband, and dedicating garageband to one track.
another thing... if you create the track and then just turn the monitor on, usually it wont work. you have to record for a few seconds, stop, and then you will hear your monitor.
this should solve your problems as far as hearing what you are recording.
but let me mention some other things, just to help you through the process of learning GB.
garage band is really finicky. for example, if you have 2 tracks with matrix reverb playing at the same time it creates a very loud static noise. one day i discovered that if you lock one of the tracks this solves the problem because it isolates it and the effects aren't, for lack of a better term, bouncing off each other.
these weird little quirks are throughout garage band's programming. there are always things you have to just figure out in garage band, i guarantee there isn't a section in the manual about using a 1/4" to 1/8" adapter.
good luck with garage band my friend, and if you have more questions feel free to ask, i logged on today to ask a question of my own so im still an idiot.

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Playing real instruments with software instruments

Hey, I've been using logic for years but have never tried playing with a real instrument until now. When i connect my guitar Logic recognizes it and changes the driver to unknown USB device, but there is no sound since built-in input isn't selected and the instrument records but i can't hear it until i switch it back. How do you play real instruments with software instruments? Should be pretty simple. Thanks.
- Sean

Okay… the way Logic works is to use the same device for both Inputs & Outputs (there is a way round this, but let's not go there just now. First person to say 'Aggregate Device' gets thumped!).
So when you choose your device (usefully known as "Unknown USB Device") in Audio MIDI Setup, this means that you are no longer using your Built-in Inputs & Outputs — because that's the alternative.
Which means you won't hear anything through your speakers connected to your Mac. To hear an Output, you would have to connect your monitors/headphones/etc. to your device.
Furthermore:
_Auto Input Monitoring_
If Auto Input Monitoring is switched on, you will only hear the input signal during the actual recording—before and afterwards, you’ll hear the previously recorded audio on the track, while the sequencer is running. This helps you to judge punch in and punch out points when punch recording. If Auto Input Monitoring is switched off, you will always hear the input signal.
_To switch auto input monitoring on, do one of the following:_
• Choose +Options > Audio > Auto Input Monitoring+ from the main menu bar (or use the +Toggle Auto Input Monitoring+ key command).
• Control-click the Record button in the Transport, and turn on the +Auto Input Monitoring+ setting in the pop-up menu.

Real Instruments play beyond end of repeated loop

I've tried every google-fu trick I could think of to see if anyone else has had this problem.
I record a real instrument (say an electric guitar riff). I drag/repeat/loop it 3 or 4 times. It plays properly.
Then at some point I select it, and move it left or right.
The part starts at the right time, but will repeat an extra time beyond the visible onscreen loop. Once this glitch occurs, neither resaving, shrinking/re-repeating, moving it around and then back to where I want it make the track end when it's supposed to.
The only way I've found around it, is to end the repeat early and let the erroneous repeat play out, or just end the repeat entirely, and use cut'n'paste instead.
This happens to me *all the time*... anyone else seen this or have a resolution?

Thanks for the suggestions. I can't remember deleting any tracks... however, how would i check for "hidden" tracks?
The funny thing is i can hear the effect returns for the real instrument tracks...tracks that are heavily reverbed i can hear a faint echo of the track. and like i mentioned the drum loop and software piano still play fine.
And, I also see monitor activity in the real instrument tracks when i play the song. Everything looks normal, but of course, the sound isn't there.
Thanks again for your help!
Message was edited by: Ike the Longshoreman
P.S. I just tried Unsolo all tracks and Unmute all tracks... still the same problem.

Real Instruments Tracks Not Playing

In one of my songs, the real instruments do not play. However, I can hear the reverb and echo for these tracks. The tracks still respond to editing. The drum loop and Software Piano play just fine.
Last night, all tracks worked properly, even after deleting a real instrument track. I saved and shut down for the night.
After booting up today, the remaining real instrument tracks have only very minimal volume; really, just a faint whisper. Track info remains the same and I can see some real instrument track monitor activity, but that's about it for the real instruments.
In response to some earlier advice, I created a new Real Instrument and/or a Software Track and see if they are soloed. Nothing, no "hidden" soloed Track.
The real instrument tracks remain silent, though fully editable.
Any assistance would be great.

