3.5

18MainStage User Guide
Each concert includes a visual interface, called a layout, with screen controls that you
use to modify your patches in live performance. Screen controls include keyboards,
faders, knobs, buttons, pedals, drum pads, and other hardware controls and displays. You
make connections between your MIDI devices and your MainStage concert by assigning
hardware controls to the screen controls in the concert, then map the screen controls
to channel strip and plug-in parameters, completing the connection so you can easily
manipulate the parameters for each patch in the concert.
You can also map screen controls to actions, which provide the ability to select patches,
control the Tuner or metronome, provide visual feedback, and perform other functions.
MainStage lets you quickly and easily make controller assignments and parameter
mappings to speed your workflow. You can customize your layout to match the controls
on your MIDI hardware, to optimize the use of available screen space, or in other ways
that suit your needs.
MainStage for keyboards
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. You can choose exactly
the parameters you want to have at your fingertips for each patch and access them from
your controller as you perform.
You can use MainStage with other MIDI controllers, including sustain pedals, expression
pedals, foot switches, MIDI guitars, and wind controllers that send standard MIDI
messages. You can also control external hardware synthesizers, and other software
instruments using external instrument channel strips.
Using an iPad, you can also play software instruments, and control other aspects of
MainStage, using the Logic Remote app.
MainStage for electric guitar and bass
If you play an electric guitar, you can use MainStage as a powerful, customizable multi-
effects processor. After you connect your instrument to your computer using an audio
interface, you send your guitar’s audio signal to audio channel strips in your patches,
where you can add effects including the AmpDesigner and Pedalboard plug-ins designed
specifically for use with electric guitar. You can also use EQ, compression, reverb,
overdrive, and other effects in your guitar patches. You can control volume, effect blend,
or expression with an expression pedal, and use a foot switch to select patches hands-free
when you perform.