MainStage 2 User Manual
Copyright © 2009 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Your rights to the software are governed by the accompanying software license agreement. The owner or authorized user of a valid copy of Logic Studio software may reproduce this publication for the purpose of learning to use such software. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, such as selling copies of this publication or for providing paid for support services. The Apple logo is a trademark of Apple Inc.
Contents Preface 7 7 8 8 Welcome to MainStage About MainStage About the MainStage Documentation Additional Resources Chapter 1 11 11 13 13 13 13 16 Introducing MainStage What Is MainStage? Using MainStage with Keyboard Controllers Using MainStage with Electric Guitars Using MainStage with Vocals, Drums, and Other Instruments How to Use MainStage in Your Music Setup Using MainStage in Live Performance Chapter 2 17 17 19 19 19 Setting Up Your System Using MIDI Devices with MainStage Using Audio Devic
33 34 36 37 39 39 Selecting and Playing Patches Adding a Channel Strip Changing a Channel Strip Setting Learning a Controller Assignment Mapping a Screen Control Trying Out Full Screen and Perform Modes Chapter 5 41 41 48 69 77 81 83 83 84 Working in Edit Mode Working with Patches in Edit Mode Working with Channel Strips in Edit Mode Mapping Screen Controls Editing Screen Control Parameters in Edit Mode Working with Sets in Edit Mode Working at the Set Level Sharing Patches and Sets Between Concerts
130 Using the Playback Plug-in Chapter 9 133 133 134 135 136 137 137 137 138 139 140 141 141 Performing Live with MainStage Before the Performance Starts Using Full Screen Mode and Perform Mode Selecting Patches in Performance Using Screen Controls in Performance Handling Tempo Changes in Performance Tips for Performing with Keyboard Controllers Tips for Performing with Guitars and Other Instruments Using the Tuner Using the Playback Plug-in in Performance Recording Your Performances After the Performance
168 Display Preferences Appendix D 6 169 Using MainStage Actions 169 Table of Actions Contents
Preface Welcome to MainStage MainStage turns your computer into a powerful and customizable musical instrument and effects processor that you can use with your music gear (your instruments, microphones, controllers, and other equipment) in live performance. This preface covers the following: • About MainStage (p. 7) • About the MainStage Documentation (p. 8) • Additional Resources (p.
About the MainStage Documentation Logic Studio includes several documents that will introduce you to MainStage, help you get started working, and provide detailed information about the features and controls of MainStage. • MainStage User Manual: This onscreen manual (the MainStage User Manual) describes the MainStage interface, commands, and menus, and gives step-by-step instructions for creating MainStage concerts and for accomplishing specific tasks. It also includes information on setting up your system.
MainStage Website For general information and updates, as well as the latest news on MainStage, go to: • http://www.apple.com/logicstudio/mainstage Apple Service and Support Websites For software updates and answers to the most frequently asked questions for all Apple products, go to the general Apple Support webpage. You’ll also have access to product specifications, reference documentation, and Apple and third-party product technical articles. • http://www.apple.
Introducing MainStage 1 This chapter gives you a conceptual overview of MainStage and describes how you can use it together with your instruments and other musical equipment when you perform live. This chapter covers the following: • What Is MainStage? (p. 11) • Using MainStage with Keyboard Controllers (p. 13) • Using MainStage with Electric Guitars (p. 13) • Using MainStage with Vocals, Drums, and Other Instruments (p. 13) • How to Use MainStage in Your Music Setup (p.
MainStage provides a flexible interface for organizing and accessing your sounds in concerts. Concerts are MainStage documents that hold your sounds—a concert can store all the sounds you’ll use in an entire performance or a series of performances. In a MainStage concert, individual sounds are stored as patches, and each patch can contain one or more channel strips, each with its own instruments and effects.
Using MainStage with Keyboard Controllers If you perform using a USB or MIDI keyboard controller, you can play and control MainStage patches with software instruments using your controller. You can assign faders, knobs, buttons, and other controls on the keyboard controller to screen controls in your concert, and then map those screen controls to parameters in your patches.
Stage 1: Creating a Concert from a Template You begin working in MainStage by creating a new concert from a template. MainStage includes concert templates for keyboard, guitar, and other instruments, making it easy to choose a template suited to your needs. MainStage recognizes many popular MIDI controllers and automatically assigns hardware controls on the controller to corresponding screen controls in the workspace, simplifying hardware setup.
Stage 4: Customizing the Visual Layout of Your Concert to Match Your Hardware Devices In Layout mode, you arrange screen controls in the workspace to create the visual layout corresponding to your hardware controls. MainStage features a variety of screen controls, including keyboards, knobs, faders, pitch bend and modulation wheels, foot pedals, drum pads, and more.
To make setup easier, MainStage divides these tasks into two groups, with separate modes for each group of tasks. You customize and organize your patches in Edit mode and customize your layout and make connections with your hardware in Layout mode. The advantage of this division is that it separates tasks you normally perform only once, such as setting up your layout (the Layout mode tasks), from those you are likely to repeat more often, such as editing your sounds (the Edit mode tasks).
Setting Up Your System 2 You can use MainStage with a wide variety of MIDI controllers and Core Audio-compliant audio devices. For basic information about designing and configuring your system, including information about computer requirements, connecting audio and MIDI devices, and configuring your audio hardware, see the “Setting Up Your System” chapter in the Logic Pro User Manual. Real-time generation and processing of digital audio requires intensive processing by your computer.
Using MIDI Devices That Send Special MIDI Message Types Certain types of hardware controls such as knobs (rotary controls) and buttons are capable of sending several types of MIDI messages. When you assign these controls to MainStage screen controls using the Learn process, MainStage analyzes the incoming MIDI data to determine which type of message the hardware control is sending.
Using Audio Devices with MainStage MainStage works with Core Audio-compliant audio devices, including FireWire, USB, ExpressCard, and PCI audio interfaces. You can connect microphones, electronic musical instruments, and other musical equipment to your computer, or to an audio interface or other audio device, and use them with MainStage. For detailed information about using audio devices, see the “Setting Up Your System” chapter in the Logic Pro User Manual.
The MainStage Interface 3 You do all your work in MainStage in a single window, the MainStage window. The MainStage window is organized to make it easy to work with your patches and the layout of your concert. When you open MainStage, the workspace fills the center of the window, with Inspectors and other editing areas on the sides and below.
The MainStage Window Some features of the MainStage interface are common to all modes, while others are exclusive to certain modes. Toolbar Workspace with screen controls Activity Monitor Inspector The main features of the MainStage window include: • Toolbar: Includes buttons for quick access to common commands and tools. You can customize the toolbar so that the commands you use most frequently are readily available.
