10 x GarageBand iOS Features I Want to See in the Next Update (iPhone, iPad)

In this GarageBand iOS video, I give you my Top 10 features I want to see in the next version of GarageBand iOS.

How many of my "predictions" will come true? Only time will tell!

10 - Performance Management Options - the ability to choose when to optimise performance and accept reduced quality while tracking

9 - File Management - allow integration with other online file storage solutions such as Dropbox and Google Drive

8 - Collaboration - make it easy to collaborate with other GarageBand users

7 - Track Grouping and Folders - with up to 32 tracks, being able to group vocals, percussion and guitars in one place would help with management

6 - Track Templates - the ability to set up a template to use for new tracks with pre-set instruments and track settings

5 - Export Options - provide a way to export audio tracks with a visualisation to Facebook and YouTube directly

4 - Automation for Panning and Effects - volume automation is the BOMB and a great feature - would be even better to be able to use it for anything

3 - Effect sends - being able to set a single track as just an effect and then send other tracks to this effect track

2 - Better Guitar Samples - we have had the same guitar sounds since version 2.0 and they need a refresh

1 - Master Track - being able to mix down to a master track and add effects on the master bus

[RickSumchin]

Great suggestions. I’d love to see GB include MIDI Learn for MIDI controllers. Also GB is a great place to jam. If one could play the touch instruments via MIDI controller while in either the main view or the Live Loops view you could make way better sessions. As it is you can only play an instrument if it’s actually on the screen. Those two things would make me happy and more productive. Thanks Pete! Cheers.

[Dulcilady]

Would prefer an option.to 'save as ' when closing a file so you're not overwriting your original file by mistake. I know you can just duplicate a file before you begin but a save as option makes more sense to me.

[demymortelliti]

Great work Pete ! Here are mines: Ability to mute a region !! Ability to export all tracks as audio files with a single command ! Ability to copy midi from smart instruments to other normal midi tracks !! Ability to input smart bass, guitar and strings with a piano keyboard and not only as the instrument frets !! And, just for visual, have a big ‘vertical’ mixer !!

[amaracea]

10 and 2 are the ones that really resonate with me. Plus, a limiter because I just learned a limiter is pretty much the holy grail to mastering a track because what it does is, say you play drums, and the snares are way louder than the kicks, well you put a limiter on it and you can then turn the volume of the drums up (but not too much or it gets distorted and sounds bad obviously) and you get the kicks to become more audible, while keeping the snares from getting loud and it's all equalized, all one volume on that track. Joel Zimmerman showed a visual representation of it in his MasterClass and with a limiter, it's all equalized and clean and everything, and then he turns the limiter off and the volume is all over the place. And I could hear the difference too and I was like, "THAT is why nothing I make ever sounds professional!" That limiter, just any simple limiter you could use, and figuring out how to use it properly, IS the difference between sounding professional and sounding like you just threw something together for fun.

[neilcummins]

More complex time signatures please alongside Waltz, 4/4 and 6/8.Plus the old Alchemy synth chestnut for those of us not part of the exclusive hardware list.Good suggestions Pete...

[jeanphilippekondziolka]

Hello, Pete! Nice to meet you! I think i have found my teacher! Really love your vidéos !

[garyfoley]

Hi Pete yet another great video. I think the list is great. For mastering and keeping it on the iPad I use Final Touch mastering tool. It’s a small outlay from the Apple apps store, but does a lot of neat pre and post eq, panning and limiting. You can share your Gb file straight into Final Touch.
In addition to your list I would like some sort of metering scale on the tracks. As it is you judge everything with your ears which is maybe a good thing.
Keep up the great work! It’s truly inspiring what you have shown can be achieved.

[sethflower]

Totally agree with the better guitar samples.
Here’s a top 10 instruments I would love to see added in:
10: Didgeridoo
9: Tuba
8. Harp
7. Ukulele
6: Banjo
5: Accordion
4: Reggae Drum Set
3: Saxophone
2: Harmonica
1: HARP-SI-CHORD!!!

Also I think you should make a video about YOUR top 10 most wanted instruments. It would be fascinating to see someone else’s take on it!

[BlackDiesel]

Great ideas keep it up don’t let Haters get to you

[Ponk_]

by the way, if you want the digital guitars in Garageband to sound better, i sometimes turn them into an audio track, by combining them with a blank track, that way the app turns it into an audio track, and then i drag an audio onto the amp track, that way i have all the amps and effects for guitar, thati can use on the audio file. ps. i always keep a copy of the digital guitar track, if i want to make changes to the melody later, so that i can always turn the changes into a new audio file if i need to, and then replace the one on the guitar track. :)

[valdiskrebs]

Yeah, GarageBand is great! Been using it on OSX for years, and it is now very powerful on iOS!

[PabloDeModeOfficial]

I would like to have the option to delete some loops that I know I wouldn’t use. I could save some space and work more efficiently if I can exchange some of them. For the rest, I agree with most of the tips! Thank you again for your video

[Ponk_]

another feature i would like, is flextime, the ability to stretch audio for example if you don’t hit a note tight enough on your guitar, you can just find that part, and stretch it back on the beat :) i have had that feature in logic express in over 10 years now, plus that feature is in two other apps i have on my ipad air first gen. so it’s not that it’s horse power we need to do it in garageband. :)

[Ponk_]

multi track midi import would be a nice feature, and the abillity to record or imort audio to multiple tracks from othe daw`s

[Ponk_]

plus flex time has been in garageband for mac the last 5 years, since the 11th. edition came out.

[twighlightzone]

Ableton link needs to be included also 👏

[williamjones]

Would like Garageband to be able to open up midi files in the near future.

[williamjones]

The only app I’ve worked with so far that could open midi files is Cubasis. Which you can set to virtual midi and record separate instruments into Garageband(actually using Garageband virtual instruments). But that seems to be a long drawn out process imho.

[timstagray]

I would trade all of the features that Apple might be considering just to have the mastering/limiting option. Thanks for the video and I hope they are listening.

[davidsgardell]

I love Gb for iOS! I’ve transitioned from computer with Logic to iPad Pro and have all my projects in Gb! 😊

Omg that song optimizing performance thing from HELL!! I hated it so much! It increased 1000% with iOS 11 on my iPad pro 9.7”. But now on my pro 10.5” it’s not happened once!! Except a handful of times upon loading a few songs before playing them, but never while recording or working with a song. Another cool thing on 10.5”, you can hold and zoom a region without the ridiculous insane lag lol

I could go on forever in regards to what I miss. From “Sections”, use name instead of alphabetical, to odd time signatures... But they are all things they would easily have implemented if they wanted. They know DAWs obviously so what their plan is, I don’t know. Will they eventually release Logic for iPad Pro, or keep polishing Gb?

I master files by exporting to Final Touch or Audio Mastering app, but maybe you meant without leaving the app when you said device?

I agree with you on 7, 4, 3 and 1 👍