Apple OS X manual

MainStage 3 U ser Guide F or OS X[...]

K Apple Inc. Copyright © 20 1 3 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Y our rights to the software are go verned by the accompanying software license agreement. The owner or authorized user of a valid copy of the MainStage software may repr oduce this publication for the purpose of learning to use such software. No part of this publication may be reprod[...]

C ont ents 9 Chapter 1: Introducing MainStage 9 What is MainStage? 10 MainStage for keyboard controllers 10 MainStage for electric guitars 10 MainStage for vocals , drums, and other instrumen ts 11 How to use MainStage in your music setup 12 MainStage in live per f ormance 13 Chapter 2: Set up your system 13 Setup overview 14 C onnect MIDI devices [...]

37 Chapter 5: W ork in E dit mode 37 Edit mode ov er view 38 W ork with patches in Edit mode 38 S elect items in the P atch List 39 Copy , past e, and delete pat ches 39 Reorder and move patches in the P at ch List 40 Create a pat ch from several patche s 40 Set the time signature for pat ches 40 Change the tempo when you select a patch 41 Set prog[...]

69 Map screen controls 69 Screen controls o verview 69 Map screen controls to channel strip and plug-in paramet ers 71 M ap screen c ontrols to actions 73 Map a screen control to multiple parameters 74 E dit the saved value f or a mapped parameter 74 Set drum pads or buttons t o use note velocity 75 Use parameter mapping graphs 75 Map screen contro[...]

87 Chapter 6: W ork with c oncer ts 87 Open and close concerts 88 Sa ve concerts 89 How sa ving a ects parameter v alues 90 Set the time signature f or a concert 90 Use t empo in a MainStage concert 90 T emp o o ver view 91 T ap the tempo 91 Get the tempo from MIDI Input 92 Dene the source for program change message s 92 Set the pan law for a[...]

11 8 How MainStage passes through MIDI message s 11 8 Expor t la youts 11 9 Impor t a la yout 11 9 Change the aspect ratio of a lay out 1 20 Chapter 8: P erform live with MainStage 1 20 Befor e the per formance 1 20 Use P erform mode 12 1 Select patches in per formance 12 1 Select patches in per formance o verview 12 1 Select patches using key comm[...]

141 Appendix B: The Loopback plug-in 141 Loopback plug-in overview 1 42 The Loopback in ter face 1 43 Loopback wa veform displa y 1 43 Loopback trans por t and function controls 14 4 L oopback information display 1 45 Loopback Sync , Snap T o, and Pla y From par ameters 1 45 Use the Loopback group functions 1 46 Loopback A ction menu 1 47 Add a L o[...]

9 What is MainStage? MainStage is a music application designed for use in liv e per formance . MainStage turns your computer int o a power ful multi-instrumen t and e ects processor that you can use on stage when you perform. Whether you sing or play a keyboard , guitar , or another instrument, you can use MainStage when you perform live. • Us[...]

Chapter 1 Introducing MainStage 10 Y ou can also map screen controls to actions , which provide the ability to select patches , control the T uner or metronome , provide visual f eedback, and per form other functions. MainStage lets you quickly and easily make controller assignments and parameter mappings to speed your w orkow . Y ou can customi[...]

Chapter 1 Introducing MainStage 11 How to use MainStage in y our music setup Y ou can add M ainStage t o your music equipment setup by f ollowing these steps: Create a c oncer t from a t emplate Y ou star t by creating a new conc er t from a templat e for keyboard , guitar , v ocals, or another instrument. MainStage recogniz es many popular MIDI co[...]

Chapter 1 Introducing MainStage 12 MainStage in live per f ormance After you hav e created your cust om patches in a concert, you’ re ready to play . In P er form mode , you can select patches and start playing instantly . MainStage switches seamlessly between patches and sustains note s from the previous patch while you start playing the newly s[...]

13 Setup overview Y ou can use M ainStage with a wide v ariety of MIDI controllers and Core A udio-compliant audio devices. The f ollowing sections provide basic information about using MIDI and a udio devices with MainStage. Real-time generation and processing of digital a udio requires int ensive processing by y our computer . If you plan t o wor[...]

Chapter 2 Set up your system 14 Connect MIDI devices MIDI devices o verview MainStage works with many USB and MIDI keyboard contr ollers as well as with MIDI devices such as foot pedals and switches . T o work with MainStage, MIDI devices must send standard MIDI control me ssages. MainStage receives standard MIDI messages and can be used t o contro[...]

Chapter 2 Set up your system 15 Connect a USB music keyboard Y ou can connec t a USB music keyboard to y our computer to play software instrumen t patches or to use with external MIDI devices such as synthesiz ers or sound modules. Connect a USB music keyboard to y our computer m If the keyboard has a USB port: C onnect the USB cable from the keybo[...]

Chapter 2 Set up your system 16 m F or keyboards with tone gener ators: Y ou should also connect the MIDI Out por t of the MIDI interface to the keyboard MIDI In por t. If your MIDI interface o ers more than one MIDI output, connect any other tone generators (or other MIDI de vices, such as control surfaces that require bidirectional MIDI commun[...]

Chapter 2 Set up your system 17 Multichannel MIDI devices Multitimbral MIDI devices can simultaneously receiv e MIDI data on multiple MIDI channels. Each MIDI channel can be assigned a tone or sound , such as piano, str ings , bass, and so on. T o tak e full adv antage of the capabilities of such multitimbral devices , you should use separate MIDI [...]

Chapter 2 Set up your system 18 Connect audio devices Audio devic es ov er view MainStage works with Core A udio-compliant audio devic es, including FireWire , USB , ExpressCard , and PCI audio interfaces. Y ou can connec t microphone s, elec tronic musical instrumen ts, and other musical equipment to your c omputer , or to an audio int er face or [...]

Chapter 2 Set up your system 19 m If your computer has an audio input port, connect the microphone to the audio input por t, then choose Built-in Input as the audio input source in the A udio preference s pane. Stereo miniplug connector (unbalanced) m If you are using your comput er ’ s built-in microphone, choose Built-in Microphone as the audio[...]