• Inspectors: Inspectors appear below (in Edit mode) or along the left side of the MainStage window (in Layout mode) when you select different items onscreen. The Inspectors allow you to edit parameters and attributes for patches, sets, screen controls, channel strips, and the concert. Most Inspectors feature tabs that make it easy to quickly access the parameters you want to edit. To make working easier, MainStage features four different modes, each suited to a different task.
• Screen Controls Palette: Drag screen controls from the palette into the workspace to add them to your onscreen layout. The palette has four tabs so that you can quickly view all screen controls or only one type of screen control. Panel controls appear as two-dimensional objects in the workspace, while shelf controls appear on an adjustable three-dimensional shelf.
• Inspector (varies depending on the type of item selected): View and edit parameters for the currently selected patch, channel strip, screen control, set, or for the concert. The name of the Inspector changes to identify the type of item you are currently inspecting. • Channel Strips area: View and edit the channel strips in your patches or at the concert or set level. Channel strips appear in a vertical format similar to Logic Pro channel strips, with many of the same controls.
Full Screen Mode In Full Screen mode, the workspace fills your entire computer display so that your screen controls are as large as possible for maximum readability. Full Screen mode optimizes your display for live performance when you want to use MainStage exclusively while you play. Plug-in windows cannot be open in Full Screen mode. To learn about using Perform mode and Full Screen mode when you perform live, see Performing Live with MainStage.
The pointer becomes a resize pointer. 2 Drag left or right to resize the workspace. Hiding and Showing the Inspector You can hide the Inspector or show it if it is hidden. To hide or show the Inspector Do one of the following: µ µ Choose View > Inspectors (or press Command-5). In the toolbar, click the Inspectors button. Hiding and Showing the Channel Strips Area You can hide the Channel Strips area or show it if it is hidden. Hiding the Channel Strips area gives you more room for the workspace.
µ To add a button to the toolbar Drag a button from the Customize dialog to the toolbar. If you drag a button between two existing buttons, the buttons move to make room for the new button. To move a button in the toolbar Do one of the following: µ µ If the Customize Toolbar dialog is visible, drag the button to move it. If the Customize Toolbar dialog is not visible, Command-drag the button to move it. You can also rearrange the toolbar using set-width spaces, flexible spaces, and separators.
Getting Started with MainStage 4 You can quickly start working in MainStage by choosing a concert template and trying out the patch settings in the concert. This chapter provides a brief guided “walkthrough” you can follow the first time you open MainStage. If you wish to continue learning the major features of the application in a hands-on manner, consult the Exploring MainStage guide included in the Logic Studio package. This chapter covers the following: • Before You Begin (p.
Opening MainStage You start by opening MainStage and creating a new concert from a template. µ To open MainStage Double-click the MainStage icon in your Applications folder or in the Dock. Choosing a Concert Template MainStage includes templates for different musical instruments, including Keyboards, Guitar Rigs, Drums, Vocals, and more. You can choose a concert template in the Choose Template dialog, which appears the first time you open MainStage and when you create a new concert or close a concert.
3 Scroll through the available templates to find the one you want to use. 4 Click Choose, or double-click the template. A new concert created from the template opens in Edit mode. The workspace appears in the center of the MainStage window, showing the screen controls in the concert. To the left of the workspace is the Patch List, which shows the patches and sets in the concert. The channel strips for the selected patch appear in the Channel Strips area to the right of the workspace.
4 To find subsequent patch settings with the same name, choose Find Again in Library from the Action menu. Note: If you have saved multiple patches to a .patch file using the Save as Set command (or the Export as Set command in MainStage 1.0) in the Action menu, the saved file appears as a patch in the Patch Library unless you have selected a different location for saving the file. Clicking the saved file in the Patch Library causes an alert to appear while the individual patches are opened from the .
Naming a Patch When you add a patch, by default it takes the name of the channel strip added with it. You can give each patch a custom name to make it easier to identify and distinguish between them. To name a patch 1 Double-click the patch in the Patch List. A field appears around the patch name, which is selected. Double-click the patch name, then type a new name. 2 Type a new name in the patch name field. For more information about editing and organizing patches, see Working with Patches in Edit Mode.
You can continue selecting and playing patches in the concert to find sounds you want to perform with or to use as a starting point for creating your own custom patches. You can also add new patches and edit their channel strip settings to create your own unique sounds. For more information about organizing and selecting patches in the Patch List, see Working with Patches in Edit Mode. Adding a Channel Strip You can add channel strips to a patch to create layered sounds and keyboard splits.
8 For audio and external instrument channel strips, gradually raise the volume fader until you hear sound on the channel. Most channel strip controls function in MainStage in the same way that they do in Logic Pro. You can adjust channel strip output using the Volume fader, adjust pan position using the Pan knob, and mute or solo the channel strip using the Mute and Solo buttons.
Changing a Channel Strip Setting You can quickly change the instrument, effects, and other parameters for a channel strip by selecting a new setting from the Channel Strip Library. The browser shows available settings for the currently selected channel strip. To select a new channel strip setting 1 Make sure that the channel strip you want to change is selected. The selected channel strip is highlighted. 2 In the Channel Strip Inspector, click the Channel Strip Library tab.
Learning a Controller Assignment When you select a patch or a channel strip setting, some channel strip parameters respond to the controls on your MIDI device instantly. MainStage responds to notes played on a keyboard controller, volume, pan, and expression messages, modulation and pitch bend wheel messages, and sustain pedal messages without your having to configure any screen controls to receive these messages.
The Learn button glows red to indicate that the Learn process is active, and the selected screen control is highlighted in red. Click the Learn button to start learning hardware assignments. 4 On your MIDI device, move the control you want to assign. Move faders and knobs through their full range of motion, and press buttons exactly three times (not too quickly) to enable MainStage to correctly learn the MIDI message types sent by these controls.
Mapping a Screen Control After you have learned controller assignments for the screen controls you want to use, you can map the screen controls to the parameters in your patches you will want to control while you are performing. You will likely want to map screen controls to parameters in each patch in a concert, so that you can easily access and modify the parameters you want for each patch when you are performing live.
Working in Edit Mode 5 In Edit mode, you add and edit patches to create your custom sounds, choose patch settings in the Patch Library, organize and select patches in the Patch List, edit patch parameters in the Inspector, and map screen controls to parameters and actions. You can create custom patches in Edit mode and organize them in the Patch List so that you can easily access them when you perform. This chapter covers the following: • Working with Patches in Edit Mode (p.
Selecting Items in the Patch List All of the patches and sets in a concert appear in the Patch List, located to the left of the workspace. To select an item in the Patch List in Edit mode, you can click the item or use key commands. To select a patch in the Patch List 1 In the Patch List, located to the left of the workspace, click the patch. Click a patch in the Patch List to select it, and start playing. 2 With the patch selected, you can start playing instantly.
