Extensive Garageband iPad Tutorial. There is a lot you can do with Keyboard in GarageBand for iPad. You can begin with swiping between different Keyboard sounds. You can choose the size of keys and the number of octaves visible by tapping on the Keyboard Buttons. The iPad Pro is the absolute best iPad, but it doesn't come cheap. Unlike the others, it doesn't have a home button or Touch ID, but it uses the front camera for Face ID just like most modern iPhones.

1. Best Midi Keyboard For Garageband
2. Keyboard For Garageband Ipad
3. Garageband Compatible Keyboards

MIDI connects your hands to your software, a vital tool needed for musicians to translate their compositions onto a computer. A MIDI controller should be your first hardware purchase for music production software like GarageBand and speeds up the writing of music via virtual MIDI instruments in your software.

How to Use Real Musical Instruments with GarageBand on Your iPad. To get the best results, you need to connect an electric instrument such as a guitar or a keyboard directly to your iPad. GarageBand for iOS has everything you need to play, record, and share incredible music on your iPad or iPhone — now including Sound Library.

They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, from full-size keyboards with realistic feeling keys, to small units which pack additional pads, rotary faders and pitch and mod wheels.

They’re relatively inexpensive and are connected to any USB port, most need no installation and are auto-detected by software such as GarageBand.

Contents

• Top 4 Best MIDI Keyboards for GarageBand:
• Buyer’s Guide: How to Select the Best MIDI Keyboards for GarageBand
• Conclusion: What’s the Best MIDI Controller for GarageBand?

Top 4 Best MIDI Keyboards for GarageBand:

Korg MicroKEY 25 Keyboard (Editor’s Choice)

Korg are famous for their slickly designed, innovative products. They also love making their stuff smaller and smaller, packing great tech into portable packages.

This keyboard is simple and high-quality, the keys themselves feel great and the item has a good weight to it, not heavy but not cheap. The 25 key version is easily carried, has one USB output and features Korg’s ‘NaturalTouch’ technology.

The keys feel good, not as good as some high-end MIDI instruments, but this is a $80 model.

The keyboard has a single joystick for both pitch and modulation, which replaces separate pitch and mod-wheels that feature on most MIDI keyboards. This is cool as you can operate both functions with your hand in the same position.

There’s an octave selector, and also an arpeggiator This takes a chord and turns it into an Arpeggio, a handy function that other MIDI controllers lack. It’s plug and play, no drivers required.

Overall it’s cheap, well-made and fits the bill for anyone looking for a basic MIDI controller which can be carried about.

M-Audio Oxygen 49 MKIV Keyboard

The M-Audio Oxygen series of MIDI controllers are well established and the series has continued to innovate with the MkIV range of products. They’re fairly bulky but pack extra features such as faders, pads, and other controls for your DAW.

They offer quite a flexible package for controlling GarageBand, but because M-Audio implemented a connection system called DirectLink, you will have to download a driver package from M-Audio to plug and play with full functionality.

For Ableton and Pro-tools, this is not necessary. M-Audio implemented this to ensure the controller would work perfectly with the DAW, as sometimes, more complex controllers that auto-map are mapped incorrectly.

Aside from the 49 keys, it has a lot of flashy bits and bobs, with 8 velocity-sensitive trigger pads, 8 assignable knobs and 9 assignable faders. It also has Play, Stop and Record buttons for controlling the transport functions on GarageBand.

This means you can control these basic functions without touching your PC or it’s keyboard.

The mod-wheels and pitch bend follow a classic design, and the keys are springy and responsive rather than realistic.

The Oxygen is a breath of fresh air in its feature set at the price point, but for Garageband, you do have to download drivers, which isn’t an issue but some would have liked to see this be made as a plug and play controller.

AKAI MPK49 Keyboard

Taking a big ramp up in price, the AKAI MPK49 is a pro level MIDI controller which excels in performance, build quality, functionality and features. It really is a beast of a controller, it’s difficult to know where to start!