Chapter 2 Set up your system 20 Connecting some electric instruments, such as elec tric guitars , to your computer’ s audio input por t ma y result in a low-level input signal. T o increase the input signal, you can connect the guitar to a preamplier and connect the preamplier to y our computer . Connect an audio in ter face Using an audio [...]

Chapter 2 Set up your system 21 Speakers and other audio devic es Y ou can connec t s peakers or monitors to your computer to hear y our projects with better audio quality . A variet y of speakers is a vailable that you can connect to your c omputer or to your audio interface. How you connect them depends on your system and the type of speakers you[...]

22 The MainStage window Y ou do all your work in MainStage in a single window . T he MainStage window makes it easy to work with your patche s and your concert ’ s layout. When you open MainStage, the workspace lls the center of the window , with ins pectors and other editing areas on the sides and below . When you are ready t o per form, you [...]

Chapter 3 The MainStage interface 23 • Inspectors: Inspectors appear below (in Edit mode) or along the left side of the MainStage window (in Layout mode) when y ou select di erent items onscreen. The inspectors allow you to edit parameters and attribute s for patches , sets, screen controls , channel str ips , and the concert. Most inspectors [...]

Chapter 3 The MainStage interface 24 Edit mode Edit mode is where you cr eate, edit, and organize your sounds. Y ou can add patches, add and edit channel strips, create keyboard layers and s plits, and edit channel strip and plug-in parameters. Y ou also map screen controls to channel strip paramet ers and actions and edit patch, set, and concert-l[...]

Chapter 3 The MainStage interface 25 P er form mode By default, P er form mode opens in full screen. The workspace lls your entir e computer display so that your screen con trols are as large as possible f or maximum readability . Perform in Full Screen optimizes y our display for liv e per formance when y ou want to use MainStage ex clusively w[...]

Chapter 3 The MainStage interface 26 Resize the w orkspace Y ou can adjust both the horizontal and vertical size of the workspace to give more r oom to the P atch List, the inspector , and the Channel Strips area. Resize the works pace horizontally 1 Move the pointer t o the space between the works pace and the inspector . The pointer become s a re[...]

27 Before y ou star t Y ou can quick ly start work ing in MainStage by choosing a conc er t templat e and tr ying out the patch settings in the concert. This chapt er provides a brief guided “walkthrough” you can follow the rst time you open MainStage. Before you start working in MainStage, you should connect the hardware equipment that you [...]

Chapter 4 Get started with MainStage 28 Open MainStage m Double-click the MainStage icon in your Applications f older , or click the MainStage icon in the Dock. Choose a concert template 1 Choose File > New (or pr ess Command-N). 2 In the Choose T emplate dialog, choose the devices you want t o use for audio input and output from the Audio Input[...]

Chapter 4 Get started with MainStage 29 Selec t pat ch settings in the P atch Library When you open a concert or select a patch, the P atch Library opens in the Pat ch Inspector below the workspace . The P atch Library contains a variety of patches optimized f or the instrument the concert is designed for . Y ou can quick ly a udition patch setting[...]

Chapter 4 Get started with MainStage 30 Add a pat ch Y ou can add patches to the concert and organize them in the P atch List. The number of patches is limited only by the amount of a vailable memory in your system. When y ou add a patch to a concert, the patch is selected so you can easily audition and select a patch setting from the P atch Librar[...]

Chapter 4 Get started with MainStage 31 Selec t and pla y patches Y ou access the patches in your conc er t by selecting them in the P atch List. • Using a MIDI controller , you can play pat ches that have a software instrumen t channel strip. • If you are playing an electric instrument connected to an a udio inter face , or ar e using a microp[...]

Chapter 4 Get started with MainStage 32 8 F or audio and external instrument channel strips, gradually raise the volume fader until y ou hear sound on the channel. Y ou can adjust channel strip output using the V olume fader , adjust pan position using the P an knob, and mute or solo the channel strip using the Mute and Solo buttons. For a udio cha[...]

Chapter 4 Get started with MainStage 33 Change a channel strip setting Y ou can quick ly change the instrument, e ects, and other parameters for a channel strip by selecting a new setting from the Channel Strip Librar y . The browser sho ws available settings f or the currently selected channel strip. Select a new channel strip setting 1 Make su[...]

Chapter 4 Get started with MainStage 34 Learn a con troller assignment When you select a patch or a channel strip setting , some channel strip parameters respond t o the controls on y our MIDI device instantly . MainStage responds to not es played on a keyboard controller; volume, pan, and expression messages; modulation and pitch bend wheel messag[...]

Chapter 4 Get started with MainStage 35 Map a screen contr ol to a parameter 1 In the workspace , click the screen c ontrol you wan t to map. The screen con trol is highlighted in blue. The Screen Control Ins pector appears below the workspace , showing the par ameters for the selected screen contr ol. The Screen Control Ins pector includes Attribu[...]

Chapter 4 Get started with MainStage 36 T r y out Perform mode After learning controller assignmen ts and mapping screen controls , you can try playing your patches as you w ould in a per formance . Y ou can have the w orkspace occupy the entir e screen, presenting the scr een controls as large as possible f or easy viewing in concert environments,[...]

