3.5

54MainStage User Guide
In MainStage, you can use audio, software instrument, and auxiliary (aux) channel strips in
your patches and sets, and also at the concert level. You can also use external instrument
patches to play external hardware devices. You can adjust the volume level using the
Volume fader, adjust the pan position using the Pan knob, and mute or solo the channel
strip using the Mute and Solo buttons.
A MainStage concert can have a maximum of 1,023 software instrument channel strips,
267 audio channel strips, 256 external instrument channel strips, and 256 auxiliary (aux)
channel strips.
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. For software instrument channel strips, you can change the instrument using the
Instrument slot. You can also choose, copy, and save channel strip settings, choose a
different channel strip type, or reset the channel strip from the Settings menu.
Aux channel strips can be used to route a signal to multiple destinations, and as additional
destination channels for multi-output instruments. Typically, you create aux channel strips
as you need them. There are three ways to do this:
• An aux channel strip is created automatically when a send assignment is made from a
channel strip, except when the chosen bus is already in use.
• When a multi-output instrument such as the Sampler is inserted into an instrument
channel strip, several aux channel strip assignments are made “behind the scenes.” You
then must create the required number of aux channel strips by clicking the Add button
(+) at the bottom of the instrument channel strip. Each time you click it, a new aux
channel strip is created (and automatically assigned to particular instrument outputs).
• You can also create aux channel strips by choosing Actions > Create Aux channel strip
from the Mixer menu bar.
To learn how to add a channel strip, see Add a channel strip in MainStage. To learn
how to change a channel strip setting, see Change a channel strip setting in MainStage.
For information about the included instrument and effects plug-ins, see the MainStage
Instruments and MainStage Effects manuals.
Add a channel strip in MainStage
You can add channel strips to a patch to create layered sounds and keyboard splits. When
you add a channel strip to a patch, you choose the type of channel strip, the output, and
other settings. You can mix both types in a single patch.
Add a channel strip to a patch
1. Make sure the patch is selected in the MainStage PatchList.
2. Click the Add Channel Strip button (+) in the upper-right corner of the
Channel Strips area.
3. In the New Channel Strip dialog, select the type of channel strip you want to create.
4. Choose the audio output for the channel strip from the Output pop-up menu.