Mac recording programs

[mw-1]

So i've had my powerbook for little over 2 months now. I'm using the included Garage band to record some of my dj set's and demo's. I honestly hate it. I used to use Soundforge on a PC but cannot find a copy of it for the Mac. Can anyone recommend some good recording programs for OSX?

[miketpoto]

Felt Tip - Sound Studio is perfect, simple, powerful, and pretty cheap

[mw-1]

cool ill give it a try...

any other good editors/recorders out there?

also what do you mac users use to cut up sets into tracks...?

[sammwalk]

i used to use peak...do they still make it:NotMe:

[dante_k]

So i've had my powerbook for little over 2 months now. I'm using the included Garage band to record some of my dj set's and demo's. I honestly hate it. I used to use Soundforge on a PC but cannot find a copy of it for the Mac. Can anyone recommend some good recording programs for OSX?

mw-1 can I ask what it is about garageband that you dislike somuch? I have been using it ever since I switched to MAC. I used to use Soundforge, and have PC friends that still do. But, I will tell you their jelous of me. My sound quality is much better using Garageband. Its compression rate is much better than Soundforge. I also tied Audacity for a little while just because I was frustrated and too lazy to really learn all of the aspects of Garageband. I'm not trying to push it on you but, I'm interested to see your arguments against it. Maybe I can help clear some issues you might be having.;)

[dante_k]

Trust me the program is alot more powerfull than it first seems.

[mw-1]

maybe you can help out then. I really do like the sound quality of it, but i keep running into a problem. A VERY small one that keeps fucking me and I dont know how to fix it. The thing is i've tried to record a demo and it keeps stopping at the 999 marker and not recording any further. Cutting my mix in half. It sucks. Maybe its some small setting I have to change but ive tried looking and cant find it. I tried audacity and it didn't do that and i recorded just fine...

[pete86]

maybe try Ableton ? it would be of course 'space-center control unit' in order to only record the sets, but later you could try out its more powerfull features and transform your mac into a real audiolab ;-)

[dante_k]

maybe you can help out then. I really do like the sound quality of it, but i keep running into a problem. A VERY small one that keeps fucking me and I dont know how to fix it. The thing is i've tried to record a demo and it keeps stopping at the 999 marker and not recording any further. Cutting my mix in half. It sucks. Maybe its some small setting I have to change but ive tried looking and cant find it. I tried audacity and it didn't do that and i recorded just fine...

First one other question. Do you have the old iLife suite or the new iLife 06. Not that it matters just that Garageband 3.0 and higher has some cool new features. I fugured if you had your new MAC for only the past two months this new version would be installed. Now getting back to you demo length problem. I'm so glad that I can help you with this because, it was the first problem I ran into also. When you begin a new session you need to bring your tempo down to 40 bpm. This will not effect your real tempo because you are recording a live instument. Also set your time to 12/8 here is an example.

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

This is going to give you I think more than 3 hours recording time instead of, the about 30 min that that you were getting last time. No matter what, it's more than enough time to record a set. Now, if you have version 3.0 and up. Which I think you may, there is a podcast studio avialible within Garageband that has alot of usefull features for recording and editing sets with. You do not need to use it just for podcasts. You are able to set in chapter markers for if you want to track your set. If you have any more questions, I would love to help.

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Trust me You own a MAC, learn Garageband! It has everything you need for recording sets and doing light production. It is designed by Apple for Apple so it works best with your system. once you learn Garageband, then its time to move on to Logic Express or Pro. These are production programs being used by the pros. (For a reason!) Remember keep in touch!;)

[mw-1]

First one other question. Do you have the old iLife suite or the new iLife 06. Not that it matters just that Garageband 3.0 and higher has some cool new features. I fugured if you had your new MAC for only the past two months this new version would be installed. Now getting back to you demo length problem. I'm so glad that I can help you with this because, it was the first problem I ran into also. When you begin a new session you need to bring your tempo down to 40 bpm. This will not effect your real tempo because you are recording a live instument. Also set your time to 12/8 here is an example.

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

This is going to give you I think more than 3 hours recording time instead of, the about 30 min that that you were getting last time. No matter what, it's more than enough time to record a set. Now, if you have version 3.0 and up. Which I think you may, there is a podcast studio avialible within Garageband that has alot of usefull features for recording and editing sets with. You do not need to use it just for podcasts. You are able to set in chapter markers for if you want to track your set. If you have any more questions, I would love to help.

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Trust me You own a MAC, learn Garageband! It has everything you need for recording sets and doing light production. It is designed by Apple for Apple so it works best with your system. once you learn Garageband, then its time to move on to Logic Express or Pro. These are production programs being used by the pros. (For a reason!) Remember keep in touch!;)

yeah i have the old ilife suite. GarageBand 2.0.2. Ill give that a whirl. Changing the temp and measure change, but it's wierd cause when i first recorded on my mac i was able to record a straight 1.5 hour set na dit never did that before. Is 999 the max measure ? or is there some setting that i can use to avoid changing the bpm and measure and just have it record past 999...

Thanks for all your help.

