3
Table Of Contents
- MainStage 3 User Manual
- Contents
- Chapter 1: Introducing MainStage
- Chapter 2: Set up your system
- Chapter 3: The MainStage interface
- Chapter 4: Get started with MainStage
- Chapter 5: Work in Edit mode
- Edit mode overview
- Work with patches in Edit mode
- Select items in the Patch List
- Copy, paste, and delete patches
- Reorder and move patches in the Patch List
- Create a patch from several patches
- Set the time signature for patches
- Change the tempo when you select a patch
- Set program change and bank numbers
- Defer patch changes
- Instantly silence the previous patch
- Change patch icons
- Change the tuning for a patch
- Work with channel strips in Edit mode
- Channel strips overview
- Show signal flow channel strips
- Show the metronome channel strip
- Create an alias of a channel strip
- Add a patch bus
- Channel Strip Inspector
- Choose channel strip settings
- Rename channel strips
- Change channel strip colors
- Change channel strip icons
- Use feedback protection with channel strips
- Work with software instrument channel strips
- Use the EXS24 mkII Instrument Editor in MainStage
- Use multiple instrument outputs
- Use external MIDI instruments in MainStage
- Delete channel strips
- Create keyboard layers and splits
- Work with graphs
- Create controller transforms
- Work with plug-ins in Edit mode
- Map screen controls
- Screen controls overview
- Map screen controls to channel strip and plug-in parameters
- Map screen controls to actions
- Map a screen control to multiple parameters
- Edit the saved value for a mapped parameter
- Set drum pads or buttons to use note velocity
- Use parameter mapping graphs
- Map screen controls to all channel strips in a patch
- Undo screen control parameter mappings
- Remove screen control mappings
- Work in the Assignments and Mappings tab
- Edit screen control parameters in Edit mode
- Screen control parameters in Edit mode overview
- Replace parameter labels
- Choose custom colors for screen controls
- Change the appearance of a background or grouped screen control
- Set screen controls to show the hardware value
- Set parameter change behavior for screen controls
- Set hardware matching behavior for screen controls
- Reset and compare changes to a patch
- Override concert- and set-level mappings
- Work with sets in Edit mode
- Share patches and sets between concerts
- Record the audio output of a concert
- Chapter 6: Work with concerts
- Open and close concerts
- Save concerts
- How saving affects parameter values
- Set the time signature for a concert
- Use tempo in a MainStage concert
- Define the source for program change messages
- Set the pan law for a concert
- Change the tuning for a concert
- Silence MIDI notes
- Mute audio output
- Work at the concert level
- Control the metronome
- Chapter 7: Work in Layout mode
- Layout mode overview
- Work with screen controls in Layout mode
- Assign hardware controls to screen controls
- Edit screen control parameters
- Screen control parameter editing overview
- Lift and stamp 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 screen control parameters
- Text screen control parameters
- Background screen control parameters
- How MainStage passes through MIDI messages
- Export layouts
- Import a layout
- Change the aspect ratio of a layout
- Chapter 8: Perform live with MainStage
- Before the performance
- Use Perform mode
- Select patches in performance
- Screen controls in performance
- Tempo changes in performance
- Tips for performing with keyboard controllers
- Tips for performing with guitars and other instruments
- Tune guitars and other instruments with the Tuner
- The Playback plug-in in performance
- Record your performances
- After the performance
- Tips for complex hardware setups
- Appendix A: The Playback plug-in
- Playback plug-in overview
- The Playback interface
- Use the Playback waveform display
- Playback transport and function buttons
- Playback information display
- Playback Sync, Snap To, and Play From parameters
- Use the Playback group functions
- Use the Playback Action menu and File field
- Use markers with the Playback plug-in
- Use the Playback plug-in in a concert
- Appendix B: The Loopback plug-in
- Appendix C: MainStage preferences
- Appendix D: Key commands
- Appendix E: MainStage actions
Chapter 5 Work in Edit mode 65
Work with plug-ins in Edit mode
Work with plug-ins overview
MainStage includes a full collection of professional-quality instrument and eect plug-ins as well
as utility plug-ins such as the Tuner.
MainStage also includes a set of MIDI plug-ins that you can use in software instrument and
external MIDI instrument channel strips for real-time MIDI processing. In a channel strip, MIDI
plug-ins appear below the EQ display and above the instrument slot. You can also use third-
party Audio Units MIDI plug-ins with MainStage. For more information, see the MainStage
Eects manual.
You can use plug-ins in MainStage channel strips in patches and also at the concert and set level.
You use instrument plug-ins in software instrument channel strips, and you can use eect plug-
ins in audio, software instrument, external instrument, and auxiliary channel strips. In addition to
the built-in factory plug-ins, you can use Audio Units plug-ins for both instruments and eects
in MainStage.
Add and remove plug-ins
You can add plug-ins, replace a plug-in with a dierent one, and remove plug-ins from a
channel strip.
Add an instrument plug-in
m Click the Instrument slot, then choose a plug-in from the pop-up menu that appears.
Add an eect plug-in
m Click the Insert slot, then choose a plug-in from the hierarchical pop-up menu.
Add a MIDI plug-in
m Click the MIDI plug-in slot, then choose a plug-in from the pop-up menu.
Replace a plug-in
m Click the Insert, Instrument, or MIDI plug-in slot, then choose a dierent plug-in from the
pop-up menu.
Remove a plug-in
m Click the Insert, Instrument, or MIDI plug-in slot, then choose No Plug-in from the pop-up menu
that appears.
Move and copy plug-ins
You can move, reorder, and copy plug-ins in a channel strip.
Move a plug-in
m Hold down the Command key while dragging the plug-in to an empty slot, either on the same
channel strip or on another channel strip.
Reorder plug-ins
m Hold down the Command key while dragging the plug-in to an occupied slot, either on the
same channel strip or on another channel strip.
Copy a plug-in
m Hold down Command-Option while dragging the plug-in to another slot, either on the same
channel strip or on another channel strip.