By Callum Stoneman, 9 December, 2013
Forum
macOS and Mac Apps
Hello,
I'll try and explain this the simplest I can. Basically, I am studdying music at school, and part of the coursework involves composing music. All the sighted people are using Reason for windows, which is completely inaccessible, but for me and the two other blind students in my class, they have let us work on Garage Band in another room where they have Apple Mac. This was accessible enough, untill we realised quite a big part was inaccessible, selecting parts on the timeline. For example, if we wanted to repeat a section of the track, everyone else is just selecting the section they want, copying it then pasting it where they want. Ovbiously we can't do this. an obvious way is to record the intire section in again, but if it is a section with quite a few tracks, it can be very time consuming compared to everyone else.
Another way is to get sighted help, but there is one problem with that... non of our supports know how to use the bloody software so they spend about 20 minutes asking us about parts we didn't even know existed.
So what we basically wanted to ask is are there any other alternatives we could use that make the timeline accessible? For things like I mensioned copying sections, moving notes around slightly, extending notes etc. We've looked around Google for things about Logic accessibility, but haven't really got a proper answer whether it is accessible or not.
So would anyone recommend Logic, or any other software that we can make the school aware of? If not any tips for Garage Band would be useful.
Thanks and sorry for such a long post.
Comments
Some suggestions
Thanks Cliff
Almost right! :)
Hi Ckliff
Some more questions
Haha! No problem, buddy!
Recording on the Mac
reaper?
Just thought I would throw my two bits in.
Hi again, all! :)
HI. yes, please, I would
@Maria: Just head over to
Cliff... thank you so much
Just realised something
GarageBand or Logic
More loops for Garageband
I personally would go with
I personally would go with garage band as logic so I hear is not accessible and apple does not so I again here plan to make it accessible. There was a petition launched but I no longer have the link,and I think apple ignored it when it did get sent. so yeah go with garage band. it's a learning curve but can be hearted. for some demos of what I did on it, just the vocal tracks though, go to my portfolio page.
Take care to all.
garageband and miscellaneous
Hello,
I have a macbook from about 2 months, I am a musician and I'd like to use some app for make songs and play live.
Well, Garageband in the latest version, 10.0 I think, semes me not very accessible at a glance.
It is ok when you want record something or put track in a project, but when you want to edit, quantize, or try to make operations of cut/paste around the project, well, it is not very clear...
I see you in this topic speaks about Garageband 6, what do you think is better as accessibility? 6 or 10?
Speaking about other software, I read many posts about the inaccessibility of mainstage. Well, from what I see, after the infinite story of the installation that is completely inaccessible, the app seems working quite well. I can open a concert, and with my keyboard I can change sound simply typing the number of the patch of the bank.
I will investigate in depth because really, Mainstage3 for me appear quite usable with VO.
At the end, do you confirm that the latest version of Logic 10 received a great improve on accessibility?
I'd stick to GarageBand 6
Hi there!
GB 10 seems to be way less accessible than the old GB 6.0.65, I believe it is...
So if you got the old one, hold on to it with all you got, if not, it might be possible to copy the old app from someone that has an older Mac with it installed... I'm actually not quite sure.
The new GB installs on the side of the old one, so one really doesn't loose the old GB by updating, so it's fully possible to keep both and switch around a bit to test back and forth.
I at least think I get a lot more done in the old, both with quantizing, editing and navigating in the project, but that might be just as accessible in the new one, only I haven't figured out how to do it yet! :)
I would be quite interested in hearing more about how you make your way around in MainStage 3 when you have done some more experimenting. I bought it a month ago, opened it, got sighted help to get it up and running, and then I messed around for half an hour in it and after that I never opened it again... I never found out how to find all the different patches and sounds and I probably gave up to easily on it, as usual! Haha!
