GarageBand comes with beautiful and highly expressive Touch Instruments that sound and respond just like the real thing. Play keyboards, guitars, and bass, as well as sounds designed for EDM and Hip Hop. Smart Instruments make you sound like a pro — even if you’ve never played a note. Oct 17, 2017 For GarageBand, choose GarageBand Preferences Audio. For MainStage, choose MainStage Preferences Audio. Choose the Aggregate Device from the Output Device pop-up menu. Logic Pro and GarageBand automatically set the Input Device to the match the selected output device, which you can change if you want to use a different input device. For Simple Voice Recording Configure Podcast Settings. 1.) Open GarageBand (a software only available on Mac computers). 2.) Expand the details section at the bottom of the window to set your input and output settings. 3.) Choose the Audio Input, which could be the computer's internal microphone or one you have plugged in.
- How To Record Sound On Garageband
- Record Sound On Mac Garageband Free
- How To Record Voice In Garageband Mac
- Record Sound On Mac Garageband Pro
- How To Use Garageband On Mac To Record Voice
- Record Sound On Mac Garageband Mac
If you're new to GarageBand or the process of recording vocals using Apple's free DAW, join Richard Lainhart's step-by-step guide through the basics.
Home music production really took off with the introduction of Apple's GarageBand, included with all new Macs. The massive collection of Apple Loops and software instruments included with the program, as well as the huge variety of third-party content available, make it easy for even beginner users to produce professional-sounding songs.
![Record sound on mac garageband mac Record sound on mac garageband mac](/uploads/1/2/6/0/126035087/289360684.jpg)
Inevitably though, the time will come when you'll want to add your own vocals to a song you've created in GarageBand. Or perhaps you want to record a podcast or some other non-musical material. So, in this tutorial, we'll show you the basics of recording vocals into GarageBand '11.
Equipment
Before you can begin recording your vocal track, you'll need something to record your voice with and a way to hear what you're doing. Now, you could record your voice through your Mac's built-in microphone and in some cases, like recording a podcast or a simple video voiceover, you could get useable results. However, for recording vocals for a song, unless you're going to be heavily processing the voice track or are looking for an intentionally raw sound, you'll want to use a reasonably professional vocal microphone.
There are a million different mics available that are appropriate for vocals, and we aren't going to recommend any specific ones here. But if you're looking to get a vocal sound that compares with professional recordings, one of the standard types of mics used in the recording industry is what's called a large-diaphragm condenser (LDC) microphone. There are many of these available too, with prices that can run into the thousands of dollars for a top-of-the-line model. But for home recording purposes, you can do well for under two hundred dollars.
The advantage of an LDC mic is that they're more sensitive than the standard dynamic mics you're more likely to see on a live stage, and they tend to 'warm up' a recorded voice, which is why they're favored for studio recording. Condenser mics do require an external power source, referred to as phantom power, so if you go for a standalone condenser mic, you'll need to be sure that your audio interface supplies phantom power.
However, there's a more recent development in the world of home recording that you should investigate also: the availability of a variety of USB-powered large diaphragm condensers. These are especially useful for beginner home recordists, because they combine an LDC and an audio interface in one device. Many of them even provide a headphone jack for monitoring. A USB LDC connects directly to the USB port on your Mac; the USB port supplies the phantom power for the condenser. In addition, the USB mic is its own audio interface, so you don't need to purchase a separate interface to plug the mic into. And, as mentioned, most USB mics also have a headphone output that you can use to monitor your GarageBand inputs and outputs.
This is important because if you listen (on external speakers) while you're recording your vocals, the mic will either feedback into itself, or you'll pick up your instrumental tracks through the mic along with your voice, and you won't be able to mix the final results properly.
By the same token, you'll ideally want to use closed-ear headphones rather than earbuds for monitoring; closed-ear phones generally sound better than earbuds, and also provide more insulation against audio leakage into your mic while recording. And because LDC mics tend to be more sensitive to picking up Ps and other popping sounds, a pop filter is also a good investment. Pop filters are small screens that you mount in front of the microphone to reduce the force of those 'P' vocal sounds (called plosives) without affecting the basic tone quality of the voice.
