Garageband: how to extend the length of a track with voiceOver?

By FalcoVD, 4 December, 2022

Forum
macOS and Mac Apps

Hi,

I want to start a Garageband project using different tracks, such as Apple Loops and a drummer. When I copy and paste a loop (from the Apple loop browser) into the project, it's often only two measures long.

I want to extend the length of my tracks, such as a loop with only two measures. I've tried to drag the right end of the track to the right, so it would get longer. However, this doesn't seem to work with the keyboard...

Working with the 'move the right end'-option and then clicking and dragging with the trackpad, doesn't work either.

I've also tried pasting the same loop after the first one. However, then a new track is created with the second loop starting after the first one. But I want this specific loop to stay on one track and not get a new track for every time I paste it.

So, with Voice-Over and using the keyboard:
how do I extend the length of an audiotrack, such as a loop or drummer track?

This is really frustrating. So any help would be greatly appreciated :D

Thank you in advance!

P>S> I can't use my eyes for working with Garageband. And I use Garageband version 10.3.5 in MacOS Catalina 10.15.7

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Comments

By PaulMartz on Monday, December 26, 2022 - 20:17

With focus on the track that contains the loop you just pasted, toggle looping on by pressing the L key. There's also an end marker that you might want to move, but I think basically you just need to press L on your loop track.

You might find this article helpful.

Here's the pertinent text:

GarageBand lets you turn on looping for an individual region with the L key. The drummer region will loop until it reaches the end of the song, 32 bars by default. Change the length of the song with the end marker. Find the end marker with the Item Chooser (VO+I), interact with it, and move it with VO+Right or Left Arrow.

By FalcoVD on Monday, December 26, 2022 - 20:17

@PaulMartz, thanks so much for your reply!

I'm familiar with the looping option. However, I don't want to use the loop through the whole song. I want it to be there sometimes, but also want to have some parts where this loop is muted. Furthermore, I want to make a cord progression with the loop. So I will have to transpose a copy of it as well.

So the solution would be:

Being able to extend the track to the end of the song. Then split it into different parts, which I then can mute or transpose.

But to do this, I'm still looking for the answer to:

1. How to extend the length of a particular audiotrack in a region with the keyboard? This is simple to do with the mouse, but I use VO and can't see the screen or mouse cursor.

2. How can I paste the copy of a loop track after the original loop, without automatically creating a new track for the loop that I want to paste?

If I have a loop of 2 measures, everytime I paste the copy after the original, a new track with a copied loop is created. Meaning that everytime I want to extend the length of the loop by two measures, a new track is created. So extending the length with 16 measures, would mean 8 new tracks.

I just want to be able to paste a copy after the orginal, within the same track.

Help is still very very welcome! Thanks in advance! :D

By PaulMartz on Monday, December 26, 2022 - 20:17

It sounds like you're dragging a loop from the loop browser and dropping it into the open workspace area, which creates a new track. Do that the first time, but after you've done that once, just make copies of the loop region.

When you drag and drop a region from the loop browser, the new region you just dropped is selected, and the time cursor is at the end of that region. If you want a copy right after it, all you should need to do is Command+C to copy, then Command+V to paste. Copy will copy the selected region, which is what you just dropped, and paste will add the new copy at the cursor, which should already be at the end of your region.

I have found that dragging and dropping a loop to create a new track almost never puts the loop region where I want it, so I always have to select the region, place the cursor, and paste the region to get it in the right place. You are probably already doing this. So you just need to do the same thing, except you copy instead of cut, then paste it after the existing region.

If you find that cut and paste isn't working, use VO+F4 to check what item has keyboard focus. I find sometimes the loop browser has keyboard focus. Close it with O, and then cut and paste should work again.

By PaulMartz on Monday, December 26, 2022 - 20:17

My GarageBand Part I blog contains a keyboard shortcut reference, which lists some hot keys for moving the Playhead cursor to specific locations. Very handy for pasting regions.