Evaluating the Song’s Output Level 363
This feature is great for exporting songs to iTunes because it will automat-
ically adjust the volume level as needed to make sure that it’s loud enough.
Close the Preferences window.
NOTE
Although the Auto Normalize feature is good for exporting music
to iTunes, you probably wouldn’t want to use this feature if you were scor-
ing video with dynamic music and sound effects that have very specific
volume settings.
Now that you’ve set up the export information, iTunes will automatically cre-
ate a playlist titled iLife ’09 Lessons and include the other information in the
playlist.
Evaluating the Song’s Output Level
It’s time to check the output levels for the song to make sure they aren’t clip-
ping. Remember, the Master Output Volume meters are located in the lower-
right corner of the GarageBand window. You can use the Master Output
Volume slider to raise or lower the output level as needed.
Also, because training your ears takes practice, remember to listen beyond the
basic song: Check the left-to-right placement of the different instruments in
the stereo field, as well as the balance between the volume levels of the differ-
ent tracks.
364 Jamming with a Virtual Band
Let’s play the song and check the output levels. If the levels are too high,
you’ll need to lower the output. If the levels are too low, you’ll need to raise
the output.
If you didn’t complete all of the previous exercises, open the project
Magic
Rock Song.band in the Lesson_12 folder to catch up.
1 Press Return and then the spacebar to begin playback. As the song plays,
watch the Master Output Volume meters for signs of clipping.
NOTE
If you don’t see the master level meters along the bottom of the
GarageBand window, increase the size of the GarageBand window. You
may need to change the resolution of your monitor to make more room.
You can also hide the track info if it’s visible.
If you see any clipping (red) in the meters, stop playback. If you aren’t
sure whether you saw red, the handy clipping indicators (red dots) at the
end of the meter light up to let you know that clipping did indeed happen.
You should discover red level meters and some clipping throughout
the song.
2 Drag the Master Output Volume slider to -3.1 dB to lower the output
volume and avoid clipping.
3 Play the song again from the beginning and check the new output level in
the meters.
Be careful not to set your levels too low. Ideally, your levels should peak
between the highest green and yellow portions of the meter. Fortunately,
you selected Auto Normalize in the GarageBand preferences, so the levels
should still output with plenty of volume for iTunes.
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