37 Edit mode ov er view In Edit mode, you add and edit patches to create y our custom sounds, choose patch settings in the P atch Library , or ganize and select patches in the P atch List, edit patch parameters in the Inspector , and map screen c ontrols to parameters and actions. Y ou can create custom patche s in Edit mode and organize them in th[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 38 W ork with patches in Edit mode Selec t it ems in the P atch List All of the patches and sets in a conc er t appear in the P atch List. T o select an item in the Pa tch List in Edit mode, you can click the item, use key commands, or t ype its patch number or the rst f ew letters of its name. The patch number appea[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 39 Select a patch or set by typing its name 1 Click the border of the P atch List to select it. 2 With the P atch List selected , star t typing the name of the patch. Once you type enough letters to uniquely identify its name , the patch or set is selected. Y ou can also selec t a patch b y typing its name in Perform mo[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 40 Create a pa tch from sev eral patches Y ou can create a patch by combining sev eral existing patches. T he new patch contains all of the channel strips of the selected patches. Create a pat ch from sever al existing patches 1 In the P atch List, select the patches you want t o use to create the new patch. 2 Choose Cr[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 41 Set program change and bank numbers When you add a patch t o a concert, the pa tch is given a MIDI program change number (the lowest a vailable number) until all a vailable program change numbers are taken. Y ou can selec t patches using progr am change numbers in per formance by assigning butt ons on a MIDI device t[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 42 If you edit a program change number so that it is the same as an existing progr am change number , the word “Duplicate” appears in red next to the Program Change v alue slider . If two or more patches ha ve the same program change number , and the numbers are active, the patch that appears rst (highest) in the[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 43 Change the tuning for a pat ch By default, patches use the same tuning method as the concert (or the set, if they are in a set with its own tuning method). Y ou can change the tuning for a patch so that it uses a di erent tuning. When you change the tuning for a pa tch, it overrides any concert- or set-level tunin[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 44 • P op/Jazz (3/5/7-all): 5ths, 3rds, and 7ths are changed in this mode. I t is great for P op and Jazz styles, especially when using sustained chords. It is less suitable for polyphonic music because the detuning of the natural 7th is signicant. This mode should always be used with a Depth of 90% or 1 00% becaus[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 45 W ork with channel strips in Edit mode Channel strips ov er view Channel strips are the building blocks of your patche s. T hey contain the instruments and e ec ts for the sounds you use in performance. MainStage channel strips use the channel strip inter face common to many DA W and mixing applications. T he main[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 46 • V olume fader: Sets a channel strip ’ s playback volume. • Mute button: Mutes and unmutes the channel strip. • Solo button: Solos and unsolos the channel strip. • Lev el meter : Displays a channel strip ’ s playback level. • Peak lev el display: Updat es during playback to show the highest peak lev el[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 47 Show the metronome channel strip Y ou can show the metronome channel strip in the Channel Strips area, where you can change its volume or change the metronome sound . Show the channel strip for the metronome m Choose Show Metronome Channel Strip from the A ction pop-up menu in the upper-r ight corner of the Channel S[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 48 Add a pat ch bus In addition to the 64 global busses av ailable for concert-wide routing, you can add patch- specic busses f or routing inside a patch—using patch busses doe s not contribute to the global maximum. T hey can be used for a variety of purposes, such as a local volume control f or layer ed patches. [...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 49 Surround e ect plug-ins cannot be used with M ainStage . I f you choose a channel strip setting containing a surround e ec t, the unused e ects are shown disabled (gray , with a diagonal line running through the e ect name). Choose channel strip settings Y ou can quick ly change the instrument, e ects,[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 50 5 T o change the channel str ip setting , click the name of the new setting in the Channel Strip Inspector . The Channel Strip Library shows all available channel strip settings , including settings that may not be useful in MainStage. If you choose a channel strip setting containing plug-ins not usable in MainStage,[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 51 Change channel strip icons When you add a channel strip , the channel str ip has a defa ult icon, which appears above the Settings pop-up menu. Y ou can change the icon to help visually distinguish channel strips with di erent instrument types or uses. Change the icon for a channel strip m In the Attributes tab of[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 52 W ork with sof twar e instrument channel strips Set keyboard input f or a software instrument channel strip In the Channel Strip Inspector , you can choose the keyboard c ontroller from which the channel strip receives MIDI input. I f you ar e using a multitimbral instrument, you can also choose the input for each MI[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 53 Filt er MIDI messages Y ou can lter some MIDI messages for a channel strip in the Channel Strip Inspector . When you select one or more MIDI message types in the Filter section of the Channel Strip Inspector , the corresponding MIDI me ssage typ es ar e ltered out of any incoming MIDI da ta and are not sent to [...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 54 Set channel strips to ignore Hermode tuning If a patch (or the concert or set containing the patch) is set to use Hermode tuning , but the patch contains a channel strip (f or example, one with a drum or percussion instrument) that you do not want to use Hermode tuning , you can set the individual channel strip to ig[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 55 Use the EXS24 mkII Instrumen t Editor in MainStage F or channel strips using the EXS24 mkII sampler instrument, you can edit sampler instrument zones and groups in the EXS Instrumen t Editor . H ow ever , y ou cannot open the Sample Editor to edit individual audio samples. In an EXS24 mkII instrument , a zone is a lo[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 56 Use multiple instrumen t outputs MainStage suppor ts the multiple output versions of the EXS2 4 mkII, Ultrabeat , and some Audio Units instruments. Y ou can inser t multi output instruments and use them to r oute di erent outputs to di erent phy sical outputs, to apply di erent plug-ins or processing to di?[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 57 F or more information about using multiple instrument outputs , see MainStage H elp and the MainStage Instruments manual. Information about specic instruments (f or example, Ultrabeat) can be found in the chapters co vering those instruments. Use external MIDI instrumen ts in MainStage Y ou can add an ex ternal MI[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 58 4 If you want to send a Bank Change me ssage, select the S end P rogram Change checkbox, then set the most-signicant byte (MSB) and least-signican t byte (LSB) of the bank change number using the Bank MSB and Bank LSB value sliders. When you select the patch, the program change and bank change messages are sent[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 59 Creat e keyboard layers and s plits Lay ers and splits ov er view If you play a keyboard contr oller , you can easily create keyboard la yers and splits in your MainStage patches. Y ou create la yers and splits by adding two or mor e channel strips to a patch and setting the Low Key and High Key f or each channel str[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 60 7 On your keyboard controller , press the key you want to set as the highest key in the key range. 