Help with GarageBand and WireTap

WireTap Pro used to be a software with mainly one purpose: record the audio output of any software running on your Mac to an audio file (something that GB can't.) Now it's called WireTap Studio, and it's a full-fledged audio recorder and editor - still something very different from GB, since it doesn't have the whole midi side of things ("software instruments" in GB), i.e. you can't create music with it. And I'm reading on the website "Per-application recording is not yet available on MacOS X 10.7 or later. We're working on it!" - as I interpret this, WireTap doesn't do it's original job on Macs with the latest OS versions.

Bottom line - it's an audio editor, something you can get for free these days (Audacity, e.g.).

(I'm not using the software. So if there's someone that does and can confirm that I'm doing the program injustice - please come forward!)

I was beta tester for WireTap Anywhere and know a little bit about the app.

WireTap from Ambrosia Software comes in two flavors, "WireTap Studio" and WireTap Anywhere". They are more like audio utility application like "Audio Hijack" (another great app) which provide features and functionality that are not available in OSX.

GarageBand is a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) like Logic and ProTools, a different kind of app.

I used WireTap Anywhere with Logic as a plugin (one of the first 64bit AU plugins available). You could route the audio output of any app (i.e.Safari, iTunes) directly into Logic and record it. Or tap the audio in and out of any connected hardware audio interface and route it to Logic to record a skype phone call for example. WireTap Studio has a few "DAW-like" features to record and edit audio but for specific purposes and is not an all around multitrack recorder/sequencer.

GarageBand supports AU plugins so you could use it, but there is one catch. OSX Lion changed the underlying code that WireTap was based on. Starting with Lion, the OSX code imposed some major restrictions how applications can communicate with other applications "under the hood".

Until today the developers haven't figured out how to come up with a solution for that lock-down to provide the same pre-Lion functionality for WireTap. Too bad.

GarageBand can not record the internal audio of other applications. What I'm guessing is that you played the iTunes song through your speakers and recorded the speakers' sound with the internal mic in GB. No wonder it sounds tinny!

To capture the sound of any other application I like to use Audio Hijack - it is very convenient and easy to use. To record Intenet radio stations is Radio Shift quite nice.

I also found that Radio Shift is no longer in development and is no longer available.

That is a pity 😟. I just got it last year, so I guess I was lucky.

I also recommend Audio Hijack, it does exactly what it's supposed to do.

Foodsman wrote:

Thanks guys, you're the best...

In a different post I asked where I can find the loops I made and was told; "Library/Audio/Apple Loops/User Loops".

the correct location is "~/Library..." in your Home directory:

http://www.bulletsandbones.com/GB/GBFAQ.html#myloopsstored

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

Foodsman wrote:

I do a search for Home Directory and come up with nothing.

your "home" directory is where all your personal files and folder are stored (music, pictures, movies, etc).

it is usually your name. in Finder you should be able to click the "home" icon in any Finder window sidebar