Step 1 - Create a New Track
OK, assuming you have all your vocal recording gear set up and that you already have an instrumental track in your GarageBand project to record over, you'll need to create a new track to record into. Choose Track > New Track.. (Command-Option-N), then click Real Instrument. Under 'My instrument is connected with', choose your mic input (if you're using a USB mic, it will probably appear as USB Audio CODEC rather than the actual name of the mic). Under that, choose your input channel (which for a USB mic will probably default to Mono 1). Under 'I hear sound from', choose your monitoring output (again, choose USB Audio CODEC if you want to monitor through the mic's headphone output. Otherwise choose your available output device). Finally, click the 'I want to hear my instrument as I play and record' checkbox to hear your voice through your monitoring device as you sing:
Then click 'Create' to make the new track.
Step 2 - Set Your Monitor Source
When you create the new track, the Track Info Pane will automatically open to the right of your tracks. You've already set your input source, so don't worry about that. But you do want to set your monitor source in the Monitor pop-up menu: choose 'Off' to disable monitoring, choose 'On' to monitor your mic and the instrumental track through speakers, or choose 'On (no feedback protection)', which is specifically designed for headphone monitoring, which is what we want here:
Step 3 - Set Your Record Level
Next, sing or speak into your mic and look up in the track name area at the record level meters for your new track (it's located above the slider). Note that this slider doesn't affect the input level, just the playback level. For a USB mic, the recording level is probably set on the mic itself; otherwise you set it in the Track Info area where we just set the Monitor source.
https://vpspire.weebly.com/teamviewer-version-15-for-mac.html. So, while singing or speaking, adjust your recording level so the meters read, on average, in the upper end of the green area. It's OK if the meters go into the amber range occasionally, but don't hit the red marks at the ends of the meters otherwise you'll get distortion in your track.
Step 4 - Set Effects for the Track
At this point, you can just start recording your vocals, but many people like to hear what vocal effects will sound like on the track as they record it, so they can respond to the effect while singing. This is strictly a matter of taste but for now, let's apply effects while recording.
https://vpspire.weebly.com/garageband-ipad-bass-guitar.html. So, with the track selected, click on Vocals in the right side of the Browse tab in the Track Info Pane, then choose different vocal effects settings while singing and listening to the results. Again, this is a matter of taste and you can always change the effects setting after recording. For now, choose Pop Vocals from the list:
Step 5 - Record!
Alright, let's record: with your new track selected, drag the playhead to the location in the track where you want to start recording (or click the 'Go to the beginning of the song' button in the Transport), then click the Record button to begin recording. You'll hear your instrumental track playing back (adjust its playback level with the Set the track volume slider if necessary) and as you sing, you'll see your vocal track appear in red in track window. When you're done recording, hit the Spacebar to stop, after which your track will appear in purple:
Rewind back to the beginning and hit Spacebar again to hear your recording, adjusting the relative track volumes as needed. If you don't like what you just recorded, simply undo to remove the recording and record again.
And those are the basics. From here you can, for example, try applying different vocal effects to your vocal track by just choosing them from the browser, or you can add another vocal track by recording into a new track.
Did you know there are plenty more tricks on recording audio in GarageBand? Learn more in Garageband'11 101.
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How To Record Sound On Garageband
Macs have long been the computers of choice for creative professionals and hobbyists alike, so there is no surprise that it’s well served when it comes to software for recording audio.
Can you record audio on a Mac?
Can you voice record on a Mac? Sure. For very basic jobs, QuickTime Player is just fine, allowing you to record audio using your Mac’s built-in or an external mic and save the file. But you wouldn’t be able to create multiple tracks, edit the audio, or add effects.
For more complex jobs, you’ll need a tool with a bit more power, like n-Track Studio.
n-Track Studio is a fully fledged professional recording app on your Mac. This digital audio workstation allows you to make multi-track recordings, mixing them with custom effects. You can choose to record your masterpiece live or build it up, piece by piece, making multiple takes and using the step sequencer to create the result one section at a time. There’s also a built-in drum synthesizer, so you don’t need to worry about setting up a drum kit in your office.