Akai may hold the aces when it comes to MIDI and audio control, they developed the first MPC controllers that were at the heart of the hip-hop movement. Akai fits a good slice of the MPCs amazing beat-making power into the MPK with 12 real MPC drum pads.

If you’ve used an MPC you know these are a cut above the rest – they’re responsive, sensitive, and comfortable to use.

These have 4 layers, meaning there are 48 options for the pads in total. They come fully tricked out with MPC Swing which applies grooves to your percussion and drums.

Alongside this is all the mod-cons, 49 weighted keys with after-touch, that are particularly nice to play, and will satisfy pianists and keyboardists. 8 full-sized sliders with 3 controller banks for each for 24 sliders total, providing more than enough faders and sliders for controlling Garageband or any other DAW.

8 assignable backlit switches with 3 controller banks each for 24 switches total, for controlling as many on/off functions as you could possibly want to. So, 8 full-sized, 360-degree rotation pots, each with 3 banks for 24 pots total, for all manner of instruments and mixing control.

Some will look through the features on this and think, well, I’m never going to use all that! And that’s completely fair enough, it is overkill for most music production and if you’re just starting out with a DAW like Garageband then the AKAI is going to be a big beast to tame right off the bat.

That said, it is comprehensive and will stand the test of time, it really will see you through any audio production or performance journey with no problems or hick-ups.

The MPK will work plug and play to some extent with Garageband, but advanced functions will need to be custom mapped using a MIDI editor.

Novation 49 Impulse Keyboard

On the same tier as the MPK lies the Novation 49 Impulse. This is a legendary controller that really is battle hardened. It’s tried and tested, with all the functions you could need and puts up a good fight with the AKAI.

In fact, splitting them is like splitting hairs for the most part!

Mac OS X: TinkerTool Classic, v3.9.5. The program will not work correctly if used with an OS for which it was not designed. Tinkertool mac os high sierra. Versions TinkerTool versions are specific to versions of macOS and are not backward compatible.

The Novation comes from a long line of successful MIDI controllers from Novation and comes with special auto-map software which is designed to take the headache out of mapping these advanced MIDI controllers to your software.

Its switch, fader and knob selection equals the MPK. There are 9 faders, 8 drum pads, 9 knobs and 8 switches. It’s the full deck of cards, with an LCD screen, semi-weighted keys and the drum pads feature the same functions as the AKAI.

Overall, the drum pad section is lacking when compared to the Akai, and the auto-map function works poorly with GaragebBand. It’s maybe a controller for further down the line, when it’s software is more refined.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Select the Best MIDI Keyboards for GarageBand

Remember, MIDI controllers don’t generate any sound themselves, but trigger them within your computer. This is why they’re affordable too, they’re just controllers, nothing more!

There are quite possibly thousands out there too, and it can be a confusing situation when you come to buy one. On the face of it, they’re simple devices which enable you to do very complex things if you wanted to.

You can trigger hundreds and thousands of functions in combination on a fully featured MIDI controller, or on portable models, just play the keys. The keyboard you need will depend on how many options you need, or whether you just need a simple device for recording notes.

When viewing MIDI controllers and keyboards you’ll instantly notice that there aren’t just keys:

Rotary Faders/Knobs

These can control the effects parameters within your plug-ins as well as controls such as volume fades or panning. They enable you to trigger events during your performance.

Say you have a synth with a low-pass filter, you can use these rotary knobs to open and close the filter to create a wobble. You could pan your synth from left to right, or trigger a reverb or delay.

Many synths and plug-ins on GarageBand will auto-map relevant controls to these rotary faders. Give them a turn and see what happens!

Pads

These are like what you see on the Akai controllers from the ‘90s. Their primary use is in triggering whole loops, usually percussion, or triggering ‘one-shot’ samples, like a kick or a snare drum. These are great when you are operating multiple instruments within a session. You can play a lead melody on the keyboard whilst triggering percussive sounds with the pads.

