Garageband Guitar Presets

What Is Garageband? Garageband is one of the best free Digital Audio Workstations (DAW) for getting started on music production.It was developed by Apple, and is the main free alternative to the more fully equipped Logic Pro. Garageband is intuitive, and comes with a sound library that includes instruments, presets for guitar and voice, and a selection of session drummers. I did try using the presets when recording guitar, but have moved towards just using Garage Band like a multitrack recorder and getting the sound I want out of an amp and then micing it in with an SM57. It just feels better and more natural that way.

The iRig HD 2 from IK Multimedia is arguably the best beginner audio interface for recording guitar with Garageband.

I own three audio interfaces: the Focusrite Saffire 6USB, the Scarlett 2i2, as well as the iRig HD 2.

Due to the fact I rarely record vocals, I pretty much always stick to the iRig HD 2, on account of the fact it’s super small and convenient.

To be truthful, I would argue that, while the iRig HD 2 is not the absolute “best” you can get in terms of audio interfaces, it is great for just recording guitar and it’s the perfect interface if you’re looking for a unit that will do the trick while also being inexpensive.

With that said, there are other solid audio interfaces on the market that have multiple inputs for not only the guitar, but also vocals, so there aren’t any limitations in terms of how many instruments you can use at once.

For instance, the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 has two inputs, that way you can have your guitar/bass/etc plugged in while also recording vocals. You can read more about the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 at this link here.

The iRig HD 2, on the other hand, is only meant for playing the guitar, so if that’s all you’re looking for – just a simple audio interface for playing the guitar – then the HD 2 is a great choice, especially considering its relatively cheap price.

On the other hand, there are some issues with it. My biggest gripe with the iRig HD 2 is the fact it’s made out of plastic, which, to me, always communicates “cheap.”

Other than that, the iRig HD 2 doesn’t have a lot of down-sides to it, with the exception of some users finding it difficult to get their computer to recognize it.

Let’s say you’ve purchased the iRig HD 2 and you’re having trouble getting Garageband to recognize it; this problem can be solved by rebooting Garageband with your iRig HD 2 plugged in.

It’s also worth noting that if you have a new MacBook Pro, rather than one of the old ones, you’ll need a USB-C to USB port, so make sure to pick one of those up if that’s the case. Although, if you own a new MacBook Pro, you probably are already aware of the necessity of an adaptor.

If you want to get a USB-C to USB-B port, I recommend checking out this one right here on Amazon. This one, in particular, has four USB ports, so you can plug in multiple devices if necessary.

Let’s move on to the details and specifications of the unit, as well as what comes with the box.

***The iRig HD 2 is compatible with PC, Mac, iPad, and iPhone.

What Comes With The iRig HD 2

Micro USB to Thunderbolt Cable (for new iPhone users)
Micro USB to USB Cable (Will Need an Adaptor if you’re computer is brand new)
A clip for attaching it to the microphone stand.
***Amplitube 4 for Mac and PC (and Amplitube for iOS)

***It’s worth noting that many of the amplifiers and presets that come with Amplitube 4 are locked, which for me, has rendered Amplitube 4 completely worthless. I never use it. From what I understand, you actually have to purchase each amp model.

T-RackS 5 Custom Shop
AmpliTube Custom Shop
Syntronik Free
SampleTank Custom Shop

It has a Micro USB Device Output and a 1/8″inch Headphone port.

And LED light that communicates that it’s turned on and whether the signal is too hot or just right.

It flashes blue when it’s turned on, flashes red when the signal is too hot, and it flashes green when it’s just right.

It has a gain control knob on it on the left-hand side of the unit, also known as a pre-amp control. In other words, you can turn down the strength of the signal in case you’re clipping.

It’s worth noting that if you’re using a guitar with active (battery-powered such as EMGs) pick-ups, you might have to turn down the gain because the signal is much stronger.

It also has a microphone clip on the back for clipping it to your microphone on stage or wherever, not only for the convenience of use but also for using the unit as a stomp-box. We’ll dive into what I mean by that later.

On the bottom of the iRig HD 2, it has two ports, the 1/4 instrument jack as well as a 1/4 amplifier jack.

What this allows, is for us to send a signal to the computer/Garageband, and to an amplifier at the same time, so we can use an amplifier/cab combo for a speaker system, and also record it through Garageband at the same time.

In other words, in case you want to play your traditional amp and cabinet set-up, including with all of your pedals and whatnot, you can send the “traditional set-up” signal into Garageband for recording, or you can play it through Garageband’s Amp Designer.

If you want to read more about using the Amp Designer, click the link here to read the article I wrote about it.

On the right-hand side of the unit, we have the FX-Thru switch as well as a headphone volume control.

The “FX” setting is for playing the guitar through Garageband’s interface. In other words, it sends the processed signal from the software, in this case, Garageband, to the iRig HD 2.