8 T o tur n o Learn mode for the High Key , click the L earn button again. When you play the pa tch, you hear the channel strip when you play not es inside the key range. When you play not es outside the key range, n[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 61 Set oating split points When a key range has a oating split point , the notes that dene the boundaries of the key range ends change depending on the keys you play as you appr oach the boundar y of the key range. Y ou set oating split points in the Layer E ditor tab of the Channel Strip Inspector . Floatin[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 62 W ork with graphs Using graphs, you can graphically remap the values f or some MIDI control messages so tha t input values from y our controller produc e di erent output values f or the channel strip or plug-in parameter . Graphs mak e it easier to see and modify a r ange of values for a par ameter , such as veloc[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 63 Copy and past e values 1 In the graph window , click the Copy button. 2 Open the graph you want t o paste the values in to, and click the Paste button. Inv er t the v alues of the graph Do one of the following: m In the graph window , click the Invert button. m In the tab for the mapping , selec t the Inv er t P aram[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 64 Creat e controller transf or ms Using a transform graph, you can remap the v alues for some MIDI contr ol messages so that input values from y our controller produc e di erent output values f or the channel strip. A common use of the transform is for expr ession scaling, where input MIDI expression values are mapp[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 65 W ork with plug-ins in Edit mode W ork with plug-ins overview MainStage includes a full collection of professional-quality instrument and e ec t plug-ins as well as utility plug-ins such as the T uner . MainStage also includes a set of MIDI plug-ins that you can use in software instrument and external MIDI instrum[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 66 Use Channel EQ The Channel EQ plug-in allows y ou to sculpt the sound of the channel strip before applying other e ects. Use the Channel EQ plug-in 1 Double-click the EQ icon at the top of the channel strip . The Channel EQ plug-in is added to the rst a vailable Insert slot and the plug-in window opens. 2 Do on[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 67 Save change s to a plug-in setting Do one of the following: m T o save the current plug-in par ameter values as the setting : Choose Save Setting. This overwrites the existing setting. m T o name and save a setting , including its folder loc ation: Choose S a ve Setting As. Y ou can create a new folder in the Sav e A[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 68 Use other plug-in window c ontrols All MainStage plug-ins share a common set of contr ols. In addition to the Settings pop-up menu, plug-ins include controls f or switching between views, bypassing the plug-in, and comparing plug-in settings before and after adjustments . Y ou will also nd extended plug-in paramet[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 69 Map screen contr ols Screen con trols ov er view After you hav e created your pat ches and learned controller assignments f or the screen controls y ou want to use , you can map MainStage screen contr ols to channel strip and plug-in parameters to modify the sound of your pa tches while you perform, or map them to Ma[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 70 4 T o map the screen control to a plug-in parameter , double-click the plug-in in the Inser ts section of the channel strip to open the plug-in window , then click the parameter in the plug-in window . Click the parameter in a channel strip or plug-in window. Click the screen control you want to map to a parameter . [...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 71 4 Select the parameter you want to map . Click the channel strip or plug-in with the parameter you want to map. Click the parameter to which you want to map the screen control. The screen con trol is mapped to the selected parameter , and the Unmapped tab takes the name of the parameter . Y ou can continue mapping ad[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 72 Map a screen contr ol to an action 1 In the workspace , click the screen c ontrol you wan t to map. The Screen C ontrol Inspector appears below the works pace, showing the settings for the selected screen control. If the screen control is curren tly mapped, a tab with the name of the mapping is visible in addition to[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 73 Map a screen con trol to multiple parameters Y ou can map a single screen control to multiple parameters and c ontrol how the screen con trol modies each mapped parameter . Mapping a screen c ontrol to multiple parameters is also referred to as multimapping . Y ou map a screen control t o up to eight parameters by[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 74 Edit the sa ved value f or a mapped parameter Each mapped parameter has a sav ed value. If you set the P arameter V alues: On Pa tch Change pop-up menu to “R eset t o saved v alue” in MainStage G eneral pr eferences or in the A ttributes tab of the Screen Con trol Inspector , the parameter value for a patch r etu[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 75 Use paramet er mapping graphs Each parameter mapping has a P arameter graph. Y ou can edit the graph to remap input v alues to di erent output v alues for the parameter . Open the P arameter graph f or a mapping m In the tab for the mapping or in the Mappings tab , double-click the Graph butt on for the mapping yo[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 76 W ork in the Assignments and Mappings tab Assignments and mappings o verview Y ou can view and edit assignments and mappings for the selected patch, set, or concert in the Assignments & Mappings table , and create and edit assignments and mappings without lea ving Edit mode. F or the selected item, the Assignment[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 77 Create and delet e assignments and mappings The Assignments & Mappings tab includes an A ssign & Map button so you can quickly create new assignments and mappings. Y ou can also create assignments and mappings independent of any screen con trol, allowing you to use a hardware con trol to adjust the value of a[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 78 Edit assignments and map pings Using the Assign & Map button, you can also edit existing assignments and mappings in the Assignments & Mappings table. Edit an existing assignment or map ping 1 In the Assignments & Mappings table , select the assignment you want to edit. 2 Click the Assign & Map button[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 79 Edit screen c ontrol parameters in E dit mode Screen con trol parameters in E dit mode overview In Layout mode , you edit basic scr een control parameters tha t are constant throughout the entire concert. In Edit mode, you can edit screen control paramet ers for a specic patch or set , including editing parameter [...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 80 Set screen contr ols to show the hardw are value By default, screen controls show the v alue of the parameter the contr ol is mapped to. In some cases, for example , when the screen control is assigned t o a foot pedal or when the screen control is mapped to multiple par ameters, it may be better to show the v alue o[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 81 Set hardware ma tching behavior f or screen contr ols Some hardware synthe sizers and music workstations let users contr ol what happens when you mov e a physical control tha t is set to a di erent value than the paramet er it modies. The parameter value can instan tly change to the position of the physical con[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 82 Override concert- and set-level mappings By default, mappings you make at the concert level (to parameters and actions) take precedence ov er mappings to individual patches or sets in the conc er t. If you map a screen control to a par ameter at the concert level (for example , to Master Volume), that screen control [...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 83 W ork with sets in Edit mode W ork with sets overview Sets are like folders that let you or ganize patches you w ant to keep together . Using sets, you can organize pat ches in any manner . For example , you can put all the patches y ou want to use in the rst part of a per formance together or keep all your lead s[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 84 Change the tempo when you select a set Y ou can give a set its own tempo setting so that when you select the set, the tempo changes to the set tempo setting. M ainStage use s the new tempo until you select another patch or set with its own tempo setting , tap a new tempo , or until MainStage receive s tempo informati[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 85 Delete sets Y ou can delete a set if you decide you no longer want it in the conc er t. Delete a set 1 Select the set in the Pat ch List. 2 Choose Edit > Delete (or press the Delete key). When you delete a set , the patches in the set are also deleted . T o delete the set without deleting the patches , move the pa[...]

