MainStage User Guide
- Welcome
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- Overview of Edit mode
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- Select patches and sets in the Patch List
- Copy, paste, and delete patches
- Reorder and move patches in the Patch List
- Add and rename patches
- Create a patch from several patches
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- Overview of the Patch Settings Inspector
- Select patch settings in the Patch Library
- 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
- Transpose the pitch of incoming notes for a patch
- Change the tuning for a patch
- Add text notes to a patch
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- Overview of channel strips
- Add a channel strip
- Change a channel strip setting
- Configure channel strip components
- Show signal flow channel strips
- Hide the metronome channel strip
- Create an alias of a channel strip
- Add a patch bus
- Set channel strip pan or balance positions
- Set channel strip volume levels
- Mute and solo channel strips
- Use multiple instrument outputs
- Use external MIDI instruments
- Reorganize channel strips
- Delete channel strips
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- Overview of the Channel Strip Inspector
- Choose channel strip settings
- Rename channel strips
- Change channel strip colors
- Change channel strip icons
- Use feedback protection with channel strips
- Set keyboard input for a software instrument channel strip
- Transpose individual software instruments
- Filter MIDI messages
- Scale channel strip velocity
- Set channel strips to ignore Hermode tuning
- Override concert- and set-level key ranges
- Add text notes to a channel strip in the Channel Strip Inspector
- Route audio via send effects
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- Screen Control Inspector overview
- Replace parameter labels
- Choose custom colors for screen controls
- Change background or grouped screen control appearance
- 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
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- Overview of mapping screen controls
- Map to channel strip and plug-in parameters
- Map screen controls to actions
- Map a screen control to multiple parameters
- Use screen controls to display PDF document pages
- Edit the saved value for a mapped parameter
- Set drum pads or buttons to use note velocity
- Map screen controls to all channel strips in a patch
- Undo screen control parameter mappings
- Remove screen control mappings
- Work with graphs
- Create controller transforms
- Share patches and sets between concerts
- Record the audio output of a concert
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- Overview of concerts
- Create a concert
- Open and close concerts
- Save concerts
- How saving affects parameter values
- Clean up concerts
- Consolidate assets in a concert
- Rename the current concert
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- Overview of the Concert Settings Inspector
- Set MIDI Routing to channel strips
- Transpose incoming note pitch for a concert
- Define the program change message source
- Send unused program changes to channel strips
- Set the time signature for a concert
- Change the tuning for a concert
- Set the pan law for a concert
- Add text notes to a concert
- Control the metronome
- Silence MIDI notes
- Mute audio output
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- Layout mode overview
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- Screen control parameter editing overview
- Lift and stamp screen control parameters
- Reset 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 and import layouts
- Change the aspect ratio of a layout
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- Before performing live
- Use Perform mode
- Screen controls in performance
- Tempo changes during 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
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- Overview of keyboard shortcuts and command sets
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- Concerts and layouts keyboard shortcuts
- Patches and sets (Edit mode) keyboard shortcuts
- Editing keyboard shortcuts
- Actions keyboard shortcuts
- Parameter mapping (Edit mode) keyboard shortcuts
- Channel strips (Edit mode) keyboard shortcuts
- Screen controls (Layout mode) keyboard shortcuts
- Perform in Full Screen keyboard shortcuts
- Window and view keyboard shortcuts
- Help and support keyboard shortcuts
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- Use MIDI plug-ins
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- Arpeggiator overview
- Arpeggiator control parameters
- Note order parameters overview
- Note order variations
- Note order inversions
- Arpeggiator pattern parameters overview
- Use Live mode
- Use Grid mode
- Arpeggiator options parameters
- Arpeggiator keyboard parameters
- Use keyboard parameters
- Assign controllers
- Modifier controls
- Note Repeater controls
- Randomizer controls
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- Use Scripter
- Use the Script Editor
- Scripter API overview
- MIDI processing functions overview
- HandleMIDI function
- ProcessMIDI function
- GetParameter function
- SetParameter function
- ParameterChanged function
- Reset function
- JavaScript objects overview
- Use the JavaScript Event object
- Use the JavaScript TimingInfo object
- Use the Trace object
- Use the MIDI event beatPos property
- Use the JavaScript MIDI object
- Create Scripter controls
- Transposer controls
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- Alchemy overview
- Alchemy interface overview
- Alchemy Name bar
- Alchemy file locations
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- Alchemy source overview
- Source master controls
- Import browser
- Source subpage controls
- Source filter controls
- Source filter use tips
- Source elements overview
- Additive element controls
- Additive element effects
- Spectral element controls
- Spectral element effects
- Pitch correction controls
- Formant filter controls
- Granular element controls
- Sampler element controls
- VA element controls
- Source modulations
- Morph controls
- Alchemy master voice section
- Alchemy Extended parameters
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- Playback plug-in overview
- Add a Playback plug-in
- 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
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- Sample Alchemy overview
- Interface overview
- Add source material
- Edit mode
- Play modes
- Source overview
- Synthesis modes
- Granular controls
- Additive effects
- Additive effect controls
- Spectral effect
- Spectral effect controls
- Filter module
- Low and highpass filter
- Comb PM filter
- Downsampler filter
- FM filter
- Envelope generators
- Mod Matrix
- Modulation routing
- Motion mode
- Trim mode
- More menu
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- Sculpture overview
- Sculpture interface
- Global parameters
- Amplitude envelope parameters
- Use the Waveshaper
- Filter parameters
- Output parameters
- Define MIDI controllers
- Extended parameters
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- Copyright
Amp Designer cabinets in MainStage
Learn about the properties and tone of each cabinet model available in Amp Designer.