This means we can use the computer/Garageband as the amplifier/pedal effects.

The “Thru” setting is for the unprocessed signal, which means we’re using the “dry unprocessed signal,” of the guitar through the guitar amplifier, and using that signal and sending it into Garageband.

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This might be confusing, so I’ll explain it another way.

The “FX” setting is for playing the guitar using Garageband as the pedal-effects board/amplifier setting, and then sending that signal out to a guitar amplifier or a mixing board for playing a live show.

If you intend on only using the iRig HD 2 through the computer and playing it back through the speakers, then FX is what you want.

FX is also the setting you want if you’re going to plug your guitar pedals into the iRig and play it through your computer speakers.

The “Thru” setting means that we’re sending an unprocessed signal to a guitar amplifier or a mixing board. In other words, the “Thru” toggle switch means that we’re sending a signal unaffected by Amplitube or Garageband settings out to an amplifier or a mixing board.

The device is 24bit and has a 96kHz sampling rate, which means that the device is operating at what is commonly believed to be the industry standard for recording.

If you want to read more about what these terms mean, check out my article on audio interfaces, The Definitive Guide to Audio Interfaces.

Other Important Things To Consider

As I mentioned in passing above, if the LED light is flashing red, that means that you’re clipping, and you need to turn the gain on the audio interface down.
Aim to have the LED signal flashing green when you’re strumming hard on your guitar
For Amplitube 4, you actually have to purchase each model in the Custom Shop, which in my opinion, was a huge disappointment. Like I said above, if you know how to access these without paying $25 for each model, let me know.
The iRig HD 2 doesn’t work for microphones, it only works for bass and guitar.
Make sure you’ve selected “iRig HD 2” as the input, down in the Smart Controls in the Recording Settings. You can see what this looks like in the image below.

If you’re having issues getting Garageband to recognize the device, try and reboot Garageband with the iRig HD 2 plugged in. This is what I did when I first bought the device and had trouble getting the computer to recognize it. Additionally, you can go into Garageband’s preferences and change the “Output” and “Input” device settings.
Make sure your “Enable Audio Units” box is checked, which will allow you to enable various AU plug-ins, including Amplitube if you end up wanting to use it.

It’s also worth mentioning that, yes, you can use the iRig HD 2 with your guitar pedals. If you want to know how to plug your guitar pedals into Garageband while using the iRig HD 2 as an audio interface, click the link here.
I’ve also noticed that some MicroUSB cables don’t work with the iRig HD 2 for some reason. For instance, despite having the same cable as nearly all of my vapes, they don’t work in the same way, so make sure that you’re using the MicroUSB that comes in the box, rather than some other miscellaneous cable. This might just be an issue with the vape cables, but I can’t say for sure – just something to keep in mind.

How To Set Up The iRig HD 2

In terms of just getting the iRig HD 2 set up, it’s not that hard. It’s just a matter of plugging it into your computer, which looks a lot like the image below.

1) Plug your USB to USB-C adaptor into your computer

2) Plug the USB to MicroUSB cable into the adaptor

3) Attach the MicroUSB to your iRig HD 2

4) Plug your guitar cable into the iRig HD 2, and then run it into your guitar.

How To Access Amplitube 4 and Other Free Software

This part is optional, but in order to get access to Amplitube 4, Custom Shop, and the other plug-ins that it comes with, you must register the product with IK Multimedia on their website.

You don’t have to do this if you intend on just using the iRig HD 2 as is, however, it is necessary for accessing Amplitube.

1) Go to IK Multimedia’s website at www.ikmultimedia.com

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2) Make an account with them.

3) Register the iRig HD 2’s serial number with IK Multimedia. You can find the serial number for the product on the box.

4) Once you’ve registered the product with them, you’ll have to download the authorization manager to set everything up, but once everything has been registered, you’ll land on a page that looks like this.

Then, you can download all of the plug-ins that it comes with.

Garageband Guitar Presets Tutorial

YouTube Video Tutorial

Conclusion

All in all, the iRig HD 2 is definitely a really handy device to have if you’re a guitar player, and it’s worth grabbing, especially if you’re all about the convenience of use or you need an audio interface to travel with on the road.

Additionally, if you’re in the market for a portable audio interface that’s good for both microphones and the guitar, the iRig Pro I/O is a great choice because it works for both. I wrote about the iRig Pro I/0 more in detail at this link here.

There are also additional models with more than one input, so you can plug your guitar as well as your microphone into the same unit at the same time. It costs more money, however.

GarageBand is a free DAW for all macOS, iPad OS, and iOS users. It is complete with over 10GB of free virtual instruments and effects, including guitar amp simulators, guitar pedals, and more. Plus, you can also use GarageBand’s onboard effects to shape your guitar tone a little bit further—enabling you to create high-quality guitar tracks for your projects.

