Apple Training Series: GarageBand 09 [Paperback]

Mary Plummer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 11, 2009 | ISBN-10: 0321648528 | ISBN-13: 978-0321648525 | Edition: 1

Whether you’re an accomplished musician or a student, GarageBand is the most rewarding way to  create, perform, and record your own music. In the only Apple-certified guide to GarageBand, composer Mary Plummer starts by teaching you the interface and basic recording techniques and moves on to arranging a song, editing and mixing tracks, adding effects, and distributing your music files. Using practical step-by-step lessons and original music, you’ll learn how to record with any guitar, microphone, or MIDI keyboard; score a QuickTime movie; create an iPhone ringtone; jam with virtual musicians; and much more. A bonus lesson on advanced techniques covers little-known tips and time-savers that help you get the most out of GarageBand in a professional setting.

• Turn your Mac into a full-featured recording studio

• Arrange a song, edit and mix tracks, add effects, and distribute your music

• Use Magic GarageBand Jam to create your own virtual backing band

• Create a podcast complete with narration, music, sound effects, and artwork.

• Build a soundtrack and learn to score a professional trailer

• Create a fun iPhone ringtone from scratch

• Learn piano and guitar through interactive video lessons with legendary recording artists

Product Details

• Paperback: 312 pages
• Publisher: Peachpit Press; 1 edition (May 11, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321648528
• ISBN-13: 978-0321648525
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #368,975 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thorough but mechanical tutorial, September 6, 2009

By 

Allen Stenger (Alamogordo, NM USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Apple Training Series: GarageBand 09 (Paperback)

This is a thorough tutorial that leads you from the beginning through some quite complex projects in Apple's music arranging and recording program, GarageBand.

It's hard to get started with this book if you are not a musical performer. The first three chapters assume you are going to record your own performances, and then manipulate or add to them. The fourth chapter shows how to assemble a short movie score from existing loops, but it is an extremely complex project and not the best for beginners. The remaining chapters also do not assume that you will play anything, and are simpler than the fourth chapter, but they build on the knowledge of that chapter so you can't just skip to them.

The book concentrates on the mechanics of GarageBand, and has somewhat of a paint-by-numbers feel, where you are told exactly what loop or effect to use and where to place it. I think this is probably unavoidable, given the myriad choices in the program, but has the drawback that in the book you follow a strait and narrow path with few digressions. There are not a lot of helpful hints or troubleshooting tips on the way; you're just supposed to follow the instructions and if you're lucky nothing will go wrong. It took me a couple of days to get through the fourth chapter, mostly because I ran into a number of snags that were not anticipated in the book.

Within these limitations the book does a good job: the writing is clear, and there are clear and well-chosen screen shots throughout so that you can check your work. The enclosed CD-ROM includes all the needed media files, and several in-progress snapshots of each project.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ATS Garageband '09, May 27, 2010

By 

Michael A. Hagstad (West Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Apple Training Series: GarageBand 09 (Paperback)

I am perhaps older than many folks trying to learn to use "computer music" technology and software as a newbie. All I really wanted to do was record some piano/keyboard, do some editing, and share the results via e-mail and maybe, someday, make a cd of some favorites to share with family.

I've bought books and DVDs and tried to learn to use several other of the simpler products available, mostly without success, though I have been able to use Audacity to a reasonable level. But Garageband, and particularly this book, has been wonderful. One is walked step by step though most of the capabilities of the program. If you do all the initial actions and then do the "practice", or more repetitious activities in each area you do get reasonable competence with the software. And Garageband certainly does everything I wanted to do and more. I've learned about things I didn't even know one could do - e.g.I didn't have any idea what a "podcast" was.

This book is quick, fun and obviously extremely well thought out and executed/edited. I am very glad I bought it.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Garage Band '09, May 19, 2010

By 

Elliott Truman III "etruiii" (Louisville, KY) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Apple Training Series: GarageBand 09 (Paperback)

Good book. Well written and easy to read. The examples and exercises are great for someone wanting to learn how to use Garage Band to record their own music with. The first few chapters were a little slow and painful (how to learn guitar and piano) but I think they are good material for the right audience.,