EXS instruments in GarageBand, still?

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Level 1

141 points

EXS instruments in GarageBand, still?

Many versions ago, I was able to get GarageBand to use EXS Instruments I had created in Logic. However, I'm helping a friend get the newest version of GB running on his computer, and this version doesn't want to list my custom made instruments in the instrument window. Has GB quit using the EXS format? Also, is there a command to get GB to 're-index' sampler instrument file list, the way you can do with the loop browser?

Thanks for the help.

MacBook, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2)

Posted on May 18, 2014 12:02 AM

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Answer 1

léonie

Level 10

200,675 points

May 18, 2014 12:44 AM in response to jb

My old sampler instruments (EXS) created with the GarageBand sound effect instrument are still working in GarageBand 10.0.2 .

The appear in the "User Channel Strip Settings" category in the Library Inspector.

My custom EXS samplers are installed in my User Library in my Home folder here:

~/Library/Application Support/GarageBand/Instrument Library/Sampler/

Also, is there a command to get GB to 're-index' sampler instrument file list, the way you can do with the loop browser?

This is supposed to be automatic, when you restart the system and then launch GarageBand again.

and this version doesn't want to list my custom made instruments in the instrument window

Has your friend updated to GarageBand 10.0.2? There have been bug fixes in the previous releases.

And has your friend bought the in-app purchase? Otherwise many basic instruments may still be missing, so the sampler may be unsupported in the basic version. Expanding GarageBand for Mac (v10.0) content with an in-app purchase

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Answer 2

jb Author

Level 1

141 points

May 18, 2014 1:08 PM in response to léonie

Thanks so much for your detailed response. To answer a couple of your questions, this new version is 10.0.0, and no, he hasn't bought the in-app purchase. But when creating a new instrument track, it will play the instruments from the list which are in bold type (selecting the ones not in bold brings up the purchase window). So I think the sample player must be working, no?

Now I am seeing my custom instruments listed in the library, but when I click on some of them I get an 'xxx.exs is not found' message, even though the corresponding exs files are in the adjacent Sampler Instruments directory. On others I don't get that message, but there is no sound coming out of the track when I try to play the instrument.

If you have an additional comments, I am anxious to hear them. This is quite frustrating. In the old days, I would have used Redmatica's EXS Manager app to fix the associations between instrument files and their audio file locations, but I don't think they Redmatica is around any longer. Any suggestions?

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Answer 3

léonie

Level 10

200,675 points

May 18, 2014 1:41 PM in response to jb

Now I am seeing my custom instruments listed in the library, but when I click on some of them I get an 'xxx.exs is not found' message, even though the corresponding exs files are in the adjacent Sampler Instruments directory. On others I don't get that message, but there is no sound coming out of the track when I try to play the instrument.

Check the permissions on the instruments library. When you installed your own instrument on your friend's mac, did make sure, that the .EXS files and the audio samples have read permission for your friend?

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Answer 4

jb Author

Level 1

141 points

May 18, 2014 2:16 PM in response to léonie

Yes, permissions seem ok. Friend is set to Read & Write on all of them, although some show 'staff' and 'everyone' as Read Only.

This gets interesting... Creating a NEW song file in GB, I can create a new instrument track and actually play most of my custom instruments. But when I open an old song file, previously created (in GB 4.1.2), where that file included an instrument track using one of my custom instruments, the file will play properly. And if I select that instrument track, I can play new notes ok. But if I create a new instrument track and select that instrument, I only get silence from it. I can record new note data, but it seems there is no longer a connection to the associated samples.

My friend needs to open older existing song files in order to finish work on them, so he needs to be able to do this. I am so frustrated!!

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