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I really enjoy making music in GarageBand because it's so easy to use. If I have a musical idea in my head, I can literally get a song set up and ready to record in about 30 seconds. One of the reasons for this is how easy it is to record MIDI in GarageBand. Let me show you.
Add A New Software Instrument Track
I am going to assume that you're starting with an empty song so your first step is to add a new software instrument track and assign it to play an appropriate sound. The steps for this are:
Verify That Your MIDI Controller is Working Properly
The next step is to verify that your MIDI controller is functioning properly. This should be fairly easy. Just play a few notes on your controller and you should see the meters on your track responding, as well as hear the sounds of your MIDI instrument playing through your headphones or speakers.
If you don't see or hear anything it means that GarageBand isn't recognizing your MIDI controller. There isn't really space here for me to go over all of the troubleshooting possibilities but I find that 95% of the time all you'll need to do is verify that your MIDI controller is plugged into your computer properly and then restart your computer.
What If You Don't Have a MIDI Controller?
One of the really cool features of GarageBand is that you can use your computer keyboard to input MIDI note data. Huh? I know it sounds crazy but you can actually tap out rhythms and melodies using your computer's QWERTY keyboard by following these steps:
Set Up the Tempo and Metronome
The next two things you need to set up prior to recording are the Song Tempo and the Metronome. The steps for this are:
Record
You're now all set to record. All you need to do to begin recording is click the Start Recording button. You shouldn't have any trouble finding it. It's the big red button on the transport.
I'll leave the creative aspects of what to record for another time. The best advice I can give is to get in there, have fun and experiment. If it sounds good to you then that's all that matters.
About The Author:
Bill Hartzell is an Assistant Professor of Recording Arts & Technology at a college in the Cleveland, Ohio area. For more tips and tricks on GarageBand MIDI recording head on over to http://www.GaragebandTips.com and sign up for the 10-day GarageBand Tips Mini-Course. We also have a great resource on the site if your MIDI drum tracks need some help. So check it out.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Hartzell
http://EzineArticles.com/?Recording-MIDI-In-Garageband---How-To-Get-Set-Up-And-Ready-To-Rock-And-Roll&id=5168686. Reprinted at CYBERMIDI.com by permission.
Thanks for sharing such useful and informative resource.