I've figured out how to do some cool things with Garageband for iPad just by doing a couple things to the project file (so no jailbreak required). Some of the biggest things include:

1. The ability to go from the Mac Garageband back to the iPad
2. The ability to have unlimited tracks on the ipad (I think it's limited to just 8 to begin with)
3. Any Kontakt instrument as an instrument choice (this is already a pretty common known ability)

Let me know if anyone's interested in this and I'll type up a little guide or just upload a project file with 15 tracks or something.

 

Nice one elliotttate.

My Lad plays with Garageband on the iPad and LOVES it, so some "extra`s" without the risk of Jail Breaking would be much appreciated.

Thank You.

 

View attachment 12 Track Template.band.zip

Just drag this template file into Garageband through iTunes and you'll have 12 tracks instead of just 8. Let me know if there's any other limitations you would want removed... (note, I think the 8 track limit was put on there because doing 12 tracks with effects and instruments on the iPad 1 might sometimes choke. I've never had a problem with my iPad 2, but share your results if you don't mind...)

 

Am super-interested in that little guide. How do you go back to the iPad?

Also, How would I use Kontakt instruments on the iPad?

 

Cool, there’s just two steps. Note: If you have a Mac Garageband file with effects and plugins, obviously the iPad won't have these and so will just give a "missing plugin" error "please install the plugin on the iPad" (which there's no way to do this currently. It's almost as if Apple might include this one day)

Anyway, ereh it is… Download your iPad garageband project and edit it however you want with the mac Garageband. (When importing into the mac garageband, it’ll ask you to resave it as another file.) When you’re ready to put it back into the ipad garageband:

1. Right click on the GB file and click show package contents. Open up the “projectData” file with a text editor and replace the top part of code (The part that actually makes sense to read) with the code from the “projectData” file in the original ipad GB file copy. The ipad version looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>$archiver</key>
<string>NSKeyedArchiver</string>
<key>$objects</key>
<array>
<string>$null</string>
<string>ios</string>
<string>iPad2,1</string>
<dict>
<key>$class</key>
<dict>
<key>CF$UID</key>
<integer>5</integer>
</dict>
<key>DfLogicModelLogicSong</key>
<dict>
<key>CF$UID</key>
<integer>4</integer>
</dict>
</dict>
<data>

After you replace this top part, scroll down to the bottom of the projectData file and you’ll see code that makes sense again. Again, replace this data with the original ipad projectData file data that looks like this:

</data>
<dict>
<key>$classes</key>
<array>
<string>DfLogicModel</string>
<string>NSObject</string>
</array>
<key>$classname</key>
<string>DfLogicModel</string>
</dict>
<dict>
<key>$class</key>
<dict>
<key>CF$UID</key>
<integer>28</integer>
</dict>
<key>CBData</key>
<dict>
<key>CF$UID</key>

……………. All the way to the bottom……….

<integer>1</integer>
</dict>
<key>Version</key>
<integer>45000</integer>
</dict>
<key>$version</key>
<integer>100000</integer>
</dict>
</plist>

2. Last thing is to delete what’s in the Output folder (inside your song) and replace it with the output folder files that are in the original ipad version of your song. After this, your Mac Edited Garageband file should work fine again on your ipad.

A program could be written pretty easily that does this automatically... If only a programmer cared about this. :-(


For other samples in Garageband, it's not really Kontakt in iPad Garageband, it's converting the samples using GBSamplerManager. It's an amazing program that perfectly converts a Kontakt file into an EXS file (what logic and Garageband can read natively). Then you can open it just like any other instrument in iPad GB. Works amazingly. I could convert a few Kontakt samples over if you want. Just let me know which ones...

http://www.redmatica.com/Redmatica/GBSamplerManager.html

 

let me first say thank you for sharing this with all of us, 8 tracks is very limiting for such a great app...

I tried this template in the newest garageband ios (1.2), on the ipad 3, and so far it's working great...i was hoping i could talk you into possibly doing a 16, and/or a 24 track template?

I understand if it is too much trouble, and thank you again for the 12 track template you already shared...

 

Hello!! First I would like to thank you Elliot for sharing your tweakz/workarround! I really do.. It's good of you sharing those discoveries.
Im going to try out those 12tracks for sure!
I would love to program your methods, i just started last February, particularly programming for iDevices with iOS 5.0.1 or iOS 4.3.

 

Programming this process would be great! I'll upload the 16 and 24 track template a little later today...

 

I uploaded both a 16 track and a 24 track template. I just tried 24 tracks on my iPad 3 (same CPU as the iPad 2) and it worked perfectly. Let me know how it works for you. Thanks!

 

Thank you Elliottate!!
I'm working on learning to program on mac osx!I really would want to turn your idea into an app!
Please PM me for details so that I can credit this to you accordingly..

Cheers Mate!

 

Hey I'm trying to load these templates into the latest version of GB on my new iPad 4, but I can't seem to get this to work.

Closest I can get is to only copy the "projectdata" file into the GB "Shared File" window(in iTunes under Apps for the iPad). I then sync the iPad, but when using GB it still only allows 8 tracks.

What am I doing wrong? Thanks in advance since this seems like such a sweet fix, as 8 tracks was pretty limiting