Apple MainStage - 2 User Manual

MainStage 2

Exploring MainStage

Apple Inc.

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7 Chapter 1: A First Look at MainStage

8 Getting Ready

8 Opening MainStage

11 Exploring Edit Mode

15 Exploring Layout Mode

18 Exploring Perform Mode

20 Exploring Full Screen Mode

22 Key Concepts

23 Chapter 2: Adding and Organizing Patches

23 Getting Ready

24 Adding a Patch

26 Selecting Patches

27 Organizing Patches in the Patch List

30 Playing Patches

31 Key Concepts

33 Chapter 3: Editing Patches

33 Adding a Channel Strip

37 Changing the Channel Strip Setting

38 Adding a Plug-in

40 Creating a Keyboard Split

42 Key Concepts

43 Chapter 4: Learning Controller Assignments

44 Learning a Controller Assignment

46 Key Concepts

47 Chapter 5: Mapping Screen Controls

48 Mapping a Screen Control to a Parameter

50 Mapping a Screen Control to an Action

51 Mapping a Screen Control to Multiple Parameters

52 Editing a Parameter Graph

54 Key Concepts

55 Chapter 6: Working with Concerts and Sets

55 Adjusting the Overall Concert Volume

57 Dening the Tempo for a Concert

59 Adding a Concert-Wide Eect

61 Adding a Set-Level Channel Strip

62 Overriding Concert- and Set-Level Mappings

64 Key Concepts

Contents

65 Chapter 7: Editing Concert Layouts

66 Adding Screen Controls

67 Arranging Screen Controls

72 Grouping Screen Controls

74 Editing Layout Parameters

75 Customizing the MainStage Window

76 Key Concepts

77 Chapter 8: Playing Back Audio

78 Adding a Playback Plug-in

79 Using Playback Plug-in Parameters

83 Key Concepts

85 Chapter 9: Performing Live with MainStage

85 Before the Performance Starts

86 Using Perform or Full Screen Mode

87 Selecting Patches in Performance

88 Using the Tuner

89 Silencing MIDI Notes or Audio Output

91 Chapter 10: Getting Answers

91 Exploring MainStage Help

92 What’s Next?

Contents

A First Look at MainStage

Welcome to MainStage. If you’re new to MainStage, this guide is for you. You’ll learn by doing as you work on a concert, customize your sounds, and get ready to perform.

MainStage turns your computer into a powerful, customizable musical instrument and

eects processor that you can use with your music gear in live performance. Whether

you are a keyboard player, a guitarist, a vocalist, or play another instrument, you can use MainStage in your rig when you play live.

This Exploring guide presents the main features of MainStage and guides you in trying

out dierent parts of the application. You’ll start by learning the basics and move on to

more advanced features you can use when you perform live with MainStage.

If you prefer to learn by reading in-depth explanations of the features and controls in MainStage, open MainStage, then choose Help > MainStage Help to view the MainStage User Manual.

Getting Ready

Before you begin, you should install MainStage on your computer. For instructions, see the Installing Your Software booklet that comes with Logic Studio. You should also connect the music equipment that you plan to use, such as a MIDI controller, audio interface, musical instruments, or microphone, to your computer. For more information about using music hardware with MainStage, see the “Setting Up Your System” chapter in the MainStage User Manual.

Opening MainStage

You start by opening MainStage and creating a new concert from a template.

Open MainStage:

Double-click the MainStage icon in your Applications folder or click the icon in the Dock. m

When you open MainStage, and each time you create or close a concert, the Choose Template dialog appears, showing available concert templates for keyboards, guitars, vocals, and other instruments.

Chapter 1 A First Look at MainStage

Choose a concert template:

Click an instrument from the list on the left to see the templates for that instrument 1 type. If you play a keyboard controller, select Keyboards to view keyboard templates featuring software instrument patches. If you play an electric guitar, select Guitar Rigs

to view guitar templates featuring audio patches with guitar amps and eects.

Scroll through the available templates to nd the one you want.2

Double-click the template you want to use.3

A new concert created from the template opens in a full screen window. In the center of the MainStage window, the workspace shows the screen controls that correspond to the controls on your MIDI hardware. To the left of the workspace is the Patch List, where you can select 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. Below

the workspace is the Inspector, which shows parameters for dierent items when you

select them.

Chapter 1 A First Look at MainStage

The new concert will look similar to this:

Patch List Inspector Channel Strips area

Workspace

Chapter 1 A First Look at MainStage

Name and save the concert:

Choose File > Save.1

Enter a name for the concert in the name eld. 2

Click Save.3

Exploring Edit Mode

A new concert opens in Edit mode. Edit mode is where you create, customize, and organize your sounds, called patches. Patches contain channel strips with Logic Pro

instruments and eects. You can add and edit patches, add channel strips, and create

keyboard layers and splits to customize your sounds. Edit mode is also where you map screen controls to channel strip parameters and actions, and edit patch, set, and concert-level parameters.

