HangTime’s GarageBand 2 FAQ (A work in progress)
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Q. Can I plug a turntable into my Line-In? turntable
A. Not if you expect great results. Phono input on a stereo system adds a special EQ to the signal. For good results you’ll want to plug the turntable into a regular stereo system, and then take a Line-Out from the stereo to the Line-In on your computer (for potentially better results you can use a USB or FireWire interface instead of the Line-In.
Q. Can I plug my Mic into the Mic Jack on my Mac? micline
A. Your Mac doesn’t have a Mic jack, it has a Line-In jack. Line Level is “louder” then Mic Level, and thus you’re not going to get very good results plugging a mic in, it will be too soft. Additionally, if you are using a Professional mic (like a Shure SM57, etc.) with an adaptor plug, you have an impedance mismatch (The mic is Low Impedance and the Line-In jack is High Impedance). When a signal hit’s a mismatch it’s like hitting a brick wall, most of the signal is reflected back and does not get through.
There are a variety of USB and FireWire interfaces that will allow you to plug any kind of mic into any current Mac.
Another choice is to use a Mixing Console. Plug your Mic into that, and the Console into the Line-In on the Mac. Small Mixers can be had for under $50.
Q. What interfaces are available? interfaces
A. There are dozens, in price ranges from $30-$40 to several thousand dollars. Some examples include:
• Griffin iMic (Audio Only) (Good for inexpensive “Tape Recorder” type Mics as well as Line-Level devices such as Mixers)
• GuitarPlug (Audio Only)
• MicPlug (Audio Only)
• MobilePre
(Audio Only)
• Tascam US-122 (Audio / MIDI)
• Presonus FireBox (Audio / MIDI)
• Presonus FirePod (Audio / MIDI) (This is the device I use, and love it! [Disclaimer])
• Metric Halo (Audio Only)
• MIDISport UNO (MIDI Only)
• Edirol UM1SX (MIDI Only)
There are many many others, all with different feature sets and in different price ranges.
Brain Battles has created a chart with lots of comments comparing some FireWire interfaces. Even if you’re not in the market for the exact models he discusses, you may find information to help you understand the differences between various devices, and help you choose the right one for yourself.
Q. How long can a song be? Songlength
A. It depends. A GarageBand song can be 999 measures long (that is a hard limit and can not, at this time, be extended), how long that translates to in time depends on the tempo of the song (more beats more minute uses up that 999 faster) and Time Signature.
Examples (in hours:minutes:seconds):
• a 4/4 song at 120BPM will play for 00:33:16
• a 4/4 song at 60BPM will play for 01:06:32
• a 12/8 song at 60BPM will play for 01:39:48
GarageBand 2 can be set down to 40BPM so it can record longer (and in theory, with an AppleScript, can be set all the way down to 1BPM for a record length of well over 99 hours. I’ve done it, but haven’t fully tested it)
For all the nut jobs that want to see if GarageBand can handle a 99 hour recording, I present the thoroughly untested "GarageBand Tempo 1"
This is a tiny AppleScript application that will set your current GarageBand song to a temp of 1 (GB will still display it as 40, but it will play as 1)
If anyone wants to play with it, be smart and don't use it on some prized song. It works, but I haven't tested it to see if there are any side affects, just tested it to see if it worked.
To reach 99 hours you need to set the time sig to 12/8 (and of course run this app).
Touching the tempo popUp appears to reset the song back to normal, but again, I haven't looked for side affects.
Q. What is “EQ”? eq
A. EQ is short for Equalization. Sound is made up of many frequencies from very low to very high. An EQ is like a volume control for different frequencies. For example, if the overall volume is good, but there is too much Bass, an EQ can reduce some of the Bass without affecting the higher frequencies (this is over simplified, but it should be good enough to get you going).
