Can't seem to access the amp designer in GarageBand 10.0.3

but I can't find the Smart controls menu bar. Can somene assist?

Don't you see this, when yoz select "Smart Controls"? The "Amp" button is in the upper right corner of the menu bar of the Smart controls" pane.

Do you have an electric guitar track selected? The Amp Designer is available in the in the Smart Controls for an Electric Guitar track or Audio Track.

BTW, what is really your GarageBand version? The current version is 10.0.1.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/garageband/id682658836?mt=12&ls=1

About the Amp Designer

• The Amp Designer is one of Logic's internal Audio FX Plugins.
• This Amp Designer can be loaded onto an Audio Track In GarageBand
• If you use the Guitar icon in the New Track Dialog when creating an Audio Track, then the Amp Designer is automatically loaded and you can open the Plugin window with the Amp Button in the Smart Controls Window.
• If you use the Microphone icon in the New Track Dialog when creating an Audio Track, then the Amp Button will be grayed out in the Smart Controls Window for that Track because the Amp Designer hasn’t been loaded yet.
• You cannot load an Amp Designer individually onto an Audio Track. You have to load one of the “Electric Guitar and Bass’ Patches from the Library. These Patches will include the Amp Designer and you can open its Plugin Window with the Amp Button and edit all of its Parameters.
• That Amp Button is NOT available in the Smart Controls Window for a MIDI Track (or Drummer Track)
• In Logic you can load the Amp Designer as an Audio FX Plugin to a MIDI Track. Technically you can save that Track in Logic as a Patch and open it in GarageBand. That MIDI Track in GarageBand would then have the Amp Designer loaded but you have only access to some of its controls throughout the Smart Control Window but not to the full Amp Designer Plugin Window.

About Reverb

• Most Tracks in GarageBand have some sort of Reverb Control in the Smart Controls Window. This is very limited because you can control only the amount but not the Reverb parameters themselves,
• If you use the Amp Designer, open the Plugin Window and you will see a Reverb Control. Move the Mouse Pointer over the Label “Reverb” (changes to a popup button). There you can select from different reverb models.
• Because you cannot access or load any of the internal (Logic) reverbs directly, your only option is to use (buy) a third-party Reverb AU-Plugin that you can open in its separate window and adjust the Reverb parameter.

Hope that helps

Edgar Rothermich

http://DingDingMusic.com/Manuals/

'I may receive some form of compensation, financial or otherwise, from my recommendation or link.'

Dave,

Just upgraded to GB 10 today. Did you ever find a solution to this? I was pulling my hair out trying to figure this out. I am shocked that I can't add basic reverb to MIDI tracks like I used to. Help! I want to downgrade if there's no way to do this. 😟

-jg

Edgar,

I tried using a Guitar "patch" and cannot get the UI to show me the amp designer. Can you provide click by click instructions on how to do this if it's supported? Like GSDave said, I just want to reverb (and other basic effects) to "software instrument" tracks. In previous GB, you could chain a bunch of effects on ANY track. Why would Apple remove this?

Please let me know if I'm missing something.

-jg

jg867 wrote:

Edgar,

I tried using a Guitar "patch" and cannot get the UI to show me the amp designer.

What Patch did load?

There are a few things you need to be aware of:

Audio Track vs MIDI Track

Are you sure you have an Audio Track selected (the one that records blue or purple Audio Region) and not a MIDI Track (the one that records green MIDI Regions).

Library Window

The Library Window displays different Patches depending what type of Track is selected (MIDI Track, Audio Track, Drummer Track, Master Track). Select different Tracks in the Tracks Window and watch how the content of the Library Window changes.

You have to have an Audio Track (the Mic icon or Guitar icon) selected and then you you will see the "Electric Guitar and Bass" Category in the first column of the Library. After you select any of those Patches, you will see the Amp Button in the Smart Controls window.

Hope that helps

Edgar Rothermich

http://DingDingMusic.com/Manuals/

'I may receive some form of compensation, financial or otherwise, from my recommendation or link.'

jg867 wrote:

I am shocked that I can't add basic reverb to MIDI tracks

In case the loaded Patch doesn't have a Reverb parameter in the Smart Controls, you can still add a Reverb Audio FX Plugin as an Audio Unit (AU). You can install third-party Plugins or use the built-in Apple AU Plugins.

Here is a screenshot when the AUMatrixReverbe is loaded

Hope that helps

Edgar Rothermich

http://DingDingMusic.com/Manuals/

'I may receive some form of compensation, financial or otherwise, from my recommendation or link.'

Nice. Not as intuitive (nor discoverable) as GarageBand 9, but this solves my problem. Thanks a ton!