Chapter 5 W ork in Edit mode 86 Share pat ches and sets between concerts Y ou can expor t patches and sets from a c oncer t and import them into another concert. When you import a set, all the patches in the set are imported. Export a patch Do one of the following: m Drag the patch from the P atch List to the F inder . The patch appears as a .pat c[...]

87 Open and close concerts Y ou can create a new concert from a template, open an existing concert to continue working, and close and save conc er ts. Y ou can add patches to a c oncer t and or ganize them in the P atch List. The number of patches is limited only b y the amount of av ailable memor y . Y ou can add channel strips to an existing patc[...]

Chapter 6 W ork with concerts 88 Sav e concer ts When you sav e a concert, changes to mapped parameter v alues are saved only f or the selected patch or set but not for other pa tches or sets. Some patches or plug-ins may use assets such as a udio les, vir tual instruments , Ultrabeat samples, and Space Designer impulse res ponse les. Y ou ca[...]

Chapter 6 W ork with concerts 89 How sa ving a ec ts parameter v alues In MainStage preferenc es, you can set whether changes to mapped parameters are kept when you change patche s or are reset to their sav ed value. B y defa ult, when you select a patch, the mapped parameters in the previously selected patch r eturn to their saved value (as de?[...]

Chapter 6 W ork with concerts 90 Set the time signature for a c oncer t Y ou can set the time signature for a concert. Time signatures can be used with the Playback plug-in and also a ect the operation of the metronome. W hen you set the time signature for a patch or set, it overrides the concert-level time signature while the patch or set is se[...]

Chapter 6 W ork with concerts 91 T ap the tempo MainStage includes a “tap tempo ” feature tha t allows you to set the tempo in r eal time while you per form. T ap the tempo on your computer keyboard m Pre ss Control-T sev eral times at the desired t empo. Y ou can also tap the tempo using a screen control mapped to the T ap T emp o action. For [...]

Chapter 6 W ork with concerts 92 Dene the source f or program change message s By default, MainStage receives and res ponds to program change messages fr om all connected MIDI controllers . Some MIDI controllers , however , send program change messages while per forming other opera tions. Y ou can dene the source for progr am change messages [...]

Chapter 6 W ork with concerts 93 Mute audio output Sometimes when you are pla ying or editing sounds, you may want to quickly mute (silence) all audio output for the c oncer t. MainStage includes a Master Mute button that silences the output from every patch in the concert. Quickly mute all sound Do one of the following: m Pre ss Control-M. m In th[...]

Chapter 6 W ork with concerts 94 W ork at the concer t lev el Conc er t lev el overview Y ou can control the overall v olume for a concert and make other changes at the concert level. Y ou can use busses at the concert level to control concert-wide e ects or to control the output of multiple channel strips assigned to the bus. Y ou can also add [...]

Chapter 6 W ork with concerts 95 Con trol the ov erall volume of a c oncer t A MainStage concert contains Output and Master channel strips that you can use to contr ol the overall v olume of the concert. The Master channel strip always controls the output volume of the entire concert. I f the conc er t has multiple Output channel strips, each Outpu[...]

Chapter 6 W ork with concerts 96 When you map a screen con trol at the concert level, you cannot map the same screen control at the patch or set level unle ss you override the concert-level mapping. For information about overriding concert-level mappings, see Override concer t- and set-level mappings on page 82 . Add conc er t-wide e ects Y ou c[...]

Chapter 6 W ork with concerts 97 Use aux es to contr ol channel strip output Y ou can send the output of multiple channel strips to an aux (auxiliary channel str ip) and then use the aux to con trol the volume level and pan position of the channel strips. S ending the output to an aux is also useful f or adding EQ or compression to a group of pat c[...]

Chapter 6 W ork with concerts 98 Add channel strips at the c oncer t lev el Y ou can add a channel strip at the concer t level and use the conc er t-level channel strip f or a software instrument or audio input you w ant to use in every patch in the concert. Important: When you add a channel strip at the c oncer t lev el, it takes precedence over t[...]

Chapter 6 W ork with concerts 99 The MainStage clock Some plug-ins, including the Playback and Ultrabeat plug-ins , require a time source , and use beat and tempo information in order t o play in time. Additionally , some thir d-par ty applications and plug-ins using their own sequencer or playback engine may behav e di erently than the included[...]

Chapter 6 W ork with concerts 10 0 Important: When you start the MainStage clock, the audio engine is reset , causing a brief interruption in the audio output fr om MainStage. In some cases, you may want to start the MainStage clock at the beginning of a song or per formance and use scr een controls mapped to individual plug-in parameters to start [...]

101 Lay out mode overview Y ou cannot change the position of physical faders, k nobs , and other controls on your instr uments and other music hardware , but you can arrange the screen controls in your MainStage conc er t in any order y ou like by editing the layout. Y ou can modify an existing layout or create one from a template , and you can exp[...]

Chapter 7 W ork in Layout mode 10 2 W ork with screen controls in La yout mode Screen con trols ov er view Screen controls ar e objects in a MainStage concer t that corres pond to the physical con trols on your music hardwar e. Screen controls can also displa y patch numbers, parameter values , and other information and update the dis played inf or[...]