To use guitar effects in GarageBand, create a new guitar audio instrument track, connect your guitar, and choose between the hundreds of guitar presets in the sound library. Alternatively, you can also design your guitar tone by selecting the different amps, adjusting the mic positioning, and adding guitar pedals.

GarageBand has dozens of guitar amps, pedals, and presets that enable guitarists to shape the tone in many ways. The presets sound impressive, but you can make your tone sound more professional with a little bit of tweaking.

How Do you Use Guitar Pedals in GarageBand?

To use pedals on GarageBand, you need to click and open the pedalboard menu on the track settings. The icon looks like a guitar pedal next to the tuner and amp menu on the right side of the screen.

It will take you to the pedalboard menu, where you can drag, drop, and arrange pedals in any order. You can also tweak the pedals by turning the knobs—kind of like working with actual guitar pedals.

You can also select different pedal presets by clicking the drop-down menu on the upper-left corner of the pedalboard menu.

How Do I Make My Guitar Sound Better in GarageBand?

The key to making your guitar tone sound better in GarageBand is to adjust the gain, volume, and noise gate to a perfect balance. You need to avoid clipping, but you also do not want the volume or signal to be too low, resulting in a quiet and anti-climactic tone that does not have a good impact on the overall mix.

Choose the right amp and settings

The first thing you need to do is choose an amp or preset. You can locate presets for clean, crunch, distorted guitar, bass presets, and experimental sounds in the sound library.

You can also choose different amps by selecting the amp icon next to the track settings and controls to switch between amps and choose amp preset settings.

You can switch between different amps and presets. Plus, you can even change the mic’s position in this menu, allowing you to design and customize your sound fully.

Adjust the levels

To make your guitar sound better in free software like GarageBand, it starts by adjusting the levels. You can adjust the level on your audio interface first, then adjust the amp and master levels within the DAW.

Choose the right pedals

You can also add and remove pedals from your presets to improve the guitar sound when recording guitar tracks in GarageBand. Ensure that your pedals are in the correct order, which usually starts with compression, distortion, delay, reverb, and modulation. However, you can arrange the pedals in whichever way you like.

Factors that Affect Your Guitar Sound in GarageBand

Many factors affect your guitar sound and overall tone in GarageBand, such as the hardware you are using, the guitar itself, and the settings in GarageBand. Sometimes adding too much gain will affect the tone, making it sound a little bit dirty on the mix.

Volume and Gain

Volume and gain control of the signal coming from the guitar and your preamp. (audio interface) It is always best to adjust the sound before you start recording instead of fixing the sound in post-production—especially for audio tracks. Unlike MIDI tracks, you cannot modify the velocity of each note, and it is not a good idea to rely on virtual effects to fix the volume, especially if you want a professionally-sounding guitar mix.

You want to adjust the gain and output from the audio interface first before adjusting the volume within your DAW. The right levels can reduce peaking and clipping even when you accidentally strum or pluck the strings too hard.

Gear

The equipment you are using can also affect the overall sound output. To get the best sound, make sure you are using an audio interface with a built-in preamp. Your guitar can also affect the sound, so make sure you change the strings if they are old to get a full and brighter tone. You also need to make sure that your guitar wirings are intact and shielded to reduce white noise, especially for recording lead and distorted guitar tracks.

Amps

Some amp presets will still need tweaking, especially in a free DAW like GarageBand. Although it is deemed as a beginner DAW with essential functions, a little bit of tweaking and adjustments with the amp’s volume, gain, and EQ levels can go a long way.

Pedals

When building a pedal chain in GarageBand, it is like building a signal chain in real life, where the arrangement of the pedals can affect the overall tone. Make sure to arrange the pedals properly for a cleaner and tighter tone.

Other Effects

Aside from guitar effects, GarageBand also features a ton of built-in effect plugins, such as reverb, chorus, delay, EQ, bit crusher, pitch, modulation, and many more. You can use these effects for all tracks, including guitar tracks, and these effects can help shape and master your guitar tone to fit well into the mix.

Recording Guitar: Audio Interface vs Mic to Amp

Using an audio interface is the most convenient way to record guitar audio tracks. It is easy, and you don’t need an amp, guitar pedals, and a mic. Also, you don’t need to worry about technical details like mic positioning and other factors.

However, using a solid-state or tube amp will definitely result in a more organic sound, better than any digital instrument, which is best for recording rock and lead guitar tracks. It will definitely have more intensity, and it is the best way to record guitar-driven songs. You can still use digital effects to enhance the guitar sound in post-production, but the power will come from the guitar, pedals, and amp itself. However, tracking guitar using this method is not as simple as using GarageBand presets with an audio interface.

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