A Little help with GarageBand and MIDI?

[microchip]

I've decided to foray a bit into using Garageband!

I've also decided that I want to just fiddle around and create some hopefully cool music.


I found this app called MIDIMouse(http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/17469/midimouse) that lets you essentially use your trackpad as a MIDI controller.

I also have Garageband which lets you record software instruments off a MIDI controller.

Great. Garageband recognizes when I fire up MIDIMouse because it pops up a little dialog box saying "There is now one MIDI device available"(or something along those lines).


Now, from what I gather I just create a new software instrument, hit record, and move my mouse around and make music.

Wrong. Garageband doesn't do anything except record a track with nothing interesting, that is to say, it records, but there is no sound.


I download some MIDI monitoring app and MIDIMouse certainly does spit out information.


A little help here? A similar application?
TiA!

[mikebw]

I am not big into MIDI, but after you have created the software instrument track don't you have to need to assign a particular instrument to it, like a guitar?

[microchip]

It defaults to Grand Piano, which I figure should work. I can't find anywhere to specify a specific MIDI controller for a specific software track. It seems very "Apple Magic-y"

[mikebw]

Are you able to play / manipulate the software instrument with your computer keyboard at least?

[BernDog]

Midimouse is a touch controller. It doesn't input any note values. It's for other parts of the midi spec. When you push harder on a midi keyboard, it sends that signal and makes the note louder or sometimes changes the tone (depending on the voice...for organ, it wouldn't do anything). It's also similar to what wind controllers do...blow harder, and the note gets louder and sometimes changes tone. I'm not sure what all aspects midimouse can be set to control or how it works, but from a quick google search, this is what I could gather.

So, without a keyboard in addition to midimouse, you have no notes to control. Go buy a cheapo midi keyboard (Casio or the like), some midi cables and a midi-usb converter, and have a blast!

Edit: Not sure how this would work, but you could also find a software keyboard like this one and pair them together: Chirp (just found it on a google search...never tried it myself). There could be free ones too...just look around.

[microchip]

Hmm darn.

What I really want in the end is something that emulates a Continuum:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuum_(instrument)

[BernDog]

microchip wrote:
Hmm darn.

What I really want in the end is something that emulates a Continuum:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuum_(instrument)

Maybe it's possible to do something like that with your midimouse program paired with a software synth. I'm not familiar with either type of program, but it's worth a shot.

[Article Accelerator]

You don't need to use MIDImouse (or anything similar) with GarageBand. You can directly connect a MIDI device, e.g. keyboard.

MIDImouse's developer says, "midimouse works out of the box. You don’t need to setup anything special in Garageband, just open the preferences in midimouse to select appropriate Controller-Numbers => eg. send CC7 to control the volume, CC1 to control the modulation…If you want to trigger notes, you need some additional software, because midimouse just sends controllers (Controllers and NoteOns are different message types)"

More on MIDI and GarageBand here:

http://www.macjams.com/article.php?story...8064923856 (old but probably still useful)
http://www.ehow.com/video_2375347_record...orial.html
http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to/video/...and-77243/

A thorough review:
http://www.macworld.com/article/138701/2...and09.html

[thekingofboggle]

I'm not sure what version of GarageBand you have, but I know that in one version there is a software keyboard (musical) that you can open up and trigger the keys with your computer's keyboard. You could probably then use that midi controller app to manipulate the sound. Not ideal of course but if you're just looking to mess around, it could do the trick.

[Octave Doctor]

It's called Musical Typing, it's in one of the drop down menus and works great for simpler stuff, like basslines. You'll want a regular keyboard, but this will get you started.