I run The GarageBand Guide on YouTube and the web, helping beginners and hobbyists make better music with Apple gear through clear tutorials, honest reviews, and practical guides.
Apple hardware just got a LOT more expensive
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Hi, Reader If you use a Mac or iPad to make music, you’ve probably noticed that buying Apple hardware has become considerably more expensive recently. Price increases have hit Macs and iPads across the lineup, sometimes by hundreds of Dollars/Pounds. And that’s before you start looking at what Apple charges for additional RAM and storage… Now, there ARE legitimate reasons behind these increases. The global RAM and storage supply situation has affected the entire tech industry, so I don’t think this is simply a case of Apple deciding it would quite like some more money. But regardless of the reason, we’re the ones who have to pay these prices. And I think that changes the conversation around buying Apple hardware for music production. Do you actually need the newest Mac or iPad? Could an older Apple silicon model give you everything you need? Is buying second hand worth the risk? What about refurbished? And should you really be paying Apple hundreds of pounds for additional internal storage when external SSDs are so much cheaper? That’s exactly what I’m looking at in my latest video. WATCH HERE: Apple’s New Prices Are BAD News for Musicians I also go through some things to look out for when buying used, because saving a few hundred pounds isn’t much of a bargain if you end up buying a lemon. All the best, Patrick PS - If you're finding these messages helpful, please consider supporting The GarageBand Guide by buying me a coffee! |
The GarageBand Guide
I run The GarageBand Guide on YouTube and the web, helping beginners and hobbyists make better music with Apple gear through clear tutorials, honest reviews, and practical guides.
Hi, Reader Two new videos for you this week, covering quite different corners of music making. Turn your GarageBand tracks into sheet music GarageBand for Mac’s Score Editor is easy to overlook. It lets you edit your MIDI notes as musical notation, then print your part or save it as a PDF. Handy if you read music or want to share a part with someone who does. Watch here: GarageBand Can Do THIS With Your MIDI Tracks? A closer look at VocAlign 7 If you record doubled vocals or harmonies, you’ll...
Hi, Reader Apple’s latest updates are here. But if you use your Mac, iPhone or iPad to make music, I wouldn’t rush to install them just yet. The issue isn’t necessarily macOS 27, iOS 27 or iPadOS 27 themselves. It’s everything else in your setup. Third-party plugins, AUv3 instruments and effects, music apps, audio interfaces, MIDI controllers and even licence managers can all potentially run into compatibility problems after a major OS update. And while something being unsupported doesn’t...
Hi, Reader Did you know GarageBand has a collection of Apple plugins hidden away in its settings? And I do mean hidden. You need to enable them in your iPad’s Settings first, then dig into the Audio Unit Extensions menu before you’ll even see them. It’s a shame, because there are some really useful effects in there. In my latest video, I show you how to unlock them and take a closer look at three of my favourites, including a much more powerful alternative to GarageBand’s usual compressor....