A new concert contains at least one patch, which is selected in the Patch List. Below

the workspace, the Patch Library is open so that you can select and audition dierent

patch settings for the selected patch.

Chapter 1 A First Look at MainStage

Try This

Play the selected patch:

Using your instrument or microphone, play the patch. As you play, observe dierent m

parts of the MainStage window, including the screen controls in the workspace and the Activity Monitor in the center of the toolbar.

Explore the Patch Library:

Select a dierent patch setting in the Patch Library and play the patch to hear the new m patch setting. Try out several dierent patch settings and see how the sound changes.

Chapter 1 A First Look at MainStage

Explore the Patch List and the Inspector:

In the Patch Inspector, click the Attributes tab. Click the Icon well, and choose a new m icon for the patch. You’ll explore other parameters in the Inspector in later chapters.

Select the concert (the Untitled Concert icon) in the Patch List. The Inspector changes m to show concert parameters, including time signature, tempo, device information, and tuning.

Select the set (the blue My Song folder) in the Patch List. The Inspector changes to m show set parameters, including time signature, change tempo, and tuning method.

Chapter 1 A First Look at MainStage

Click one of the knobs or faders in the workspace. It highlights in blue, and mappings m and other parameters for it appear in the Inspector. Click the tabs in the Inspector and look at the parameters each one contains.

Explore the Channel Strips area:

To the right of the workspace, the Channel Strips area shows the channel strips for the m

selected patch as well as channel strips at the set or concert level that aect the sound

of the patch. Move the pointer to the left edge of the Channel Strips area and drag left or right to resize it.

Click a channel strip. The Channel Strip Library appears in the Inspector, showing m

dierent channel strip settings. With the channel strip selected, click the other tabs in the Channel Strip Inspector to view dierent parameters for the selected channel strip.

Chapter 1 A First Look at MainStage

Exploring Layout Mode

Inspector Screen Controls Palette

Layout mode is where you customize the visual layout of the concert, adding and arranging screen controls to match your hardware devices. You also make connections (called controller assignments) between your MIDI hardware and the screen controls in your concert in Layout mode.

Chapter 1 A First Look at MainStage

In Layout mode, the workspace lls more of the screen so you can focus on editing

your layout. Because you are working on the overall concert layout rather than with individual patches, there is no audio output when you are using Layout mode.

Try This

Switch to Layout mode:

Click Layout at the upper-left corner of the toolbar (or press Command-1). m

Explore the workspace:

Click a screen control. It appears highlighted in a blue rectangle with square handles. m

Some screen controls are part of a grouped control. If you try to move a member of a grouped control, the entire group moves.

Chapter 1 A First Look at MainStage

Explore the Screen Controls Palette:

Click each of the tabs in the Palette and observe which screen controls are available. m

Drag a screen control from the Palette to the workspace and try moving it to a new m position. Resize it by dragging its blue resize handles. To remove it, press the Delete key.

Explore the Screen Control Inspector:

Parameters for the currently selected screen control appear in the Screen Control m

Inspector to the left of the workspace. Select dierent types of screen controls and observe the dierences in the Screen Control Inspector. Try changing the Color and

Text Label parameters for the selected screen control. You’ll explore other screen control parameters in later chapters.

Chapter 1 A First Look at MainStage

Exploring Perform Mode

In Perform mode, the workspace lls most of the screen. Above the workspace, the

toolbar is available so you can switch modes, view the Activity Monitor, and access other toolbar buttons. Perform mode optimizes your computer for live performance, but you can still access the Finder and switch to other open applications.

Try This

Switch to Perform mode:

Click Perform at the upper-left corner of the toolbar (or press Command-3). m

The workspace lls the entire window except for the toolbar at the top.

Chapter 1 A First Look at MainStage

Play a patch:

Try playing the selected patch with your instrument. If you are playing a keyboard m controller, play a few notes or chords and watch the keyboard in the workspace. You should hear sound, and the keys should respond as you play. If you are playing an

electric guitar, you should hear your guitar through the amps and other eects in the

patch and see the Output meter light as you play.

Use hardware controls:

Move the pitch bend wheel and mod wheel on your keyboard. The corresponding m screen controls move, and you hear a change in the sound.

Try moving the knobs, rotary controls, sliders, and other controls on your MIDI m

controller. Some controllers respond, but others need to be congured rst to respond

to the MIDI input from your controller.

If you have a sustain pedal, hold it down as you play. If you have a footswitch, wait a m moment, then press it again.

Chapter 1 A First Look at MainStage

Exploring Full Screen Mode

In Full Screen mode, the workspace lls your entire display, showing the workspace

at its maximum size for optimal readability in performance environments. Full Screen mode optimizes your computer and display for live performance when you want to use MainStage exclusively while you play.

Try This

Switch to Full Screen mode:

Click Full Screen at the upper-left corner of the toolbar (or press Command-4). m

The workspace lls your display for easy viewing in a concert environment.