Wheels

These are often positioned next to the keyboard. There is, more often than not, a pitch bend wheel which bends pitches of your instruments. Often, you’ll find a mod-wheel too, it’s function is often auto-mapped to a synth where you have an assignable mod-wheel function. You can auto-map FX with this whilst recording a MIDI performance.

Faders

These are sliders that can be used for all manner of functions, like controlling faders whilst mixing a track, or controlling settings whilst recording a performance. Some synths will auto-map controls to these, be sure to experiment!

Getting a MIDI controller for GarageBand will really help you produce your music and be creative, providing these tools to help you express yourself during MIDI performances, and control the software when you’re just producing your track.

Don’t be afraid to try all the controls, as some will undoubtedly surprise you with their pre-mapped functions. You can obviously also map controls to anything you want!

This is usually easy too, you simply select the control you want to map, usually by holding a combination of keys and pressing on it, then you press the control on the controller and Voila! It’s mapped to that control for easy operation!

Conclusion: What’s the Best MIDI Controller for GarageBand?

GarageBand is great for sketching out ideas, recording, writing and editing music, but controlling its functions with MIDI keyboards like the Impulse and the MPK49 is arguably a little overkill.

That doesn’t mean they’re redundant purchases, they are some of the best-selling MIDI controllers ever, but it does mean they may be worth progressing onto rather than starting of on.

The KORG MicroKEY’s plug and play reliability makes it ideal for GarageBand, its functions work well and allow you to be more creative with the software and there won’t be any redundant controls like there would with more expensive MIDI controllers.

The Oxygen 49 fits suitably in the middle, it’s cheap and has a lot of controls. Its functionality with GarageBand is good and with DirectLink it should be easier to make use of its many controls.

Your choice will depend on whether you use GarageBand primarily for fun or for basic use, or whether you use it alongside other DAWs, or plan to move onto other DAWs. The Korg has the best profile for GarageBand users in this line-up.

Best Midi Keyboard For Garageband

Contents

• 4 1. Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen) USB Audio Interface – Best For Beginners
• 5 2. Behringer U-Phoria UMC204HD
• 6 3. Audient iD4 High-Performance USB Audio Interface
• 7 4. Arturia AudioFuse 14 x 14 USB Audio Interface
• 8 5. Antelope Audio Zen Studio – Editor’s Choice

What’s an Audio Interface?

Before revealing the top 5 Best Audio Interface for GarageBand, we will discuss the brief history of an audio interface. This is simply a device used in making quality and good quality studio recordings at home it being an external sound card with inputs for mics and instruments like speakers and headphones for singing. What makes this device dependable is the function it supports inclusive of recordings of voice, keyboard, guitar much, much, more providing also metering and other important features. A type of external hardware capable to be connected to desktops or laptop computers via USB for modern pcs and older versions via ports like Ethernet as well. More to say is that these well-known audio interface devices work with both iOS and Windows Software, however, not forgetting the use of an additional adapter.
Now, having gotten that out of the way, what are the best audio interface devices available on market today?

Top Five Best Audio Interface for GarageBand

Reviews of Best Audio Interface for GarageBand

1. Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen) USB Audio Interface – Best For Beginners

The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (2nd Gen) USB Audio Interface is one of the popular and trending easy to use devices working much to the efficiency suiting best any Garage-band and musician/podcaster. Why settle for the Scarlett 2i2? The device unlike other similar pieces of recording equipment is easy to use allowing the immediate recording with the exclusion of normal delays in setting up compared to the many others needing lots of software updates upon installation. So, looking at things from that angle, the robust design Scarlett 2i2 is a pretty dependable device and guess what? It’s small too! No need for the extra hustle carrying this little baby around! The Scarlett 2i2 back panel is finely furnished with the USB 2.0 connector and stereo line outputs with its front panel comprising of two Focusrite preamps presented with hybrid input ports reserved as the main action of the device. A device that can take an XLR cable or even a ¼ inched jack with a rocker switch below selecting Instrument as well as of course Mic inputs. More to say is that the Scarlett 2i2 comprises also of a 48V phantom power button glowing bright red whenever activated serving both inputs when connecting two microphones and a Direct Monitor button feeding input signals directly to the twin monitor options.