Q. Why does the file I imported play too fast (or too slow) in GarageBand? toofast wrongsamplerate
A. GarageBand plays everything at a sample rate of 44.1k. If you import something recorded at a sample rate of 48k it will play slower and at a lower pitch in GB. If you import something sampled at a rate of 22k, it will play faster and at a higher pitch in GarageBand.
If you are familiar with Vinyl Records then a simple analogy would be like taking a 45 record and playing it at 331/3 (that’s the 48K sample played at 44.1K), or taking a 331/3 LP and playing it at 45 (that’s like taking the 22K file and playing it at GarageBand’s rate of 44.1K.
You can solve this problem by converting the sound in iTunes with the Never-Fail™ method.
Q. Why are my tracks’ Echo and Reverb disabled? echoreverbdisabled
A. You turned them off in the Master Track. Press Command-B to open the Master Track (if it is not already visible, if it is then select it), click the Info button to open the Master Track’s info dialog, and turn Echo and Reverb back on (If the Echo and Reverb buttons are not visible, click the word “Details” to reveal them).
Q. How do I convert a sound with iTunes? (The Never-Fail™ method) neverfail
A. Drag the sound file into the iTunes window, if it isn’t already there. Set iTunes’ Importing preference to AIFF, 44.1k, 16-bit. With the name selected in the iTunes window choose Convert to AIFF from under the Advanced menu.
When the conversion is done a new file will be created and listed in the iTunes window (Convert doesn’t actually convert, it recreates in the new format). Select this new iTunes song and chose Show Song File from under the File menu. Drag this file into your GarageBand Timeline and it will play fine.
Q. Do I need to convert my Mp3s to AIFF files? convertmp3s
A. No, GarageBand will automatically convert Mp3s that are in the correct format to AIFFs as it imports them. If an Mp3 refuses to import because it’s in the wrong format, use the Never-Fail™ method of converting it first.
Q. My AIFF file works in iTunes, but won’t import into GarageBand. convertaiffs
A. It’s in the wrong format internally. Use the Never-Fail™ conversion method to correct that.
Q. Every time I record I hear a “Click-Click-Click” how do I stop it? (`urts me `ead) metronome
A. Turn off the Metronome, available under the Control menu.
Q. Where is your website? hangtimewebsite
A. http://www.thehangtime.com
Q. Why does your domain have the “the” in it? whythethe
A. It was a gift from some very special friends, and hangtime.com was and still is being squatted upon.
Q. Can I record sound from a cassette deck? If so, how? recordcassette
A. Absolutely. If you have a Line-In on your computer, all you need is a cable that has a stereo 1/8” plug on one side, and a pair of RCA connectors on the other (Should be easily available in any electronics store. Adaptors will work as well). If your computer doesn’t have a Line-In you’ll need an USB or FireWire Audio Interface.
Assuming you have a Line-In
1. Plug the deck into your Line-In on your Mac
2. Set your System Preferences -> Sound-> Input control panel to Line-In
3. Open GB, Create a New Basic track and hit record
4. There is no 4.
Q. How can I reverse a sound in GB so it plays backwards? reverse
A. You can’t, GarageBand currently offers no tools to reverse a region. You would need to export the region and use an Audio Editor to reverse the clip, save it, and import it back into GarageBand via DragAndDrop.
Q. Can I record from my earphone jack to my Line-In? usinglinein
A. Yes. Watch the volume (I’d suggest you turn the volume very low to start with, turning it up while playing it and watching GarageBand’s meters).
Set your Mac’s System Preferences -> Sound -> Input to Line-In, run your cable from the earphone jack to the Mac’s Line-In, create a New Basic Track (via the track menu), set your levels and hit record.
Q. My singing sounds terrible, what effect can I use to improve it? improvesinging
A. Here is the truth, unpopular as it is, improve your voice, perhaps by taking singing lessons. Effects will enhance a good voice, they will not make up for a bad voice. Poor singing with tons of effects sounds like, well, poor singing with tons of effects.