Chapter 1 A First Look at MainStage

Play a patch:

Try playing your instrument and watch the screen controls in the workspace respond. m

Use hardware controls:

Try the knobs and other controls on your controller, as you did in Perform mode. See if m you like playing better in Perform mode or Full Screen mode.

Chapter 1 A First Look at MainStage

Key Concepts

Concert: Â The MainStage document that holds all the sounds and settings you’ll use in performance, the visual layout of screen controls, and information about the connections between your MIDI hardware devices and the screen controls.

Patch: Â An individual sound in a MainStage concert that contains one or more

channel strips with instruments, eects, or both.

Workspace: Â The central area of the MainStage window that shows the layout for the concert.

Screen control:

Â A visual representation of a hardware control, such as a knob,

fader, or button. Some screen controls can also display patch, parameter, or system information, text, or an image.

Edit mode:

Â Where you add, edit, and organize the patches in a MainStage concert.

Edit mode is also where you map screen controls to parameters and actions.

Layout mode:

Â Where you add and arrange screen controls to edit the visual layout

of a concert. Layout mode is also where you make connections (called controller

assignments) between your MIDI hardware devices and the concert.

Perform mode:

Â One of the two modes optimized for performance. The workspace lls

the MainStage window, but you can still access the Finder and the toolbar.

Full Screen mode: Â The other mode optimized for live performance. The MainStage

workspace lls your entire display for easy viewing in stage or club environments.

Chapter 1 A First Look at MainStage

Adding and Organizing Patches

You add and organize the patches in a MainStage concert in the Patch List.

A MainStage concert can hold all the patches you’ll use in one performance or a series of performances. The number of patches you can have in a concert is limited only by the amount of available memory in your system.

MainStage includes a Patch Library with a large collection of patch settings for software

instruments, guitar rigs, audio eects setups, and more. When you add a patch, you can

select a patch setting for it in the Patch Library to play or to use as a starting point for your own custom setting.

Getting Ready

You add, organize, and edit patches in Edit mode. If the concert is currently in another mode, switch to Edit mode before you continue working.

Switch to Edit mode:

Click Edit at the upper-left corner of the toolbar (or press Command-2). m

Adding a Patch

Click the Add Patch button to add a new patch.

By default, most new MainStage concerts contain at least one patch. When you add a patch, it appears below the selected patch in the Patch List.

Try This

Add a patch:

Click the Add Patch button (+), located in the upper-right corner of the Patch List. m

A new patch appears in the Patch List. The Patch Library tab is selected in the Patch Inspector so you can quickly audition patch settings and select one for the new patch. The patch settings visible in the Patch Library match the type of concert template used to create the concert: if you selected a Keyboard template, software instrument patches appear in the Patch Library. If you selected a Guitar Rig template, audio patches with

guitar amps and eects appear.

Chapter 2 Adding and Organizing Patches

Select a patch setting:

In the Patch Library, select a patch setting, then play the patch to audition the new m

setting. Try out dierent patch settings until you nd one you like.

When you select a patch setting, the patch name changes to match the patch setting. You can also give the selected patch a custom name to identify it.

Name the patch:

In the Patch List, double-click the patch name, then type a new name for the patch. m

Add another patch:

Add a third patch to your concert, following the steps described above. Select a m

dierent patch setting for the patch, and give the patch a custom name.

Chapter 2 Adding and Organizing Patches

Selecting Patches

Click the patch in the Patch List to select it.

After you have added a few patches to your concert, you can quickly select patches in the Patch List and start playing the selected patch.

Try This

Select a patch in the Patch List:

Click a patch in the Patch List to select it, then start playing the selected patch. m

Try sustaining some notes while you select a new patch. Notice that the notes continue m to sustain, but you can play notes using the new patch.

Select patches using key commands:

Press the Down Arrow key to select the next (lower) patch in the Patch List. m

Press the Up Arrow key to select the previous (higher) patch in the Patch List. m

Most concert templates include a selector screen control that you can use to select patches in performance, using the button screen controls to select the previous and next patch or set. By assigning hardware buttons to these screen controls, you can

select dierent patches and sets in Perform and Full Screen modes.

Chapter 2 Adding and Organizing Patches

Organizing Patches in the Patch List

You can organize your patches for easy access when you play. How you organize your patches depends on how you want to use them while performing. You can reorder patches in the Patch List so that they appear in the order in which you plan to use them or in any order that suits your needs.

You can also use sets to organize your patches. Sets are like folders that can hold groups of patches you want to keep together. For example, you can store all your favorite lead synth patches in a set or store multiple patches to use in a single song. You can start with a new, empty set or create a set from a group of selected patches.

Try This

Reorder patches in the Patch List:

Drag patches up or down to change their order. m

Create a new, empty set:

Choose New Set from the Action menu in the upper-right corner of the Patch List. The m new set appears in the Patch List.

Chapter 2 Adding and Organizing Patches

Create a set from a group of patches:

Select the patches you want to include in the new set.

In the Patch List, select the patches you want to include in the new set.1

Chapter 2 Adding and Organizing Patches

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