To select a patch or set by typing its name 1 Click the border of the Patch List to select it. 2 With the Patch List selected, start typing the name of the patch. Once you type enough letters to uniquely identify its name, the patch or set is selected. You can also select a patch by typing its name in Perform or Full Screen mode. For information, see Selecting Patches by Typing. You can also select a patch using your computer keyboard by typing its patch number.
You can uncollapse the set by clicking its disclosure triangle again. Collapsing a set has no effect on whether you can select patches in the set in Full Screen or Perform mode. For information about creating and using sets, see Working with Sets in Edit Mode. Copying and Pasting Patches You can copy, paste, and duplicate patches in the Patch List using the standard Mac OS X menu and key commands or by Option-dragging.
2 In the Attributes tab, select the Has Time Signature checkbox. 3 Double-click the number in the field to the right, and enter the number of beats for one measure of the time signature. 4 Choose the beat value from the pop-up menu to the right. Changing the Tempo When You Select a Patch You can give a patch its own tempo setting so that when you select the patch, the tempo changes to the patch tempo setting.
The MIDI standard allows program change numbers with values from 0 to 127. If all available program change numbers in a concert are already in use, any new patches added to the concert will be given program change number zero (0), but the number is inactive (the checkbox is not selected). Bank changes are not supported. If you set a program change number so that it duplicates an existing program change number, the word “Duplicate” appears in red next to the Program Change value slider.
Changing the Patch Icon Each patch has an icon that appears in the Patch List next to the patch name. By default, the patch icon shows the type of channel strip created when the patch was added. You can choose a new icon for a patch and use icons to visually distinguish patches in the Patch List. µ To change the icon for a patch In the Attributes tab of the Patch Inspector, choose an icon from the Icon pop-up menu.
Working with Channel Strips in Edit Mode Channel strips are the building blocks of your patches. They contain the instruments and effects for the sounds you use in performance. MainStage channel strips use the channel strip interface familiar from Logic Pro. MainStage channel strips have the same structure and many of the same functions as Logic Pro channel strips.
A MainStage concert can have a maximum of 1023 software instrument channel strips, 512 audio channel strips, 256 external instrument channel strips, and 256 auxiliary (aux) channel strips. As in Logic Pro, you can add effects using the Insert slots, send the signal to an auxiliary channel (aux) using the Sends slots, and choose a different output from the Output slot. For audio channel strips, you can change the format between mono and stereo using the Format button.
• You can choose the information displayed on the channel strip, including latency information, by Control-clicking the channel strip and choosing the information you want to display from the shortcut menu. • The Playback plug-in is available only in MainStage, not in Logic Pro. For more information about working with channel strips, see the “Working with Instruments and Effects” and “Mixing” chapters in the Logic Pro User Manual.
Creating an Alias of a Channel Strip You can create an alias of a channel strip and use the alias in different patches or sets. Aliases allow you to share highly memory-intensive plug-ins, such as third-party multi-channel instruments and samplers, between different patches, rather than creating multiple instances of these plug-ins. In some cases, creating an alias can be more efficient (use fewer resources) than adding a concert- or set-level channel strip.
You edit channel strip parameters in the Channel Strip Inspector, which appears below the workspace when the channel strip is selected in the Channel Strips area. You can set the key range and velocity offset, create a controller transform, and filter MIDI control messages to the channel strip. You can also rename the channel strip and change the channel strip color and icon.
3 Click a category from the column on the left, then click subcategories from the columns on the right until you see the settings you want. You can select a recent channel strip setting by clicking Recent in the column on the left, and then selecting a recent setting from the second column. As in Logic Pro, you can also choose a new channel strip setting from the Settings menu at the top of the channel strip.
Renaming a Channel Strip When you add a channel strip to a patch, the channel strip has a default name. You can rename channel strips to distinguish your custom settings from the default ones. µ To rename a channel strip In the Attributes tab of the Channel Strip Inspector, select the name in the Name field and type a new name. Type a new name in the field.
Changing the Channel Strip Icon When you add a channel strip, the channel strip has a default icon, which appears above the Settings menu. You can change the icon to help visually distinguish channel strips with different instrument types or uses. µ To change the icon for a channel strip In the Attributes tab of the Channel Strip Inspector, choose an icon from the Icon well. Choose an icon from the menu.
To set the keyboard input for a software instrument channel strip 1 In the Channel Strip Inspector, click the MIDI Input tab. 2 Choose the MIDI input device from the Keyboard pop-up menu in the Input section. The names in the Keyboard pop-up menu correspond to keyboard screen controls in the workspace. To set multitimbral input for different MIDI channels 1 In the Channel Strip Inspector, click the MIDI Input tab. 2 Choose Multitimbral from the Keyboard pop-up menu in the Input section.
If you have created a controller transform, you can filter the input message type, and the controller transform will still send its output message type. It is also possible to filter the output message type, but in this case the output of the controller transform will be filtered.
Most of the ways you edit graphs are the same, regardless of the type of graph—although there are a few features specific to one or another type. For Parameter graphs, you can change the minimum and maximum range values for the graph using the Range Min and Range Max value sliders. For information about controller transforms, see Creating Controller Transforms. For information about velocity scaling, see Scaling Channel Strip Velocity.
µ To close the graph window Press Escape (Esc). Creating Controller Transforms Using a transform graph, you can remap the values for some MIDI control messages so that input values from your controller produce different output values for the channel strip. A common use of the transform is for expression scaling, where input MIDI expression values are mapped to different output values on a graphic curve.
µ To open the Transform graph In the MIDI Input tab of the Channel Strip Inspector, click the Transform button. The Transform graph opens. If a patch contains more than one channel strip with a transform graph, the transform curves for the other channel strips in the patch appear in the controller Transform graph window behind the current curve. Each channel strip in the patch can have its own controller transform. For information about editing the graph, see Working with Graphs.
The Layer Editor tab in the Channel Strip Inspector shows the key range for each channel strip in a patch and in the concert or set containing the patch (if either includes a channel strip with a key range). You can define the key range for a channel strip in one of several ways: you can drag the edges of the layer, use the Learn buttons to define the Low and High keys, or use the Low Key and High Key value sliders. µ To open the Layer Editor In the Channel Strip Inspector, click the Layer Editor tab.
7 On your keyboard controller, press the key you want to set as the highest key in the key range. 8 Click the Learn button again to turn off Learn mode for the High Key. When you play the patch, you hear the channel strip when you play notes inside the key range. When you play notes outside the key range, no sound is generated from the channel strip. To define a key range using the value sliders 1 In the Channel Strips area, select the channel strip.
Floating split points can be explained using an example. If you set the Low Key of a key range to C1, set a floating split point value of 3, then play notes immediately above C1 (for example, the notes F1-Eb1-D1), and continue playing downward past C1 (for example, the notes C1-Bb0-A0), the split point moves down to include those notes, up to the floating split point value (3 semitones).
