Think of GarageBand as a good test to see whether or not an enthusiast should move on to a more professional system. To approximate a pro set up, you need a digital audio input-output box, that is, something you plug guitars, microphones etc. into that turns the music into digital audio tracks. Apple.com sells compatible boxes, starting with M-Audio's MobilePre USB Audio Interface for $149. Your total cost, including the whole iLife suite of programs: less than $200. Since the next logical step up in home recording — Digidesign's Mbox audio interface with a version of the industry-leading ProTools software — runs about $450, it's easy to see how GarageBand could look good.

Apple also sells Midi keyboards. Instead of producing music, these send instructions that get translated into songs on the computer. Almost every performance-level keyboard already has a Midi output jack — as long as you have a good enough audio interface like those above, you probably don't need a second keyboard. (If you don't already have keys, or don't plan on getting an audio interface, the M-Audio Keystation 49e Keyboard sold on Apple.com connects directly to the computer through the USB jack.)

Once you're set up, it's easy to get involved. You can pull up drum loops and play keyboard lines, even change the sounds of the keyboards once you've recorded the part. It's amazing to play with the sound of instruments or voices you've recorded: in the pro-audio world, you would spend thousands of dollars on the kinds of sound-altering software that comes with GarageBand or its $99 expansion module, GarageBand Jam Pack.

Of course, GarageBand can't do some things. While Apple deserves credit for simplifying a historically complicated user interface — see ProTools, Apple's eMagic Logic and others for examples — it would be nice to have more options for resizing the window. There's also no way to save various recorded tracks if, for instance, you create a real, live bongo loop that you deem worthy of future use. Although you can automate the volume control of each instrument — in case you want your violins to get louder and then fade out, for instance — you can't do it with the stereo panning, so those same violins aren't able to sweep from left to right. Also, you can make a stereo recording — two microphones on a grand piano, for instance — but you can't record more than one instrument simultaneously.

These complaints are based on my experience with the more advanced programs and, in truth, they may not all be that important to the newbie, even one who can play Beethoven sonatas blindfolded. Apple didn't just build this program for noodling, but for people who want to make real recordings of real songs. I think this is the best way to get involved, especially if you're not yet sure you want to get invested.

Corrected version posted Jan. 30, 2004