JANUARY2010 SS REC 01-10: REC Mag 04/05 11/25/09 2:04 PM Page 26
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#REC 01-2010 COVER:#REC 4/2005 COVER 11/24/09 2:09 PM Page 1 ® JANUARY2010 VOL. TWENTY THREE NUMBER FOUR JANUARY 2010 USA $5.99 CANADA $5.99 $5.99US $5.99CAN 01 0 09281 03050 8 SS REC 01-10: REC mag 04/05 11/25/09 2:04 PM Page 26 BYMIKEMETLAY dual-RCA cable to run the audio output to I did most of my tests with Logic Pro and powered speakers rather than head- MainStage; GarageBand arrived later in Apogee phones. Guitar in, audio out, done. the test period and I was able to confirm that If I have a complaint it’s that GiO may be it worked as advertised (see the sidebar). just a hair too focused—if all you want to do is play and listen to guitar while you oper- In use ate your floor pedals, then you’re all set, but Setting up GiO to work with an Apple GiO a separate set of outputs so you don’t have music program is as simple as launching to recable from headphones to speakers the program, opening the Preferences, and Guitar, meet Mac would have been nice, and a second input selecting GiO as an audio device. Once you’ve done this, the program recognizes GiO and everything just starts working, including the LEDs on the various buttons, which don’t light when GiO is used with a non-Apple DAW. For a product whose main selling point is just how easy it is to use, this is a reassuring and impressive starting point. The guitar input didn’t mess with the tone of my instruments, and the audio outs were exquisitely clear and detailed (as you’d expect from Apogee), providing plenty of level for headphones and powered-monitor line inputs. GiO’s transport buttons correspond to all Apogee’s high-quality standalone A/D for a microphone or second guitar would of the transport controls in GarageBand ’09 and D/A converters have long been an have been even better. In pretty much any aside from the Loop button. You can record, industry standard, well established in Mac DAW or audio program, GiO can be play, fast-forward, rewind, or jump to the many studios. The company’s decision to set up to work alongside one or more other song start with a single touch. The Previous focus its computer interface line on the interfaces for more control or more I/O and Next buttons either change the Channel Mac has led to a close partnership with options, but you need to be aware going in Strip assigned to your active channel (in Apple, including the development of high- that you will need a second interface if your Logic) or change presets in Amp Designer quality interfaces such as the portable needs outgrow what GiO offers. or your Pedalboard, depending on which FireWire-based Duet (reviewed window is in front. August 2008) and PCIe-based The stompbox buttons correspond high-bandwidth interfacing thanks to pedals in your virtual Pedalboard, to the Symphony system (reviewed either the Pedalboard plug-in in October 2008). Logic, the floor pedals in MainStage, Apogee’s newest interface, the or the Stompboxes in GarageBand’s GiO, bridges the gap between the guitarist Electric Guitar tracks. Up to five effects can and the Mac with an audio I/O comple- Software be turned on or off, and in a neat visual cue, ment and control features well suited to gui- Technically GiO can operate with any the LED above each pedal glows in a color tar playing. It aims to provide you with Mac DAW or other program that works close to that of the virtual pedal’s case—the everything you need to record guitar and with audio and/or MIDI; it sends standard Heavenly Chorus glows blue, the OctaFuzz nothing you don’t. MIDI Control Change messages for its but- glows red, the SpringBox glows white, etc. tons and pedal, and is recognized by Mac In MainStage, you get control of only four Hardware OS X as an audio I/O device with one effects, as the fifth button is always assigned GiO is a solidly built metal floor pedal, 7 input channel and two output channels that to Master Mute as a “panic button”. x 18 x 2.5 inches and about 9 lbs. It offers operates at 24-bit resolution at either 44.1 The User’s Guide walks you through twelve control buttons: five square transport or 48 kHz. If you know how to teach your setup for each of the three Apple music controls in an upper rank, five round stomp- DAW to recognize input from a new programs, and gives hints as to how best box on/off buttons with multicolor LEDs in a device, it’s a matter of seconds to get GiO to use GiO depending on the setup you lower rank, and two triangular rubber talking to it reliably—my tests with Ableton choose. Once you’ve played with it for a Previous/Next switches at the corners. Live 8 were flawless, for example. little while, it’s easy to extend what you’ve Rear-panel connections include USB That being said, GiO isn’t advertised as learned to your own setups. 