To set a velocity offset for a channel strip Do one of the following: µ µ Drag the Velocity Offset value slider. Double-click the Velocity Offset value slider and type an offset value. Overriding Concert- and Set-Level Key Ranges If a software instrument channel strip exists at the concert level, the concert-level channel strip takes precedence over any patch-level software instrument channel strips within its key range.
To open the EXS24 mkII Instrument Editor 1 In a channel strip using the EXS24 mkII, double-click the EXS24 slot in the I/O section. 2 In the upper-right area of the EXS24 mkII plug-in window, click the Edit button. Click the Edit button to open the Instrument Editor. The Instrument Editor opens.
If an instrument supports multiple outputs, one or more multi output versions are available in the Instrument Plug-In menu for the instrument. The Plug-In menu shows specific information about output configurations, for example: EXS24: Multi Output (5xStereo, 6xMono). Note: Not all instruments support multiple outputs. If no multi output version is available in the Plug-In menu, the instrument does not support multiple outputs.
4 On the channel strip, click the Add button to add additional outputs. Each time you add an output, a new section of the channel strip is added, with the next available pair of outputs. Each output uses the same instrument, but each can have its own inserts, volume, pan, and expressions settings and its own effect sends, as well as its own outputs. For more information about using multiple instrument outputs, see the Logic Pro User Manual and the Logic Studio Instruments manual.
When you play your keyboard controller with the patch containing the external MIDI instrument selected, MainStage sends note and other MIDI messages to the chosen MIDI Output and MIDI Channel, receives audio from the chosen Input, and sends the audio output to the chosen Output. You can also send a program change message to the external instrument when you select the patch to control which program the external instrument uses.
Note: If the MIDI Out parameter of the external instrument channel strip is set to the external instrument when you map the screen control to the Program change parameter, a program change (Program 0) is sent when you create the mapping. If you are editing the program on the external instrument, your changes may be lost.
Mapping Screen Controls to Channel Strip and Plug-In Parameters After you have made your controller assignments, you can begin mapping screen controls to the parameters in your patches you will want to control while you are performing. You will likely want to map screen controls to parameters in each patch in a concert, so that you can easily access and modify the parameters you want for each patch when you are performing live.
4 To map the screen control to a plug-in parameter, double-click the plug-in in the Inserts section of the channel strip to open the plug-in window, then click the parameter in the plug-in window. Click the screen control you want to map to a parameter. Click the parameter in a channel strip or plug-in window. The screen control is mapped to the selected parameter, and the Unmapped tab takes the name of the parameter.
2 In the Screen Control Inspector, click the Unmapped tab. The Parameter Mapping browser appears, showing the channel strips and plug-ins available for mapping as well as the Actions folder. 3 In the column on the left of the Parameter Mapping browser, select the channel strip with the parameter to which you want to map the screen control. Parameters for the selected channel strip appear in the columns on the right.
Mapping Screen Controls to Actions In addition to mapping screen controls to channel strip and plug-in parameters, you can map them to MainStage actions. Actions let you select patches and sets; silence MIDI notes; control the Tuner and the metronome; tap a new tempo; display information about patches, MIDI messages, and other information; and perform other functions using screen controls. For a complete table of actions, including descriptions and usage notes, see Using MainStage Actions.
The available actions appear in the second column of the browser. Click the Actions folder to see available actions. Click the action you want to map from the submenu. 4 Select the action you want to map.
If you frequently map screen controls to multiple parameters, you can speed your workflow by assigning key commands to select the previous and next tab or to select a specific tab in the Screen Control Inspector. For information about assigning key commands, see Using the Command Editor. µ To view all mappings for a screen control In the Screen Control Inspector, select the Mappings tab.
For information about editing graphs, see Working with Graphs. Mapping Screen Controls to All Channel Strips in a Patch When you map a screen control to a channel strip parameter such as volume or pan, you can map it to control the same parameter in all of the channel strips in the patch. This is particularly useful when you want to control the overall volume of a layered sound, even if the different layers are played across multiple keyboards.
Editing Screen Control Parameters in Edit Mode In Layout mode, you edit basic screen control parameters that are constant throughout the entire concert. In Edit mode, you can edit screen control parameters for a specific patch or set. You can also override concert- and set-level mappings for an individual patch or set.
The Parameter Mapping section becomes active so that you can map the parameter. Mapping tabs for concert-level mappings are available only at the concert level, and mapping tabs for set-level mappings are available only at the set level. When you override a concert- or set-level mapping, the mapping tabs become available at the level of the override. Replacing the Parameter Label You can replace the parameter label for a screen control (for an individual patch or set), to make the label easier to identify.
To set a screen control to show the hardware value 1 Select the screen control in the workspace. 2 In the Screen Control Inspector, select the Attributes tab. 3 Select the Show Input Value checkbox. Setting Parameter Change Behavior for Screen Controls You can set the behavior for saving parameter values for screen controls in individual patches.
To set the behavior for screen controls when you move a hardware control 1 Select the patch. 2 Select the screen control for which you want to set the hardware matching behavior. 3 In the Attributes tab of the Screen Control Inspector, choose the parameter change behavior for the screen control from the “When hardware value differs from screen value” pop-up menu: • To have the screen control use the default behavior set in MainStage preferences, choose Preference.
Working with Sets in Edit Mode Sets are like folders that let you organize patches you want to keep together. Using sets, you can organize patches in any manner. For example, you can put all the patches you want to use in the first part of a performance together or keep all your lead synth patches together. Sets are flexible, so you can use them in whatever way suits your method of working.
2 Double-click the number in the field to the right, and enter the number of beats for one measure of the time signature. 3 Choose the beat value from the pop-up menu to the right. Changing the Tempo When You Select a Set You can give a set its own tempo setting so that when you select the set, the tempo changes to the set tempo setting.
Deleting Sets You can delete a set if you decide you no longer want it in the concert. To delete a set 1 Select the set in the Patch List. 2 Choose Edit > Delete (or press the Delete key). When you delete a set, the patches in the set are also deleted. To delete the set without deleting the patches, move the patches outside the set before you delete it. Working at the Set Level You can add channel strips at the set level and play the set-level channel strips together with every patch in the set.
The patch appears as a .patch file in the Finder. µ Select the patch, choose “Save as Patch” from the Action menu in the Patch List, then click Save. The patch is exported to the ~/Library/Application Support/Logic/MainStage Patches folder. To export a set Do one of the following: µ Drag the set from the Patch List to the Finder. The set appears as a .patch file in the Finder. µ Select the set, choose “Save as Set” from the Action menu in the Patch List, then click Save.
You can also map a screen control to the Record action to record audio in Perform and Full Screen modes, and assign a key command to the action to turn recording on or off using a hardware control.