Get recording tools for Mac
Download a set of apps to record audio on Mac trouble free. Strong enough to work for podcast recording. Mac software serial.
But before you start recording audio, there are a few things to bear in mind.
Buy a good quality microphone
Modern software can work wonders when it comes to cleaning up audio, but it can’t add what wasn’t recorded in the first place. If you plan to podcast or make music regularly, even as a hobby, an external mic is a must. Good news that nowadays you can buy a decent quality USB microphone for less than $100. If you already have a microphone that uses XLR connectors, you could buy an audio interface with XLR inputs instead. And don’t forget about a good pair of headphones to monitor your recording process.
Consider a USB audio interface
Even if you don’t need XLR inputs for your microphone, a USB audio interface will allow you to record electric guitar or bass and use software to emulate the sound of your favorite guitar hero. Some audio interfaces can even control the audio input level and use hardware controllers to adjust faders and direct effects in software.
Choose your recording environment carefully
While you could choose just about any place, there’s no substitute for a small quiet room with thick walls that absorb sound rather than bouncing it back at your microphone. (Unless you want real-life echo or reverb as an effect.)
Consider how you set up the microphone as well. If you’re recording yourself, you’ll obviously sit in front of it. But when interviewing someone or recording multiple musicians, you’ll need an omni-directional mic, placed in the center of the group.
And now back to n-Track Studio. Fire up Setapp and install it. Once you’ve installed the application, you’ll need to set it up, but first make sure your Mac is ready to record audio from your preferred audio input.
- Open System Preferences from the Apple menu
- Click on the Sound pane
- Choose the Input tab
- If you have a USB microphone or audio interface connected, you should see it here
- Select the microphone you’re going to use
- Check the levels by speaking into the microphone and watching the meter in the System Preferences window, adjusting the volume accordingly
Now launch n-Track Studio. Click on the Settings menu and choose Audio Devices. Select Mac’s Default Recording Device. This will ensure the device you selected in System Preferences is the one used for recording in n-Track Studio. Make sure to disconnect or switch off audio input devices you’re not going to use.
To the left of the main window, you’ll see a level meter with the name of the current audio input above it. Test the microphone level and watch the meter. It should peak below the maximum (0db). If it’s too high, you’ll hear distortion on the audio track. So if it’s peaking at 0db, adjust the level.
You can now record your first track by clicking the Record Audio button in the quick start window that opened when you first launched n-Track Studio.
How to record system audio
If you need to grab music or audio that’s being played by your Mac rather than the audio you create, you’ll need a different tool. Capto is a screen recording app designed for making screen video tutorials. It can easily grab your Mac’s audio as well as video outputs. To record the audio, you would set Capto to capture your Mac’s screen, with audio input set to system audio. Then when you’re editing, you can split the audio and video tracks and delete the video one.
If you want to strip the audio from an online video and save it on your Mac, Elmedia Player — a player that can download video from streaming sites — can do just that.
Record Sound On Mac Garageband Free
Record audio notes [podcasts]
How To Record Voice In Garageband Mac
The biggest use case for audio recording in 2019 is, undoubtedly, a podcast. Your Mac can be a perfect machine for recording a podcast with an external mic and software for capturing audio notes.
Record Sound On Mac Garageband Pro
Apart from being an excellent assistant, Siri can also serve as a sound recorder you can use to take audio notes. While on the go, you can quickly dictate to Siri and it will save audio to Apple’s native Notes app. Unfortunately, it only works on mobile. On your Mac, you can use Evernote which adds audio to your text notes – a handy tool for research and interviewing.
How To Use Garageband On Mac To Record Voice
For professional use, n-Track Studio will be a great tool to record voice. You can rely on the instructions described above to do podcasts with n-Track – it’s pretty simple to get started even for complete beginners. The beauty of it is you can additionally record intros and outros, adjust levels, and hone the sound of your podcast through built-in Compression, Pitch shift, Echo, and other effects.
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Try all these apps for free
Get a huge set of top apps for record audio on a Mac. Best utilities in one pack, give it a go!
So whether you want to record a hit song, do podcast recording, or just grab audio that’s already playing on your Mac, Setapp gives your a perfect tool for every job.