2
Table Of Contents
- MainStage 2 User Manual
- Contents
- Welcome to MainStage
- Introducing MainStage
- Setting Up Your System
- The MainStage Interface
- Getting Started with MainStage
- Before You Begin
- Opening MainStage
- Choosing a Concert Template
- Selecting Patch Settings in the Patch Library
- Adding a Patch
- Naming a Patch
- 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
- Working in Edit Mode
- Working with Patches in Edit Mode
- Selecting Items in the Patch List
- Skipping Items in the Patch List
- Collapsing Sets in the Patch List
- Copying and Pasting Patches
- Reordering Patches in the Patch List
- Moving Patches in the Patch List Repeatedly
- Creating a Patch from Several Patches
- Setting the Time Signature for a Patch
- Changing the Tempo When You Select a Patch
- Setting Patch Program Change Numbers
- Deferring Patch Changes
- Instantly Silencing the Previous Patch
- Changing the Patch Icon
- Changing the Tuning for a Patch
- Deleting Patches
- Working with Channel Strips in Edit Mode
- Selecting Channel Strips
- Showing Signal Flow Channel Strips
- Creating an Alias of a Channel Strip
- Editing Channel Strips in MainStage
- Choosing Channel Strip Settings
- Renaming a Channel Strip
- Changing the Channel Strip Color
- Changing the Channel Strip Icon
- Using Feedback Protection with Channel Strips
- Setting Keyboard Input for a Software Instrument Channel Strip
- Transposing Software Instrument Channel Strips
- Filtering MIDI Messages
- Setting a Channel Strip to Ignore Hermode Tuning
- Working with Graphs
- Creating Controller Transforms
- Scaling Channel Strip Velocity
- Creating Keyboard Layers and Splits
- Overriding Concert- and Set-Level Key Ranges
- Using the EXS24 mkII Instrument Editor in MainStage
- Using Multiple Instrument Outputs in MainStage
- Using External MIDI Instruments in MainStage
- Using the Activity Monitor
- Deleting Channel Strips
- Mapping Screen Controls
- Editing Screen Control Parameters in Edit Mode
- Overriding Concert- and Set-Level Mappings
- Replacing the Parameter Label
- Choosing a Custom Color for a Screen Control
- Choosing Custom Text Color for a Screen Control
- Setting a Screen Control to Show the Hardware Value
- Setting Parameter Change Behavior for Screen Controls
- Setting Hardware Matching Behavior for Screen Controls
- Resetting and Comparing Changes to a Patch
- Working with Sets in Edit Mode
- Working at the Set Level
- Sharing Patches and Sets Between Concerts
- Recording the Audio Output of a Concert
- Working with Patches in Edit Mode
- Working with Concerts
- Opening and Closing Concerts
- Saving Concerts
- How Saving Affects Parameter Values
- Setting the Time Signature for a Concert
- Using Tempo in a MainStage Concert
- Defining the Source for Program Change Messages for a Concert
- Setting the Pan Law for a Concert
- Changing the Tuning for a Concert
- Silencing MIDI Notes
- Muting Audio Output
- Working at the Concert Level
- Controlling the Metronome
- Working in Layout Mode
- Modifying the Layout of a Concert
- Working with Screen Controls
- Assigning Hardware Controls to Screen Controls
- Editing Screen Control Parameters
- Lifting and Stamping Screen Control Parameters
- Common Screen Control Parameters
- Keyboard Screen Control Parameters
- MIDI Activity Screen Control Parameters
- Drum Pad Screen Control Parameters
- Waveform Screen Control Parameters
- Selector Parameters
- Text Screen Control Parameters
- Background Screen Control Parameters
- How MainStage Passes Through MIDI Messages
- Exporting a Layout
- Importing a Layout
- Changing the Aspect Ratio of a Layout
- Playing Back Audio in MainStage
- 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
- Tips for Complex Hardware Setups
- Key Commands
- Appendix A: The Playback Plug-in
- Getting to Know the Playback Interface
- Using the Playback Waveform Display
- Using the Playback Transport and Function Buttons
- Using the Playback Information Display
- Using the Playback Sync, Snap To, and Play From Parameters
- Using the Playback Group Functions
- Using the Playback Action Menu and File Field
- Using the Playback Shortcut Menu
- Appendix B: The Loopback Plug-in
- Getting to Know the Loopback Interface
- Using the Loopback Waveform Display
- Using the Loopback Transport and Function Controls
- Using the Loopback Information Display
- Using the Loopback Sync, Snap To, and Play From Parameters
- Using the Loopback Group Functions
- Using the Loopback Action Menu
- Adding Loopback to a Channel Strip
- Appendix C: Setting MainStage Preferences
- Appendix D: Using MainStage Actions
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. When you add an external instrument channel
strip, the volume of the channel strip is set to silence, but Feedback Protection is turned
off.
6 Click Create.
7 For software instrument channel strips, you can define the key range for the channel strip
in the Channel Strip Inspector so that the concert-level channel strip does not overlap
software instruments you plan to use in your patches and sets.
For information about defining the key range of a channel strip, see Creating Keyboard
Layers and Splits.
When you add a channel strip at the concert level, you can map screen controls to the
channel strip only at the concert level, not for individual patches or sets.
Using the MainStage Clock
Some plug-ins, including the Playback and Ultrabeat plug-ins included with Logic Studio,
require a time source, and use beat and tempo information in order to play in time.
Additionally, some third-party applications and plug-ins using their own sequencer or
playback engine may behave differently than sequencer-based plug-ins included in
Logic Studio. These plug-ins (which include Reason and other ReWire applications and
Reaktor) require a play message from the host application to begin playback and require
a stop message to end playback. They may also require a continue (also sometimes called
“resume”) message to continue playback from their current time position.
MainStage includes an internal beat clock or “time base” that you can use to control the
playback of these plug-ins. The MainStage clock generates beat, time position, and tempo
information so sequencer-oriented plug-ins can start, stop, and play in time. The MainStage
clock operates similarly to the song position in Logic Pro.
You can send play and stop messages in the following ways:
• Using the Play/Stop button in the toolbar, if it is visible
• Using the Metronome button in the toolbar, if it is visible (turning on the metronome
also starts the MainStage clock, if it is not already running)
• Using a screen control mapped to the Play/Stop, Play, or Stop action
• Using a screen control mapped to the Continue action to resume playback of a
third-party plug-in (but not a Playback plug-in)
100 Chapter 6 Working with Concerts