Chapter 7 W ork in Layout mode 10 3 Screen con trol types Panel c ontrols P anel controls appear on a two-dimensional plane (or panel ) in the w orkspace. Y ou can move a panel control to an y p osition in the w orkspace, except on to the shelf of a shelf control. P anel controls include: • MIDI Activity light (displays MIDI note activity , and c[...]

Chapter 7 W ork in Layout mode 10 4 Grouped contr ols Grouped controls c onsist of individual controls that are gr ouped together to make them easier to work with as a single unit. Grouped controls include: • Selector grouped with increment and decrement butt ons • Keyboard grouped with mod wheel, pitch bend wheel, and sustain pedal • Sustain[...]

Chapter 7 W ork in Layout mode 10 5 Mod/pitch wheel screen con trols When you add mod/pitch wheels to a la yout, by default they are congur ed to receive the following MIDI message types: • The rst mod/pitch wheel is congured t o receive pitch bend message s. • The second mod/pitch wheel is congur ed to receive modulation me ssages.[...]

Chapter 7 W ork in Layout mode 10 6 Move scr een controls Y ou can move screen controls t o a new position whenever you are in La yout mode. Y ou can use the alignment guides to help align and position screen c ontrols in an orderly arrangement. Move a screen c ontrol Do one of the following: m Drag the screen contr ol to a new position in the work[...]

Chapter 7 W ork in Layout mode 10 7 Resize the text displa y area of a screen con trol 1 Select the screen control in the workspac e. 2 Drag the inner resize guide t o increase the area of the text display . 3 Drag the outer resiz e guide to increase the overall siz e of the control. Drag the inner resize guide to resize the text area. Notice that [...]

Chapter 7 W ork in Layout mode 10 8 Adjust the shelf f or a shelf control When you add a shelf con trol such as a keyboard to the workspace , it appears at a defa ult angle, creating a three-dimensional appearance . Y ou can adjust the angle of the shelf control so that it appears more or less three-dimensional. This can be useful, f or example, if[...]

Chapter 7 W ork in Layout mode 10 9 Move a shelf v er tically 1 Select one of the screen controls on the shelf . The alignment guides f or the shelf appear . Drag the rear (upper) guide to move the shelf vertically . 2 Place the pointer o ver the upper alignment guide (the one aligned with the rear of the shelf control). The pointer become s a move[...]

Chapter 7 W ork in Layout mode 11 0 Group screen con trols using a background screen con trol 1 Drag a background screen con trol to the workspace . 2 Size and position the background screen con trol. 3 Drag the screen contr ols you want to include in the grouped c ontrol so they are within the borders of the background screen con trol. Ungroup scr[...]

Chapter 7 W ork in Layout mode 111 Assign hardwar e controls t o screen contr ols Con troller assignments o verview T o use M ainStage with a MIDI con troller , you assign hardwar e controls on the contr oller (such as faders, knobs, buttons, drum pads, and pedals) to screen controls in the w orkspace. After you assign a hardware con trol to a scre[...]

Chapter 7 W ork in Layout mode 11 2 Button assignments MIDI controllers can ha ve di erent types of buttons. Some buttons send a single value each time you press them, while others alternate between two v alues when pressed . O ther buttons can send separate v alues when they are pressed and released (this type of button is called a momentary or[...]

Chapter 7 W ork in Layout mode 11 3 Edit screen c ontrol parameters Screen con trol parameter editing o verview When you select a screen contr ol in Layout mode , the parameters for the screen c ontrol appear in the Screen Con trol Inspector where you can edit them. Most screen controls share the same common parameters , but some types have di e[...]

Chapter 7 W ork in Layout mode 11 4 Common scr een control pa rameters Y ou can edit the following common parameters f or button, fader , knob, pedal, footswitch, mod/pitch wheel, meter , VU meter , organ drawbar , progress indicator , and parameter text screen contr ols. Hardware Input • MIDI P or t pop-up menu: Shows the name of the devic e con[...]

Chapter 7 W ork in Layout mode 11 5 Keyboar d screen contr ol parameters If you are using a keyboard controller or another MIDI de vice that sends MIDI note messages , your lay out should include a keyboard (or MIDI activit y) screen contr ol. Y ou can edit the following paramet ers for keyboard screen contr ols. Hardware A ssignment • Device pop[...]

Chapter 7 W ork in Layout mode 11 6 Drum pad screen con trol parameters Y ou can use drum pad screen controls with hardware drum pads . Y ou can edit the following parameters for drum pad scr een controls. Hardware Input • Device pop-up menu: Shows the name of the hardwar e device with the drum pad control. Y ou can choose another device, All, or[...]

Chapter 7 W ork in Layout mode 11 7 Selec t or screen contr ol parameters Y ou can use selec tor screen c ontrols to displa y and select patches and sets, or to display and select markers in audio les used by a Playback plug-in. Y ou can edit the following parameters for selector (patch or marker selector) screen controls . Appearanc e • View [...]

Chapter 7 W ork in Layout mode 11 8 How MainStage passes through MIDI me ssages Some MIDI messages sent by y our keyboard controller (or other MIDI device) are “passed through ” to any channel strips in the MainStage concert that are mapped to the same controller (or device). W hether or not MIDI messages are passed through depends on the f oll[...]

Chapter 7 W ork in Layout mode 11 9 Impor t a lay out Y ou can impor t an expor ted la yout into another c oncer t, and then adjust it to work with the mappings in the concert. When you import a layout into a c oncer t, MainStage analyzes the lay out and attempts to con vert the assignments and mappings in the lay out to work with the concert. It u[...]

12 0 Before the performance Now that you ’ve created and organiz ed your sounds and set up your lay out, it ’ s time to play! MainStage features P er form mode that optimizes your dis play for liv e per formance . Here are a few things to check bef ore you begin per f orming: • Make sure your MIDI controllers , instruments, microphones, and o[...]

Chapter 8 P er form liv e with MainStage 12 1 Switch to P er form in Window m Choose V iew > P er form in W indow (or pr ess Command-3). In P er form mode (both P er form in Window and P er form in F ull Screen), Time Machine backups are disabled automa tically . This av oids any impact on your per formance . Selec t pat ches in per formanc e Se[...]

