iCreate - UK (2020-04)

GarageBand

Add attack to Drummer tracks

with Smart Controls

W

hen it comes to adding more natural and organic

sounding percussion parts to your project, Drummer

tracks are hard to beat. These intelligent virtual

players all offer a variety of customisable patterns with choices

over not just the kit, but also crucially the levels of each drum

element. This is hugely useful in adding extra ‘punch’ or a harder

attack, helping drum parts cut through the overall mix and

raising impact. We do this via the Smart Controls panel, just as

we might for any other software instrument. Here it becomes

possible to adjust how loud the kick or bass drum is, the snare,

the cymbals, even adding more cowbell! So in this guide we

examine how any chosen Drummer can sound louder and

prouderwithsomecarefulSmartControladjustments.

How to make your player’s kit hit harder in the mix

Time needed

Developer

Apple, Inc

GarageBand’s built-in Drummers can add extra

punch or a harder attack to your tracks

Dial guide

Identifying the dials, knobs and buttons for

adjusting Drummer sounds

10-15

Percussion players

When you select a percussionist

Drummer like Isabela, for example,

both the Editor and Smart Controls will

appear differently. Here they reflect

not a kit of drums but their selection

of available percussive instruments for

you to select, based on their influences

such as Latin etc. The Smart Controls

also change to match these elements

of course but function the same way.

Knowledge base

Mix options

For an acoustic Drummer such as

Kyle, the ‘Mix’ controls correspond

to kit elements including Kick

(Bass) to Cymbals and selected

Percussion. Each dial adjusts the

instrument level, with the button

adjacent toggling it on (lit) or off.

Smart Controls

The Smart Controls for a

Drummer will vary in look and

functionality depending on

the selected player. Those

playing traditional acoustic

kits or percussion, as shown,

will naturally differentiate

from those using electronic

drum machines.

Compression levels

In regards to percussion,

compression is a method for applying

additional ‘punch’ to drums. It does

so by focusing the sound of every

active drum element being played

and this dial sets the desired amount.

Optional effects

Varying between acoustic and electronic

Drummers, the Effects dials for a player

like Kyle comprise of Tone and Room.

Raising the Tone particularly enhances

the strike sound while also brightening the

attack with Room adding reverb.