GarageBand

[|12] =**5 Compelling Reasons Why You Should Use Garageband In Education** =

==1. It Comes on Your Computer == ==== ====

====If you buy an Apple computer you own Garageband, a fully functional audio creating and editing program. You don’t have to go out and spend tons of money on software or sound loops. With the amount of royalty free loops and samples that come with it, you could create tons of original songs without ever having to spring for an audio interface. And even if you get tired of the same old loops, you can always edit the MIDI files or download free loops from around the internet. ====

==2. Compose Music for Videos, Messages, and More == ==== ==== ====We all need cool music for our videos. Most of a video’s appeal comes from the chosen soundtrack and the way it interacts with the flow of the video. Not everyone can afford to spend tons of money on stock audio files, and sometimes it is hard to find a song that fits just right. With the large amount of loops in Garageband it is easy to create a song that fits with almost type of video. If you need a short jingle, grab a couple of loops that fit the mood of your project, throw in some automation and effects, export it out, and you have an original jingle for your video. ==== ==== What if you have a longer project and don’t want the same loop for 3 minutes? Garageband comes with a MIDI editor that allows you change and add notes to a MIDI loop without having to own a MIDI controller. Take a loop, move the notes around so that it plays different chords in the key, and you can make a 2-3 minute song that doesn’t sound repetitive. ====

==3. Record Voiceovers for Your Projects ==

====Need to record a quick voiceover for one of your projects? With Garageband, you can! Plug in any audio interface, plug in your mic, set some levels, and press record. After the fact you have tons of options for post production, including compressors, parametric EQs, delays, reverbs, even pitch correction. ==== ==== Edit to your hearts content, export the audio file, and you have the voiceover you need for your project. I know these options are available in other audio programs as well, but remember that Garageband came free on your computer. And these days, free is good. ====

==4. Record Meetings and Interviews == ====

==== ====You could use Garageband to record your meetings, minutes and interviews, having them readily available in digital format as soon as the event is over. ====

==5. Simple and Clean Interface == ==== Garageband’s interface is quintessential Apple, simple and clean. There isn’t a lot of real estate used up by unwanted windows, and they manage to fit everything onto one screen, which is nice for editing on a laptop. If you’re used to some of the more feature rich audio editors, the layout can be a little confusing at first. Play around with it for a little bit though, and it all makes sense. ==== ====<span style="line-height: 1.8em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> When editing MIDI it is easy to bring up the MIDI editor and do what needs to be done. The same is true for the effects section. It is simple to add a quick reverb or compressor to your audio files, and each effect comes with tons of presets that will get you started if you’re not sure what each parameter does. ==== ====<span style="line-height: 1.8em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> I’m not saying that Garageband is the best audio editor out there. I know that it has limited features compared to the likes of Pro Tools, Logic Pro, and others. But what I am saying is that for a free audio application that comes standard on your computer, it really can do 90% of the audio tasks that are needed in education. ====