Add memory, Lock tracks – Apple Using the GarageBand Jam Pack: World Music Instruments User Manual

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Add Memory

In general, Real Instrument loops (blue) are extremely efficient and require the least
amount of resources from your computer. The Software Instruments and Software
Instrument loops (green) in World Music require more processing power, as the sound
is being processed in real time. This is why Software Instruments and Software
Instrument loops require a computer with at least a G4 processor, and why Apple
recommends you have at least 1 GB of RAM to use World Music.

The simplest way to increase performance—that is, to be able to play songs with more
tracks and with more Software Instruments—is to install more RAM in your computer.
For GarageBand and Logic users, adding RAM is an affordable investment that will
improve the performance of the high-quality instruments in World Music.

Convert Software Instrument Loops to Real Instrument Loops

As stated above, Software Instrument loops require more processing power than Real
Instrument loops. If your computer has 512 MB or more of memory, the performance
impact of using Software Instrument loops is much higher than with Real Instrument
loops. Whenever you use Software Instrument loops that you don’t intend to edit later,
converting them to Real Instrument loops can increase performance.

You can convert a Software Instrument loop to a Real Instrument loop by Option-
dragging it from the loop browser to the timeline. You can change the default behavior
in GarageBand Preferences so that Software Instrument loops are always converted to
Real Instrument loops when you drag them from the loop browser to the timeline.

Lock Tracks

When you lock a Software Instrument track, the track is rendered to your computer's
hard disk. Playing the rendered track requires less processing power and less memory
than playing the Software Instrument track. By locking tracks, you trade processor
usage for hard disk usage. This can provide an increase in performance (especially on
computers with slower processors, or when you are using many instruments or effects,
which consume processing power), but locking many tracks can have an impact on
performance, especially on laptops or other computers with slower hard disk speeds
(or on computers with nearly full hard disks).

Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered
in the U.S. and other countries. GarageBand is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
019-0578/01-2006