by Rick Schneblin

The following tutorial will help guide you in getting started using Aria-based Garritan products on GarageBand 5, which is a little different than previous version of GarageBand. I will assume that all installation processes have been completed. Begin by launching a new GarageBand ?le.

In GarageBand 5, this begins with a menu window with several types of ?le starters. Click the Piano template and this will give you one Software Track, the Grand Piano.

Select the track and then press the "i" button in the bottom-right to view the instrument window. Now click the "Edit Tab" so that you can see the instrument settings.You are now ready to load up your ?rst instrument. Toward the top of the Edit Tab is the Sound Generator box. Click on the pulldown list button (currently set to piano) and scroll until you ?nd Aria Player.

With Aria chosen as the Sound Generator, click the "Orange Sound Ball" button next to the pulldown button. This will bring up the Aria Player assignment and mixing console. Click on the ?rst channel that reads "empty" and navigate through the hierarchal menu. Choose the instrument you wish to be assigned to your track. In this example, we will choose the Middle Eastern Duduk.

You can assign another instrument on another mixer channel, but let's keep things simple for now. You can test the instrument you have chosen by clicking on the piano keys at the bottom of the window. Aria will highlight the keys that are within the range of the instrument. On some MIDI keyboards you may not be able to get the samples to play. This may be because the channel cannot be set on them.

To make sure this setup plays with anything you plug in, go to the small channel assign located in the mixing console.

Clicking on this will bring a series of channel assigns. Pick the “OM” for Omni which will allow this instrument to play on all the MIDI channels. When you are satis?ed with your choice, close the window.

The instrument will play now, however, you will want to create a custom instrument ?le so that the next time you wish to have a Duduk, it will be far simpler. To create a custom instrument setting, choose an icon by clicking on the current Grand Piano icon in the Details window and replace the current Grand Piano icon with an icon that best represents the current instrument. In this case, a recorder.

Click on the folder you wish for it to be made available. Then click the Save Instrument button at the bottom of the Details window and save it as "Aria Duduk" or some other name. The instrument is now available for you to assign to a desired track.

It is best to keep the instruments dry and free of reverb so that you can control the reverb settings within GarageBand. There are also pan settings within Aria. If you wish to control the pan within the tracks in GarageBand, then make sure these are set to center within the Aria mixing console.

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