Maybe this problem goes away if you buy the latest version of Apple’s software… but…
I’ve been trying to remix some instrumental songs, because the levels in mp3 were too much lower than in Garageband. An exercise in frustration.
The discussion, Garageband output volumes in relation to other sequencer output volumes…., does not indicate yet why although Garageband lets you go into the red without distortion, the mp3 you send to iTunes is distorted in spots (unless you lower the level to the point where you have to adjust the volume when you play your song). Furthermore, distortion in the mp3 output does not seem directly related to clipping in the recorded tracks.
If only Garageband were “what you hear is what you get.” In other words, here’s my RFE: what gets sent to the headphones when I’m playing my mixed song should be what gets sent to iTunes when I export, even in a lossy format like mp3.
Don’t tell me I should know how to record and how to mix, by the way. If I knew what I were doing, then I wouldn’t be using Garageband.
Figments of a lack of imagination
Seems like the drums can get away with a few jumps into the reds. Many Garageband loops with real drums go into the red at default volume. The higher pitched noises typically need to be pulled back to avoid the problem. I wonder if it has something to do with the rate at which things are sampled and something about how the sampling handles the high end.
Comment by Mark — December 29, 2009 @ 7:59 pm