I went into the master track to see what's going on.
Ducking option was not highlighted, so I clicked on it just to see what would happen. It unlocked all locked tracks, but not the real instruments for some reason. Then, I removed Ducking option.
All real instruments have returned. Problem resolved.
It was something to do with Ducking.
Each day I learn something new. Life is good.

Real Instruments Not playing - effects are

In one of my songs, the real instruments do not play. However, I can hear the reverb and echo for these tracks. The tracks still respond to editing. The drum loop and Software Piano play just fine.

Thanks for the suggestions. I can't remember deleting any tracks... however, how would i check for "hidden" tracks?
The funny thing is i can hear the effect returns for the real instrument tracks...tracks that are heavily reverbed i can hear a faint echo of the track. and like i mentioned the drum loop and software piano still play fine.
And, I also see monitor activity in the real instrument tracks when i play the song. Everything looks normal, but of course, the sound isn't there.
Thanks again for your help!
Message was edited by: Ike the Longshoreman
P.S. I just tried Unsolo all tracks and Unmute all tracks... still the same problem.

Unable to play back real instrument tracks

greetings - i've been working on a song in Garage Band for a couple of years. the back story is that this file has grown to 2.5GB in size (all my other GB files are a lot less). it has about 10 real instrument tracks and 6 software tracks. Yesterday while working on the file a strange thing started happening; the first (of 3) software piano track started playing back intermittently with a bunch of reverb; i had not requested that it have reverb. i tried removing reverb, i tried soloing and unsoloing, muting and unmuting, and sometimes that would get rid of the reverb. so that was anomaly #1 yesterday. Finally, after finishing the session and saving/ closing the file, i wanted to make a backup copy so did command-D. Possible anomaly #2: when the original file and the backup file names appeared in the window, i renamed both; then i realized that the Mac was still in the process of copying the file; so i don't know if that renaming introduced a problem. Once the backup was finished, i opened the file (and the backup file, subsequently), and the REAL instrument tracks (plus the first midi piano track i laid down) NO LONGER MAKE ANY SOUND. the software drums, flute, and pianos 2&3 play back; the vocal sounds like the reverb is playing back but not the original track (i assigned basic female reverb to the vocal track). Everything visually still seems to be present in the file - all the details of instrument, level, pan, etc. but i'm getting no sound from the real instrument tracks or the 1st software piano track. i have TRIED all the suggestions for optimizing performance given in GB help. i am stuck and truly hope my arrangement will once again sound! many thanks in advance for any suggestions; Matthew Allen
<Email Edited By Host>

guitarworld wrote:
the first (of 3) software piano track started playing back intermittently with a bunch of reverb;
try toggling the Ducking menuItem, that's solved some similar issues
(and you can safely ignore the post about 8 tracks, it's not relevant)

"Too Many Real Instruments"

I am posting this in the '09 topic, but my question really dates back to Garageband '08. I rely on Garageband often, and I'm a big fan of it. However, it contains a serious problem which I need fixed.
I create a new project, drop a single iTunes song into it, and begin to edit. Almost every time, randomly while playing the song the "Part of the project was not played. This project has too many real instrument tracks to be played in real-time" warning message appears. I only have 1 track! Worse still, my audio driver lets out a terrible "HONK" which startles me and blasts through the entire house. After that, My sound output faintly exists until I open up Audio MIDI Setup and change a random setting on my output.
I am quite tired of this predicament. Is there anyway to fix this (without money)?

