Episode 04: Making Music On The iPad

I first started doing home recording in 1992. I had a Fostex X-28h,
a Boss DR-550, a guitar and my P-Bass. It was a cassette recorder
and was one of the best home units at the time. The recordings were
rudimentary at best and rarely had more than 4 tracks. Still, I did
a ton of writing and even recorded some other people. 8 years later
I upgraded to the boss BR-8. Now I had 8 tracks, built-in drum
patterns for roughing out ideas, COSM amp and mic modeling and it
was all digital. In just 8 years home recording had changed
DRASTICALLY. A year after that I started using my computer to do my
recording, and in 2011...I can now record on an iPad. Garage band
on the iPad blows me away. It boggles my mind to think that this
self contained flat piece of glass and metal has more recording
power in it than the Beatles had to record "Sgt. Peppers Lonely
Hearts Club Band". And yet here it is. I started my recording
endeavor on a cassette tape, and there are no moving parts to be
seen and it is a much more graphical interface than I ever had.
What I like best about Garage Band for the iPad is that not only is
it a great platform for sketching out ideas. It is also an
empowering platform. With "Smart Instruments" it gives the beginner
a solid starting point. It is nearly impossible to play a wrong
note and it teaches chord theory in a round about way.
Recently,  I had the opportunity to watch this empowerment
first hand. I work with guy named Mike. He does not play any
instruments, but he loves music and can sing. I thought Mike would
enjoy a program like Garage Band, so I sat down with him, showed
him the basics and let him go. In three weeks I watched him go from
music enthusiast to music creator. The best part is with each song
he writes he learns something and uses the smart instruments less
and uses what he has learned from the start instruments and applies
it to the other instruments in Garage Band. And that leads me to
this episode. In episode 4 we talk with Mike about his
transformation into music creator and how the iPad can be a viable
tool for all musicians. All the Music in this episode was created
by either Mike or Myself and done entirely on the iPad. So sit back
and enjoy!