Podcasting may be a great fashion to make your voice learn , but no one would call the cognitive process of recording , redaction , and put up a podcast simpleton . debate blogging for a present moment — at its essence , all that activeness involve is launch blog software , typing , and posting . In direct contrast , creating a podcast is a multi - step mental process that require some know - how . Even those of us who podcast on a regular basis would receive a way to simplify the whole process .
Apple hopes to impart that kind of simplicity to podcast with GarageBand 3 . You could always practice the medicine composition program to record and blue-pencil audio for employment in a podcast . But the modish version of the computer software adds feature article specifically aimed at podcasters , with Apple suggesting that these change make it easy than ever to make a professional - sounding audio programme from within GarageBand .
But do they ? As an experimentation , I resolve to make a variant of the Macworld Podcast using only the podcasting capacity have in GarageBand 3 . What I find after a day of transcription is a unanimous entry - point into the world of podcasting , even with some features that do n’t quite work as advertised .
plant up a podcast
Normally , when I ’m make the Macworld Podcast , I use Digidesign ’s Pro Tools . It ’s a much more sophisticated program than GarageBand . But at $ 500 , it ’s also much more expensive than the $ 79 iLife ’ 06 retinue that check GarageBand 3 along with four other program plus the free iTunes music software . ( Plus , Pro Tools does n’t come pre - install on new Macs ; iLife ’ 06 does . )
When you found GarageBand 3 , you ’ll discover the prominent role podcasting now run in the computer programme . There ’s a New Podcast Episode clit on the main pageboy , flat beneath the New Music Project clit . clack the podcast button , and you ’ll be call for to name your podcast .
GarageBand 3 ’s start - up screen
Next , GarageBand presents you with a blank mixing screen that default on to four audio tracks along with a “ Podcast Track ” on top . This cart track is n’t for shuffle audio ; rather it ’s for entering artwork , create chapters ( with accompanying graphics and URLs ) , and adding Title , Artist , and Description tags . The Podcast raceway is also where iChat icons and covert seizure can go . you may root for in these images from the iLife Media browser app , but you ’re not necessarily limited to there — you may drag image onto podcast track from folders on your Desktop , for representative . And when you do that , GarageBand will mechanically make chapters .
you’re able to unite visuals to specific audio sections . And if you end up deciding to move audio track and want their accompanying visuals to move with them , just Shift - click each track to select them and drag them to their final destination .
The four default sound recording tracks are called Male Voice , Female Voice , Jingles and Radio Sounds . Those first two tracks have pre - put effect that bring out the reference of a male or distaff voice . A woman could certainly record on the Male Voice track , but Apple designed specific effects for that track to sound practiced with certain vocal tone — thus , the gender - specific Track Names .
To shift the guild or name of the cut , only drag them around to your heart and soul ’s mental object . If you do n’t need that many tracks , just delete the extra 1 by go to the Track menu and selecting Delete Track ( or select the track and pressing Command - Delete ) .
The Podcast Track and four default sound tracks
Recording a podcast
You ’ll manifestly need something for conquer sound recording into your Mac . you may pick up an inexpensive mike down at your local electronics store . Other input - equipment makers deal all - in - one headphone - microphone headset , like theLogitech Premium USB Headset 350(my microphone of option ) . Both presently - transport laptop modeling , the iBook and PowerBook , have construct - in mics . You could even apply the microphone that ’s work up into an iSight , if you chance to have one of the video - messaging cameras on hand . Be aware that if you do use an iSight attached to a desktop computer , the aloofness between the mike and your backtalk will probably be farther away than you ’d like — and that will regard the lineament of your recording .
Whatever transcription cock you make up one’s mind to habituate , you ’ll require to determine a quiet time and place in your family for transcription . That will isolate the strait of your voice , which will improve the clarity of your podcast .
Now that you ’re quick to register , go to the GarageBand fare , choice Preferences : Audio / MIDI , and pick out the appropriate devices from the Audio Input and Audio Output pop - up menus . For the podcast I recorded with GarageBand , I take my Logitech headset for both stimulant and production .
To record , you have to turn on the caterpillar track that you need to enter by click the red recording release under the name of the path . Then come home the main Record button below the chief admixture window , and start talking .
Mixing a podcast
Once you ’ve got your voice tracks laid down , you probably want to put some introductory medicine down underneath your voice . During his Macworld Expo keynote demonstration of GarageBand 3 , Steve Jobs showcased a unexampled characteristic in the coating called skirt — where a plump for audio track is mechanically lowered so that a lead track can be heard clearly above the background euphony or intelligent effects .
submersion is enable by default in the Control menu . you’re able to choose which cut across to duck’s egg by clicking the up and down arrows that seem in each track ’s sociable panelling . When the down arrow is selected , GarageBand will plow it as a second track to be lowered . Any tracks with the up arrow choose will be considered lead tracks , which will be heard above the ducked backing cut .
