How can I get better sounds in Garageband?

[Aceman]

I just figured out how to get my guitar into Garageband. I can run:

Guitar > 1/4 cord > 1/8 adapter > computer line in > Garageband.

They have a whole series of things for guitar it appears; Amp sims, fx modules, and a bunch of presets.


All in all, it worked! That said, it wasn't close to the sound of my MArshall VS100 and Boss DD3 - hardly tone beasts....


What can I do to up my digital game here? Is there free software or some great basic guitar recording setting or what?

 

[trevorus]

Re: How can I get better sounds in Garageband?

You need an interface like an M-Audio Fast Track or the like that has a proper preamp for your guitar.

 

[uOpt]

Re: How can I get better sounds in Garageband?

In general you can't run a passive guitar into a line in. The input impedance is too low and your pickup's resonance peak gets killed.

Something as simple as an active pedal such as a EQ-7 will fix it. Any active stage.

Of course live sound is different, to compare you would have to mic the amp and listen to that in the same headphones.

 

[jon the art guy]

Re: How can I get better sounds in Garageband?

There's probably a lot of better amps and pedals from aftermarket companies for Garageband. I think they use .AU files instead of .VSTs? I also know you can get VST wrappers that will allow you to use them in Garageband.
As far as input, anything that will get your guitar up to line level works great.

 

[Aceman]

Re: How can I get better sounds in Garageband?

Pedal? Hmmmmm I got some of those. Monte Allums compressor might be perfect just to get in.

Honestly, I tried a Distortion and a Blackout. They both seemed to work.

 

[jon the art guy]

Re: How can I get better sounds in Garageband?

getting your sound in won't be the problem. A Sansamp would do it. A boost pedal probably would too. It's messing around in there and getting something representative of your personal tone that's the long march.

Ya know, you should just buy a Fender Mustang 1 or Peavey Vypyr 1. The Fender will have a full-on amp suite installed, and Peavey uses Revalver, which I always really liked a lot for amp emulation. Run a USB from the amp to your laptop and open up the waaaay extended settings you can access from it. I'm pretty sure the Fender one will allow for mic placement in a virtual room on top of the standard huge choice of amp, pedal and cab sims.
The amp head also acts as an audio interface. I dunno if it does microphone.
Instead of futzing around with the amp sims on Garageband, just add an audio track and pipe your licks right into it.

 

[Aceman]

Re: How can I get better sounds in Garageband?

I'm not getting another Amp.

However - I did come across the "pocket" Pod, which can be massively edited.

Inciodentally, I also have a Roland modelling amp which may be another route....I tried that before and it didn't go over so well. But perhaps the latest version of garage band will be happening. I'll check that again too.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: How can I get better sounds in Garageband?

why don't you get an instrument mic and use that instead of direct injection (or run a line in parallel)? That way you can get your actual amp tone and all the interaction and feel you are used to.
A simple instrument mic is a great investment for a whole bunch of recording and gigging purposes.

If your budget can stretch it, a dedicated audio interface can be of great benefit too for powering condensers, getting headphone monitor mixes and recording multiple lines at once.

 

[Aceman]

Re: How can I get better sounds in Garageband?

I may have a way to mike the amp!

Not perfect, but:

Vocal mic > pedal (any) > 1/4 - 1/8 cable


Also, can I just run from the fx loop out into the computer??????

 

[uOpt]

Re: How can I get better sounds in Garageband?

I may have a way to mike the amp!

Not perfect, but:

Vocal mic > pedal (any) > 1/4 - 1/8 cable


Also, can I just run from the fx loop out into the computer??????

FX loop should work fine. IIRC all amps have an active stage before the loop.

If you use a pedal obviously it must not be true bypass.

The first thing to try out is what your problem is in the first place. You have a lot of difference in there. It could be the input impedance but for all we know your amp models just suck in the modeler.

 

[Aceman]

Re: How can I get better sounds in Garageband?

My main problem is I do not like the general sound EQ and the delay in the sims is particular.

I want more crunch, less mud, and echo under control.

All of which comes out of the Marshall/DD3. That said - is it the amp or the speakers that gives me what I want? Don't know - stay tuned!

 

[uOpt]

Re: How can I get better sounds in Garageband?

Hmmm hold on. You have a noticeable delay when playing, as in unwanted delay of the first appearance of the sound when hitting the strings?

 

[Aceman]

Re: How can I get better sounds in Garageband?

Hmmm hold on. You have a noticeable delay when playing, as in unwanted delay of the first appearance of the sound when hitting the strings?

No, not a latency problem. The delay effect I'm working to the sound sounds out of control Too many feedbacks and too loud. CAn't get the pedal plugin to behave!

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: How can I get better sounds in Garageband?

get your dry crunch and eq from the amp/mic, but add you delays later on because what sounds good to you in the room often sounds like too much in the mix. Just use a plugin for delays and other treatments like reverb, chorus, phasing etc and you will get a better, more easily editable result.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: How can I get better sounds in Garageband?

Record your dry crunch and eq from the amp/mic, but add your delays later on because what sounds good to you in the room often sounds like too much in the mix. Just use a plugin for delays and other treatments like reverb, chorus, phasing etc and you will get a better, more easily editable result. All of this works even better when you use headphones and record to a click or drum track.

 

[Aceman]

Re: How can I get better sounds in Garageband?

Update: Success!!!!!!!

Using the mic was a fail because my microphone just sucks. However...

Did line out from the fx loop (parallel) and rand that to my DD3, and out to my mic in line on the computer. BAM! That's what I was looking for.

Stay tuned for the awesome - or at least much better recordings of my meh.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: How can I get better sounds in Garageband?

Ace. Do any of your amplifiers feature a DI output socket? Failing this, a Headphone socket?

Feed this line level signal into your Mac. Try to get the overdrive/distortion sorted out at the amp stage rather than in the computer.

If you like the guitar amp models and effect processes available in Garage Band, consider stepping up to Logic Pro. The latest version can host a ridiculous number of "pedal" plug-ins. It will even play the drums for you.

 

[Aceman]

Re: How can I get better sounds in Garageband?

My Roland Cube has a headphones/out that I'll try. But i'm really trying to get my Marshall. The FX loop is working pretty good there. I just need to get a Shure SM57/58....one of these days.

The plug in delay just sucked. Appears it had a bad "placement" in the setup. On the sim, it looks like all fx fed into the amp, so it jacked the delay level up when it ran into gain to stupid levels.

All fixed now though. Stay tuned for a new version of my song, and perhaps some soloing!!!!!!


And oooh - just found this jack in the back of the amp: Emulated Line Out!