Chapter 8 P er form liv e with MainStage 12 2 Selec t pa tches using actions If you have mapped scr een controls to actions for selecting patches , such as selec ting the previous or next patch, you can select the patches using the physical contr ols assigned to those screen contr ols as you per form. Y ou can also select sets or the concer t using[...]

Chapter 8 P er form liv e with MainStage 12 3 Tips for per f orming with keyboard controllers If you are using one of the Keyboards templat es designed for use with a MIDI-compa tible keyboard controller , you can play your keyboard and use MainStage as a sophisticated sound module and multi-e ects processor . The patches in the t emplate make e[...]

Chapter 8 P er form liv e with MainStage 12 4 T une guitars and other instruments with the T uner MainStage includes a T uner that you can use to tune guitars and other instruments y ou play through an audio channel strip . T he T uner shows pitch on a circular scale with the note name and octave displa yed in the center of the scale . When you pla[...]

Chapter 8 P er form liv e with MainStage 12 5 The Pla yback plug-in in per formance Y ou can use the Playback plug-in to play backing tracks or other audio les while you ar e per forming . Pla yback can be triggered either when you select a patch or set or by using a button or other screen contr ol. Y ou can control other Playback paramet ers to[...]

Chapter 8 P er form liv e with MainStage 12 6 Record y our per formances Y ou can record a per formance t o an audio le. Before you rec ord a per formance , y ou can choose the le format of the recor ded audio le. If you choose AIFF as the le format for r ecording , the maximum le size for the rec orded le is 2 gigabytes . If you [...]

12 7 Playback plug-in o verview The Playback plug-in is an a udio le player that y ou can use to play backing tracks, song stems, and other audio les. T he Playback plug-in supports uncompressed mono or stereo audio le s in the AIFF , W A V , and CAF f ormats with a bit depth of 1 6 or 24 bits. Y ou can bounce a single stem from a Logic P [...]

Appendix A The Pla yback plug-in 12 8 The Pla yback inter fac e The Playback in ter face re sembles a hardware tape pla yer . This section will familiarize you with various areas of the Pla yback plug-in window . Information display Sync, Snap T o, and Play From pop-up menus Function buttons W aveform display T ransport buttons Action menu • W av[...]

Appendix A The Pla yback plug-in 12 9 Use the Pla yback wav eform displa y The wav eform display sho ws the wavef orm of the currently loaded audio le. The ver tical line in the center of the dis play indicates the curren t playback position as the wavef or m scrolls fr om right to left. Above the wavef orm, the time ruler displays time in eithe[...]

Appendix A The Pla yback plug-in 13 0 Playback tr anspor t and function buttons This section covers the buttons used f or playback, fade, count-in, click, and mar ker navigation operations. Return to Start button Cycle button Play button Undo button Fade Out button Count-in button Previous/Next Marker button T ransport and Function parameters • R[...]

Appendix A The Pla yback plug-in 131 Playback inf or mation dis play The information dis play shows information about sev eral key aspects of your audio material and lets you edit some of the displa yed values . Information Displa y parameters • P osition eld: Shows the current position in hours, minutes , and seconds (when Sync is o ), or [...]

Appendix A The Pla yback plug-in 13 2 Playback S ync, Snap T o , and Play F rom parameters The Sync , Snap T o, and Play Fr om pop-up menus control various as pects of playback and synchronization of the audio le . Sync, Snap T o, and Play F rom parameters • Sync pop-up menu: Con trols whether playback is synchronized with the c oncer t tempo [...]

Appendix A The Pla yback plug-in 13 3 Use the Pla yback group functions If you have multiple instanc es of the Playback plug-in in a concert, you can use groups to control which instance s play together and which instances opera te independently . Any Pla yback instance can either be assigned to one of 1 00 groups , or not be a member of any group [...]

Appendix A The Pla yback plug-in 13 4 Use the Pla yback Action menu and F ile eld The Action menu is found to the t op right of the wavef orm display and contains the f ollowing items: • Open File: Opens a dialog from which you can preview and choose a le to load int o the Playback plug-in. • Remove F ile: Remo ves the le currently loa[...]

Appendix A The Pla yback plug-in 13 5 Use markers with the Playback plug-in Y ou can add an audio le containing markers, and use the mark ers to mo ve to di erent par ts of the audio le. Y ou can also add markers in the Playback plug-in. The Playback window include s a shortcut menu that lets you add, name, and remove markers in the wav ef[...]

Appendix A The Pla yback plug-in 13 6 Use the Pla yback plug-in in a concert Add a Pla yback plug-in The Playback plug-in is an Instrumen t plug-in and is available only f or software instrument channel strips. T o use the Playback plug-in, you add it to a software instrument channel strip , then select an audio le to play . Y ou can add a Playb[...]

Appendix A The Pla yback plug-in 13 7 The Playback plug-in is added t o the channel strip, and the plug-in window appears over the MainStage window . Add an a udio le to the Playback plug-in After you add an instance of the Pla yback plug-in, you select and add the audio le you wan t to play using the plug-in. Y ou can add an audio le to a[...]

Appendix A The Pla yback plug-in 13 8 Set the Sync mode for the Pla yback plug-in When you add an audio le t o the Playback plug-in, MainStage looks for tempo information in the le. For a udio les containing tempo inf ormation (including Apple Loops and les exported from Logic P ro), the le is scanned f or transients (short bursts of[...]

Appendix A The Pla yback plug-in 13 9 Choose the ex mode for a Pla yback plug-in m Choose Flex Mode from the A ction menu at the upper right of the plug-in window , then choose the ex mode from the submenu. Note: For a udio les that do not contain t empo information, the Flex Mode menu item is unavailable . Add screen c ontrols f or the Pl[...]