Q. Where can I get these “AU” Plug ins? getplugins
A. There are literally hundreds available on the web, use any search engine to look for “AU plug-in” and you’ll get more results then you’ll know what to do with. For a start take a look at Aplulsoft’s website for a nice selection of freeware and shareware plug-ins.
Q. How do I convert the GarageBand song I exported into a WAV file? converttowav
A. Use the Never-Fail™ method, but substitute “WAV” where it references “AIFF”
Q. What Audio Editors are there? audioeditors
A. There are many, some free, some shareware, and some commercial. A few examples include:
• Audacity
• Amadeus II
• Sound Studio
• Peak LE
• Peak 5
and it looks like SoundTrack Pro may offer some pretty interesting audio editing features as well.
Q. How do I convert the AIFF file GarageBand exported into an Mp3. convertomp3
A. Follow the Never-Fail™ method, except change the settings in iTunes to Mp3 rather than AIFF.
Q. What is the upgrade price from iLife ‘04 to iLife ‘05? upgradeprice
A. There is no upgrade price unless you bought iLife ‘04, or you bought a Mac with iLife ‘04, after iLife ‘05 was released. And that too is a limited time offer (I do not know when it ends, or if it is still in effect). That price is $20.
Q. Can I buy GarageBand alone? bujustgarageband
A. No, GarageBand 2 only comes as part of iLife ‘05 (and the truth is, if it were sold separately it would at minimum, cost $79. Much of the cost is in packaging. Apple is able to save money by bundling all those products into a single package)
Q. Do you ever sleep? sleep
A. No, sleep is for the weak.
Q. My timeline appears to continue past 3 minutes, but I can’t scroll further than 3 minutes. eos
A. That isn’t a question, however I’ll assume you want to move past 3 minutes. First off, as you record, the end point will extend further to the right, allowing you to go all the way to 999 measures.
You can manually force this move if you wish. press option-z to reach the End Of Song marker (EoS), the little purple left facing triangle at the top of the timeline. Grab it and drag it to the right as far as you wish up to its maximum. If the timeline thumb is in the way you can drag that to the left, or press the left arrowKey on your keyboard once or twice.
Q. How do I record using the Line-In? RecordLineIn
1. Set your System Preferences -> Sound-> Input control panel to Line-In
2. Open GB, Create a New Basic track and hit record
3. There is no 3.
Q. How do I make the digital readout display time instead of measures? displaytime
A. To the left of the numbers is a small note icon. To the left of that is a faint clock icon, click there to see the display show time. Click the note icon to display measures again.
Q. Can I jump to a specific point in the timeline? jumptime
A. Yes. Double click any of the digits in the digital readout and type in the number you wish to go to. What number you type will depend on how you have the display set, it can either be measures, or hours:minutes:seconds
Q. Why is the volume slider in Track Info and Create Track dialogs dimmed? volumesliderdimmed
A. Some devices support software control of their volume, others don’t. If the slider is dimmed the device may have some kind of controls on the device itself. Otherwise, check your Audio MIDI Setup utility.
Q. Why has no one answered my question? noanswer
A. The most typical reason is a useless subject line. Posts titled things such as:
Help Me
Can I do this?
It won’t work
GarageBand!
Software?
or
Really?
say absolutely nothing about the question. Give an idea of what the problem is in the subject line and you’ll be more likely to get responses.
Then there’s the possibility that you’ve stumped the experts.
And finally, give it time, not everyone is here 24/7, some people sleep ... give it a day or two for all the regulars to pass through the forum.
Oh yes, using more than one exclamation point or question mark is really annoying.
Q. Can I release my GarageBand songs commercially? license OR releasesongs
A. You can do anything you want with anything you create, you just can’t redistribute the loops themselves.
The GarageBand software license agreement says:
"You may use the Apple and third party audio loop content (Audio Content), contained in or otherwise included with the Apple Software, on a royalty-free basis, to create your own original music compositions or audio projects. You may broadcast and/or distribute your own music compositions or audio projects that were created using the Audio Content, however, individual audio loops may not be commercially or otherwise distributed on a standalone basis, nor may they be repackaged in whole or in part as audio samples, sound effects or music beds."
