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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.
MainStage can require a large amount of available RAM, particularly when playing
sample-based software instruments. It is recommended that you test your system and
the concerts you plan to use before you perform using MainStage to make sure there is
enough available memory to select and play the patches you want to use without causing
audio drop-outs or distortion. Unlike in Logic Pro, you can choose different audio input
and output drivers in MainStage. For more information about choosing audio drivers, see
Setting MainStage Preferences.
Using Effects Plug-ins with MainStage
You can use all of the Logic Studio effects plug-ins, except for surround plug-ins, in
MainStage channel strips. For more information about the included effects plug-ins, refer
to the Logic Studio Instruments and Logic Studio Effects manuals. You can also use Apple
and third-party Audio Units effects in MainStage channel strips in the same way you use
them in Logic Pro channel strips.
Some Logic Studio effects, including Space Designer, require intensive realtime processing
of the audio signal. Using Space Designer on individual patches can affect the performance
of your concert, and in some cases result in audio dropouts or glitches, particularly if you
set the audio buffer to a smaller size. For this reason, it is recommended that you use
Space Designer sparingly in your concerts, and use a few Space Designer instances on
auxiliary channel strips shared between multiple patches, rather than in individual patches.
Some Audio Units plug-ins can introduce latency. Using effects that introduce latency,
such as compressors and limiters, can produce undesirable or unpredictable results during
live performance. Other Audio Units plug-ins, particularly instrument and amp modelling
plug-ins, require high levels of realtime processing and can affect the performance of
your concert.
Using MainStage with Time Machine
If you use Time Machine to back up the computer you are using to perform with
MainStage, be aware that if Time Machine runs while you are performing in Perform or
Full Screen mode the performance of your MainStage concert could be affected. To avoid
any impact on performance, it is recommended that you disconnect your Time Machine
backup drive when you perform with MainStage.
19Chapter 2 Setting Up Your System