Additionally, for the user, there is a large grey dial controlling your speaker’s volume, as well as a separately driven headphone level dial having its own connector below. So, if you are looking for audio interface best working smoothly with your garage-band software don’t hesitate to get your hands loaded on this little baby!

Features and Specifications

• Two natural-sounding Scarlett mi preamps with plenty of even gain, conversion and sample rates up to 192kHz?24-bit, two instrument inputs specially design for the handling of seriously hot pickups super-low latency for using plug-ins in really having no need of DSP.
• Ideal for recording two mics at a go, crisp and clear conversion, recordings made easy especially for having Gain Halos around the gain knobs, instant recording, limited time offer, the inclusion of pro tools and much, much, much more!
• Item of Focusrite with the model number AMS-SCARLETT-2I2-2ND-GEN
• Weighs 1.32 pounds with product dimensions of 1.9 x 6.9 x 4.3 inches, USB 2.0 Hardware interface, size 2i2-2 Mic Pres, voltage of 240.

Pros

• Incredibly versatile, useful in both home recording and podcasting, live recordings. Ideal interface for daily use. It is a small, easy connection with Garage-band, ideal for beginner’s use not complicated to work with.
• Compact, has two Focusrite pres of ‘Safire’ quality, ideal for recording two mics at a go, also with a clear and crisp conversion.

Cons

• Has no digital I/O, low buffer setting produces popping and line noise, crackling and distortion after long time use.

2. Behringer U-Phoria UMC204HD

The Behringer U-Phoria UMC204HD is an audio interface designed with two channels for working with having complementary features you truly come to rely on usually found on the more expensive models out there. It is an audio interface model coming with multiple LED indicators making ease of monitoring, bundled up with EDM/DJ friendly DAW software Tracktion with complementary instrument as well as effect plug-ins. It being a reliable machine for your outdoor Garage-band it’s a great selection of the many models not just for being readily affordable but for its features such as the MIDAS-designed mic preamps and 24-bit/192kHz AD/AD conversion giving you the same sound quality as the popular mixers, however in a more portable form factor and at a fraction of the cost. The Behringer U-Phoria UMC204HD is compatible with a wide array of the popular recording software of today, offering also zero-latency monitoring, with each of the machine’s features safely protected with the impact-resistant metal chassis. Further to say is that what makes this machine of great use is it featuring two versatile inputs of combined XLR/TRS ports, having also four outputs, not forgetting decent controls.

Features and Specifications

• U-Phoria UMC204HD, a studio in a Black Box for its cool recording features, has 192 kHz Precision, MIDAS producing great quality sound, has zero-latency monitoring, Tracktion to record, edit, mix and share.
• 2×4 USB 2.0 Audio/MIDI Interface for recording microphones and instruments, 2-state-of-the-art, MIDAS designed Mic Preamplifiers with +48V phantom power, compatible with popular recording software including Avid Pro Tools, Abbleton Live, Steinberg Cubase, etc.
• Audiophile 24-Bit/192 kHz resolution for professional audio quality can stream 2 inputs/4 outputs plus 1x MIDI/O with ultra-low latency to your pc, supporting Mac OS X and Windows XP or higher.
• Behringer U-Phoria UMC204HD of weight of 1.37 pounds, product dimensions of 7.3 x 5.1 x 2 inches, USB Hardware Interface.

