OzballO

Ok so I just got a new macbook and I have always wanted to edit music (mixing, cutting mp3's etc.) and also do some graphic design. What would be some good programs that I should look into?

Thanks!!

iPeeOnTrees

For editing music and short tunes I would use Garageband. One of the best things about buying a Mac is Garageband because there are so many different ways you could edit music. Garageband is also very easy to learn and use.

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Skuh

Graphic design you need 2 or 3 programs depending on your requirements.
Photoshop, Illustrator - both essential for good designers
Indesign - for layout - probably not required.
I don't know if you want to get into web but if not the top two are good enough for everything and anything except 3D modelling

OzballO

Oh so garage band does edit mp3's from say my iTunes? So I can do overlays (correct term I think?) with it as well?

So what can you do with these programs then? Would they be easy to use for someone who hasn't done mauch if any at all designing? Oh and would PSE be a good substitute for PS. Oh and why would be the Benefit of indesign or whatnot.

iPeeOnTrees

For some reason not all MP3 formats work with Garageband but some still do. I am not sure why this is but it should not be too much of a problem. Garageband and iTunes work well together and whenever you finish something on Garageband there is a "Send Song to iTunes" option where it sends the file as an .m4v. To bring a song from iTunes I think you can just drag and drop onto Garageband. If overlay means to combine two songs or such it is possible with Garageband. To do that you just have to add a new track and I think you drag and drop the other song or tune into the new new track rectangle. I am not sure if creating new track only allows you to do a recording or editing. If that is the case all you have to do is drag and drop the song onto Garageband without creating a new track unless you would like to add some cool effects.

I hope this helped ^^

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OzballO

Yeah this helped, so can you add these "cool" effects to the sedited songs then? I have Garage Band but I haven' tlooked into it extensively.

iPeeOnTrees

Yes you can add plenty of nice effects. I had to make a couple ringtones for my computer class project a while back ago and as I explored Garageband I was just amazed by the different kind of effects you could add. You can add in guitar effects along with more instruments, echo effects, and so much more that I can't even remember. You have to go into Garageband and see them for yourself.


I found this page on the Apple website that I think should help.
Apple - GarageBand - Learn to play music and record on your Mac.

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OzballO

Ok thanks a lot!!

Edit: Just noticed that there are add-on packs I'm assuming these are separate from the program already on the Mac?

mattv2099

For music production you need Logic. It's Apple's premier music production software. All the 1337 pro musicians use it.

Then you also need an 'audio interface.' Which is basically an uber external firewire sound card that has all the input/output for recording and playing music.

I bought my macbook for the sole purpose of running Logic.

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Skuh

Easy to use is a tricky one. You can teach yourself both of them but Illustrator is immensely difficult to learn without any knowledge of Vector based packages.
Photoshop is much easier to teach yourself and I have several friends doing just that.
Illustrator as I said is a vector based package. A Vector is a drawing that has no resolution and is not rasterised, (I am trying to keep this simple without being condescending). In broad terms this means you can draw something small and blow it up to any scale (miles if you wanted), and because it is worked out by coordinates and maths there will be NO quality drop whatsever. Another good thing about Vectors is you can select any part of a design by clicking that part a bitmap or photshop file behaves more like a photograph i.e all one image.
If you have ever used clipart, these are usually vector graphics

Photoshop works differently. If you take a bitmap image, it has a set resolution and each of the pixels in this file are allocated a number from 0 - 255 (again trying to keep this simple by using one example), These 2 things set the colour in RGB and the quality of the image. This means if you want to enlarge something by 100% you need to have double the quality or in other words double the resolution to get the same quality.
You can just pick a brush and draw a picture though, you don't need to have a good knowledge of art packages at all if you know how to draw (you don't need to be good).
Indesign is more for page layout. When you design a magazine as an example Indesign is the standard for laying out all your pictures and text.

Photoshop elements is good place to start as if you don't *cough* find a copy of Photoshop it is several hundred £s.

Corel is a good cheap alternative but (and this is unusual) the mac version is bad. Pc version is good.

Sorry if this is a wall of indesipherable crap, but if you have a question I will do my best to answer it for you.

OzballO

Hmm well, i haven't done any editing persay so maybe Garage Band is good for a beginner like me? I generally plan on doing it for my own enjoyment but maybe after a wee bit play with GB and then upgrade to Logic?



Thank's Skuh that be very helpful.

iPeeOnTrees

I have never heard of Logic but what do I know? I don't even own a Mac. But if you are going into more advanced things I wouldn't recommend staying on Garageband. Garageband is basically a stepping stool for the bigger programs out there. Don't get me wrong or anything but Garageband is still a great program especially if your a beginner because its very easy to learn and understand.

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pantstofry

For video editing Final Cut Pro is awesome. But I'd use Final Cut Express, pro is hard to learn