Working with Concerts 6 Concerts are the documents in which you create and organize the sounds you use in your performances, customize your onscreen layout, and make connections between your MIDI hardware and MainStage. A concert holds all the sounds you’ll use for an entire performance or a series of performances. In a concert, you add, edit, and organize patches, and select patches while you are performing. You can reorder patches in the Patch List and also organize them into sets.
Opening and Closing Concerts You can create a new concert from a template, open an existing concert to continue working, and close and save concerts. You can add patches to a concert and organize them in the Patch List. The number of patches is limited only by the amount of available memory. You can add channel strips to an existing patch or to new ones you create and can organize patches into sets. For information about patches and sets, see Working in Edit Mode.
Saving Concerts When you save a concert, all of the changes you made to the patches and sets in the concert, as well as the concert settings, are saved. To prevent losing your changes, be sure to save your work periodically. To save a concert 1 Choose File > Save Concert. 2 The first time you save a concert, the Save dialog appears. Enter a name for the concert, and browse to the location where you want to save it, then click Save.
If you decide not to keep your latest changes, you can revert a concert to its previously saved state. µ To revert a concert to its last saved state Choose File > Revert to Saved. All the changes you’ve made since the last time you saved the concert are lost when you revert the concert to its last saved state. If you change parameter values in a patch, select another patch, and later select the first patch again, the parameter values will be as you left them when you selected the other patch.
Using Tempo in a MainStage Concert Each concert has a tempo, which you can change in different ways while you are performing. Some plug-ins available in MainStage, including delay and tremolo effects, synthesizer LFOs, and the metronome, can require a specific tempo. You can set the initial tempo for a concert, and change the tempo by selecting a patch or a set with its own tempo setting.
For information about adding buttons to the toolbar, see Customizing the Toolbar. You can also tap the tempo using your computer keyboard. µ To tap the tempo using a computer keyboard Press Control-T several times at the desired tempo. You can also tap the tempo using a screen control mapped to the Tap Tempo action. For information about mapping screen controls to actions, see Mapping Screen Controls to Actions.
Setting the Pan Law for a Concert Audio signals panned to the center position may sound louder than signals panned hard left or right. The Pan Law value determines the amount of volume reduction applied to audio that is panned to the center position. You can choose from the following settings: • 0 dB: With no change to the volume level, signals will seem louder when panned to the center position, in comparison with extreme left or right pan positions.
If the Panic button is not visible in the toolbar, you can customize the toolbar by adding a Panic button. For information about customizing the toolbar, see Customizing the Toolbar. Muting Audio Output Sometimes when you are playing or editing sounds, you may want to quickly mute (silence) all audio output for the concert. MainStage includes a Master Mute button that silences the output from every patch in the concert. To quickly mute all sound Do one of the following: µ µ µ Press Control-M.
Working at the Concert Level You can control the overall volume for a concert and make other changes at the concert level. You can use busses at the concert level to control concert-wide effects or to control the output of multiple channel strips assigned to the bus. You can also add channel strips at the concert level and have the concert-level channel strips available with every patch in the concert.
To see all of the channel strips, you may need to resize the Channel Strips area. At the concert level, the Channel Strips area shows the Output and Master channel strips, auxes, and other concert-level channel strips. µ To control the overall volume level of a concert Drag either the Output 1-2 volume fader or the Master volume fader. You can map a screen control to a channel strip parameter or an action at the concert level.
In the example above, you would click the fader screen control, click Out 1-2 in the left column of the Parameter Mapping browser, and then click Volume in the second column of the browser. Screen controls can also display visual feedback about parameter values, including volume level. For example, you can also map the Output 1-2 Volume fader to a level meter screen control and have the level meter display the overall volume level while you are performing live.
2 On the channel strip, click one of the Send slots and choose a bus from the menu. Choose a bus from one of the Send slots. 3 Drag the Send knob next to the slot to set the amount of the signal sent to the aux. To add a concert-wide effect to an aux 1 In the Patch List, select the concert icon. The auxes in the concert appear in the Channel Strips area along with the concert-level channel strips. 2 On an aux, click one of the Insert slots and choose an effect from the menu.
You can also add concert-wide effects to an aux at the patch level if Show Signal Flow Channel Strips is active. For information about showing signal flow channel strips in the Channel Strips area, see Showing Signal Flow Channel Strips. Using Auxes to Control Channel Strip Output You can also send the output of multiple channel strips to an aux (auxiliary channel) and then use the aux to control the volume level and pan position of the channel strips.
4 Choose the audio output for the channel strip from the Output pop-up menu. 5 For audio channel strips, choose mono or stereo format from the Format pop-up menu. Important: Audio channel strips can produce feedback, particularly if you are using a microphone for audio input. When you add an audio channel strip, the volume of the channel strip is set to silence, and Feedback Protection is turned on to alert you when feedback occurs on the channel strip.
Different plug-ins can make use of the MainStage clock in different ways, depending on what information they require and what mode they are set to. Some plug-ins may only make use of the beat information, while others may only make use of tempo information. For example: • The Playback plug-in can start immediately (if Snap To is set to Off ), at the beginning of the next bar (if Snap To is set to Bar), or at the next beat (if Snap To is set to Beat).
µ µ Click a button mapped to the Metronome action. µ Click any of the listed buttons again to stop the metronome. If you are using a Playback plug-in, click the Metronome button in the Playback window (or click a button mapped to the Metronome button). Note: Starting the metronome also starts the MainStage clock if it is not already running. By default, the metronome sound is routed to the main outputs (Output 1-2).
Working in Layout Mode 7 You visually arrange your onscreen layout and make connections between your music hardware and MainStage in Layout mode. You can’t change the position of physical faders, knobs, and other controls on your instruments and other music hardware, but you can arrange the screen controls in your MainStage concert in any order you like by editing the layout. You can modify an existing layout or create one from a template, and you can export a layout and import it into another concert.
Modifying the Layout of a Concert You can modify an existing layout by adding and arranging screen controls in the workspace, changing existing controller assignments or making new ones, and editing screen control parameters. The following sections describe how to add and arrange controls onscreen, make hardware assignments, change the appearance of screen controls, and edit layout parameters. You can also export a layout and import the layout into a different concert.
Additionally, if you create and add a grouped control to the Screen Controls palette, a tab for My Grouped Controls appears in the palette. You can add your custom grouped controls to the palette, so they will be available in every concert. Panel Controls Panel controls appear on a two-dimensional plane (or panel) in the workspace. You can move a panel control to any position in the workspace, except onto the shelf of a shelf control.
Shelf Controls When you add a shelf control, it appears on a three-dimensional shelf. You can move the shelf, adjust the angle of the shelf, and place multiple shelf controls on the same shelf. For example, if you have a keyboard screen control in your layout, you can add pitch bend wheel and modulation wheel screen controls to the same shelf as the keyboard screen control.