Q. I’m trying to record with a microphone, but I get feedback from my speakers. How can I stop that? feedbackmic
A. Use headphones, or turn monitor off
You can not have Monitor on, speakers active, and an open Microphone. You can have any two of the them, but not all three or you’re likely to get feedback.
Q. I’m trying to record from my Line-In and I’m getting feedback. How can I stop it. feedbacklinein
A. You’re Mac has a built-in mic, and that’s what is selected for input. Open your System Preferences->Sound->Input and choose “Line-In”
Q. Can I change tempo mid-song? changetempo
A. No, GarageBand currently supports a single tempo per song.
The only workaround would be to create a separate song in each tempo, and use either or both exported AIFFs.
Q. iLife ‘05 won’t install over iLife ‘04, it says an application is running. apprunning
A. From the Apple TechNotes:
If you installed iTunes 4.7.1 and try to then install or reinstall iLife, you'll get an alert indicating that an iLife application is still running even if you have already quit iTunes, GarageBand, iPhoto, iMovie, and iDVD.
This happens because the iLife Installer is seeing a background program called "iTuneshelper," and is mistaking it for iTunes. To workaround the issue, bypass the login items by following these steps:
1. From the Apple menu, choose Log Out.
2. Log back in and immediately hold the Shift key down. Release the Shift key when you get to the Finder. This will keep iTuneshelper from loading.
3. Install iLife
4. Restart the computer to allow the login items to load again.
Q. How can I turn a Orange region into an Purple region? orangetopurple
A. Press control-option-g and then click anywhere in the timeline. All Orange tracks will turn purple. Special thanks to Jim Heid for this tip!
Q. How Can I change the tempo of an imported Mp3? changemp3tempo
A. See: Turning an Orange Region into a Purple Region.
Don’t expect spectactular results if you change the tempo more than a little bit.
Q. How much is GarageBand for Window? garagebandforwindows
A. GarageBand for Windows costs $499 and comes with a free Mac Mini to run it.
Thanks to Darren S-Pullman for the perfect answer.
Q. How many tracks can GarageBand record simultaneously? recordmultipletracks
A. 8 Audio tracks and 1 MIDI track. See Apple’s technote for more information on how to record multiple channels:
Q. What resolution does GB use? gbresolution
A. GB records 44.1k 16-bit files and outputs 44.1k 16-bit files. Internally it works at a bit depth of 32 for the highest quality effect manipulation.
Q. How do I install an AU plug -in? installplugins
A. Drop the AU Plug-In into your Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/ folder.
Q. What is this “FAQ” thing? faq
A. My attempt to get correct and useful information out to other GarageBand users, and save some repetitive typing. FAQ stands for frequently Asked Questions.
Q. How do I access my SoundFonts? usesoundfonts
A. Create a Software Instrument track. Once its created click the Info button. Select DLSMusicDevice from the Generator popUp (if this is not visible, click the Details button first to reveal it), and then click the pencil icon at the far right.
Finally, choose the SoundFont you wish to use from the Sound Bank popUp menu.
NOTE: Some SoundFonts do not work directly with GarageBand. The first three I Downloaded did not work, but most of the rest I’ve looked at worked well.
The shareware application SoundFont Synth is reported to handle all .sf2 files, and is reported to offer easy access to all the Sound Banks stored in a font, though I have never tested it myself, and many controllers will also offer access to alternate banks.
Q. Can I remove a guitar track from an Mp3? removeinstrument
A. There are no “tracks” in a mixed recording, there is a Left Channel and a Right Channel in a stereo recording, and a single channel in a mono recording. Once all the parts are mixed, you can not remove one instrument.
