Difficulty Level:
Easy
What You Need:
> GarageBand 3 or later (current version is GarageBand 5, part of iLife '09, $79, www.apple.com)
> A GarageBand project you've already assembled, whether it consists of live instrument tracks you recorded via an audio interface, or software instrument tracks built in to GarageBand
> A microphone for recording vocals (optional, see step 7)
> Some time to tinker
GarageBand has done a great job of bringing user-friendly, intuitive home-recording tools to the masses. But while the results usually outstrip the four-track compositions of yore, most GarageBand creations sound like exactly what they are: one person recording simple musical sketches to a computer. Fortunately, with the application of a few simple pro-recording concepts, your solo projects can be so much more.
Nothing screams "amateur hour" louder than a clunky drum track. So getting your rhythm section right goes a long way toward giving your tunes a lifelike sound.
If you’re using loops, try to stay within a specific “family,” such as “Modern Rock Drums” or “Natural Drum Kit.” And avoid software-instrument (aka MIDI) drums wherever possible for your basic rhythm; they almost never sound as good as the real thing.
Split and rearrange drum tracks to add variety and finesse.
Rigid, ultra-repetitive drum tracks sound like robots. Luckily, drum loops can be easily sliced, diced, and rearranged. Just move the play head to a beat marker (use the waveform in the Track Editor pane as a guide) and choose Edit > Split. By rearranging small sections of longer loops, you dramatically increase your rhythmic options.
Spike your drum tracks with irregular flourishes to break rigid patterns.
Once you’ve got your drum track sketched out, get back in there and add some flourishes (yes, even in MIDI if that’s all you have available to you). Throw in a crash cymbal to accent section changes, an extra kick here and there, maybe even an additional snare hit periodically. The goal is to break up what is likely to still be a fairly rigid pattern. Just a few deviations can give the impression of great rhythmic variety, essential for a lifelike sound.
The track editor, toward the bottom of the window, lets you mix things up a little.
If your compositions sound a bit "thin," often the problem is simply that all the sounds follow the same path to the listener's ears: straight ahead.
In guitar-focused genres, you absolutely need to record two rhythm guitar tracks, even if there’s technically only one guitar part. A single guitar almost always sounds lacking to ears used to traditional guitar-focused recordings. Plus, two guitars help cover each other’s mistakes.
Now, using the Track Pan knob (to the left of the Volume slider), move the guitar tracks slightly into the left and right speakers. This creates a sense of sonic space that does wonders for your sound. But go ahead and keep your blistering solo track in the middle channel.
Track Pan is your friend. Shove those rhythm guitars off to the side to give yourself room to wail.
Now you’ll want to experiment with the amp effects of each track to find different tones that complement each other. Don’t be afraid to mix clean tones with heavily distorted ones if the song allows; remember, variety is key.
Select Track > New Track > Electric Guitar to find GarageBand's built-in amp effects.
Recording engineers recommend keeping vocal tracks as unadorned as possible. But there are some things you can do to improve the sound of your vocals
Most of us can’t afford the top-of-the-line microphones used by most studios, but you’d be amazed by how much of a impact a clear-sounding, quality mic in the $100-to-$200 range can have on your vocal mix. Muddiness is the enemy of a professional, lifelike sound.
Samson's CO3U USB studio condenser mic can be found for under $100 online.
Vocal tracks can wander all over the place in terms of volume. The solution: compression. In the Track Info pane, under Details, make sure Compressor is checked. If you still get volume spikes, click on the Edit button next to the Compressor drop-down and boost the Ratio.
Use compression to keep volume consistent and make mixing more manageable.
Well-placed harmonies give the impression of a full band at work. But if you’re not the harmonizing type consider simply doubling your lead vocal in spots—or actually, tripling: As with guitars, you want two different backing tracks, to pan left and right.
Bass track tend to be shoved into the background, and that's a shame. A solid bass line really brings an arrangement together.
As with vocals, a bass track can have pretty dramatic volume swings. So lay the compression on thick here, too; keeping the volume consistent allows bass dynamics to be heard without overwhelming the mix.
Real instruments' compressor effect is found under the Edit tab.
Choose a bass amp tone that contrasts with your guitar tones. That is, if your guitars sound “sharp”—think piercing metal solos or super-jangly British tones—choose a warmer, more rounded bass tone, like “Round Bass” or “Seventies Bass.” Conversely, if the guitars are all mellow tones and big, full chords, consider sharper tones like “Bright Bass” or “Edgy Bass.”
Sharpen or dull your bass sound in counterpoint to the guitars to help this underrated instrument stand out.
Most of the hints for recording these four basic instruments can apply to other instruments as well; experiment to find the combination that works best for your style. The best part about digital home recording is that you never run out of tape, and you never have to pay for studio time. So remember the most important rule: Have fun.
