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Mac Music Geeks: Eight New GarageBand Patents Have Surfaced

post #1 of 11
Thread Starter 
Eight of Apple's GarageBand patents have surfaced for those who are both geek and musician. The patents cover methods pertaining to such matters as collectively adjusting music tracks; adjusting a variable tempo of an audio file independent of a global tempo; adjusting tracks in a musical arrangement; enabling a user to generate and manipulate string-instrument chord grids; being able to double or replace a recorded sound; and positioning a virtual sound capturing device in a graphical user interface (GUI).





1: Collectively Adjusting Tracks using a Digital Audio Workstation

A computer implemented method allows a user to collectively adjust tracks in a digital workstation. The method includes causing the display of at least one internal track and at least one external track. The method then allows the collective adjusting of the tempo, tempo and pitch, or tuning of each internal track and each external track in response to receiving a command. The adjusted tempo and/or adjusted tuning value can be displayed.

2: Adjusting a Variable Tempo of an Audio File Independent of a Global Tempo using a Digital Audio Workstation.

A computer implemented method allows a DAW to adjust a variable tempo of an audio file independent of a global tempo. The method includes causing the display of a musical arrangement having a global tempo. The musical arrangement includes an audio file having a variable tempo which is independent of the global tempo. The method includes adjusting the variable tempo of the audio file, wherein the variable tempo begins at an initial tempo and adjusts to an end tempo over a set length of time. The method can also include outputting the audio file having the variable tempo in response to a command to play the musical arrangement.

3: Time Compression/Expansion of Selected Audio Segments in an Audio File

A computer implemented method allows a user to adjust tracks in a musical arrangement. The method involves a user selecting a musical position of an audio track, which the user desires to adjust in time, either by compressing it or expanding it, by indicating with a pointing device, such as a mouse, the position in the time line of the audio track that the user wishes to alter. A first marker is then displayed at the selected musical position in the audio track. Boundary markers defining transients in the audio signal surrounding the selected musical position are then automatically generated by analysis of the audio signal, and are displayed on the audio track. The two boundary markers define an audio segment that is to be adjusted in tempo by the user moving the first marker along the time line.

4: System and Method to Generate and Manipulate String-Instrument Chord Grinds in a Digital Audio Workstation

A system and method that enables a user to generate and manipulate string-instrument chord grids in a digital audio workstation. The system and method for generating a string-instrument chord grid includes receiving first data input and second data input. The first data input can include a chord root note and/or a position for one or more fingering dots. The second data input can include an instrument type and our tuning for one or more strings. Using the received data input, a processor generates an entered string-instrument chord based and displays the entered string-instrument chord on a grid. The processor can also generate and display the musical name of the entered string-instrument chord.

5: Doubling or Replacing a Recorded Sound using a Digital Audio Workstation

A computer implemented method allows a user to double or replace a recorded sound using a digital audio workstation. The method includes analyzing an audio file for transients. The method includes detecting a sound event with a corresponding timestamp in the audio file. The method then allows generating, by the processor, MIDI data associated with the corresponding timestamp of the detected sound event. The method then allows outputting the MIDI data to a MIDI instrument. Then the MIDI instrument can generate a corresponding sound at the corresponding timestamp in response to receiving the MIDI data. The detected sound event and corresponding sound can be a snare, drum kick, tom, or other percussion sound.

6: Transient Detection using a Digital Audio Workstation

A processor implements methods, systems, and computer program products for detecting transients in an audio file. The method includes dividing the audio file into segments. Transients can be detected both in a full band signal of the audio file and one or more band-pass filtered signals of the audio file. A weight value can be assigned to each transient detected in both the full band signal and band-pass filtered signals. Transients that are below a predetermined threshold value can be eliminated. The time position of each remaining transient is determined and displayed in the audio file.

