You can crossfade in GarageBand by cutting and duplicating a track and then adding volume automation. This is a somewhat complex editing skill, but if you have experience with the app, you should be able to figure it out quickly.
My name is Donovan, and I have been making music for most of my life. I have a lot of experience writing, recording, and producing music and have worked with GarageBand extensively over the years.
This post will show you how to crossfade in GarageBand. I’ll give you step-by-step instructions on how to complete this task quickly and effectively while also providing tips to help make the fades sound great in your mix.
Let’s jump in.
Contents
Key Takeaways
- Crossfading can be helpful when you want to create seamless transitions between regions of a song, and it’s a valuable mixing tool.
- To crossfade in GarageBand, you need to know how to cut and duplicate tracks because this is part of the process.
- Crossfading is much easier and more effective on the Mac version of GarageBand than on iOS. The Mac version allows you to apply automation, which really helps with the process.
How to Crossfade in GarageBand Mac
If you want to apply a crossfade to any part of your GarageBand project, I highly suggest doing so on your Mac. While it is possible to do this on the iOS version of the app, the Mac version makes it much easier.
And since crossfading is a more complicated editing technique, you need to understand some basic skills to make it happen. Check out my posts on how to cut music and how to edit projects in GarageBand before you read more here if you don’t know how to do those things.
Follow these steps to crossfade in GarageBand on your Mac.
1. Open the GarageBand app on your Mac.
2. Open the project that you want to apply a crossfade to.
3. Create a duplicate track of the section of the track you want to crossfade. You can do this by splitting the section of the track that you want to create a crossfade on.
4. Create a new track below the original track by clicking on the add track button that looks like a + sign.
5. Click and drag the section of the track you just trimmed into the new track you created below it. The project should look similar to the image below.
6. Create an overlap between the two tracks by dragging one end of the duplicated track in the direction you want to crossfade to be. This gives you more of the audio to work with to insert all of the fade-ins or outs that you want.
7. Now, it’s time to add automation to the tracks to achieve the crossfade effect. Move your cursor to the main menu options and select Mix.
8. Then select Show Automation. You can also just press the shortcut A to display the automation as well.
9. With automation visible, you will see a yellow line indicating the track’s volume level. You need to set up a few points to adjust the automation to create a crossfade. You can do this by clicking on the yellow line and then dragging up and down to adjust the volume.
10. Click on the point in the top original track where you want the crossfade to begin.
11. Click another point on the yellow line at the end of the cut original track.
12. Drag the automation point on the right down all the way to create a fade-out. This automation should look similar to the image below.
13. Now repeat a similar process to the duplicate track below. Place two automation dots at the exact location as you did for the first track. Put one at the point where the duplicate track starts and another where the cut was made to the original track.
Quick Tip: You can position the playhead at the cut to give you a reference point to make sure you get the automation point in the correct position.
14. Drag the first automation point on the duplicate track all the way down. Leave the second point where it is. This will create a fade-in on the duplicate track. It should look similar to the image below.
15. Position the playhead at the beginning of the track or just before the crossfade and hit play. Make sure the crossfade is located exactly where you want it, and make any necessary adjustments.
How to Crossfade in GarageBand iPhone
You can also set up a crossfade in GarageBand on your iPhone. It’s a similar process to the Mac version, but you access the automation in a different way. And I think it’s easy to do on the Mac version of the app.
Follow these steps to crossfade in GarageBand on your iPhone.
1. Open the GarageBand app on your iPhone.
2. Open the project you want to add the crossfade to.
3. Select the track where you want to crossfade by tapping it.
4. Duplicate the track by tapping the instrument or microphone icon in the track window to the left of the track and then pressing Duplicate.
5. Trim the section of the track where you want to apply the crossfade to.
6. Drag the trimmed track down into the duplicate track.
7. Extend the beginning of the trimmed track to give you room to work with when making the crossfade.
8. Tap the instrument or mic icon again to display the settings, and then tap Automation.
9. You’ll now see the automation line appear on your track. Using a similar process to the steps described above, set up a fade out on the original track and a fade in on the bottom duplicate track.
You’ll need to tap with your fingers to set the automation points and then click and drag them into the correct position. When you have everything positioned correctly, it should look like the image below.
10. Tap Done.
11. Position the playhead at a location before the crossfade and then hit the Play button to hear how the crossfade sounds in your mix. Make any changes or adjustments as needed.
How to Blend Tracks in GarageBand
Blending tracks in GarageBand is essentially the same thing as adding a crossfade. The blending term applies to getting any cuts or merges to feel seamless when you listen to them upon playback.
To blend tracks in your GarageBand projects, follow the same steps for crossfading mentioned in the sections above on your Mac or iPhone.
Final Thoughts
Crossfading in GarageBand is a somewhat technical skill, but it can really help you become a better producer by giving you control over the transition points in your projects. It’s worth taking the time to learn how to crossfade properly.
Once you learn how to crossfade, you’ll be able to understand where this technique should apply to your projects. Not every transition needs a crossfade, but some projects will benefit quite a bit from one.
Have you ever used a crossfade in GarageBand before? Did it have the effect you were looking for? Let me know in the comments below.
