Ok. Where Do I Begin? What Am I Missing? Huh?, Help computer music nOOb Options

[Wild Bill]

Hello all. I just joined today, and hope to expand my horizons from knowledge on this fine forum.

Ok, so I have a 12" Powerbook with the updated Garage Band 3 on it, and I also have the education version of Logic Express.

I also have a PC but since this is MacMusic, I'll just forget about it.

At this time, I do not have an medium for which to connect to the powerbook. A couple weeks ago a friend and I had a jam session and I basically plopped the powerbook down and used the onboard mic to capture what we had. (I know I know). Well, I recorded our songs using GB. Now I wanna clean them up, add some bass and maybe some drums. Ok, the clean up is ok, but when I try to play back the song and record a software drum thingy, there is some sort of weird delay and I cant get in time with the track. Very annoying. What am I doing wrong???

Ok, so I managed to get this track into Logic Express. No loops for some reason. Logic Express says it doesn't have any, even though I have access to them in GB. Anyway, using some AU and Logic filters, I got the track sounding ok.

Now it's time to start up a software dru set and lay down some tracks with my Powwerbook's keyboard's keys, right?>??? Wrong. I can't hear ANYTHING when I type on the keys for drum beats. Nothing at all. I can hear the track playing back but I cant hear myself play software drums. Tried all the software stuff in there and I can't hear any of it.


Ok, I am lost. Really lost. I was messing around with an OLD version of Cubase on the PC, and after it crashed a few times I gave up on it.

Anyway, I have no means to hook directly up to the POwerbook. As far as equipment, I've got three acoustic, one crappy electric, a vintage Fender Precision bass, an SWR California Blonde acoustic guitar amp, regular mike and stand, and a Behringer Eurorack, 8 channel powered mixer with phantom power for mics.

I've been reading around on the web and I've been hearing something about an M-Audio OZONE. Is this good for my needs??? I read the preamp on the thing wasnt good, but I can use the pre on my mixer instead. Also, I assume that since this thing looks like a musical keyboard I use that to do software instruments instead of banging away at my powerbook's keys??? It's a midi controller. I still have no idea what midi is or why I need it. I come from the good 'ol days for four-track cassette recording. That was seriously the last time I recorded something. Still have it laying around somewhere, and as a project I'd like to get those master tracks from there and get them into the computer.


Anyway.................. as you can see, I am lost and a bit overwhelmed. Should I get this Ozone thing? What about a Firebox? I've heard that pop up too. Reference monitors/???? Do I need these. I gather they get connected to the outs on your mixer/midi device. I've got a 5 speaker surround setup on my PC. I do have an older stereo that has two speakers. I could run an 1/8 stereo out from the Powerbook's headphone outs and use an 1/8 stereo to RCA adapter and plug it into that stereo. That would seem to be an economical alternative to studio monitors.


Anyway, any advice or prayers would be greatly appreciated. I really want to get back into making music again, but there is just SO much now! Gimme a four track and my nanoverb any day!! hahhahahaha

So, to recap:
what am I doing wrong in Garageband? Trying to do my down software drums I cant sync up, I'm "off"
Logic Express I cant hear any software drums, or bass, or any other instrument at all. It also tells me there are no plugins
Do I need the m-audio ozone? Is it good as an interface/midi controller?
Why do I need midi?
SHould I get studio reference monitors, or go the economical route I just explained before??

Many thanks for your replies!!!

[Wild Bill]

Thank you so much! That was it! Also, I didnt have a midi control surface either so I was trying to pluck around on the Powerbook keyboard.

I went to Guitar Center yesterday and picked up a few things to help me out. I got the M-Audio Ozone midi controller, a pair of AKG K240 studio headphones, and the Audio Technica AT2041 condernser studio mic pack. Though I can only get two simultaneuous channels into the powerbook with the ozone, it's just me so its not a big deal.

For now I find Garageband a little easier to work with, so Im recording in Garageband, then importing over to Logic Express to apply effects and bounce it down into AIFF format. I'll worry about making CD's and MP3's later. Logic Express is still a bit over my head. I need to buy a book for dummies or something.

I was able to find all the instrumens you listed. One problem I noticed though is that, for the Garageband instruments, it only allows me to select one of each. For example, when I want to try to use Garageband drums in Logic Express, it only gives me the "Pop" set. I can't see or access any of the other sets. I'm sure its something simple I am overlooking, but I still can't find the rest of the drum sets.