But what about a podcast on MainStage when you get your skills nailed in it? That would be nothing less than awesome! :) I could really need something like that for live performances, if it works that is! :)
I've sweared enough already into mikes that I wasn't aware of on stage when gadgets stop working while on a gig! Pour audience... Haha!
Take care!
Pro tools vs logic vs gb
Pro tools is definitely the way to go. I am a student at Argyll college and I am studying sound production. Yes, its expensive here in the UK but there are student discounts available. I got it for two hundred and thirty pounds... Or should I say disabled student's allowance got it for that. As you said you are a student I don't see why you wouldn't qualify for both of these also. I am running PT eleven on a Macbook pro running mavericks and I purchased a Digi zero zero two from ebay for two hundred and fifty pounds. If you just want a couple of xlr inputs then look for a focusrite scarlet 2i2, but if you are doing some serious mixing then the Digi will make things much easier, faster and ultimately more enjoyable. Logic is a non starter accessibility wise I'm afraid. I haven't used garage band much but my tutor described it as duplo to compared to the Lego technic that is pro tools. Make of that what you will... And for the record we refer to that tutor as analogy man! Look into the DSA stuff and let me know how you get on. Hope that helps. Cheers.
Pro tools
I got pro tools 2 weeks ago now, and I'm trying to learn it as good as I'm able to without a control surface, but it seems like I have to get a hold of a digi002 or 003 as well to get more things done! :)
But this far PT really seems quite accessible, although it seems to me like PT 10 is a little bit more accessible than 11 (I installed both), but I may be wrong...
Macky, what's your opinion on this? And by the way, do you know of any good resources on learning PT, especially with VoiceOver? That would be extremely helpfull!
Take care! :)
Other thing in GB and Mainstage
Ok, this thread is quite difficult to follow, but at least we have a good reference point.
First, about GarageBand, I deleted the old GB6, because I didn't know that the latest version was less accessible. Anyway, record and change instrument is possible, and also playing and manage many elements of the screen.
Unfortunately, I'm still fighting against regions, I simply like to delete the first bar of my song, and I am not able. But I'm quite sure it is possible, but simply I can't figure how. All documentation of applevis refers to GB6, and I think that we should try to make things with latest versions of the app.
Good news about quantization.
The procedure I follow is to create a drummer, and set it as the groove track. Then, take other tracks and just set them to follow main groove track, that is the drummer.
Anyway, still there is the problem to decide when drummer should start, because it starts from the beginning, and it is not so good for all songs!
About mainstage, first of all, you must interact with the main window, where you can decide what sort of concert to open.
You should interact also 2 or 3 times with an element, ok, not very confortable, but at least, using vo commands, you can move between concerts.
Someone has only 2 patches, other arrive to 65!
with your midi keyboard you can change patches just entering numbers.
The main problem of Mainstage is that there are about 4 or 5 different types of views.
one for live performance, one for editing, one for selecting patches, one for mixer, one for understand performances of your MAC.
So I must continue reading the documentation in order to understand what will be the main accessible view.
Anyway, I decided first to learn Garage Band, and then MainStage, so the podcast is a good idea, but first I absolutely must to understand how to make operation like copy cut paste in GB!
Cliff
Hi cliff. I'm not sure about the accessibility of pro tools ten as I jumped directly from nine to eleven. I know if you buy eleven you get a copy of ten with it though. Eleven point one is where the main accessibility upgrade was too the best of my knowledge. I read the PT access group very often as well as this page and these two sources and my tutors at college are my main sources of information. I have a feeling you are already on the PT access forum though ;) the other advice I always get is to simply read the PT manual. There are keyboard commands for just about everything, regardless of if you are a VoiceOver user or not. I know this is heavy going but it's something I plan to do over time when my course finishes and time allows. Good luck with the 002 or the 003 control surface, a worthy investment. Assuming you have a newer Mac, you'll need a Firewire 400 to ?800 cable though, not the standard one supplied. You'll find these on Amazon etc for just a few quid. Best of luck.