Using Garage Band to Compose Podcast Music.

Thaed

Rym has lamented on more than one occasion that he does not have Things of the Day music. Yet, he has at his fingertips one of the most powerful music composition software programs available. While using Garageband for podcasting is a challenge, using it to create music is trivial. The loops they provide are free to you. There's no copyright issues. So, you can take a guitar loop and attach a drum beat and you have your music. Rym is a musician, so he could probably do even more. But it's a 10 minute job to create good bumper music in Garageband and it's actually fun.

Kiey

Ever since I say Garage Band for the first time like... 3 years ago I think, I've wanted to get it and play with it. But I have no Mac so such a thing is not possible. One of these days I'll get myself a Mac... one day.

Apreche

There is a reason we do not use Garageband to make bumper music from the show. There are a lot of podcasts out there using Garageband. I don't know about you, but when someone plays a Garageband loop in their podcast, it sticks out like a sore thumb. It's even worse if some other podcast already uses that loop. There's this one violin loop that I've heard on three, yes three, different unrelated podcasts. Considering that I've listened to less than 50 different podcasts in my life, that's scary. In the interest of not being every other podcast GeekNights will probably only ever use "original" music.

Thaed

I know what violin loop you mean because I used the same one in FNPL when I was doing the show. I've heard it everywhere too and that does ruin it. However, you can compose your own melody quite easily in Garageband so you don't have to use a loop for that. Or, you can get other samples from more obscure places that people aren't using. You are probably already using some loops in your existing music. I suspect that D.J. Pretzel used at least a drum loop and perhaps a sax loop. Using loop music isn't bad so long as it isn't, as you say, obvious.

Rym

Honestly, I just haven't had the time. To use the Mac for something like that, I have to either move it up to my room or over to the piano.

I sketched out a few ideas for jazzy, geeky little piano bits months ago, but actually arranging something that doesn't sound like midi would require a free weekend, or at least a free evening. Neither is in ample supply. ^_~

What I really need is access to a small horn band. Synth horns sound like crap, especially when you put them in the same show as live ones. (Our TotD and closer bits are both live). I suppose I'll have to live with just piano and some understated drums for now.

Emi, however, just gave me her old keyboard, which I plan to install in my room. If I can find my old MIDI dongles, I'll start playing around up there in what has effectively become the GeekNights studio. ^_^

Sail

I find it hilarious when Scott and Rym each give completely different answers when supposedly answering the question for the both of them.