Appendix A The Pla yback plug-in 14 0 Tips for using the Pla yback plug-in The design of the Pla yback plug-in allows you to use it in man y di erent ways. Y ou should plan how you int end to use the Playback plug-in when you ar e designing your concert to use it most e ectively . Y ou can tr y out di erent placements and settings t o deci[...]

141 Loopback plug-in o verview The Loopback plug-in lets y ou record virtual “tape loops,” play them back repeatedly , and overdub new r ecordings while previous ones con tinue playing. Y ou can use the Loopback plug-in to create simple loops , recurr ing motif s, or complex, evolving textures. Using Loopback as an insert plug-in in an instrume[...]

Appendix B The L oopback plug-in 14 2 The L oopback inter face The Loopback in ter face re sembles a hardware tape-loop device . This section will familiarize y ou with various areas of the L oopback interface. Information display Sync, Snap T o, and Play From pop-up menus Function buttons W aveform display T ransport buttons Action menu • W avef[...]

Appendix B The L oopback plug-in 14 3 Loopback wa veform displa y The wav eform display sho ws the wavef orm of the recorded audio material. The w aveform dis play updates in real time as y ou record new material. The ver tical line in the cent er of the display is the playhead , which shows the current playback or recording position as the wa vefo[...]

Appendix B The L oopback plug-in 14 4 • Undo button: When pressed during playback or when stopped , remove s the most recently recorded take from the tape loop . Pressing Undo during the rst beat of a new take remov es the previously recorded take . Loopback inf ormation displa y The information dis play shows information about sev eral key as[...]

Appendix B The L oopback plug-in 14 5 Loopback S ync, Snap T o, and Play F rom parameters The Sync , Snap T o, and Play Fr om pop-up menus in the bar at the bottom of the window control various aspects of playback and synchroniza tion of the audio material. Sync, Snap T o, and Play F rom parameters • Sync pop-up menu: Enables or disables synchr o[...]

Appendix B The L oopback plug-in 14 6 Important: Editing a paramet er in one member of a group does not automatically updat e the parameter value in other gr oup members. T o change the parameter value in all gr oup members, hold down Shift while you edit the parameter in an y group member . Y ou need to set Sync to the same mode for all group memb[...]

Appendix B The L oopback plug-in 14 7 Add a L o opback plug-in The Loopback plug-in is an insert plug-in. Y ou can use it in any type of channel strip. Add a Loopback instanc e to a channel strip 1 Click one of the Insert slots in the channel str ip y ou want to use Loopback on. 2 Choose Delay from the shortcut menu that appears, choose Loopback fr[...]

14 8 Pr eferenc es ov er view Y ou can set a variet y of pref erences in the MainStage pref erences window . The pr eferences window includes tabs for gener al, audio , MIDI, and display preferenc es, which are described in the following sections. General prefer ences These pref erences let you set the tuning of software instrumen ts, set the volum[...]

Appendix C MainStage prefer ences 14 9 P arameter V alues • On Patch Change pop-up menu: Choose whether paramet er values change or remain the same when you change patche s. B y defa ult, the On Patch Change par ameter for individual screen controls is set t o Pref erence , in which case they follow the pref erence behavior . If this parameter is[...]

Appendix C MainStage prefer ences 15 0 • Alert me: Displays an alert when a device is hot-plugged. T he aler t includes butt ons allowing you to use or ignore the devic e. • Automatically Use Devic e: Switches the audio driv ers to allow immediate use of the hot- plugged device for a udio input and output. • Do Nothing: Does not switch the au[...]

Appendix C MainStage prefer ences 151 MIDI pref erences These pref erences let you view the curren t status of MIDI inputs and choose which note appears as middle C. MIDI • MIDI Status eld: Displays the number of det ected MIDI inputs. • Setup button: Click to open the Audio Devices pane of A udio/MIDI Setup Utilit y . Display • Display Mi[...]

15 2 Conc er ts and lay outs Includes key commands for creating , opening , and sa ving concerts and for expor ting and impor ting la youts. Default key c ommand Function Command-N New concert Command-O Open c oncer t Command-W Close concert, or close the active plug-in window Command-S Save concert Command-Shift-S Save concert as Command-Con trol-[...]

Appendix D Key commands 15 3 Editing Includes key commands for cutting , copying , pasting , and other c ommon editing functions. Default key c ommand Function Command-Z Undo the last command Command-Shift-Z Redo the last undone command Command-X Cut Command-C Copy Command-V P aste Command-D Duplicate Command-A Select all Actions Includes key comma[...]

Appendix D Key commands 15 4 Channel strips (Edit mode) Includes commands for adding channel strips . Default key c ommand Function Command-Option-A Add audio channel strip Command-Option-I Add software instrument channel strip Command-Option-F Show/Hide signal ow channel strips Left Arrow Select the channel strip to the left of the cur ren tly [...]

Appendix D Key commands 15 5 Window and view Includes key commands for switching mode s and for showing inspectors and other areas of the interface. Default key c ommand Function Command-1 Lay out mode Command-2 Edit mode Command-3 P er form in W indow Command-4 P er form in F ull Screen Command-5 Sho w/Hide Inspectors Command-6 Sho w/Hide the Chan[...]

15 6 Actions ov er view In addition to mapping screen contr ols to channel strip and plug-in parameters, you can map them to MainStage actions . Actions let you selec t pat ches and sets, silence MIDI notes, control the Tuner and the metr onome, tap a new tempo, display inf ormation about patches, MIDI messages and other information, and p erform o[...]

Appendix E MainStage actions 15 7 Action Description Usage Prev Set Selects the set above the current patch in the P atch List. Button screen contr ol Current Set Displays the name of the curren t set. P arameter T ext screen control Next Set Selects the set below the current patch in the P atch List. Button screen contr ol Concert Displays the nam[...]

Appendix E MainStage actions 15 8 In addition to the actions in the Actions folder , there ar e two actions in the Send to All > Destinations > Actions folder . Action Description Usage T ranspose Oc tav e Up T ransposes the software instrument played b y the keyboard up one octave. Button screen contr ol T ranspose Oc tav e Down T ransposes [...]