Why is my GarageBand sound out of editing sync?

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Why is my GarageBand sound out of editing sync?

I'm a teacher who's fairly new to GarageBand and a problem keeps popping out for some of my students that's driving me nuts: the regions become out of sync with themselves and start playing/editing before the playhead even reaches the section. I'm adding some screenshots to help explain:

I want to edit the highlight part as seen here:

But when the highlighted part is deleted via the keyboard, this is what happens:

As you can see it deletes about a few seconds AFTER I want to. To that point the actual sound regions start playing early - where the playhead is below is when the sound coming up actually starts:

So, clearly it's out of synch somehow and I'm absolutely confused as to why or, more importantly, how to fix it. PLEASE HELP!

GarageBand '09, Mac OS X (10.6.8), Using GarageBand for podcast edits

Posted on Apr 23, 2012 10:22 AM

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Answer 1

WCC-luther Author

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Apr 23, 2012 11:02 AM in response to WCC-luther

PS: I found this solution suggestion but, surprisingly, my computer does not have that preference file to delete:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2188135?threadID=2188135&tstart=628&message ID=11379540

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Answer 2

WCC-luther Author

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Apr 23, 2012 11:09 AM in response to WCC-luther

Yet another thread about this:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3574527?answerId=17082861022#17082861022

Is it simply going to keep happening for no discernable reason and with no way to fix it?

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Answer 3

WCC-luther Author

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Apr 23, 2012 2:32 PM in response to WCC-luther

Well, now that I see from other discussions that this is a known and apparently unfixable problem, I'll be using a different audio editing program in my classes next semester. Too bad...of course, if someone does have a fix I'd really appreciate hearing about it...

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Answer 4

Apr 25, 2012 3:37 AM in response to WCC-luther

I've never expereinced this in the three versions of Garageband I have used.

Try refreshing all your preferences for Garageband (GB). Not just one of them...

Quit GB.

Go to: ~/Library/Preferences/

Move these files to the desktop - This keeps a quick backup of them. Garageband will re-create these prefs when you re-launch Garageband.

com.apple.garageband.cs

com.apple.garageband.LSSharedFileList.plist

com.apple.garageband.plist

Re-launch GB.

You might have to reset some of your preferences in GB.

If something unwanted happens, just replace your prefs listed above with your desktop copies.

Check what your Audio MIDI Setup is doing also (in Applications/Utilities). Make sure you "input" and "output" is in the same sampling format (e.g. 44.1 KHz, 16 bit) as what GB is doing. GB's preferences say the choice of "Better" is recording at 24 bit, but exporting at 16 bit. Differences in sampling rates between the mac hardware/GB might be causing this.

Try the same preferences move to desktop trick (as above) on Audio MIDI Setup's "com.apple.audio.AudioMIDISetup.plist" (in ~/Library/Preferences also).

Good luck

-oz

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Answer 5

May 2, 2012 11:53 PM in response to WCC-luther

What version Garageband are you running? I just noticed in your signature in the OP, you list Garageband '09. Got the latest updates from Software Update?

Try these possible fixes anyway...

Try a "Save As..." of the problematic project in GB '09 and use the new saved project. Quit, relaunch GB. Does the issue re-present itself?
Do you start with a new project each time you begin a Podcast?
Are you dropping jingles and other samples from other files (e.g. MP3, M4A etc) into GB? (i.e. not from the loops browser)

Perhaps get the paid update to Garageband '11 6.0.5 (428.5), then try a new project, or do the "Save As..." suggestion below.

Update to GB '11 and "File > Save As..." your previous GB '09 project (essentially you will be saving a GB '09 file as a GB '11 project). You can't open a GB '11 project in GB '09 however.

I edit and export to MP3 a lot of spoken content each week (up to 45 minutes in one block) on GB '11 (just because GB is quick, simple and cheap!). I do NR and hard edits in Audacity, export to AIFF and drap-n-drop 44.1kHz, 16bit AIFFs into GB. Maybe it is imported content which wrecks the sampling rate within GB somehow and makes the waveform lose sync... Yes, in that case it could be a bug in the resampling subroutines of GB '09.

Best bet: update.

- Oz

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Answer 6

WCC-luther Author

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May 3, 2012 6:17 AM in response to oz-macnut

Thanks for the detailed suggestions - we are running Garage Band '09 and I'll check on having the latest updates (have to do that via IT). I'll also check on if could update to the '11 version.

Unfortunately, "saving as..." does not fix the problem.

They were only working on one podcast/project each so starting a new one isn't a factor

We did drop the original audio files (interviews) into GB as MP3 files but the other things added (jingles, etc.) all came from the Loops browser. It's been hard to recreate the problem (and impossible to undo) but one student did think it started once they'd added items from the loops browser but I'm not 100% convinced we can be certain their memory's correct.

Thanks again for the tips.

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Answer 7

May 3, 2012 6:32 AM in response to WCC-luther

My pleasure. I realized you were in an environment that required IT interaction. Hope that does not cause pain.

There are a handful great updated features included in GB '11 and I trust the update would sort out the issue you have been experiencing.

Post back if you get it cleared up. I love to hear happy endings!

All the best.

- Oz

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