I was experiencing a similar problem, and I just got off the phone with applecare and went through all their steps.
I'll try my best to recount them here. But before I do, let it be said that the tech fellow, once he heard what I was doing, exclaimed that my core problem was that I needed to be creating new projects, and not re-using the same project (ex. "My Song 2") over and over.
What I've been doing is backing up a pile of mini-discs that have live concerts on them. A couple of hours of audio each one, and I've been recording them into Garageband. After I divide the concert up into songs and export them to itunes, I've been deleting the track in Garageband and then importing the next concert (repeat x 10 concerts).
About 7-8 concerts in I started getting that popping sound when the sound would cut out (made the sound of depressing the safety-seal bubble on the metal lid of a jam jar). At first, quitting Garageband and opening it again would work. On the 10th concert, when the sound cut out the sound for the whole computer would stop working (itunes, volume buttons on my keyboard, everything).
So the tech fellow said the lesson is this: create new projects. Don't be shy about it. No need to re-use and recycle in cyberspace.
Now - my applecare steps:
- First we went: Macintosh HD, Library, then dragged "Caches" to the trash
- then went to Finder, Go, Utilities, Disk Utility, Macintosh HD, Repair Disk Permissions (that took some time)
- then restarted the computer
All seems to be well now.
Good luck

Too many real instruments for a new project?

I keep getting the notification which says "Part of the project was not played - This project has too many real instrument tracks to be played in real-time".
BUT the problem is that this occurs even when I open a new garageband file (i.e. no tracks!) and I'm only 3 seconds into recording the first track! So garageband is basically not working for me. I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling it to no avail. Just a few months back I was still able to use it comfortably to do edit many different tracks together so I really don't know what the problem is. I don't really know if its a problem with the processor as I barely use the memory on my macbook pro and even when recording CPU usage doesn't go above 20% so I'm really at a loss. Please help!

Oh apple support asked me to try that out too but it did not work.. In fact for some of the suggestions they gave (eg using a different user, or even locking the track) it only managed to extend the period of recording to about 10 seconds before the problem resurfaced and after that it was back to the same 3 second problem.
But that is an important clue, Josiah. If you cannot even record properly from a different user account with basic settings, we know that the settings in your user account cannot be causing this - this looks like system wide trouble.
You could run a hardware check over night, to check your hardware:
Intel-based Macs: Using Apple Hardware Test
and if the hardware check does not show any problems, I'd reinstall Mountain Lion.
See Linc Davis's post on how to reinstall: Re: Garageband doesn't open in Mac Mini mid 2011
Regards
Léonie

HELP!! Real instruments sound reverby and warped upon playback

Hey , i'm running garage band 08 with all the latest updates 4.1.2 and i am trying to record an acoustic guitar as a real instrument track. After i record however, it sounds almost like there is some kind of subtle reverb or echo and the instrument just doesnt sound right. My audio Midi settings are as follows
44100.0Hz
2ch-24bit
Using internal mic
On a different macbook pro using all the same settings on both machines i recorded the same guitar and it sounds perfect. I am also not using any reverb or echo or any effects and it still sounds wrong. Is there a problem with my internal mic or am i just doing something wrong with GB setting.
Any help or suggestions would be hugely appreciated
many thanks

Yeah, check the individual track settings for effects. When you record, you want to record an un-effected signal. You can then manipulate that signal with processed effects of your choice. I usually save the original recordings of each song as the "name of the song 0", and when I experiment w/effects i'll save the subsequent ones as 1,2,3,..etc. You can always go back and combine/re-edit to get what you had in mind. Also, make sure you don't have a big empty room you're recording in. Acoustics in a big room give you natural reverb. Play around with the track, and then the master volumes, as well, when in different rooms of the house.

Using real instruments on Powerbook G4

Hi,
I've been using garageband on my ibook for over a year now and thought that I would try using it on my sister's PowerBook G4. The program works fine with software instruments, but when I plug my gutiar into it and try to use other real instruments with it it does not record a thing. This is weired because the program fully registers that a real instrument is plugged in and looks as if its recording while I'm playing what I'm playing on it. So, why is this? Is there any way I can fix this problem? How would I do it?