Pros

• Readily affordable, has impressively clear sound, is of versatile design, great for electric guitar, keyboard and even bass use making it ideal for Garage-band, Cool recording features.
• Zero-latency, Tracktion to record, edit, mix and share, 192 kHz precision.

Cons

• Other users are affected by driver issues and other software bugs fixable only after updating the main software.
• Though it’s affordable it’s rather at a price than it was intended to be for the best value of your money.

3. Audient iD4 High-Performance USB Audio Interface

Another on the list is the Audient iD4 which is undeniable to the best audio interface for your Garage-band you can get offered under $200! As it stands, the Audient iD4 is basically a simple two-input/two-output device featuring a mic preamp complete with phantom power for using condenser mics. It is the smallest and least complex member of Audient’s iD range of USB computer audio interfaces featuring two separate inputs: one mic/line input on a combination XLR/jack connector with switchable 48V phantom power, having also a J-FET-based instrument DI input, each of them having an individual gain control. It has an instrumental level DI for the plugging in of your bass or guitar, having also the main output for your speakers and dual headphone output, the whole device designed to be powered by USB and when using Apple’s camera connection kit, can also work with iPhone/iPad. More to say is that the Audient iD4 is one truly of great value for your money, basically ideal if you want to use it for your Garage-band.

Features and Specifications

• Audient iD4 USB Audio Interface OPEN BOX, has two separate inputs of which one is a mic/line input on a combination XLR/jack connector with switchable 48V phantom power, J-FET-based instrument DI input, each with individual gain control. The remaining I/O is made up of a headphone output on TRS jacks—mini and quarter-inch—and a pair of TRS jack loudspeaker outputs.
• Audient iD4 USB Audio Interface OPEN BOX weighing 1.63 pounds, dimensions of 8 x 7.2 x 3.9 inches, model number of 18-90008, voltage of 5 with USB 2.0 Hardware Interface

Pros

• One of the best models around,
• Is of the best value of your money,
• Has an excellent preamp, ideal for Garage-band.
• Has 2.0 USB Hardware Interface, has speaker output and dual headphone output, when using Apple’s camera kit, can also work with iPhone/iPad.

Cons

• Couldn’t find any

4. Arturia AudioFuse 14 x 14 USB Audio Interface

Keyboard For Garageband Ipad

The Arturia AudioFuse is a somewhat classy audio interface with great sound and of a stylish design. Attractive as it is, the device is a portable Mac, PC as well as iOS-compatible interface having raft features and which despite having a compact frame, has plenty of connectivity on offer. Not only does this little device incorporate conventional mic, line and instrument inputs, but you can also connect a turntable, while one of the line outputs does duty as re-amp out for guitar recording. The Arturia AudioFuse is a square and somewhat heavy device coming in several colours festooned with buttons, white LEDS and dials, having also a snug fitting lid protecting it from damage whilst in transit. On the device, situated along the front edge are combi inputs and two fully independent headphone feeds, which, in turn, can accommodate both mini-jack and ¼-inch plugs. The back of the Arturia AudioFuse comprises of speaker outputs for two pairs of monitors, line connectors, MIDI/Out ports, which, because of size restrictions have been replaced by mini-jack connectors found in the box. When it comes to digital interfacing, both S/PDIF and ADAT In/Out, the device having also inserts for inputs 1 and 2 for the possibility of tracking through hardware compressors or channel strips.

Features and Specifications

• Arturia AudioFuse with 14 x `4 USB Audio Interface with 2 Mic Preamps, 2 phone Preamps, ADAT, SPDIF, Word Clock, and MIDI I/O, 24-bit AD/DA Converters at up to 192 kHz, and with Sampling Rate of Silver.
• Crystal-clear audio quality Exclusive, low noise Discrete PRO preamps Compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Linux Ultra-low latency as low as 3ms, Hi-Z inputs and outputs for easy guitar re-amping.
• 5dB A-weighted EIN rating guaranteeing the widest dynamic range for your audio, class-leading signal-to-noise ratios on the pre-amps and the purest discrete Analog signal paths to ever grace an audio interface. Has Pristine studio quality at the heart of AudioFuse, with each of its components promising the highest possible audio excellence. Its >131, AudioFuse set to be the centre of your studio by adding to this a host of connectivity options well as hands-on workflow approach.
• Arturia AudioFuse of weight 4.19 pounds, dimensions of 7.2 x 6.8 x 6.6 inches, model number of 810101_S, Classic Silver, with USB Hardware Interface.

