Making Music with GarageBand® and Mixcraft™

MAKING MUSIC WITH GARAGEBAND AND MIXCRAFT provides music educators and self-learners with a comprehensive guide to music production using two of the most inexpensive and intuitive music software recording programs on the market today. Although easy to use, the tools included in GarageBand and Mixcraft are powerful enough to create music worthy of inclusion in professional productions, and their interfaces and workflows prepare users to work with professional studio—level digital audio workstation programs, such as Logic and Pro Tools. The book is far from a simple software guide. The first chapters introduce the programs, how to use them, and how to get the best audio results from any home or school computer setup. The subsequent chapters help develop creativity and guide the reader (with a very gentle learning curve) into using these programs not only to make recordings, but also to compose and produce great music. This book includes 12 specific lessons for GarageBand and 12 specific lessons for Mixcraft as well as lessons suitable for both platforms; students can learn from these activities whether they're working with a Mac or a PC. Although software programs are constantly changing and being updated, the lessons included here are not limited to specific versions of GarageBand and Mixcraft. They include instruction on getting started with existing audio, working with MIDI, recording audio, podcasting, working with film, multitrack recording, mixing, mastering, and much more. The companion DVD includes bonus tutorials as well as audio and video exercises that correspond to the book's chapters.