On Monday morning, Apple peppered its users with OS updates. On Monday afternoon, it shifted its attention to GarageBand users, specifically those in China as well as users who produce Chinese music.
The company released GarageBand 2.1.1 for iOS and GarageBand 10.1.2 for Mac. The updates include a collect of Chinese instruments, including the pipa, erhu, and Chinese percussion such as drums, wood blocks, cymbals, and gongs. The instruments can be played using Multi-Touch on an iOS device, or by using the Musical Typing feature or a USB music keyboard on a Mac. The instruments support different playing articulations, and iOS users can use 3D Touch with the erhu and pipa.
The GarageBand update also includes 300 Apple-created Chinese loops that cover a variety of styles. There’s also a Live Loops update that adds two Chinese Live Loops grid templates, one traditional and one modern.
Both GarageBand for iOS and GarageBand for Mac can be updated through the App Store app. The updates are free for existing GarageBand users.
The GarageBand update is just another part of Apple’s serious push in China. Apple CEO Tim Cook is currently visiting the country, making stops at an Apple Store in Beijing and at Didi Chuxing—last week, it was revealed that Apple invested $1 billion dollars into the ride-hailing company.
Here’s the incredibly talented @JJ_Lin on the erhu as we jam with the new GarageBand, out today. https://t.co/RHJZuahLHi #shotoniphone— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) May 17, 2016
Author: Roman Loyola, Senior Editor
Roman has covered technology since the early 1990s. His career started at MacUser, and he's worked for MacAddict, Mac|Life, and TechTV.