1 and three /4" jacks, for a guitar input, a generic input device; it’s intended to work The expression pedal input can be headphone output, and expression pedal with the latest versions of Apple’s music pro- assigned to any parameter in Logic, using input. The unit comes with a driver soft- grams—GarageBand ’09, Logic 9, and Controller Learn Mode; you just select a ware CD that includes a PDF User’s MainStage 2—and those apps come pre- control on the effect you’re working with, 1 Guide, a 10' USB cable, and a /4"-to- pared to recognize GiO and put it to work. move the pedal, and it’s assigned. In 26 RECORDING JANUARY 2010 SS REC 01-10: REC mag 04/05 11/25/09 2:04 PM Page 27 MainStage my expression pedal was New Features in Apple GarageBand ’09 instantly recognized and mapped to main As part of the new iLife ’09 package volume. A separate app called GiOConfig (comes free with all new shipping Macs, or lets you choose a response curve for your ordered separately for $79), GarageBand pedal; the two choices, Yamaha and ’09 continues in the tradition of getting Roland, reflect the curves of the popular everyone making music with its combina- FC7 and EV-5 pedals. Other pedals will tion of user-friendly interface, powerful soft- work but you’ll have to figure out which of ware instruments and effects, simple loop- the two curves works best for yours—my ing and editing, and rich content libraries. pedal was a Zoom FP02, which matched The newest version, aside from offering sup- the Yamaha curve perfectly. port for the Apogee GiO guitar interface, In all of my tests, I think the only time I has some other niceties worth mentioning. ran into a glitch was when I launched Of special interest to guitarists: a new MainStage with a second USB controller lineup of high-quality guitar effects already attached to my Mac in addition chains, complete with ten stompboxes to the GiO; the program just needed to and five modeled amps. You can start be told which controller was doing what. with one of over 30 preset chains, then customize it by swapping amps and Thoughts and conclusions adding or removing stompboxes, up to GiO did exactly as it was told on the first five in a row—perfect for GiO control. try with all three of the supported apps, and The new GarageBand includes Lessons, could quickly be taught to do useful things built-in modules with video instruction on in other programs as well. Build and audio playing guitar and piano. The Basic quality were exceptional and the manual Lessons are free with the program: the first was a breeze to follow—typical Apogee! chapter of each (guitar and piano) comes Noting my concerns about using GiO ready to use on install, and later chapters as a standalone recording interface, I are downloadable from Apple. Each les- could see it as a supplementary control son has user-selectable notation styles, device for any DAW user who was loopable sections, a play-along version of already set up with I/O on any app, just its song with mixable/mutable tracks from to add reliable and easy-to-use foot con- the teacher, backing band, and your trol and a great-sounding guitar input. part—you can even slow down playback On stage or in a recording studio with while you’re learning. another DAW as the main tracking sys- A cool upgrade to this feature is the Artist tem, a laptop with a GiO, running Lessons (downloadable for $4.99 each), MainStage, shows a lot of promise as a which have famous songs taught by their guitarist’s ultimately flexible signal pro- creators (e.g. Sting teaching the guitar part cessing chain, with a universe of for “Roxanne” or Norah Jones teaching stomboxes, effects, amp and cabinet “Thinking About You” on Wurlitzer electric emulations, audio looping, and more, all piano), with all the interactive features of easily accessible with a tap of a foot. Basic Lessons—including, in many cases, GiO is a specific tool for a specific the original band’s backing tracks. approach to a specific problem, and it Finally, Magic GarageBand Jam takes does what it sets out to do very well.