GarageBand 3 ’s ducking feature is n’t without its flaws . The program wo n’t lease you control how quickly the backing racecourse duck’s egg and recovers — it ducks pretty abruptly and take a 2nd or two to come back up once the lead track give out still . Nor are the bulk changes create by the duck hunting feature seeable in the Track Volume grinder - track , which can be enabled by pressing the up pointer just below the track name . This Volume Track control lets you manually alter the mass of the caterpillar track through the use of point on a mass curve . Using this volume curve you could create more accurate immersion than what GarageBand automatically volunteer .
Volume curve in the Jingle Track
When I ’m edit a Macworld Podcast , I wish to have the basic music rise , plateau , and then drop again . I tried it in GarageBand , first with ducking enabled , but the effect did n’t sound right to me . I also did n’t like that I could n’t see how much or how fast the modification was occur .
Still , first - time users may not have that problem . In fact , robotlike duck hunting might even make things simpler if you ’re a novice podcaster , since you wo n’t have to vex about volume curves . However , if you witness that the auto - submersion does n’t sound quite how you want , you may wind up doing what I did — turn the feature off and sop up your own volume curves by snap on the bulk line and embroil it up and down as you see primed .
GarageBand 3 adds some nice goodies for podcasters in the conformation of an extensive library of royalty - free medicine and jingles . Specifically , the software offers more than 200 audio and 100 jangle ( variations of which push the jingle count past the 200 home run ) .
contain iChat sessions into a podcast
Incorporating interview from Apple ’s iChat message software is quite soft with GarageBand 3 . Just make trusted the soul on the other end is using iChat as well . Start an sound recording or TV chat by inviting that person to a chat ( or just click the green pic or video icon by their name ) . If you do this while GarageBand is assailable , the euphony app GarageBand will expect you if you want to commemorate the chat .
GarageBand ’s iChat desegregation
You might run into some quirks when you first try out with this feature . I tried recording a Old World chat with my colleague Jonathan Seff , but I could n’t get his voice to show — only my articulation was getting picked up in GarageBand . Christopher Breen , who reviewed GarageBand 3 forMacworld , suggested restarting both GarageBand and iChat — after that , iChat recording worked like a charm .
When you record an iChat academic session , GarageBand dutifully class each voice into an individual track for easier editing . In audio chats the programme also adds iChat icon of each speaker system to the top Podcast Track that ’s reserved for nontextual matter . For video chats , GarageBand captures a still frame from each verbalizer ’s camera as he or she lead off verbalize . ( Unfortunately these visuals are only visible with a colouring screen iPod . )
Exporting your podcast
GarageBand has strengths in other areas , particularly when it fall to agile exporting . you’re able to export your work as an AAC single file by choosing GarageBand : Preferences : Export , enabling the Save to Disk alternative , end the Preferences window and then choosing Share : exportation as Podcast . If , for the sake of compatibility , you may want to store your podcast as an MP3 Indian file , pick out percentage : Send Song to iTunes , and then convert the AAC data file to an MP3 file . Regrettably , GarageBand does n’t propose you the pick to directly preserve your file in the MP3 formatting .
But how does a GarageBand podcast auditory sensation ? Go to our Macworld Podcast weblog and take heed for yourself .
More than just podcasts
The new podcasting characteristic direct the parade of changes in GarageBand . But they are n’t the only additions deserving noting .
GarageBand 3 sport a fresh Video track where you could put iMovie footage . Having the TV flop in the covering gain it soft to create a score for your movie , whether from your own composing or from the program ’s include loops . you could also use the audio tracks in GarageBand to add reasoned essence to equal the footage in the Video track .
The new version also sum up an online communion component . Say you want to collaborate with other musicians over the cyberspace . alternatively of sending a bulky euphony file , GarageBand 3 let you compact Song dynasty recordings for faster uploads and downloads .
last thoughts
Despite some defect , GarageBand 3 ’s podcasting features make it a full-bodied and versatile audio redaction program . Some podcasters have been using it for more than a year , such as Dawn Miceli and Drew Domkus of theDawn and Drew Show — and that was before the latest change to the software program .
GarageBand ’s multi - track layout makes it gentle to add medicine , wakeless effect and voice to your podcast as needed . The front of some canonical audio recording functions , such as a simplified approach to ducking and quick exportation , can make it easygoing for anyone to start their own podcast .
All in all , GarageBand is a great unveiling point to the world of podcast and takes some of the closed book out of a complex process . Mac exploiter concerned in getting their start with podcasting will require to give it a try . And more experient podcasters might find the raw features to their liking .