Q. How old are you howold
A. 97
Q. When were you born? whenborn
A. September 24, 1993
Q. Can I remove vocals from a song? removevocals
A. Not perfectly, no. There is a technique of adding an inverted left channel to the right channel (or subtracting one from the other) which will cancel out anything set to appear dead center in the stereo field (in essence a mono recording ... equally recorded on both channels). Generally lead vocals are set to the center so this technique will hide or reduce them, however other instruments are often centered and will be removed or decreased as well (the bass and kick drum, for example, are usually placed dead center). This process will also affect the rest of the music, and is really just useful for seeing how your voice sounds in a particular song in a particular key.
Some audio editors may allow you to do this.
A slick hardware approach is to use a balanced cable on unbalanced output. For instance using a balanced XLR to 1/8” cable, plugging my computer’s out into my mixer’s in sends an unbalanced stereo signal through the cable instead of a balanced mono signal. The inverted signal cancels out the center channel.
NOTE: With all that said, using any of these techniques for other than your personal amusement will likely be an infringment on someone’s copyright and could get you sued for damages.
Q. Can I create my own Icons for instruments in GB? createicons
A. Yes, but there’s no built in way to do it, and you can’t “add” new icons, you can only replace an icon you don’t plan to use...so the method isn’t exactly pretty or “Apple-Like”.
If you’re not well versed in digging into OS X Packages, I would suggest you skip this and get back to creating music. It’s not difficult, but I make no guarentees either exress or implied as to the outcome of your mucking with your GB File(s).
Abandon all hope ye who pass here...
First off you may wish to Download some PhotoShop Templates to make creating the 3 icons you need for each instrument. These templates are courtesy of Schneb, a fellow regular poster on the Apple Discussions Board.
Next, open up the GarageBand Package and then its resources folder. Set the Finder View so that you can see a preview of the icons, then look through them and decide which one you wish to replace.
Copy the three TIFFs that make up the icon you want to replace to someplace safe in case you ever want to use them again, rename you new TIFF files to match the ones you’re replacing and drop them into the GB Resources folder.
Close it up, start GarageBand, and your new icons should be available.
Q. Can I import songs I bought at the iTunes Music store? importitms
A. No, songs sold at the Music Store are copy-protected and can not be imported into GarageBand.
Q. What formats can GarageBand import? importformats
A. GB can handle Mp3, unprotected AAC, AIFF, and WAV if they are 44.1k, 16-bit files.
Q. How do I install SoundFonts? installsoundfonts
A. First you must make sure the SoundFont is not compressed. If the name of the files ends with .zip or .sfark they are compressed files. Use Stuffit Expander on the zipped files, and get sfarkxt for the arked files.
Unfortunately there is no Macintosh decompressor for files ending in .sfpack so do not bother to D/L those files on your Mac.
Once you’ve decompressed the files and their names end in .sf2, drop them into your Library/Audio/Sounds/Banks/ folder and they are ready for use in GarageBand.
Q. I just recorded my guitar/Mic into GB and it only comes out of the left speaker, how do I make it come out of both? leftspeakeronly
A. Set the track to mono instead of stereo.
Q. Do you hide messages in here? hidemessage
.
Q. What is an “HT-SWAG™” htswag
A. When I make a Scientific Wild @$$ Guess at something which no one seems to have a 100% factual answer to, I label it as an HT-SWAG™ so that it’s clear I’m taking a guess. My best possible guess, but a guess nonetheless.
Q. When I record with my MobilePre interface I hear very loud crackling noise mobileprenoise
A. Brian Battles suggests this as a fix for MobilePre users:
If you are getting a noisy recording when using an M-Audio MobilePre USB with GarageBand 2 try the following.
• Launch GarageBand.
• Open System Preferences>M-Audio MobilePre USB.
• Change the Latency setting to something different.
• Change the Latency setting again to whatever you want it to be.
