Garageband Import MP3 and Chipmunk Voice

Question

Garageband Import MP3 and Chipmunk Voice

Hello Garageband Gurus,

I recently updated Garageband to 10.0.1 in the Maverick OS, and ran into this issue:

When I create an empty project with an audio template, I drag and drop (i.e. import) an mp3 file into a track. When I play the audio the recording sounds like a chipmunk. The track speed is faster than normal, and the pitch of the voice is elevated.

How do I make the mp3 sound normal (for a lack of better framing and terminology)?

Thank you!

Rory

OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Nov 12, 2013 1:26 PM

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Answer 1

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HangTime

Level 9

53,841 points

Nov 12, 2013 2:03 PM in response to Rory Hochstein

Rory Hochstein wrote:

When I [... import] an mp3 file into a track[...] The track speed is faster than normal, and the pitch of the voice is elevated.

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

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

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Answer 2

léonie

Level 10

194,519 points

Nov 12, 2013 2:21 PM in response to HangTime

There seems to be a problem with the server for Bullets & Bones, HangTime. I either get only a dark scrren, or the server is busy:

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Answer 3

HangTime

Level 9

53,841 points

Nov 12, 2013 2:41 PM in response to léonie

léonie wrote:

There seems to be a problem with the server for Bullets & Bones, HangTime.

i was on it 30 minutes ago and it was fine, but i just tried now and am getting misc errors too, grrrr! Thanks léonie!

i sent in a support ticket, meanwhile i have a local copy of the web site, i'll go rummage through it and try to find the pages with the info (ahhh tech. B–(> ), back in a few...

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Answer 4

HangTime

Level 9

53,841 points

Nov 12, 2013 2:49 PM in response to Rory Hochstein

Q. Why does the file I imported play too fast (or too slow) in Apple's GarageBand?

A. GarageBand plays everything at a sample rate of 44.1K. If you import something recorded at a sample rate of 48K it will play slower and at a lower pitch in GB. If you import something sampled at a rate of 22K, it will play faster and at a higher pitch in GarageBand.

If you are familiar with Vinyl Records then...

a simple analogy would be like taking a 45 record and playing it at 331/3 (that’s the 48K sample played at 44.1K), or taking a 331/3 LP and playing it at 45 (that’s like taking the 22K file and playing it at GarageBand’s rate of 44.1K.

You can solve this issue by converting the sound in iTunes with the Never-Fail™ method.

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The Never-Fail™ method

A. Drag the sound file into the iTunes window, if it isn’t already there. Set iTunes’ Importing preference to AIFF, 44.1K, 16-bit. With the name selected in the iTunes window choose Create AIFF Version from under the Advanced menu. When the conversion is

done a new file will be created and listed in the iTunes window (in older versions of iTunes the Create menuItem was called Convert, and Convert didn’t actually convert, it recreated in the new format). Select this new iTunes song and choose Show In Finder from under the File menu. Drag this new file into your GarageBand Timeline and it will play fine.

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