Tuesday, December 01, 2015

GarageBand for iOS (iPad and iPhone) Length of Recording Limit

Recently (and with about 6 hours notice) I was told I would be recording a concert that lasted from 2 to 3 hours in length.  I'd be given a line level output from the main mixer to tap into but it was up to me to supply the method of recording.

It had actually been several years since I needed to record something more than 30 minutes and more importantly away from my home equipment (I usually just record into my computer).

I have a stereo  line level input into an iOS device via my Blue Mikey microphone.    But what software would record for multiple hours?

I decided to test out GarageBand.  I found that it ran out of space after 320 bars.  Assuming the minimum tempo at 40bpm, 4 beats to a bar, that means 32 minutes maximum recording time.

I ended up using the free Spire Recording app for iPhones (works on the iPad but scales up, so when searching on the app it shows up as an iPhone only app).

Just a quick post in case you find yourself in this situation with a short amount of time to prepare.

Update:  Turns our Spire Recording is limited to one hour of recording, so that didn't solve my problem.