• Go back to GarageBand and start recording.
You will have to do this every time you launch GB. You may find after recording for some time (has varied and seems to be a shorter time when there are more tracks and/or effects) the noise will return. I had one file start to create the noise every time I created a new track. If any of these cause the noise to re-occur, re-use the method above.
Also, being a USB connection, you may find that GB will respond more slowly over time during a recording session. Save your file (project), quit GB, re-launch GB, and re-use the method above.
Q. The Metronome isn’t loud enough, can I make it louder? makeclicktrack
A. Only by turning up the Master volume, making everything else louder. The best solution I’ve found is to choose a very simple drum loop from the browser and extend it across the entire timeline. I use that as a Click-Track, and delete it after we’re done recording.
Q. Can I play software instruments with my computer keyboard? musicaltyping
A. Yes, select Musical Typing from under the Window menu.
Q. Can I print GarageBand’s Notation? printnotation
A. Unfortunately, you can not. GB offers no print function.
Q. How do I rename a GarageBand song? renamesong
A. Select it in Finder, press return, type a new name and press return again.
Q. Why does GarageBand come only on DVD? installwithoutdvd
A. GarageBand is HUGE, several gigs, that's why it comes on a DVD. It would take at least a half dozen CDs to fit all of GB’s components.
You can not install it without some kind of access to a DVD drive.
Q. Can I plug my electric guitar into my Mac? plpluggingguitaruginguitar
A. Not if you want good results. Your Mac has a Line-Level input and a guitar’s output isn’t loud enough (unless it has an active pickup, one which takes a battery). You really need a USB or FireWire interface of some sort. And even at that, to really capture the sound of a guitar the preferred method is to use a Microphone on the interface and mic your guitar amp.
Q. How you doin'? howyoudoin
A. How YOU doin'?!
Q. Can GarageBand burn CDs? burncds
A. Technically, no, but you’re asking the wrong question. GB creates songs and exports them to iTunes. iTunes can burn CDs, so in fact the answer to the question you wanted to ask is yes.
Q. Is there a handclap I can Download? handclap
A. You’re welcome to use mine
Q. How about a headslap? headslap
A. You’re pushing your luck, bud! But, what the heck, here’s a headslap.
Q. How do I find GB2’s Tuner? tuner
A. First select a Real track, then in the digital readout that displays the current time or measure, on the left side top there is a faint icon of a tuning fork. Select that to display the tuner.
Select either the clock or note icons beneath it to return to the digital readout.
Q. The Pan knob on a track is disabled, how do I enable it? pandisabled
A. You have the Pan Curve activated. Click the little arrow next to the lock icon in the track’s header. Click the popUp menu that appears and select Track Pan. You can manipulate the pan by adding and dragging points on the line at right, or, click the little “blue light” next to the words Track Pan to turn it off, giving control back to the pan knob.
Q. The Volume fader on a track is disabled, how do I enable it? faderdisabled
A. Follow the directions for enabling the Pan Knob and substitute “Volume” where it says “Pan”
Q. Why can’t I get my songs as loud as commercial CDs? commercialcdquality
A. Unfortunately pro studios have hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment, including multi-thousand dollar compressors (and years of technique).
You can approach pro quality by use of GarageBand's AU MultiBand Compressor, but it'll be tough to match a commercial release
Q. No Seriously, how you doin'’? howyoudoin2
A. Not so great, but been a whole lot worse.
Q. Can I download GarageBand? downloadgarageband
A. No, GarageBand is a commercial product, you must purchase iLife ‘05 to get it.
Q. Is there an update from GarageBand (1) to GarageBand 2? updategarageand1togarageband2
A. No, you have to purchase iLife ‘05 to get GarageBand 2
Q. Can I plug my Guitar Amp’s Line-Out into my Mac’s Line-In? amplineout
A. Yes, if you have a Line-Out it’s completely safe. However make sure you never plug a Speaker Out from the amp in to the Mac, you will likely burn out your Mac’s Audio circuitry.
