Frequently Asked Questions at TheGarageAlbum.com

Table of Contents

Basic questions
Musical Questions
Troubleshooting (Most common issues)
- I can't hear the music, what's wrong?
- What if the GarageBand files won't load or replay correctly?

Basic questions:

What are the Minimum System Requirements?

For listening to .mp3 samples:

Windows 98 or later, or Macintosh OS 8.x or better. Users with other systems should consult their documentation.
A computer with access to the Internet
Explorer 4 or better, Netscape 4.7 or better, or another web browser able to play multimedia files.
A computer with QuickTime, Windows Media Player or other multimedia player application.

For Garageband music files:
Minimum System Requirements:

Macintosh computer with a PowerPC G3, G4 or G5 processor
600MHz G3 or faster required for GarageBand
G4 or faster required for GarageBand software instruments
256MB of physical RAM
Mac OS X v10.2.6 or later (Mac OS X v10.2.8 or later recommended)
QuickTime 6.4 or later (QuickTime 6.5 included)
733 MHz G4 w/512 MB of physical RAM is recommended for arrangement and re-compiling of CD-quallity music tracks on all of the source files on “the garage album”

GarageBand support is available through the Apple GarageBand Support Page

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What kind of file are samples?

The file type is an .mp3 music file (MIME type: audio/x-mpeg3)

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How do I play an .mp3 on a Macintosh?

For Mac OS 8.6 and later and Explorer 4 or later, go to: File: Preferences: File Helpers. Click on the default helper listed for .mp3 and enable QuickTime, iTunes or another media player for MP3 playback in the application or browser, via the pull-down menus. Reload the page via your web browser. To download a media player, go to the Apple QuickTime support site or Apple iTunes to download the applications and plug-ins. To obtain further information, go to the Microsoft Explorer support page.

For Mac OS 8.6 or later and Netscape 4 or later, go to File: Preferences: Navigator: File Helpers and check for an available plug-in or application by clicking on the .mp3 file type. To assign a plug-in or application, use the pull-down menus to locate the preferred media player and restart the browser. To download a media player, go to the Apple QuickTime support site or Apple iTunes to download the applications and plug-ins. To obtain further information, go to the Netscape support page.

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How do I play an .mp3 on a Windows computer?

Go to Microsoft Windows Media Support site for complete support of Windows products, including Windows 9x, 2000 and Windows ME.

In Windows XP/Explorer 6:
Download Windows Media Player and install. To use RealPlayer, iTunes or other multimedia player, download and install software and restart your browser. Click on music link. When the Media Center window opens, use the Choose… button to navigate to the plug-in choices window and choose the software player you prefer for playback. Confirm your choice and the playback window will show the progress of the playback while the music plays.

For other system and browser combinations, please consult the appropriate web or documentation resources.

Apple GarageBand

What is GarageBand?

(from Apple.com/GarageBand) GarageBand lets you easily perform, record and create your own music. Whether you’re an experienced or aspiring musician. Or just want to feel — and sound — like a rock star. With the new version of GarageBand, you can even record multiple tracks at the same time. Sing as you play the guitar, harmonize with your best singing bud or jam with the band, and GarageBand will record every note. And when all your tracks are in place, you can view them in full music notation and take advantage of new GarageBand features to enhance the tuning and timing of your recordings.

What are the .zip source files that are available for download?

The source files for the 10 songs on “the garage album” download page are .zip archives of the .band files that can be used to re-mix the songs on “the garage album”. For those without GarageBand, the files will be a folder called “[name of the song] GB”, with a Media folder of .aif files and ProjectData file. For those who have GarageBand installed, “[name of the song] GB.band” will appear to be one file, with associated .aif files available form within the application or through the Finder.

Can I use another source compiler to arrange the songs?

Other sourec compilers are able to use the .aif files, but the arrangements, settings and filters in the projectData file are generally only useable in the GaragBand application.

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Musical Questions

Troubleshooting:

I can't hear the music, what's wrong?

Check your computer's volume adjustment
Check system setting to make sure sound playback is enabled
Check that your browser is set to either download the player file or play it from within the Internet browser. The file type is an .mp3 music file (MIME type: audio/x-mpeg3), and will play through a wide variety of software applications and plug-ins for Windows, Macintosh and other computer systems.
Microsoft Explorer for Windows go to Microsoft Windows Media Support, for Netscape go to the Netscape support page.

What if the GarageBand files won't load or replay correctly?

Check minimum system requirements. Some songs require more memory and a higher speed processor to replay and rearrange the original track arrangments.
Check the permissions of the directories and files. Use the OS X tools to correct these automatically.
Run a Disk Utility verification to ensure the viability of the hard drive volume that the application os running from.
Consult the Apple GarageBand Support Page
For technical questions about the musical arrangements or to share information, email Roger Adler.