Adding Screen Controls to a Layout In Layout mode you can quickly add screen controls to your layout and arrange them in the workspace. µ To add a screen control Drag the screen control from the Screen Controls palette to the workspace. As you drag the screen control to the workspace, a white outline appears, showing where it will be added. You can use the alignment guides to align the screen control with other items in the workspace. You can drag screen controls into the workspace in any order.
Copying and Pasting Screen Controls You can copy and paste screen controls using the standard Mac OS X menu items and key commands. To paste a copy of a screen control Do one of the following: µ Press Command-C to copy the selected screen control, then press Command-V to paste a copy. µ Option-drag the screen control to a new location in the workspace. To add multiple instances of the same screen control in a row or column 1 Option-drag the screen control to create the first copy.
To move multiple screen controls Do one of the following: µ µ Shift-click the screen controls, then drag them to a new position. Hold down the Shift key as you drag around the controls, then drag them to a new position. You can constrain the movement of screen controls to either horizontal or vertical by pressing Shift while dragging them.
3 Drag the outer resize guide to increase the overall size of the control. Drag the inner resize guide to resize the text area. Notice that when you resize the text display area, the rest of the screen control becomes smaller. You can first resize the overall control, and then resize the text display area using the inner resize guide. Aligning and Distributing Screen Controls MainStage includes controls for centering, aligning, and distributing screen controls in the workspace.
You can also align and distribute screen controls by Control-clicking the selected screen controls and choosing commands from the Align and Distribute submenus in the shortcut menu. The Distribute shortcut menu contains additional controls for distributing the space between screen controls. Adjusting the Shelf for a Shelf Control When you add a shelf control such as a keyboard to the workspace, it appears at a default angle, creating a three-dimensional appearance.
Moving the Shelf Vertically You can also move the shelf vertically to change its position in the workspace. When you move the shelf vertically, all screen controls on the shelf (for example, a modulation or pitch bend wheel and a keyboard) move with the shelf. To move a shelf vertically 1 Select one of the screen controls on the shelf. The alignment guides for the shelf appear. Drag the rear (upper) guide to move the shelf vertically.
To group screen controls using the shortcut menu 1 Select the screen controls you want to group together. 2 Control-click the selected controls, then choose Group from the shortcut menu. To group screen controls using a background screen control 1 Drag a background screen control to the workspace. 2 Size and position the background screen control. 3 Drag the screen controls you want to include in the grouped control so they are within the borders of the background screen control.
2 In the Appearance section of the Screen Control Inspector, select the Image button. 3 Do one of the following: • Drag an image to the Image well. • Click the Select button, then navigate to the location containing the image you want to use, and select the image. You can add custom grouped controls to the Screen Controls palette, and use them in the same concert or another concert. Grouped screen controls you add to the palette appear in the My Grouped Controls tab.
When you assign a hardware control using the Learn button, MainStage determines the type of MIDI message the control sends when you move it, and the range of values the control is capable of sending. When you map the screen control to a channel strip parameter or an action, MainStage converts (or “maps”) the range of values sent by the hardware control to the optimal range of values usable by the parameter.
When you assign a button screen control using the Learn button, MainStage attempts to determine which type of button on your hardware is sending the MIDI message, and sets the value in the Type pop-up menu in the Screen Control Inspector to the correct value for that button type. To enable MainStage to determine the correct value, press the button exactly three times when you are learning it.
Lifting and Stamping Screen Control Parameters You can “lift,” or copy, certain parameters from a screen control and “stamp” them onto other screen controls. This makes it easy to give multiple screen controls the same size, appearance, and text attributes to create a uniform look in your layout. Parameters affected by lift and stamp include the parameters in the Appearance and Text Labels headings in the Screen Control Inspector (except the control type), as well as the size of the screen control.
• Button Control—Toggle or Momentary: Includes drum pads and other buttons that send a value when the button is released as well as when it is pressed. • Number pop-up menu: Choose the MIDI control number that the control sends. For common MIDI controls, such as volume, the control name appears in the menu along with the number. • MIDI Thru pop-up menu: Choose whether the control automatically passes MIDI through or does not pass MIDI through.
Settings • Name field: Enter a name for the keyboard. The name appears in the Input pop-up menu in the Channel Strip Inspector, where you can select the device the channel strip responds to. • Number of Keys value slider: Enter the number of keys to display on the keyboard screen control. • Lowest Key value slider: Enter the note name for the lowest key. • Lowest Key Learn button: Click the Learn button, then press the lowest key to have MainStage learn it.
Note: If the Device parameter for a drum pad screen control is set to All, the MIDI note that triggers the drum pad (set in the Note value slider) is not sent to any keyboard screen controls in the patch, and so does not produce sound from any software instrument plug-ins “played” using those keyboard screen controls. • Channel pop-up menu: Choose the MIDI channel on which MainStage receives input from the controller.
• Set Justification buttons: Click to set whether sets are left, center, or right justified in the selector. • Patch Justification buttons: Click to set whether patches are left, center, or right justified in the selector. Text Screen Control Parameters You can edit the following parameters for text screen controls after adding text to the text field. • Font button: Select text, then click to show the Font menu from which you can select the font, style, color, and size.
• If a screen control for that MIDI message type exists, and the MIDI Thru parameter for the screen control is set to Automatic or to the input device, the messages are passed through. This is the default for screen controls set to receive volume, pan, expression, sustain, modulation, pitch bend, and aftertouch messages. • If a screen control for that MIDI message type exists, and the MIDI Thru parameter for the screen control is set to “Do not pass through,” the data is not passed through.
When you import a layout into a concert, MainStage analyzes the layout and attempts to convert the assignments and mappings in the layout to work with the concert. It uses the following rules to convert imported assignments and mappings: • Screen controls are assigned and mapped to screen controls of the same type if they exist in the imported layout. • Keyboard screen controls are assigned only to keyboard screen controls.
Playing Back Audio in MainStage 8 You can play back audio files in time with your live performance. Playing back audio files can have a variety of uses, including playing backing tracks to accompany your performance, playing song stems that you can mix live, and using a “backing band” while you practice your performance. You play back audio files using the Playback plug-in, which is available in the Instrument menu.
Where you add an instance of the Playback plug-in depends on how you want to use it. If you want to play back an audio file while you play a single patch, you can add it to the patch. If you add a Playback plug-in at the set level, you can select different patches in the set and have the audio file continue playing. This can be useful, for example, if the set includes all the patches you’ll use in a song, and the Playback plug-in plays an audio file with a backing track for the song.
The Playback plug-in is added to the channel strip, and the plug-in window appears over the MainStage window. You can add an audio file to a Playback plug-in in one of several ways: by dragging an audio file, by clicking in the File field, or by using the Action menu in the plug-in window. Adding an Audio File to the Playback Plug-in After you add an instance of the Playback plug-in, you select and add the audio file you want to play using the plug-in.
