Customer Reviews

GarageBand '09 Power!

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"The simplification of anything is always sensational," noted G.K. Chesterton. Apple has continually simplified everything: made it easier, not harder, smaller, not bigger, cleaner, not more cluttered, more, not less accessible. Snow Leopard, for instance, has half the footprint of the previous operating system version. Everything in iLife '09, including Garage Band, is sensationally simple.

So why do you need this book? Maybe you don't. I went to a free Garage Band seminar at the Apple Store. There were two of us. One of us was familiar with Logic Pro, and asked very technical questions. The other wasn't familiar at all, and asked how to plug in a keyboard. While it's not obvious, I was the second guy. It was all so amazingly simple, until I got home. And there's an on-screen tutorial. But I'm a book guy. Isn't there a book? I asked. There was. Not at the Apple Store. At Amazon. This is it.

You don't need this book if you want to just dive in and play with Garage Band. But this book, which starts very simply, also answers all the questions of the tech guy who knows Logic Pro. I asked a lot of questions at the Genius Bar at the Apple Store which are answered in this book. Like, can I upgrade my G4 Macs to run OS 10 Leopard, iLife '09 and iWork '09? The answer is yes, and I did. The only parts it won't run is part of Garage Band called "Learn to Play" and iMovie, which need the new Intel processor in a G5. The latter is a great loss, as Garage Band and iMovie on a G5 work seamlessly together, but it's amazing a G4 could even run Leopard by simply adding more memory (Snow Leopard is designed especially for the G5). New Macs (G5s) come with iLife '09 (which has Garage Band) already included.

This book is really a workbook, a big, 400 plus page, oversize paperback with large print and lots of graphics and screen shots. The author answered my questions about what kind of keyboard and mike to buy, the different sorts of hookups like USB and firewire, and the simplest way to get started playing (you don't need to plug anything in if you want to play all virtual instruments). The author shows how Apple has updated GB from the first version (which I had on my G4s), and their genius for simplifying things: when you click on a tab, instead of more options engulfing the screen, you only get a few, the optimum ones for your instrument or settings. If you want others, they're all really still there, merely hidden, which makes it easy, clean, and classy.

The author continually explains Apple terminology, which makes the book redundant, but that's what you want. It increases the chances of leafing through it and finding the parts you want. There's a great index in the back, and a list of everything included in the various, optional, royalty-free Garage Band jam packs. There's also a list of keyboard shortcuts, a feature I liked so much in the Dummy and Idiot books for PCs and Macs.

Beginners can learn to play guitar or piano on Garage Band. Guys like me can plug in and play, add virtual instruments, mix, morph, and mess with the whole thing. My friends Matt and Dave, who are audio geniuses, could record their bands, and make entire studio albums and podcasts. This book will help music lovers at any level to experience and enjoy the simplicity and power of Garage Band.

A great help--About all you need to know about Garageband--Lots of pic's help too--not too complicated but very in depth.

Todd M. Howard's GARAGEBAND 09 POWER! THE COMPREHENSIVE RECORDING AND PODCASTING GUIDE (1435454200, $29.99) is a survey packed with details on remixing, mashing, video editing, DVD creation and more. Any musician or music publisher will find the coverage of this Mac-based program to be complete and extensive, offering easy tips on how to produce professional-sounding music, soundtracks, mixes and more. Screenshots blend with tutorials and examples for maximum effect.

This book is everything I hoped it would be. It is full of usefull information for the advanced user and those just starting out. Keep up the good work.

This book has been very helpful in learning the advanced techniques I did not learn on my own or in my other training book. This book has been way more useful to me than the Apple Training Series: Garageband 09 book. If you are looking for just one book to answer the majority of your questions and get you recording music and podcasts quickly, this is the book. It wasn't as colorful and pretty as the Apple Training Series, but has provided me with a lot more effective information that has taught me how to better maximize my use of garageband 09. If you like to record in garageband, but need a little guidance this is your book! 3 days of using this book and I'm kicking myself for not getting it sooner.

What a waste of money! Nothing more that 80% philosophy of the writer, and 20% review of the actual program elements without ANY step by step help! If you already know how to use the program you might appreciate the dissertational approach of the book, but if you want real practical tools...don't buy this book.