Cabinet | Description | ||||||||||
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Tweed 1 x 12 | A 12” open-back cabinet from the 1950s with a warm and smooth tone. | ||||||||||
Tweed 4 x 10 | A 4 x 10” open-back cabinet from the late 1950s that was originally conceived for bassists but that guitarists use for its sparkling presence. | ||||||||||
Tweed 1 x 10 | A single 10” open-back combo amp cabinet from the 1950s with a smooth sound. | ||||||||||
Black Panel 4 x 10 | Classic open-back cabinet with four 10” speakers. Its tone is deeper and darker than the Tweed 4 x 10. | ||||||||||
Silver Panel 2 x 12 | An open-back model from the 1960s that provides low-end punch. | ||||||||||
Black Panel 1 x 10 | An open-back 1960s cabinet with glassy highs and low/mid body. | ||||||||||
Brown Panel 1 x 12 | A balanced 1960s open-back cabinet that is smooth, transparent, and rich-sounding. | ||||||||||
Brown Panel 1 x 15 | This early 1960s open-back cabinet houses the largest speaker emulated by Amp Designer. Its highs are clear and glassy, and its lows are tight and focused. | ||||||||||
Vintage British 4 x 12 | This late 1960s closed-back cabinet is synonymous with classic rock. The tone is big and thick yet also bright and lively, due to the complex phase cancelations between the four 30-watt speakers. | ||||||||||
Modern British 4 x 12 | A closed-back 4 x 12” cabinet that is brighter and has a better low end than the Vintage British 4 x 12, with less midrange emphasis. | ||||||||||
Brown 4 x 12 | A closed-back 4 x 12” cabinet with a good low end and complex midrange. | ||||||||||
British Blues 2 x 12 | A bright-sounding open-back cabinet with solid lows and crisp highs, even at high gain settings. | ||||||||||
Modern American 4 x 12 | A closed-back 4 x 12” cabinet with a full sound. The lows and mids are denser than the British 4 x 12” cabinets. | ||||||||||
Studio 1 x 12 | A compact-sounding open-back cabinet with full mids and glassy highs. | ||||||||||
British 2 x 12 | A mid 1960s open-back cabinet with an open, smooth tone. | ||||||||||
British 1 x 12 | A small open-back cabinet with crisp highs and low/mid transparency. | ||||||||||
Boutique British 2 x 12 | A 2 x 12” cabinet based on the British 2 x 12. It has a richer midrange and is more powerful in the treble range. | ||||||||||
Sunshine 4 x 12 | A 4 x 12” closed-back cabinet with a thick, rich midrange. | ||||||||||
Sunshine 1 x 12 | A single 12” open-back combo amp cabinet with a lively sound that has bright, sweet highs, and transparent mids. | ||||||||||
Stadium 4 x 12 | A tight, bright, closed-back British cabinet with bold upper/mid peaks. | ||||||||||
Stadium 2 x 12 | A nicely balanced modern British open-back cabinet. Tonally, it is a compromise between the warmth of the Black Panel 4 x 10 and the brilliance of the British 2 x 12. | ||||||||||
Boutique Retro 2 x 12 | A 2 x 12” cabinet based on the British 2 x 12. It has a rich, open midrange and is more powerful in the treble range. | ||||||||||
High Octane 4 x 12 | A modern, closed-back European cabinet with strong lows and highs and scooped mids appropriate for metal and heavy rock. | ||||||||||
Turbo 4 x 12 | A modern, closed-back European cabinet with strong lows, very strong highs, and deeply scooped mids appropriate for metal and heavy rock. | ||||||||||
Pawnshop 1 x 8 | A single 8” speaker cabinet that has a strong low-end punch. | ||||||||||
Direct | This option bypasses the speaker emulation section. |
Tip: A creative sound design option is to choose Direct from the Cabinet pop-up menu, insert Space Designer in the next free effect slot, then load one of the “warped” speaker impulse responses.