Extend GarageBand's recording limit to 3 hours

[Craig]

Many people have pointed out that GarageBand is limited to a maximum recording time of 35 minutes. In fact, GarageBand is limited to 998 measures, so the actual length depends on how you configure your project when you create it. The default is 4/4 time, 120 bpm, which means that each measure gets 4 beats and there are 120 beats in a minute. This gives you 30 measures per minute and 998/30 is roughly 33 minutes.

To maximize the recording time, set the tempo to 40 (the lowest you can set it to) and the time to 7/4. When you do the math this works out to a maximum recording time of 174.65 minutes or almost 3 hours.

Note that you need to set these values when your first create your project. Attemping to change them in an existing project will cause some interesting results!

I hope this is helpful.

Craig

[Illinoise]

Ahhhh, brilliant. I knew about the BPM, but hadn't considered the signature!

One caveat, of course, is that this method makes it VERY problematic to try and incorporate apple loops as background music, beds, etc., because they are played AWFULly slowly (40 BPM). If you're not using the loops or are, instead, importing song files, this shouldn't be a problem.

Additional question slightly related: Anyone ever run into an issue where Garageband stops allowing you to insert volume markers to fade music? Occassionally, I'll be working on a file and after a couple volume markers, GB stops allowing me to add markers that I can use to adjust the levels. Am I crazy?

[Craig]

One caveat, of course, is that this method makes it VERY problematic to try and incorporate apple loops as background music, beds, etc., because they are played AWFULly slowly (40 BPM). If you're not using the loops or are, instead, importing song files, this shouldn't be a problem.
True, but you can get around this by using a separate project for your apple loop stuff and then export each track to iTunes then import the resulting AIFFs into your voice project. It's a little known fact that you can loop recorded files in GB (in GB2 anyway) just like you can other loops, so you can easily extend your beds as needed.

Additional question slightly related: Anyone ever run into an issue where Garageband stops allowing you to insert volume markers to fade music? Occassionally, I'll be working on a file and after a couple volume markers, GB stops allowing me to add markers that I can use to adjust the levels. Am I crazy?
This is fixed in GB2. You're still crazy though.

Craig

[Illinoise]

Thanks Craig ... always my hero.

Remember that when we come to stay at your apartment this summer. Doesn't that sound like fun? Janet can babysit and you and I can go hang out with Megadeth.

Again.

[MrOtis]

You can also just click and drag the little purple end-marker-arrow to the right. It's more time-consuming than re-mathematizing the whole shebang, but your loops will play at the right speed.

[Craig]

You can also just click and drag the little purple end-marker-arrow to the right. It's more time-consuming than re-mathematizing the whole shebang, but your loops will play at the right speed.
Does this allow you to extend past the 999 measure limit?

Craig

[Craig]

Janet can babysit and you and I can go hang out with Megadeth.
Wait a minute, why can't you babysit? If I have a choice of who to hang out with...

Craig