MASTER GARAGEBAND’S BIGGEST EVER UPDATE!
Discover the amazing new ‘A-list’ sounds and how to use them in your own projects
Until late last year, it was forgivable for macOS GarageBand fans to feel neglected. Exciting revisions to our favourite music-making app were overdue with minor updates, although welcome, going largely unnoticed. However, October 2021’s iteration to 10.4.4 was the biggest yet, bundling an array of new downloadable sounds – 2,800 loops, 50 drum kits and 120 instrument patches.Arranged in part within a selection of eight Producer Packs, they would come courtesy of leading artists such as Mark Ronson, Oak Felder and TRAKGIRL.
All wholly royalty-free, the ability to sprinkle some ‘A-list’ glitter into your own songs is not to be missed. So in this extended guide, we’ll not only identify what’s available but also pick out some of the best sonic highlights and show you how to use them for maximum audio impact.
Picking out the packs
So what’s new? Using the iOS Sound Library as our reference, we start with an overview of the various new packs on offer with some initial clues for the kind of noises fans can expect to make.
Knowledge base No Sound Library?
GarageBand on macOS sadly doesn’t yet have a Sound Library menu quite like this. On iOS you can view available packs laid out like app icons, view previews and get a detailed breakdown of what’s included. If you have access, it’s worth taking a look and watching some of the accompanying videos that each featured producer has provided for their packs.
The download options
The new Producer Packs and Sound Packs in version 10.4.4 are all optional downloads. GarageBand leaves it up to you to initiate this and install them, so here’s how to add them to your collection.
1 Get the update
You must first update GarageBand to at least version 10.4.4. Visit GarageBand>Sound Library from the top menu and choose ‘Download All Available Sounds’.