The name of the audio file appears in the File field, and the waveform of the audio file appears in the Waveform display. You can preview an audio file in the Open dialog by selecting the file and clicking Play. To hear the file after adding it to the Playback plug-in, click the Play button in the plug-in window. Setting the Sync Mode for the Playback Plug-in When you add an audio file to the Playback plug-in, MainStage looks for tempo information in the file.
Note: For audio files that do not contain tempo information, Sync is set to Off and the Sync pop-up menu is unavailable. Choosing the Flex Mode for the Playback Plug-in For audio files containing tempo information, you can choose between different flex modes for playing back audio. Each flex mode is optimized for playback of a certain type of audio file, and you can choose which flex mode an instance of the Playback plug-in uses to play back the audio file you added.
Note: If there is no Playback plug-in in the patch, an alert appears when you try to add a waveform screen control. When you map the waveform screen control to the Playback plug-in, the waveform for the audio file loaded in the Playback plug-in appears in the waveform screen control. When you press the button you mapped to the Play/Stop parameter, the audio file starts playing, and you see the waveform move across the waveform screen control.
A Playback plug-in in a patch plays only while the patch is selected. If you are using a Playback plug-in at the set level, you can select different patches in the set (for example, different lead synth or guitar solo patches) and have the audio file continue playing. If you are using a Playback plug-in at the concert level, you can select different patches in the concert and have the audio file continue playing. The Playback plug-in provides an additional form of control using groups.
Performing Live with MainStage 9 Now that you’ve created and organized your sounds and set up your layout, it’s time to play! MainStage features two modes, Full Screen mode and Perform mode, optimized for live performance. This chapter covers the following: • Before the Performance Starts (p. 133) • Using Full Screen Mode and Perform Mode (p. 134) • Selecting Patches in Performance (p. 135) • Using Screen Controls in Performance (p. 136) • Handling Tempo Changes in Performance (p.
• Make sure any instruments or microphones you plan to play through audio channel strips are connected to the correct audio inputs on your audio interface. Select a patch with an audio channel strip and play or sing to make sure you can hear audio output. • For the best results, close any applications that you do not need while performing, particularly applications with high processor or RAM requirements. • If you use Time Machine to back up your computer, turn it off.
To switch to Perform mode Do one of the following: µ µ Choose View > Perform (or press Command-3). Click the Perform button in the toolbar. By default, when you open MainStage, it opens in Edit mode. You can change the default behavior in the General pane of MainStage preferences so that it opens in Perform or Full Screen mode. For more information, see Setting MainStage Preferences.
Key command Selection Up Arrow The previous patch Down Arrow The next patch Left Arrow The first patch in the previous set Right Arrow The first patch in the next set Selecting Patches by Typing You can select a patch in the Patch List by typing the first few letters of its name. µ To select a patch by typing its name Type the letter “f”, then begin typing the name of the patch. Once you type enough letters to uniquely identify the patch name, the patch is selected.
When you move a physical control, the screen control updates based on the Respond to Hardware Move parameter in the Screen Control Inspector. If the parameter is set to Jump, the screen control instantly moves to the position of the hardware control. If the parameter is set to Pickup, the screen control starts moving when the hardware control reaches its current position. If the parameter is set to Relative, the screen control moves in sync with the hardware control, starting from its current position.
You can also use MainStage with vocals, or any sound captured with a microphone, using an audio interface connected to your computer and choosing the audio input channel in audio channel strips in your patches. For guitar patches that use multiple channel strips, you can control the overall volume of the patch using a foot pedal.
3 Play a single note on your instrument, and watch the Tuner display. As you play, the Tuner shows the note name of the closest note. If the note is not in tune, red vertical bars appear, showing whether the note is sharp or flat. The bars appear to the right of the note name if the note is sharp, and to the left if the note is flat. 4 Adjust the tuning peg for the string you are tuning. When the note is in tune, a blue vertical bar appears in the center, above the note name.
The Playback plug-in is designed so that it can be used in a variety of ways. Following are a few ideas for how to use the Playback plug-in in different situations. You can try them out or use them as a starting point for your own creative uses. Some Playback Plug-in Usage Ideas You can use the Playback plug-in in software instrument channel strips in a patch or at the set or concert level.
After the Performance Before closing your concert after your performance, remember that, for any screen controls for which the On Patch Change parameter is set to “Reset to saved value,” any changes to channel strip parameters or plug-in parameters you made while performing revert to their previously saved state if you close the concert without saving. If you save the concert before closing, the new values are saved in the concert.
Key Commands 10 This chapter provides tables listing the default key commands for MainStage and describes how to open the Command Editor to customize key commands. This chapter covers the following: • Using the Command Editor (p. 143) • MainStage Default Key Commands (p. 143) Using the Command Editor MainStage includes a Command Editor that lets you view and customize key commands.
Concerts and Layouts Includes key commands for creating, opening, and saving concerts and for exporting and importing layouts.
Default key command Function Command-A Select all Actions Includes key commands for some MainStage actions. Default key command Function Control-P Panic Control-T Tap Tempo Control-M Master Mute Control-R Toggle Recording Space bar Toggle Play/Stop Parameter Mapping (Edit Mode) Includes commands for learning mappings and locating mappings in the Parameter Mappings browser.
Full Screen Mode Includes key commands for selecting patches and sets, sending MIDI panic, muting/unmuting audio, and exiting Full Screen mode.
A Appendix The Playback Plug-in The Playback plug-in is an audio file player that you can use to play backing tracks, song stems, and other audio files. The Playback plug-in supports uncompressed mono or stereo audio files in the AIFF, WAV, and CAF formats with a bit depth of 16 or 24 bits. You can bounce a single stem from a Logic project or a set of stems from individual tracks. You can use Playback to jump to song sections and repeat them.
Getting to Know the Playback Interface The Playback interface resembles a hardware tape player. This section will familiarize you with various areas of the Playback plug-in window. Transport buttons Waveform display Sync, Snap To, Play From, and Group pop-up menus Information display Action menu Function buttons • Waveform display: The waveform display shows the waveform of the currently loaded audio file, the current playback position, and the ruler. See Using the Playback Waveform Display.
Using the Playback Waveform Display The waveform display shows the waveform of the currently loaded audio file. The vertical line in the center of the display indicates the current playback position as the waveform scrolls from right to left. Above the waveform, the time ruler displays time in either hours, minutes, and seconds (when Sync mode is off ) or bars and beats (when Sync is on). If the audio file contains marker information, the marker names and positions appear below the time ruler.
Using the Playback Transport and Function Buttons This section covers the buttons used for playback, fade, count-in, click, and marker navigation operations. Return to Start button Cycle button Play/Stop button Fade Out button Count-in button Metronome button Previous/Next Marker button • Return to Start button: Moves to the very beginning of the audio material, but does not start playback. If Playback is in play mode, however, playback will continue from the start of the audio file.