7: Positioning a Virtual Sound Capturing Device in a Three Dimensional Interface

A method, system, and computer-readable product for positioning a virtual sound capturing device in a graphical user interface (GUI) are disclosed. The method includes displaying a virtual sound capturing device in relation to a virtual sound producing device in a three dimensional interface and in a two dimensional graphical map. Additionally, the method includes adjusting the display of the virtual sound capturing device in relation to the virtual sound producing device in both the three dimensional interface and the two dimensional graphical map in response to commands received from an input device.

8: Displaying recently used functions in Context Sensitive Menu

A computer implemented method displays an object. The method includes causing the display of a context specific shortcut menu in response to a user command. The menu can include a set of functions relating to the context of the displayed object and a set of a predetermined number of the most recently used functions relating to the context of the displayed object. The most recently used functions can be displayed above the other functions.


Source.

cheers ...
post #2 of 11
Hmm strangely several of those read directly like things that have been implemented for some time(Particularly 5,6,7 and I believe 8). The first 4 are logical extensions of functionality that already exists as well. Not to mention I see no reason these would go directly into garageband, don't forget Apple has professional DAW applications(Logic Express and Logic Studio).

So short version is that I suspect this is a whole lot of ado about nothing.

Seablade
post #3 of 11
Thread Starter 
Isn't Garage Band part of the OS and free?

cheers ...
post #4 of 11
Quote:
Originally Posted by qhn View Post
Isn't Garage Band part of the OS and free?

cheers ...
No, and not really. And doesn't really make to much difference to what I said above anyways

Garageband is part of iLife, which generally comes with new Macs, but is seperate from the OS. So if you want to upgrade Garageband you need to purchase iLife, or a box set of the OS and iLife depending on your needs.

Seablade
post #5 of 11
Thread Starter 
I see. I never bothered with Garage Band since we always have the Logic Studio. Clever way of selling apps though.

cheers ...
post #6 of 11
Garageband is a great little app for what it does, but it is kept intentionally limiting so that anyone doing professional audio will quickly find it to limiting if they need a DAW. That being said, I have pulled it out on a rare occasion to toss together a few loops and create short music stingers etc. but not very often. I have Ardour and Mixbus for my work and they work very well for me

Seablade

Standard Disclaimer Applies in that I am somewhat involved with the Ardour project.
post #7 of 11
Thread Starter 
Ardour Project eh? Great stuff to be involved with. Is it still on-going? Last I heard was some release last year and kinda quiet at the moment.

cheers ...
post #8 of 11
Definitly still ongoing. It has been VERY quiet primarily because A3 is in such heavy development, which among other things brings MIDI and an overhaul of much of the audio workflow...

http://ardour.org/a3_features

Ardour2 is feature frozen at the moment so there hasn't been much reason to make new releases though there is likely to be a bugfix before to long I think. Related to Ardour2 though is the development of Mixbus by Harrison Consoles, who are best known for their very high end post-production consoles(Think many hundreds of thousands of dollars here for major studios). Mixbus is based on Ardour2, but with Harrison's DSP integrated into it, and worked in such a way as to allow people to mix in it MUCH faster than just about any DAW on the market. Mixbus v1 was released a little over a year ago on OS X, and Mixbus v2 is currently being tested, but I can't say to much more than that at this time.

The standard disclaimer for Mixbus is that I beta test for them, but am in no way affiliated with Harrison Consoles.

Seablade
post #9 of 11
Thread Starter 
That is an impressive change log to worked on. I would love to go back and be involved in development of project/product of such caliber. You seem to be thoroughly enjoying with the efforts and contribution there

cheers ...
post #10 of 11
I am not to involved with the actual development of Ardour much, I rarely submit patches due primarily to lack of time. I tend to help out with other means, like coordinating the documentation etc.

Seablade
post #11 of 11
Thread Starter 
No contributing effort is either small or irrelevant in a communal project/product such as Ardour.

I think I will start playing with Ardour 2

cheers ...
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