combine two garageband projects

When you save one of the projects with an Audio (iLife) Preview, you can import it into the second project. This way the combined project will reflect the changes to the first project, when you update the project.

The option to save with an Audio Preview is enabled in the GarageBand Preferences > General tab.

To import another project is done using the Media Browser - projects with an Audio Preview show up, when you set the Media Browser to "GarageBand".

The imported project will be shown as a simple audio file; you cannot edit the tracks in the combined project.

Regards

Léonie

Thanks, for looking into this, HangTime.

have you tested this, Léonie?

Yes, I have used it sometimes, when I needed to change between 3/4 and 4/4 measures in one song.

you import a copy ofthat file into the project package. if you make changes to that first project you would need to delete the old imported region, and again import the newly created preview.

As I remember, it is not really convenient, but the recommended way to combine two projects. When you edit the imported project, you need to save it again with an iLife preview. And you need to open the importing project again. When you render the song, GarageBand remembers, that the imported file is a GarageBand Preview and uses the current preview.

But granted, my last test was a year ago.

leonieDF wrote:

When you save one of the projects with an Audio (iLife) Preview, you can import it into the second project. This way the combined project will reflect the changes to the first project, when you update the project.

have you tested this, Léonie?

i admit, i have not, but i don't think it will work the way you are describing.

when you drop the iLife preview file into the other project, you import a copy of that file into the project package. if you make changes to that first project you would need to delete the old imported region, and again import the newly created preview.

it _is_ possible to merge two projects, but it takes a little work; one could use the technique for rescuing a damaged file, you would just have to create and arrange the tracks as described in the tutorial at the top of the second project:

http://www.bulletsandbones.com/GB/Tutorials.html#allaboutrescuinggaragebandfiles

(Let the page FULLY load. The link to your answer is at the top of your screen)

(i have tried this before)

Not so cool, you were right to be sceptical - sorry. 😊 😊 oh, oh, With my current setup - GarageBand '11 on MacOS 10.8.2 I really have to reimport the changed file from the Media Browser ito the primary project 😢 One tedious step more.

Now I have to redo all my older projects with mixed measures.

I like the rescuing approch you suggest, but I do not see, if it can help, when the projects that you want to merge use different measures?

it might be a little confusing at times, Léonie, but i dont think the time signature matters.

once you have the regions imported, you can freely change the time signature while editing so you can see the different parts with the proper measures.

for instance, say project 1 is in 3/4 and project 2 is in 4/4

get the regions from project 1 into project 2 with the copy method outlined in the tutorial. then if you need to work on the section that's in 3/4, change the time signature of the project, do the editing you need to do and then change it back to 4/4

really the time signature only matters visually, it won't change how the project plays

really the time signature only matters visually, it won't change how the project plays

That is reassuring, HangTime, thanks. I was not quite sure, if "Follow Tempo & Pitch" would not depend on the time signature.

It is really easier to do all mixing and editing with the correct time signature; I work a lot with sheet music and am constantly counting measure numbers. With the wrong signature the numbers shift.

ok, since you've tried it, cool, sounds like a fairly simple solution!