[dante_k]

mw-1, 999 is still the max measure your going to get with Garageband. By changing the time parameters to 12/8 and the tempo to 40 bpms, your actually pushing that 999 measure further out, extending your recording time. Kinda like time streching. Because, your recording a live instument, the input is going to be the same bpm as recorded. Even if you change your bpm after recording,(lets say to 100bpm) what will happen is you will just wind-up cutting your mix in about half. Remember to save!

PS Did you get to see those screen shots I posted or are they just boxes with red x in them? I'm on a different computer and I can not see them. Anyway

[mw-1]

mw-1, 999 is still the max measure your going to get with Garageband. By changing the time parameters to 12/8 and the tempo to 40 bpms, your actually pushing that 999 measure further out, extending your recording time. Kinda like time streching. Because, your recording a live instument, the input is going to be the same bpm as recorded. Even if you change your bpm after recording,(lets say to 100bpm) what will happen is you will just wind-up cutting your mix in about half. Remember to save!

PS Did you get to see those screen shots I posted or are they just boxes with red x in them? I'm on a different computer and I can not see them. Anyway

Yes i got the screen shots. thank you so much for your help man. I just ordered iLife 06 just now too. I had to after you told me i could track my sets. So is garage band 3.0 able to burn it tracked without exporting to iTunes? or does it export it to itunes still as seperate files?

[dante_k]

Yes i got the screen shots. thank you so much for your help man. I just ordered iLife 06 just now too. I had to after you told me i could track my sets. So is garage band 3.0 able to burn it tracked without exporting to iTunes? or does it export it to itunes still as seperate files?
No, you still export it as normal but when you burn to CD in iTunes it will burn each chapter as seperate tracks. I will show you young Paduwan! Kudos to the iLife 06 order. You will like the upgrade. There are many new features to all the apps., and it comes with iWeb which, with the additional purchase of an .Mac account, will let you publish a web site. Pretty nice stuff!

[Caley Martin]

I use Soundtrack Pro to record and master the waveform... works great for me.

[mw-1]

I got GarageBand working great now...just got my iLife06 too ;). I definately try Soundtrack Pro and see how I like that...

[Taylor Norris]

I have been looking for the same kind of info. I have aquired an iBook G4 1.33 through the school I am attending and want to use it to record live sets I play at various venues, clubs, etc...
When recording w/ GarageBand are you using a digital I/O interface such as an M-Box or hooking straight into your Mac? I definately want to record a stereo document but would prefer not to have to tote around my M-Box. I'm not trying to do any editing or mastering...just wanting to record the live set. I have Peak to edit with and am just trying to get the recording as simple as possible and be able to break up the tracks.

This seems like a good thread to start looking...thanx for any input and/or help.

:edit: I have the DJM 600 at home and most of the venues I play at also have the 600...

[mw-1]

im hooking straight into the mac i have a 600 also. I use a dual rca to a single from the recording out on my DJM to the input on my mac. Adjust the volume and just hit record and start playing.

[Caley Martin]

For the longest time I used my mac's built in sound input options... until I got sick of the quality of it... then I got an external soundcard (M-Audio's FireWire audiophile) and the quality significantly improved. Granted, I don't take shit on the go to record, but for home studio purposes, I'd recommend an external soundcard. Otherwise, you just need that RCA to line audio cable for recording purposes.

[Taylor Norris]

Recording w/ a RCA Y from the rec out on the mixer to the soundcard is a mono track. I really wanted stereo so I ended getting 2 RCA to 1/4" to go through my M-Box and into Peak. Works great, just dont like to lug around the M-Box, but its worth it for a stereo document.

[Caley Martin]

RCA from a DJM into the iBook's sound input is not mono, it's stereo... you should have two black rings on the 1/8" end of the adapter

[ciaran]

Old thread i know, but can anyone tell me the basics of this, only really started to use garageband, using it for recording mixes to computer. Not sure if im just thick at this but I cant get any sound through me mac, I have a line in from a MD.

any helpers?

[Caley Martin]

If you want to use Garageband, then you need to set up a new blank "vocal" track, then set the input for the "vocals" to line input on your computer. And then you can choose whether you want to monitor the sound or not. Don't. Then hit the record button and you are good to go.

You may have to first change the sound input in your System Preferences to line input. But I don't know, I am on crack. Maybe Garageband will let you access that from within the app. I don't use it for recording really.

[ciaran]

Cool

Will try that out, yeah, its just for curiosity, so I know its there, havent had any reason to record to laptop in ages.

Gracias

[dante_k]

I just want to reiderate my promotion for using Garageband as a solid recording and light editing program for DJ sets. I just finished up one of my favorite mixes to date using it. Even going into some pretty interesting editing features. Out of the box you can't beat it. Just the fact that you have multi track capability is nice. Please check out this mix and if anyone has any questions I would gladly answer and post screen shots of the mix.
Pick it up here. [Only registered and activated users can see links]




[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[jeffrey collins]

hell don't they give you that program with your mac? that's really nice of them if they do.

[dante_k]

Yes Jeff, they do! Mac all the way!!!!!!

[marcus wortley]

Peak x Stuffit x Toast Titanium or DSP Quattro IMO