Expanding Your Loop Library

For a GarageBand musician, loops are like groupies: you can't have too many. A large loop library is a source of creative inspiration. A few minutes of clicking in the loop browser is often all it takes to get the songwriting juices flowing.

A large loop library is also a great source of varietysomething that's missing from many loop-based compositions.

There's no shortage of loop collections for GarageBand. Apple offers several great collections of its own: the GarageBand Jam Pack series includes not only thousands of loops, but some ear-stunning software instruments and effects, too (see the opposite page).

Many other companies have also created loop packages for GarageBand; you can sample many of them through GarageBand community sites, such as iCompositions (www.icompositions.com).

GarageBand can also work directly with loops in the ACID format. (ACID is a pioneering loop-based music program that debuted on Windows computers back in 1998.) There are more ACID loops available than you can fit on your hard drive.

GarageBand also lets you create your own loops. Record a riff or edit an existing loop, thenwith a few mouse clicksturn it into a new loop. Your own loops show up in the loop browser and will work like any other Apple Loops: you can shift their pitch and tempo, search for them using the loop browser's buttons and search box, and more.

Creating Your Own Apple Loops

You can turn any region into a loop with a few mouse clicks.

Step 1.	If necessary, resize or split a region to make it the proper length of your custom loop.
Step 2.	Drag the region to the loop browser or select it and choose Add to Loop Library from the Edit menu.
Step 3.	Specify information about the loop, then click Create.

Narrowing Down Your Choices

If you've installed multiple Jam Packs and other loop collections, there may be times when you want to browse for loops from one specific collection.

To focus on a specific loop collection in the loop browser, point to the word Loops ( ), hold down the mouse button, and then choose a collection.

To switch back to browsing your entire loop library, choose Show All. To view GarageBand's original, factory-installed loops, choose GarageBand.

As I've described previously, GarageBand provides a similar feature when you're assigning an instrument to a track.

Importing ACID Loops

To add ACID loops to your loop library, simply drag a folder containing the loops into the loop browser. The loops remain in ACID format, but GarageBand indexes them in a way that lets you search using the loop browser's buttons and search box.

Jam Packs: More than Just Loops

If you're looking to expand your sonic options, Apple's series of GarageBand Jam Packs should be one of your first stops. Each Jam Pack provides not only thousands of meticulously recorded loops, but also a large assortment of additional software instruments and effects. Here's an overview of each Jam Pack; you can learn more and audition each one at www.apple.com/garageband/jampacks.

Remix Tools. If the turntable on the box doesn't give it away, the sounds will: this Jam Pack is aimed at dance, hip-hop, and electronica composers. Its loops lean toward drum beats and bass lines, synthesizer patterns, and special effects (including, of course, vinyl scratches). Several vintage drum machine software instruments and a sizzling assortment of synthesizers round out the collection.

Rhythm Section. Let the beating begin: this two-DVD set contains roughly 1,000 drum loops in a variety of styles, as well as another 1,000 bass lines and guitar and keyboard loops. Software instruments include drum sets ranging from jazzy brushes to steel drums, as well as basses and guitars of all kindsfrom acoustic to electric, and from Dobro to banjo.

Symphony Orchestra. iPhoto and iMovie HD have the Ken Burns effect; Symphony Orchestra gives you the John Williams effect. It's a jaw-dropping collection of symphonic orchestra loops and software instrumentsthe most ambitious Jam Pack of them all. (And the most demanding: to take full advantage of its software instruments, you'll need at least 512MB of memory, preferably 1GB or more.)

Its beautifully recorded symphonic loops are an aural feast, but what really sets this Jam Pack apart are its software instruments. By moving the modulation and pitch-bend wheels of your music keyboardor by creating controller data in the track editoryou can vary the way an instrument plays to obtain amazing realism. To create crescendos and decrescendos of a sustained note or chord, move the pitch bend wheel. To obtain different articulations, such as staccato or legato, adjust the modulation wheel. And don't miss the accompanying PDF documentation, which includes interesting backgrounders on orchestral history and arranging.

World Music. Go global: this Jam Pack includes a collection of ethnic percussion, wind, and string instrumentsfrom tabla drums to bagpipes to Native American flutes, Peruvian panpipes, Persian santoors, Spanish Flamenco guitars, and much more. Completing your travels are over 3,000 loops recorded by pros from around the planet.