Week 4-Practical Experience with Garage Band (Post #3)

Tried to loop on this one, but just had to record continuously

As mentioned in Post #2, I wanted to learn a bit more about loops in Garage Band.  As I opened it up, I never realized that there is a separate component of Garage Band specifically for loops.  I was a bit upset that as I clicked on loops, most were not available and needed to be downloaded.  I was a bit apprehensive because I did not know that if I would be charged for downloading it.  It is not really what I thought it was, so now I want to go into putting effects into my tracks.  How do others put echos and scary sounds in their music?  Is it like inserting sound in iMovie?  There is a part on the track header that will allow me to add effects.  They have the female voice one, so that will help me sound more natural on my recordings.

Week 4-Practical Experience with Garage Band (Post #2)

Mixing via apple.com

One thing I would like to learn in Garage Band is to mix and loop tracks.  I know it can be done, and if I want to repeat a sound, it would be much easier and more consistent...and professional!  First, about mixing.  From researching online, and playing with Garage Band with tracks I already had, I learned how to look for if a track is clipping, and how to moderate the single and master tracks to prevent clipping.  It is very important to look at the volume monitor, where there are green and red colors.  If it gets to the red color, the track or whole set will clip and the volume and quality will be compromised.  Not everything on the loud setting would suffice for professional work.  As I record now, I will monitor track levels and adjust accordingly.

Week 4-Practical Experience with Garage Band (Post #1)

My first experience with Garage Band

My only experience with Garage Band is with making podcasts.  I was so scared to use this tool initially!  I had to play with it for a second, because unbeknown  to me, the top portion is the part that I needed to work with, especially formatting it in the correct voice.  I didn't know how to cut audio so I would re-record over and over again until I had it perfect in one take.  This was very frustrating, so I started to conduct research.

Week 3-Practical Experience with iMovie

iMovie is one of those programs that has been on my Mac for years and I never really opened it.  I saw it as something that video people and the like would use.  I'm not one of those people, until now.  I have found using iMovie very easy to use as I have gotten better and better as the Full Sail program has progressed.  There are still some things that I would like to learn, especially if I would like to use it for my Action Research project.

First, what I have learned in the last couple of months.  I know how to record video into iMovie.  This was my first experience with it.  I also learned how to cut video and audio, add effects, and do voice over.  As someone who has never used it before June 2010, I'm getting pretty good.

Now, to what I would like to learn further.  I would like how to cut my video and audio with more precision.  I know that iMovie is not Final Cut Pro, but it is still an Apple product.  If you have been around any Apple product for some time, they are at a higher caliber and make it seem like your projects are on the professional level.  That's what I love about them and iMovie is just facilitating that idea even further.  I would also like to use green screen and step it up on my effects.  I would love for my movies to move from amateur to professional grade.  

Week 3-Practical Experience with Flash

Adobe Flash tutorial from howcast.com via YouTube

As I installed the Adobe Suite the first couple of days of having my new Mac, I was so excited to preview all of the programs.  Some of them I have used in my undergraduate studies, such as Illustrator and Photoshop, and others I use almost every day, like Acrobat.  

One program I would like to learn about is Flash.  I've heard about it, but really don't know much about it.  As I opened the program on my computer, I see some templates that remind me of Illustrator.  I open up the Advertising template and chose a size to work with.  It opens up and then I'm stuck...don't know where to go afterwards!  So, I looked on the learn section which led to the Adobe website.  I guess that I am a visual learner because all of that text was overwhelming!

So I finally went on YouTube, my answer and best friend in life.  I saw a video that explained how to create a simple animation with a blue box.  Then I realized what Flash is.  Flash is the component to websites that allows pictures to move, or animate.  Then I watched a video on how to create a Flash website.  It was a step-by-step process that seems pretty easy.  I will just have to sit down one day and play with it and see what happens.  I will also go onto Lynda.com and see what tutorials they have on Flash.  It seems like a very interesting program and I would love to gain more knowledge about it.

 

Week 3-Practical Experience with Google Docs

My Google Doc page...a little Full Sail & high school work!

I tend to find and create documents for school at home sometimes. For me to get it to and from school, my flash drive has been my best friend. But sometimes that best friend is lost, or taken by my 13 month old, and never found again! This is why I started using Google Docs. I love that I will never have a conversion problem because I am using a Mac at home and a PC at school. Also, I don't have to worry about losing my important documents again.

I would love to incorporate Google Docs in my action research.  I think that it will be a great tool for my students.  The only problem is that it is blocked by my school district.  It would be a great way for my classes to collaborate and to share items with one another.

As far as proficiency, I am good at basic creation, uploading, and sharing a doc, but that is about it.  I had no idea that you are able to create surveys, forms and draw on a Google Doc.  That is what I want to learn more about.  In TMD class, we created a survey from there and I thought that it was so cool!  With the templates and help section, it was definitely easy.  I know that I only scratched the surface though and want to learn more.  I know that on Lynda.com, there are tutorials on Google Docs, so I will be looking into that very soon.