GarageBand For iOS Updated, Here’s What’s New

GarageBand 1.2Apple today updated GarageBand for iOS.

Here are the highlights:

  • GarageBand 1.2 introduces Jam Session, a feature that lets groups of people wirelessly connect their iOS devices to play instruments and record live music together. Jam Session automatically synchronizes the tempo, key and chords of your Touch Instruments. After jamming, everyone’s tracks are automatically collected on your iOS device for you to edit and mix.
  • GarageBand also introduces Smart Strings, a new Touch Instrument that allows you to ‘play’ a string orchestra with one finger.
  • The new Note Editor is probably the most welcome addition. It allows you to fine tune a Touch Instrument recording instead of replaying it from scratch.
  • Integration with iCloud keeps your GarageBand songs up to date across your iOS devices, and you can share your finished songs directly to Facebook, YouTube and SoundCloud.

Interesting updates – especially the note editor.

GarageBand 1.2 will be released today for $4.99. Updates are available for free to existing customers.

15 thoughts on “GarageBand For iOS Updated, Here’s What’s New

  1. I just wish you could insert an app like a plugin in Garageband. That would me the music making workflow much better.

  2. GarageBand is great. Note editor is definitely a plus, and Jam Session looks fun and cool.

    As much as I like GarageBand, it does have some deficiencies. For example, neither the desktop nor mobile versions will work as MIDI sequencers (although you can use a MIDI audio unit in the desktop version to fake some of this functionality.)

    The desktop version (at least) listens on all MIDI channels, making it impossible to use as a sound module, which is another frustrating limitation.

    Logic, of course, does not have these problems… 😉

    1. Good points. Two other deficiencies:

      1. Your music can’t change meter or key.

      2. All of your editing must snap to a grid, even if the setting is none.

  3. I have Logic Pro 9 and Reason, but lately I’ve been starting all my projects on GarageBand in my iPad and then importing them to my computer. As a song starter and scratchpad, it’s simply unbeatable.

  4. yes, garageband is amazing, i always use it to audio paste in and sequence. its very very smooth, nice ui and does the job well. export options are good. this app is hardly ever out of the top ten and many do not know this but there are some good analog sounds in the keyboards section.

    definatly in my top five and for $5 anyone can afford it and get creative.

  5. I got the update as soon as I could (huge stretch since it looks Apple’s servers are getting clobbered from all angles). I do mostly martial industrial/neo-folk kinda stuff that is very orchestral and string laden, so I was thrilled about seeing strings on Garage Band. Like almost everyone here, I use it to sketch ideas, and the addition pleases me. They sound pretty damned good. Nothing like what my M50 or a real violin can spill out, but pretty great sounding (though not too “bold”, IMHO…but I’ll take what I can get for a mobile studio rig). Note editor is what steals away the spotlight though. Why…was this not included previously? Seems like a bit of an no-brainer.

  6. Has anyone tried using it with iCloud? I enabled it on my iPad2 and iPhone 4s…. Even made a new song after enabled…. I’m not seeing the files sync….. Anyone?

  7. Ah I figured it out…actually it’s pretty cool. Once you tell the specific file to use icoud it syncs. Works perfectly. Brilliant.
    The editor is cool too. No need for plugins as they are processor hungry. What WOULD be good though is a decent eq and compressor.

    1. i just upload my garageband data file to icloud, but in my atest garageband for mac 6.0.5 cant find anything… how to get my ios garageband file to my garageband for mac? please help~

  8. Honestly, if they’d allow you to import samples to the drums, we’ d be home free. Those drum options are pathetic. Weakest aspect.

    Meanwhile, NanoStudio needs to allow live audio tracks. Whichever app gets their respective “key feature” first wins this contest.

  9. Some great sounding instruments but you can only audio copy/paste into it, not out of it so using it with other audio apps is limited without having to go through a PC. So much for Apples new “post-PC” ipad.

  10. garageband is surely nice. so many limitations though that seem to be placed on purpose.
    no sample import, and no creating of custom instruments. what a bummer. anyone tried the redmatica sampler manager?

    also can´t copy paste midi notes between smart instruments and the regular ones. wtf is that about?

    the sound is great but such a limited palette.

  11. I don’t like NanoStudio at all and GarageBand is too sluggish on my iPad1. I’m really starting to love BeatMaker2, though. When I get my iPad”3″, I’ll try to get into GarageBand a bit more.

    1. do you keep getting that pop up saying optimising performance?it only started doing it after first update and only does it when u audiopaste in, a way around that is to export loops to macbook then load them in again via file sharing, that way you can have a library of loops right on the app to use

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