Currently Browsing
Music
Rogue Amoeba’s Audio Hijack Pro is an application which promises to perform a seemingly simple function that’s actually more difficult to execute than one might imagine – to take complete control of your Mac audio card and capture any audio from any source, whether from applications like iTunes, Skype or the Mac’s built-in microphone.
Audio Hijack Pro combines this control with a genuine wealth of options and features, shoehorning just about anything that an audio user could fairly wish to see in an application of its type. Read on to find out more.
So far in our series of making music with GarageBand, we’ve taken a look at getting started with GarageBand, and have then moved on to creating a simple song in GarageBand using virtual instruments. We’re going to continue to step up the complexity to make more unique, nuanced songs but I felt that before getting more advanced with virtual instruments and editing MIDI, it’s high time that we took a moment’s pause to look at the basics of recording electric guitar.
Though this article is catered toward beginners looking to use their computer to record electric guitar, electric bass works just the same and it will mostly be applicable to other instruments, like keyboards and drum machines.
In our previous look at using GarageBand, we discussed the basic principles behind creating music with a Mac and GarageBand, talked about what terms like MIDI and DAW mean and dipped a toe into making music with virtual instruments.
Hopefully by now you’ve had a chance to get familiar with the basic sounds that come with GarageBand by default, because now we’re going to record a simple song using virtual instruments!
GarageBand is an awesome beginner-friendly music application which can be used for capturing and manipulating audio, making music with virtual instruments and recording your own professional sounding podcasts, plus more. All that’s required is the desire and patience to learn!
To get started with GarageBand, we shall begin by first discussing the basics behind computer music software and virtual instruments, in addition to looking at recommended hardware to help you on your way. All this will provide a foundation for future guides, in which we will record a whole song and more.
It’s very easy to make your own iPhone ringtones with GarageBand. Those who already know their way around Apple’s beginner-friendly Digital Audio Workstation will be able to breeze through this guide with a few quick glances, but for Mac users new to GarageBand, the seven steps below will guide you along the way.
It’s already been established that the top three video game consoles can do a lot more than just play games. The PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii can all act as media hubs and extenders to stream videos, music and photos stored on your Mac.
Streaming content isn’t all that new, but it’s popularity and adoption amongst a wider range of consumers is becoming noticeable. Whether it’s streaming music from the Web or listening to your iTunes playlists remotely, the method of delivering the stuff you want is getting easier to grasp. The best part is that you don’t need much more than some neat software, a home network and, naturally, content you want to enjoy.
What you need to make sure of before you initiate all this is that your game console is connected to your home network, through Ethernet or Wi-Fi. Once the Mac and the console are on the same network, the rest should be easy.
Today we’re concluding our three part media centre series by taking a look at the different remote control options available. Possibilities explored will include hardware remotes, iPhone/iPod touch applications, and the option of using VLC to interact with your Mac desktop directly.
There’s no fun in getting up from the couch every time you’d like to change the channel, so choosing a good remote control is absolutely vital! Before getting started, you may like to take a look at the other articles in our three part series:
Today we’re continuing our series on setting up a Mac Media Centre, taking a look at the different software options available for watching TV shows, movies, music and photos on your television. Applications covered include Plex, Boxee, Hulu, Front Row, iTheater, CenterStage and MediaCentral.
You can also take a look at the other articles in our three part series:
- Part 1: Hardware
- Part 2: Software
- Part 3: Remote Control
iTunes doesn’t make it entirely easy to change the location of your media or set it up to share between computers. Many people struggle with duplicate files, or with iTunes being unable to find the location of your music after moving it around.
In this how-to guide, I’ll look at moving your iTunes library to a different location on your own computer, restoring from your iPod, and how to set up your iTunes library to stay in sync with the other Macs in your household.
This week, we have a series of articles that offer step-by-step guides for setting up your own Mac media centre. The ability to access all your video and media from the comfort of a sofa is something of “holy grail”, and a system fairly difficult to implement well. Our guide will be split into three parts:
- Part 1: Hardware
- Part 2: Software
- Part 3: Remote Control
Whilst AppStorm is (as the name suggests) primarily an application-focused blog, today we’ll be venturing a little deeper into the hardware involved in a Mac media centre. We shall compare the relative benefits of an Apple TV, Mac Mini or MacBook, and offer some advice on how to connect everything together.