I think I understand what you are doing and what the problem might be:
"Then I open garageband and start a new file. Then I change the instrument setting from software instruments to real instruments."
When GB opens it has a software piano track that it displays by default. You create a new track. The screen comes up and you set it up as a Real Instrument Track. When you create a new track it will be enabled for recording and a little red button will light up showing that that track is enabled for recording, as long as that track is selected.
"Then I delete the software track and begin to try and record a new basic track."
When you select the software instrument track to delete it, you are deselecting the track you just created and GB turns off the track-enabling button on that real instrument track. Try not deleting that default software piano track and see if that helps. It certainly doesn't hurt to leave it there.
"Then I push the record button and start to play. As I'm playing I'll see the line moving and the color changing purple or red or whatever color it turns, I don't remember which indicating that I'm recording something."
That is the part I don't understand, because it shouldn't be creating any sort of colored region, but the line does move. That's my best guess, anyway.

Using real instruments to control software instruments

I recently bought the Apogee Duet to play my guitars and keyboard directly into Garageband (and soon Logic Studio). My problem is that I haven't been able to figure out how to control software instruments using real instruments. For example, is there way for me to connect my Piano Keyboard through Duet into my computer, but use it to play software tracks like strings and horns, etc? I would like to do this without using MIDI, since I just spent $500 on the Duet. Is this possible, or is the only way to control software instruments through an external instrument by using MIDI? Thanks so much for any help....

Assuming your keyboard requires an external MIDI interface (some have MIDI interfaces onboard), you can pick one up pretty cheaply - for example, M-Audio's Midisport or Uno are decent and inexpensive.

Setting Real Instruments Problem

I have a problem setting the task info dialog box for real instruments. Although I select Real Instruments on the setup, the task info box shos only choices for software instruments and , I think, master task. Therefore, the box where the input settings are made, is blank. Nothing I do aleviates this problem. If anyone can help me, you can reach me at [email protected]

I think I know what your going through. I had a similar issue with setting up my guitar. If this info is not related to your particular problem simply disregard it as I am no expert on GarageBand and am learning like you. The problem I came across was that I could not get my Instrument to be recognized as the source of sound for the new track I added. To fix this I simply added a new "basic" track rather then simply a new track. GB then recognized my guitar and allowed me to record my instrument, only I couldnt hear what I was playing until after I had turned "monitoring" on found in the information window on the right hand side of the screen. Then by setting the input to channel 1 I avoided making sound come from only one speaker. Maybe you already know this but I just feel like being helpful in my n00b sorta way. GL

Real instruments being transposed

Every time I play a real instrument through my US-122 into garageband, my instruments are transposed down a whole tone. So when I play a B, I hear an A in my headphones.
I checked the monitor-out on the US-122, and it's fine. The problem is therefore somewhere in GarageBand. How can I turn this off? Does anyone know?
Help!

make sure your interface is set to a sample rate of 44.1K

No Sound From SOME Real Instrument Tracks

All tracks (real, software & guitar) are recording properly and play back is fine. Then out of the blue a previously recorded real instrument track will not play back. Software tracks are playing and "blue" drum loops are playing back back, but not real bass or real guitar tracks.
The wave files are there and the activity is visible. The volume meters are moving, but there is no sound. The track is not muted and no tracks are in solo mode.
I can copy and paste the tracks and they play again, BUT they loose quality and all of the sequencing, as far as where the region sits in the song, is lost.
Any one know how to fix this?
Thanks in advance.

BobbyQ3 wrote:
your suggestion to toggle the Ducking WORKED. I'm back in business! THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
you're welcome, enjoy

Can't hear my real instrument tracks. Just the reverb in the background.

I opened a file, and when I play it, now I can't hear any real instrument tracks. I just hear the reverb of the tracks. Any clues on how to fix this?

d.c.guitar wrote:
I can't hear any real instrument tracks. I just hear the reverb
try toggling the ducking menuItem

Playing real instruments

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