Q. How can I create my own loops? soundtracklooputility
A. GarageBand 2 will let you create loops from regions in the TimeLine, however if you want a little more control over the creation, or if you use GarageBand 1 (which doesn’t offer this feature), you can download Apple’s SoundTrack Loop Utility. There is no charge for this application.
Its looping ability seems to be limited to 32 bars, longer than that and STLU will miscalulate the tempo (and the loop will play at the wrong speed in GB [the pitch will remain unchanged, however])
Q. What are “Echo” and “Reverb” on the Master Track for? mastertrackeffects
A. Each track has a kind of "bus" to the virtual "effect rack" which the programmers placed access to in the master track. The effect rack let's you tweak the type of echo and reverb available to each track.
You could create a deep or shallow reverb (along with thousands of other combinations) and offer those to every track. On each track you can control the "return".
NOTE: These two effect settings do not place effects on the master track. If you turn those off in the master track, there will be no echo or reverb available to the individual tracks.
Q. What instruments are in Jam Pack 1? instrumentjampack1
A. Apple offers PDF files containing a complete list of instruments in Jam Pack 1, Jam Pack 2, and Jam Pack 3 online (One for Jam Pack 4 is not available [yet])
You may freely download the file which contains the list of instruments for Jam Pack 1
Q. What instruments are in Jam Pack 2? instrumentjampack2
A. Apple offers PDF files containing a complete list of instruments in Jam Pack 1, Jam Pack 2, and Jam Pack 3 online (One for Jam Pack 4 is not available [yet])
You may freely download the file which contains the list of instruments for Jam Pack 2
Q. What instruments are in Jam Pack 3? instrumentjampack3
A. Apple offers PDF files containing a complete list of instruments in Jam Pack 1, Jam Pack 2, and Jam Pack 3 online (One for Jam Pack 4 is not available [yet])
You may freely download the file which contains the list of instruments for Jam Pack 3
Q: How Do I set up a FirePod to work with GB? setupfirepod
A: Plug it in. You’re good to go.
Yes, seriously:
1: Plug it into an AC outlet
2: Plug the FireWire cable in to the FirePod and your Mac
3: There is no Number 3
4: Turn your Mac on.
If your Mac is already on, Follow the instructions in the Manual for syncing up the FirePod to your Mac (You can also Sleep your Mac. Turn the FIrePod on and wake up your Mac. The FirePod will sync up)
Q: How do I copyright my songs? filingcopyright
A: Since 1977 the moment you write, record, draw (etc) something it is copyrighted.
To be able to prove it and to receive damages should someone infringe on your copyright you need to file your copyright at the Library Of Congress. All that entails is sending the recording along with the copyright form (available from the LOC web site) and fee (last I recall it was $35).
If you intend to publish the work you can send 2 copies to the LOC to take care of the "Mandatory deposit" of your work (which I'm a little less clear on, but sending the second copy, I believe, takes care of that)
More information as well as the forms are available from the Library of Congress web site.
Disclaimer: All the information contained in the FAQ is accurate to the best of knowledge, however I offer no warranty either express or implied, as to the usefulness of any advice contained herein. You are solely responsible for any actions you take.
Additionally note that I have no financial interest in any hardware or software described in this FAQ. I have no affiliation with any of the companies or programmers mentioned, and offer opinions based either on owning, demoing, or hearing recommendations for any products. What you actually may purchase does not benefit me in any way, and if I imply that one choice is better than another it's because I actually believe this to be true.
Please note, this FAQ is evolving by the minute (it takes roughly 12 seconds from the time I make a change for it to appear online, so my changes are near real-time). Give it some time to settle down before bookmarking parts, I may inadvertantly break your bookmarks as I make changes while tweaking things.
This FAQ is Copyright © 2005 HangTime All Rights Reserved.