Sharing GarageBand Files

Recording Techniques, People Skills, Gear, Recording Spaces, Computers, and DIY

Moderators: drumsound, tomb

Post Reply
User avatar
A.David.MacKinnon
ears didn't survive the freeze
Posts: 3819
Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 5:57 am
Location: Toronto
Contact:

Sharing GarageBand Files

Post by A.David.MacKinnon » Wed Nov 27, 2019 4:42 pm

Has anybody had any luck passing GarageBand files back and forth? I've been asked to mix a track recorded in GarageBand IOS . The first step is getting the raw tracks out so I can import them into Pro Tools. I asked the client to send me the GB project file. He did but I can't open it no mater what I do.
I'm running the same IOS version on my iPad but can't open it there. He had his bass player export the tune into GarageBand on his laptop and send me the laptop version of the file but I can't open that either.
We're using the same IOS and laptop versions of GB but something isn't working.
What am I doing wrong?

User avatar
losthighway
resurrected
Posts: 2347
Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:02 pm
Contact:

Re: Sharing GarageBand Files

Post by losthighway » Wed Nov 27, 2019 8:00 pm

I don't know beans about Garage Band, but as the only person in the universe who uses Sony Vegas as a tracking platform, I've had to learn how to deal with sharing things with people who use different platforms.

The best bet is to have them solo every track and render it from a 00:00 marker to the end of the song, dead space and all. That way everything can open on your platform and sync up.

So stems, but if you've rendered everything separately can you really call them stems?

User avatar
A.David.MacKinnon
ears didn't survive the freeze
Posts: 3819
Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 5:57 am
Location: Toronto
Contact:

Re: Sharing GarageBand Files

Post by A.David.MacKinnon » Thu Nov 28, 2019 5:06 am

That's my plan B. Plan A was to get the session file and do it myself but that seems impossible.
Considering how easy Apple makes some things with their programs they really seem to fail on some of the details with GB.
I get so many mix projects these days that have been fully or partially tracked in GarageBand and there's always an element of frustration involved.

User avatar
losthighway
resurrected
Posts: 2347
Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2008 8:02 pm
Contact:

Re: Sharing GarageBand Files

Post by losthighway » Thu Nov 28, 2019 5:40 am

Yeah, that's weird that they don't make it handier. I also hate iphoto, and the updated versions of itunes while we're at it.

Rendering those tracks is exceedingly boring work, but it probably will only take them 5 minutes per song, depending on their track count and processing power.

kslight
mixes from purgatory
Posts: 2968
Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2009 7:40 pm

Re: Sharing GarageBand Files

Post by kslight » Thu Nov 28, 2019 8:45 am

I have very little GB experience, but i opened it up on my iPad and it sounds like what your client is doing is just sending their session file...which I *think* is different than going to the song browser - select the song - share - project (says it includes your multitrack audio and stuff).

User avatar
A.David.MacKinnon
ears didn't survive the freeze
Posts: 3819
Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 5:57 am
Location: Toronto
Contact:

Re: Sharing GarageBand Files

Post by A.David.MacKinnon » Thu Nov 28, 2019 10:41 am

Aha!!!
Maybe that’s it.

User avatar
A.David.MacKinnon
ears didn't survive the freeze
Posts: 3819
Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 5:57 am
Location: Toronto
Contact:

Re: Sharing GarageBand Files

Post by A.David.MacKinnon » Thu Nov 28, 2019 12:08 pm

No luck. The session was exported through the share songs/project menu.
On with plan B.

Papanate
audio school graduate
Posts: 17
Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:53 pm

Re: Sharing GarageBand Files

Post by Papanate » Fri Nov 29, 2019 6:53 pm


User avatar
Nick Sevilla
on a wing and a prayer
Posts: 5555
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:34 pm
Location: Lake Arrowhead California USA
Contact:

Re: Sharing GarageBand Files

Post by Nick Sevilla » Fri Nov 29, 2019 7:45 pm

You need to know the exact Garageband version.

Apple at some point, in their infinite wisdom, made a new version which is not backwards compatible. Maybe this is the issue?
Howling at the neighbors. Hoping they have more mic cables.

User avatar
A.David.MacKinnon
ears didn't survive the freeze
Posts: 3819
Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 5:57 am
Location: Toronto
Contact:

Re: Sharing GarageBand Files

Post by A.David.MacKinnon » Sat Nov 30, 2019 7:08 am

Nick Sevilla wrote:
Fri Nov 29, 2019 7:45 pm
You need to know the exact Garageband version.

Apple at some point, in their infinite wisdom, made a new version which is not backwards compatible. Maybe this is the issue?
Yep. To add an extra wrinkle the IOS and desktop/laptop versions aren't directly compatible with each other either.

Apple is so good at so many things and so bad at this.

User avatar
Nick Sevilla
on a wing and a prayer
Posts: 5555
Joined: Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:34 pm
Location: Lake Arrowhead California USA
Contact:

Re: Sharing GarageBand Files

Post by Nick Sevilla » Sat Nov 30, 2019 7:48 am

At this point, the only real thing to do is have them export the audio as individual tracks, whoever it can be done.

Make them all begin at the same starting point, and import to PT for mixing.
Howling at the neighbors. Hoping they have more mic cables.

User avatar
Snarl 12/8
cryogenically thawing
Posts: 3510
Joined: Sat Dec 20, 2008 5:01 pm
Location: Right Cheer
Contact:

Re: Sharing GarageBand Files

Post by Snarl 12/8 » Sat Nov 30, 2019 5:38 pm

I don't know dick about garageband or macs any more, but I keep wondering if there is something non-standard in the original garageband session, like use of a 3rd party plugin or something that GB can't figure out how to properly export? Or the new version can't figure out how to import? This idea could be laughably stupid.
Carl Keil

Almost forgot: Please steal my drum tracks. and more.

User avatar
A.David.MacKinnon
ears didn't survive the freeze
Posts: 3819
Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 5:57 am
Location: Toronto
Contact:

Re: Sharing GarageBand Files

Post by A.David.MacKinnon » Mon Dec 02, 2019 6:26 pm

Snarl 12/8 wrote:
Sat Nov 30, 2019 5:38 pm
I don't know dick about garageband or macs any more, but I keep wondering if there is something non-standard in the original garageband session, like use of a 3rd party plugin or something that GB can't figure out how to properly export? Or the new version can't figure out how to import? This idea could be laughably stupid.
It’s quite possible. I gave up and had them export the tracks for me and it turned out fine in the end and the tracks sound pretty fantastic.
Looking at the files I’m guessing this whole tune was tracked one at a time with a two channel interface. You’d never know. They did a really great job of building a convincing tonal blend for the band with each track. I’m impressed.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 79 guests