Just got a Mac and garage band came with it. I've been using Cubase on a PC for years, loaded it onto the iMac and it works really well (Adobe Illustrator CS6 - that's another story though!)

Anyway, I thought I'd try Garage Band and was really impressed with its simplicity and approach recording. I think that recording my live instruments and vocals with a touch of keyboards combined with using a simple interface was quite refreshing and inspiring. I found that I did less fiddling with the software with more focus on the recording.

Anybody else find it effective for recording. I know it will have limitations as I get deeper into it but we are so use to having all the bells and whistles nowadays.... think using reel to reel.

Probably just a kid with new wellies though

I haven't used it for a couple versions now but I agree, it is easy. I had a great flow the first time I used the magic thong, it was magical! Im on Studio One now and it kindof feels similar in some ways with its simplicity.

I recently was playing with the new iPad version t the store and had to leave before I got too tempted to buy one. I think that is a cool app.

GB seems to be a favorite for some singer / songwriters who run Mac and don't want to get all tangled up in digital recording technology.

Mic a guitar, sing a vocal, drop in some drum loops, happy.

It's pretty simple - the limited palette can push creativity in some respects.

The midi editing was a bit painful last version I used. As far as pallette, you can use any AU so I'm not sure that is the biggest issue. It seems the editing is the larger problem, but if I were on a Mac i likely would use Logic, which can open GB projects. So as a combo, GB as a simple interface to start projects without much fuss, and Logic to get power, they are a good combo IMO. But then Studio One in kind of in the middle of both of these, and has its own tricks (running in Windows is a GREAT trick!).

Also GB is great for a songwriter to be able to create something then hand off to a producer.

Yes it would be good for that purpose.

True. I've always thought that a talented singer / songwriter chasing studio technology too much was potentially (for some) counterproductive... but it's really hard not to get caught up in all that if you find it all interesting.

Things like GB are great (imo) for conventional songwriters, who sometimes never even go beyond lyrics and piano and melody or lyrics and guitar and melody before publishing.

All the other stuff on the record the producer does, drums, string, whatever. I think great songwriters like Diane Warren just focus on the song and leave the production to the producers. As more conventional songs go, there's an old saying... "If you can't perform it with voice and piano (or acoustic guitar) alone, and still deliver the emotional message, it's not a very good song.

I use GB all the time, i admit i like the sounds in Logic better, but i seem to get stuff done ten times faster in Garageband as far as building songs. There's a couple neat tricks too you can use, like using the arrangement track to make patterns and copying and pasting them throughout the song. I have a bunch of VSTS like Nexus and Maschine loaded in it too. Sound quality is bananas, don't sleep!.

I found a book at Barnes & Noble on GB - sat down and started skimming through it and was amazed at how much I didn't know about it even though I used it a lot - it's actually pretty powerful...

Why should the sound quality be any different, it's down to how musical instruments/vocals are recorded and what vsti's are used?

It's all relative. Not sound, DAWs.

Garageband is (in some clear ways, not all) probably a better DAW than was the original Cubase VST, and I did a lot of paid sessions with Cubase VST back in the day and didn't work all that hard.

Granted, we're generally a spoiled bunch.

I was talking about the actual instruments and presets, not overall sound quality. Logic has that EXS and ES2 and the synth patches are just more complex and expressive than the stock GB ones(to me). But you're right, just throw in some VSTs and problem solved. I always try out different DAWs, Reason, Live and I seem to always come back to GB because it's so straightforward and easy, and you can do most all the essential things you need, minus a few bells and whistles
of more advanced DAWs..by the way...when is 2012 update coming? C'mon Apple!