# Alternative to Garageband?



## dav1234 (Apr 8, 2006)

I am a owner of a PC and I was wondering what alternatives for the PC there are to garageband. from what i've heard, there are none that come close to garageband in ease of use.

i do not want to buy a mac right now, but maybe in the future (those intel core duos look nice!), so what programs are out there?


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## audiodan (Sep 26, 2005)

Microsoft is coming out with Garage Band, er I mean, meh, I don't even know what they are calling the rip of it.


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## dona83 (Jun 26, 2005)

Sony apparently has some music making software for Windows PCs priced in the low $100s. Microsoft is making one called, uh, yea I'm with AudioDan I forget what it's called.


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## Got Mac? (Aug 18, 2004)

I think theres something calles acid pro that works for windows.


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## Macaholic (Jan 7, 2003)

The Garageband clone that MS is trying to develop is called Monaco (for now?).

You're of course welcome to hang around, dav1234, but you'd probably get better info about WINDOWS-BASED software in... a Windows forum??  

But honestly? I doubt that MS will pull off the coup de grace that Apple did with iLife. If there was ever software technology that epitomizes Apple's strengths and philosophy, it's iLife. Now, with Macs being able to both boot into or run Windows in parallel, the time might be soon for you to just get a Mac. Think of the money you'd be saving in iLife software alone if you wanted to do it on the PC? and it wouldn't be nearly as good or as functional. To do garageband alone on a PC would probably cost over four of five hundred bucks. There's not just midi sequencing, but digital audio recording, very nice effects plugins and excellent virtual instruments whose quality will NOT be found on some freeware sample site.

My suggestion -- if you had asked for it -- is to save that money towards a Mac instead of trying to reinvent the wheel on the Windows platform. The Core Duo Mac Mini starts at $949.00. Take off the MINIMUM you'd be paying for a Windows "Garageband suite" of probably around $300.00 and you're looking at $649.00 for the Mini. Sell your PC (as you can boot Windows on the Mac, now), and you just might break even!


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## planders (Jun 24, 2005)

Got Mac? said:


> I think theres something calles acid pro that works for windows.


Indeed, ACID Pro from Sony Media Software (formerly Sonic Foundry). ACID, Vegas and Sound Forge are pretty much the only programs I use on my Windows PC anymore--haven't found anything I like anywhere near as much on the Mac (or Windows, for that matter).


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## CanadaRAM (Jul 24, 2005)

Most digital audio/sequencing software comes in several versions, from "Light" to "Pro". So you can get in at <$100 or spend >$500

Here are some names to research for PC software

Steinberg Cubase
Cakewalk Sonar
ImageLine FL Studio
Mackie Tracktion 
PG Music Powertracks

Garageband is lightly-featured on full-studio work, but does have fairly good loops and easy production. The closest one in price and approach is probably FL Studio.

Cubase and Sonar have more 'serious' studio features. Tracktion is reputedly very easy to use and reasonably priced. Powertracks seems fairly difficult to use but is rock bottom priced.

Acid is a special case (and again, comes in a variety of versions and price points), it specialises in loop production - you can record in various musical segments and it will chop them into loops and stretch or compress them to play in time with each other or with your own tracks. But it is not a fully fledged audio recording and MIDI sequencing studio.


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## Macaholic (Jan 7, 2003)

While more full featured, but less comprehensive in goodies (virtual instruments -- and the rest of iLife), Acid costs CAN$400.00. FL Studio starts at US$149.00, but needs more virtual instruments and plugins to match Garageband's compliment. FL Studio has a nice bundle deal, but it is still US$348.00.

Neither program has standard notation display...

Garagaeband can't do tempo changes beyond the first one.

There'll be tradeoffs on both sides, but for consumer use Garageband's suite and ease of use -- not to mention iMovie, iPhoto iDVD and iWeb -- is the cat's a$$.


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