#Pitch correction garageband professional#
One of the most widely used Reverb settings used by professional audio engineers today is known as a ‘Plate’ Reverb. What might not be quite as apparent is how effective some of it’s subtler applications can be. Spending 5 minutes with the Matrix Reverb’s factory presets should be enough to tell you that you can achieve some pretty drastic Reverb effects with it. I find anywhere between 40 – 80 is usually fine, depending on taste. You can be a little more heavy handed, as they are designed to support and harmonize with your main Vocals. If you’re like me however and tend to play it by ear, leaving this option unchecked is fine.įrom here, all you have to do is adjust the slider to taste. If you set the key of your project to a particular key when you set it up and you have stuck to that key throughout your entire recording process, then this option can be helpful. This will limit the notes that Garageband’s pitch correction tool will correct to the notes within the key your Garageband project is in (phew). Under the slider is a ‘limit to key’ check box. On the left of the Editor window, you’ll see the Pitch Correction slider. There are two menus to choose from here – Track or Region. Selecting Region will allow you to access the ‘Transpose’ slider, but for now choose ‘ Track’ (it will open on ‘track’ by default anyway). Make sure you have the track you wish to apply Pitch Correction to selected. I do use Pitch Correction – in moderation – on most of my own projects, as I feel it can help tighten up my backing Vocals as well as give my main Vocals more of a professional sound.Ĭlick the ‘Editor’ icon (the scissors) in the top corner of the Garageband window. The decision to use Pitch Correction on your Vocals is entirely down to personal preference.
It’s often used in moderation to correct slightly ‘pitchy’ (slightly out of tune) performances or provide an extra layer of sheen to an entire Vocal track. I’m not just referring to the deliberate stylistic ‘cranked right up’ use of it in Pop, R&B and Rap music either. Love it or hate it – Pitch Correction plays a huge role in the production of modern music. If you’re happy with them the way they are now – great! If you feel like more could be done to make your Vocals shine – read on! What now? Well, maybe nothing – how do those Vocals sound in your mix?ĭo they sit well with the rest of the instruments and tracks in your project?Ĭan you clearly hear every word and syllable?ĭo your Vocals have enough presence to carry the project? So you’ve recorded your Vocal track, applied Compression, EQ and even added a touch of Reverb. Layered Vocals in particular can really create a feeing of thickness when Panned wide of a centrally aligned main Vocal. Your backing Vocals and layered Vocals can be Panned much wider.
Generally speaking, your main vocal track should sit either dead centre, or very slightly off centre (they can clash with other centrally Panned instruments like the Bass or Drums in crowded mixes). Instead, add a little – just enough to color the sound and save the dramatic Echo sounds for your backing Vocals (if required). The same principle applies for Echo – i’d recommend holding off going all out on your main Vocal track ( 10 – 15% MAX), as this will just sound unfocussed. Personally, I like keeping things simple and low key on my main Vocal track, maybe adding no more than 10 – 15% of the effect (around the 8 o’clock mark on the Reverb knob).įor backing Vocals or layered Vocals (More on that in the ‘Next Level’ section) you can add much more. Used correctly, piling on lots of Reverb can result in a really unique sound, though you need to be careful to keep your Vocals at the forefront of your mix. Or you can go all out and add a lot of Reverb. You can add just a little – just enough to color the performance and give it a more polished sound. You can go a few ways when adding Reverb to your Vocals.
This time round we’ll focus on Reverb, Panning and some more advanced techniques that will take your Vocals to the next level!
#Pitch correction garageband how to#
In Part 1 of How To Mix Vocals In Garageband, we looked at Compression and EQ ideas as well as some tips to help you get the most of your Vocal tracks.