Pros

• It is great for Garage-band, has great sound, allows loads of connectivity, stylish design, compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, with Linus Ultra-low latency as low as 3ms

Cons

• Highly priced, other interfaces with similar levels of I/O are available for a lower price.

5. Antelope Audio Zen Studio – Editor’s Choice

The Antelope Audio Zen Tour audio interface another of the available devices for your Garage-band, one considered as a high-end portable audio interface the guitarist would come to love if they grabbed hold of it! Incredibly flexible with a small but useful touchscreen enabling all the basic functions of the unit like input gains, headphone levels as well as talkback directly accessible using the front panel buttons and the large ‘soft knob’. More to say about the Antelope Audio Zen Tour is that is it is a portable Thunderbolt/USB 2.0 audio interface great at making an impressive front end for studio or mobile-DAW setup. A lovable device with the capability of handling 26 inputs and 36 outputs combining excellent sound quality with a large collection of built-in DSP-based effects, essentially latency free. The front of the Antelope Audio Zen Tour are two headphone outs, two re-amping outs and four line/Hi Z inputs, all on ¼-inch jacks. The back of the device comprises of four dual XLR ¼ inch inputs, two pairs of monitor outs on ¼-inch jacks, eight Analogue outs on a DB25, two RCA sockets for S/PDIF in and out, with a power connector and USB and Thunderbolt sockets. Further to the say, on the left-hand side, the device comprises of two ADAT pairs of ins and outs, having installed the software on your computer then you are all set and good to go! The Antelope Audio Zen is our choice for the Best Audio Interface for GarageBand.

Features and Specifications

• The Antelope Audio Zen Tour comprises of 4 mic pres & 4 line/hi-z ins with phantom power, 8 Analog outs, 2 headphone and 2 preamp outs, plus an array of digital I/O, built-in talkback, as well as also having a touchscreen control panel.
• Has 24-bit, 192 kHz audio and Antelope’s signature flawless conversion, guitar amp modelling and effects processing with virtually zero latency. It has FPGA-based hardware models of vintage gear and equalisers, at no cost at all, 32 channels via Thunderbolt and 24 on USB for zero-latency audio streaming.
• Antelope Audio Zen Tour with weight of 3.09 pounds, dimensions of 6.5 x 10 x 2.4 inches, model number of Zen Tour, screen size of 3.5 inches.

Pros

• An incredibly flexible audio interface, great for Garage-band.
• It is truly portable, has latency-free DSP, 24-bit, 192 kHz audio and Antelope’s signature flawless conversion.
• Has 32 channels via Thunderbolt as well as 24 on USB for zero-latency streaming.

Cons

• Comprises of only one compressor.

Garageband Compatible Keyboards

Conclusion and Recommendations:

Of the viewed five products, I would recommend out of the three that I think would be ideal for you. If you are a beginner wishing to use the audio interface, the best to settle for is the Scarlett 2i2 USB 2ND-GEN interface. If you are more experienced and want an amazing to work with the sound device, I recommend the Behringer U-phoria UMC204HD which will work best for you. The Antelope Audio Zen Tour has great review rating from the users which is my third and final pick out of the five, for you, which would do if you have a little extra in your wallet. If not, then you either settle for any of the other two I left out or any other audio interface best suiting your Garage-band. Pick your choice for the Best Audio Interface for GarageBand today.

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