If Playback is stopped, moves to the previous marker or to the beginning of the audio file if the current playhead position precedes the first marker. If the file contains no markers, moves 8 bars (if Sync is on) or 20 seconds (if Sync is off ). Press Play to start playback from this position. • Go to Next Marker button: In play mode, immediately moves to the next marker (to the right of the current playhead position) if the audio file contains markers. Playback continues from this position.
• Pitch fields: Transpose audio playback when Sync is on. Drag vertically in either the semi or cent field to transpose the audio file in semitones or cents (1/100 of a semitone). The Pitch fields are disabled when Sync is off. Using the Playback Sync, Snap To, and Play From Parameters The Sync, Snap To, and Play From pop-up menus control various aspects of playback and synchronization of the audio file. • Sync pop-up menu: Controls whether playback is synchronized with the concert tempo.
Using the Playback Group Functions If you have multiple instances of the Playback plug-in in a concert, you can use groups to control which instances play together and which instances operate independently. Any Playback instance can either be assigned to one of 26 Groups, named A-Z, or not be a member of any group. The linked operation of multiple instances can be used for creative playback purposes, such as alternative versions of a song verse or chorus. Only one group can be active at a time.
Using the Playback Action Menu and File Field The Action menu is found to the top right of the waveform display and contains the following items: • Open File: Opens a dialog from which you can preview and choose a file to load into the Playback plug-in. • Remove File: Removes the file currently loaded in the Playback plug-in.
µ Drag an audio file between two channel strips. This creates a new channel strip with the Playback plug-in inserted. The (dragged) audio file is automatically loaded into this new Playback instance. You can drag multiple files between channel strips to create a new channel strip for each file. Note: Using either of the first two methods, you can preview files in the dialog before adding one to the Playback instance. To preview the selected audio file in the dialog, click the Play button.
B Appendix The Loopback Plug-in The Loopback plug-in lets you record virtual “tape loops,” play them back repeatedly, and overdub new recordings while previous ones continue playing. You can use the Loopback plug-in to create simple loops, recurring motifs, or complex, evolving textures. Using Loopback as an insert plug-in in an instrument channel strip, you can create looped performances with a single instrument, your voice, or other audio material.
Getting to Know the Loopback Interface The Loopback interface resembles a hardware tape-loop device. This section will familiarize you with various areas of the Loopback interface. Transport buttons Waveform display Sync, Snap To, and Play From pop-up menus Information display Action menu Function buttons • Waveform display: The waveform display shows the waveform of the recorded audio material, the playhead position, and the ruler. See Using the Loopback Waveform Display.
Using the Loopback Waveform Display The waveform display shows the waveform of the recorded audio material. The waveform display updates in real time as you record new material. The vertical line in the center of the display is the playhead, which shows the current playback or recording position as the waveform scrolls from right to left. The ruler appears above the waveform, showing bars and beats (musical time).
• Reverse button: Reverses the contents of the tape loop, so the sound plays back in reverse. You can activate Reverse when Loopback is either playing or stopped. • Fade Out button: Gradually lowers the volume level of the tape loop over the time specified in the Fade Time field. The Fade Out button remains highlighted until the fade-out has finished and playback stops. The fade-out affects only previously recorded material.
• Meter field: Displays the meter (time signature) of the audio material. The bar and beat values can be altered independently, which changes the ruler display and may alter the Length field display, but does not affect audio playback. Cannot be changed once the length is set without first clearing the tape loop. • Tempo field: Displays the tempo in beats per minute. The tempo is “locked” after the first recording and cannot be changed. • Fade Time field: Indicates the fade-out time in seconds.
Loopback and Playback instances share the same group functions. If you have instances of Playback that you have assigned to a group, they will respond to any group functions (except Record) as any Loopback instances assigned to the same group. Only one group can be active at a time. For example, if two Loopback instances are in Group A, and four Loopback instances are in Group B, activation of a transport function in any Group A member will stop all Group B members, and vice versa.
Using the Loopback Action Menu The Action menu is found to the top right of the waveform display and contains the following items: • Export Tape Loop: Shows an export dialog, where you can name and choose a location to save the tape loop to an AIFF audio file. • Import Tape Loop: Shows an import dialog, where you can select and import a previously exported tape loop or any short audio file. • Clear Tape Loop: Deletes the entire tape loop in the Loopback plug-in.
C Appendix Setting MainStage Preferences You can set a variety of preferences in the MainStage preferences window. The preferences window includes tabs for general, audio, MIDI, and display preferences, which are described below. This appendix covers the following: • General Preferences (p. 165) • Audio Preferences (p. 166) • MIDI Preferences (p. 168) • Display Preferences (p.
• Open Most Recent Concert: Opens the last open concert in the same mode it was in when you closed it. • Open Most Recent Concert in Perform Mode: Opens the last open concert in Perform mode. • Open Most Recent Concert in Full Screen Mode: Opens the last open concert in Full Screen mode. Alerts • Reset Warnings button: Click to reset the behavior of alerts for which you have selected the “Do not show again” checkbox, so that they appear in the future when appropriate conditions occur.
• Audio Input pop-up menu: Choose the device you want to use as the source for audio input. • Setup buttons: Click the Audio Output Setup button to open the Audio/MIDI Setup window and configure audio output. Click the Audio Input Setup button to open the Audio/MIDI Setup window and configure audio input. • I/O Buffer Size pop-up menu: Choose the size of the buffer for audio input and output in samples.
• Recordings Folder field and Set button: Click the Set button, then browse to choose the location where recordings are saved. The file path of the chosen location appears in the field. • File Format pop-up menu: Choose the file format for audio recordings. The choices are: • AIFF • CAF • WAVE MIDI Preferences These preferences let you view the current status of MIDI inputs, set the instrument voice limiting threshold, and choose which note appears as middle C.
Appendix D Using MainStage Actions In addition to mapping screen controls to channel strip and plug-in parameters, you can map them to MainStage actions. Actions let you select patches and sets, silence MIDI notes, control the Tuner and the metronome, tap a new tempo, display information about patches, MIDI messages and other information, and perform other functions using screen controls.
Action Description Usage Current Program Number Displays the program change number of the selected patch and can be used to change to a specific program. Parameter Text screen control (to display); Button screen control (to change) Next Patch Selects the patch below the current patch in the Patch List. Button screen control +10 Patches Selects the patch 10 patches below the current patch in the Patch List.
Action Description Usage Play/Stop Starts or stops playback at the current transport position. Button screen control Play Starts playback at the beginning of the song or file (bar 1, beat 1). Button screen control Stop Pauses playback at the current transport position. Button screen control Continue Resumes playback at the current transport position. Button screen control Reset/Compare Patch Toggles the selected patch between its edited and last saved state (toggle).
