Syncing blocs wave with GarageBand

Treesarenice

Does anyone know the best way of syncing up blocs wave into GarageBand so that BW follows GBs tempo and starts and stops it’s sample playback at the right places?

icsleepers

I was just fighting with this yesterday, as far as I know, you cannot. Set tempo the same and hit play on BW at exactly the right time lol...

There might be some secret sauce with Audiobus? I just looked in AUM and I cannot set GB anywhere (obviously not an AU and not IAA instrument either)

Janosax

You can use Midi Link Sync app that way:

Or even better use Audiobus with those simple settings:

Midi clock has to be enabled in GarageBand and Link in Blocswave (and Audiobus if used as syncing app).

icsleepers

@Janosax for the win!!

Janosax

You can also sync AUM to GB with Midi link Sync the same way @icsleepers

Then load AUM in GarageBand as an IAA input and choose GarageBand as AUM output:

If using Audiobus instead of Midi Link Sync for syncing, you can also use this routing in AB:

And AUM:

In fact, one year ago before July GB update which fixed AU rendering, I was using AUM and GB with Midi Link Sync a lot with great success and made for example this track with all saxes effects hosted in AUM and recorded wet in GB:

Now AU works perfectly in GB, but I still use AB for syncing GB with Blocswave, Rozeta or using LFO via midi learn/doing real-time automations in AB, recording the audio or midi in GB. Great combo!!

Treesarenice

Thanks guys. @Janosax do you say that audiobus is better because you can recall the preset so it all loads up automatically each time ? Or because you can include other sfx into the chain ?

Janosax

@Treesarenice said:
Thanks guys. @Janosax do you say that audiobus is better because you can recall the preset so it all loads up automatically each time ? Or because you can include other sfx into the chain ?

I’d say both, but mostly because you don’t have to set clock settings each time. Also, midi clock to Link conversion is much tighter in Audiobus than Midi Link Sync. And if you want to use some effects in the chain with LFO modulation of some parameters (or do some real-time automation with Rozeta XY, editable with Gadget Taipei or future Atom CC update), Audiobus is perfect for that with its midi learn feature. Just record the result as audio in GB all in sync.

Treesarenice

@Janosax thanks. This has opened up a whole new world. The power of GarageBand now with an entire new sound set library from blocs wave. This is quite a big deal. I’m surprised more hasn’t been made of this combo. Or maybe it probably has I just have not realised.

Janosax

@Treesarenice said:
@Janosax thanks. This has opened up a whole new world. The power of GarageBand now with an entire new sound set library from blocs wave. This is quite a big deal. I’m surprised more hasn’t been made of this combo. Or maybe it probably has I just have not realised.

Note that you can export from Blocswave and choose Copy:

‭

Then paste (coller in French) directly in GarageBand on an audio track:

Or you can record Blocswave directly as audio in GarageBand, then don’t forget to make some correction for timing offset (zoom at max then zoom again in GB, this will disable snap to grid and you will be able to move the region the same way you use slip feature in Blocswave, then adjust region start/end with snap to grid enabled again):

You can also use offset correction in Audiobus or Midi Link Sync to compensate that offset:

I use both methods, works equally well.

Treesarenice

@Janosax Thank you ! Very helpful ! These are great tips which I will certainly use. I do like the audiobus Ableton / midi link though as that means that you can preview blocs wave sounds alongside playback of your GarageBand track so you can more easily hear which samples work better together, rather than copy / pasting over, and then playing back.

Janosax

@Treesarenice said:
@Janosax Thank you ! Very helpful ! These are great tips which I will certainly use. I do like the audiobus Ableton / midi link though as that means that you can preview blocs wave sounds alongside playback of your GarageBand track so you can more easily hear which samples work better together, rather than copy / pasting over, and then playing back.

You’re welcome!! Of course I use all those apps all in sync, I need to hear what I do too, this is the purpose, no other way to shape properly sounds! But when you want to integrate Blocs wave loops inside GarageBand arrangement to make your song, you can also use copy/paste or AU/IAA recording options (for later GarageBand song export as a stereo file for example).

Treesarenice

@Janosax said:

@Treesarenice said:
@Janosax Thank you ! Very helpful ! These are great tips which I will certainly use. I do like the audiobus Ableton / midi link though as that means that you can preview blocs wave sounds alongside playback of your GarageBand track so you can more easily hear which samples work better together, rather than copy / pasting over, and then playing back.

You’re welcome!! Of course I use all those apps all in sync, I need to hear what I do too, this is the purpose, no other way to shape properly sounds! But when you want to integrate Blocs wave loops inside GarageBand arrangement to make your song, you can also use copy/paste or AU/IAA recording options (for later GarageBand song export as a stereo file for example).

Makes complete sense. I’m off to make some music with this great new information and advice.

bibenu

@Janosax how did you get the blocswave icon in garageband ? Doesn't work for me either by selecting blocswave as an AUV3 or inter-app audio, or even by editing the icon after creation..

@Janosax said:

Then paste (coller in French) directly in GarageBand on an audio track: