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Table Of Contents
412 Chapter 25 GarageBand Instruments
This has two main benefits:
 As the GarageBand instrument plug-ins are less CPU and memory-intensive, they
load faster than the equivalent Logic Express software instruments.
 Limitation to a few, powerful, parameters simplifies the use of the instruments. Play
around with the parameters to see how easily spectacular sounds can be created!
The macro parameter sliders available to each GarageBand Instrument are different.
This is because the equivalent Logic Express Instrument parameters being addressed
may be different, or because theres no need to include an organs Drawbars parameter
on a GarageBand Piano Instrument, for example—at least not unless you’ve been
getting creative with your Steinway in the garden shed!
GarageBand Instrument Parameters
Many of the GarageBand Instruments share the same parameters, which function
identically in each. The following covers these universal parameters, and the
individually-named sections provide information and cover parameters or facilities that
are unique to that specific GarageBand instrument. Note that not all GarageBand
instruments contain all of the macro parameters described below.
Universal GarageBand Instrument Parameters
 Volume: Sets the overall level of the instrument.
 Tuning: Sets the overall pitch of the instrument.
 Mix: Mixes two tones together by modulating them.
 Cutoff: Allows more (high) or less (low) of the sound through, making it brighter or
darker.
 Resonance: Determines where in the frequency range a sharp peak is.
 Attack: Makes the sound start more slowly or quickly. A fast setting will make the
sound strike like a piano key, whereas a slow setting will make the sound bow like a
violin string.
 Decay: Makes the harmonic portion of the sound (bright) sustain for a longer time at
slow values.
 Sustain: Determines how long a note will continue at its peak volume.
 Release: Determines how fast notes will fade out after you have let go of the keys on
your keyboard.
Analog Basic
The Analog Basic sound is based on the ES2. This is a simple analog synthesizer tone
that is useful for a range of musical styles.