Manage MainStage content

MainStage features an extensive Sound Library of Apple Loops, patches, drum kits, and other content that you can use in your projects. When you install MainStage, essential sounds and instruments are included as part of the installation. Additional content is available to download after the installation is complete.

You can view available content and select content to download in the Sound Library Manager. Some items in the Sound Library Manager have a disclosure arrow, which you can click to show and select individual content types to download. You can also download updated sounds and reinstall the complete Sound Library using the Sound Library Manager. Updated sounds are indicated in the Sound Library Manager and can be downloaded.

Additionally, in the Patch Library, items requiring additional content are indicated by an icon . You can download the content needed for the item by clicking its icon.

Additional content is required to use some sounds and other features. When you select an item that needs additional content, a dialog appears, asking if you want to download it. In the Drum Kit Designer plug-in, drum kits not yet installed include a Download button that opens the Additional Content window.

Content types

The Sound Library includes the following types of content:

Apple Loops
Drum kits
Patches
Plug-in settings
Sampler instruments and their associated samples
Impulse responses
Legacy and compatibility content, including Jam Packs, sounds, and instruments

Content locations

MainStage installs Sound Library content in several different locations on your computer:

Content type				Location
Apple Loops				/Library/Audio/Apple Loops/Apple/
Impulse responses				/Library/Audio/Impulse Responses/Apple/
Patches				Patches are stored inside MainStage. They may be added, updated, or removed when a new version is installed.
Plug-in settings				Plug-in settings are stored inside MainStage and in /Library/Application Support/Logic/Plug-In Settings.
Sampler instruments				/Library/Application Support/Logic/Sampler Instruments
Samples				/Library/Application Support/Logic/Alchemy Samples /Library/Application Support/Logic/EXS Samples /Library/Application Support/Logic/Ultrabeat Samples

Relocating the Sound Library

You can relocate the Sound Library to another compatible volume or partition, provided enough free space exists for the Sound Library. When you relocate the Sound Library, all Sound Library content except for Apple Loops and Impulse Responses are moved to the new location. User-created content is not affected.

Relocating the Sound Library to an external drive can free up a large amount of disk space on your system drive. If you change your mind or decide you no longer want to keep the content in another location, you can relocate the Sound Library back to its original location. When you install additional content after relocation, it is installed in the new location. For detailed information on relocating content and possible issues, see the Support article Move Logic Pro and MainStage content on the Web.

Note: Other Apple music creation apps such as Logic Pro and GarageBand share the same Sound Library location. When you relocate the Sound Library, it is also relocated for these apps if they are installed on your computer.

Reinstalling the Sound Library

You can reinstall the Sound Library. This can be useful to make sure you have the latest version of all available content, and also in case the drive containing the Sound Library is no longer available.

If the Sound Library is available in its current location when you reinstall it, it is reinstalled in the same location. If the Sound Library is not available (for example, if it is installed on an external drive that is lost, or not connected to your computer), it is reinstalled in the default location on your system drive.

Deleting MainStage content

You can view and delete MainStage content by choosing About This Mac from the Apple menu, clicking Storage, then clicking the Manage button for your system storage drive. Content for MainStage (as well as other music creation applications, including Logic Pro and GarageBand) is listed in the Music Creation section. You can view the capacity of the Instrument Library and Apple Loops library and delete each of these items.

If you delete MainStage content that is required for a patch or software instrument, MainStage prompts you to re-download that content the next time you try to use the patch or instrument.

Open the Sound Library Manager

Choose MainStage > Sound Library > Open Sound Library Manager.

Select and download additional content

In MainStage, do one of the following:
- In the Additional Content window, select the checkbox for each content package you want to download.
- To download all installed content, click the Select All Uninstalled button.
Click Install.

Download all available sounds

Choose MainStage > Sound Library > Download All Available Sounds.

Relocate the Sound Library

Choose MainStage > Sound Library > Relocate Sound Library.
The Relocate Sound Library window opens, showing available drives and the free space available on each. Unsuitable drives are greyed out, with the reason for their unsuitability shown in the Comments column.
Select the new Sound Library location, then click Relocate.
The Sound Library is relocated to the selected location. If other music creation apps such as Logic Pro or GarageBand are open, you are asked to close them before relocation can proceed.
When relocation is complete, the Relocate Sound Library window closes.

Reinstall the Sound Library

Choose MainStage > Sound Library > Reinstall Sound Library.

While additional content is downloading, a progress bar appears in the right side of the toolbar. You can view more detailed information about the progress of the download by clicking the progress bar.

Download the guides:

MainStage User Guide: PDF

MainStage Instruments: PDF

MainStage Effects: PDF

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