Use Match EQ in MainStage

These tasks are those commonly used with Match EQ to match the frequency spectrum of a mix with the spectrum of a source audio file. You can adapt some, or all, to your own workflow.

Learn or create a Match EQ template

You can drag an audio file to the Current or Reference Learn buttons for use as either the current material or template material. A progress bar appears while Match EQ is analyzing the file. You can also load a previously saved plug-in setting, or you can import the settings of another unsaved Match EQ instance by copying and pasting.

In MainStage, do one of the following:

Drag an audio file from the Finder to the Reference Learn button, and select the source channel strip as a side chain.
Use Match EQ on the source channel strip and save a setting. Import this setting into the target Match EQ instance.

The filter curve is updated automatically each time a new Reference or Current material spectrum is learned or loaded when the EQ Curve Match button is turned on. You can alternate between the matched (and possibly scaled or manually modified) filter curve and a flat response by turning the Match button on or off.

Edit spectra with the Match EQ Action menu

This menu provides commands that can be applied to the either the Reference or the Current Material spectrum.

In MainStage, choose one of the following from the Action menu:
- Clear Current Material/Reference Spectrum: Clears the current spectrum.
- Copy Current/Reference Spectrum: Copies the current spectrum to the Clipboard (this can be used by any Match EQ instance in the current project).
- Paste Current/Reference Spectrum: Pastes the Clipboard contents to the current Match EQ instance.
- Load Current Material/Reference Spectrum from setting file: Loads the spectrum from a stored setting file.
- Generate Current Material/Reference Spectrum from audio file: Generates a frequency spectrum for an audio file you have chosen.

Refine the Match EQ curve

Each time you match two audio signals, either by loading or learning a new spectrum while Match is activated or by turning on Match after a new spectrum has been loaded, any existing changes to the filter curve are discarded and Apply is set to 100%.

In MainStage, do either of the following:

Drag the Apply slider down from the default 100% value to avoid extreme spectral changes to your mix.
Drag the Smoothing slider to adjust the spectral detail of the generated EQ curve—if required.

Use the matched EQ on a channel strip

Match EQ creates a filter curve based on the differences between the spectrum of the template and the current material. This curve automatically compensates for differences in gain between the template and the current material, with the resulting EQ curve referenced to 0 dB. A yellow filter response curve, showing the average spectrum of your mix, is visible in the main display when the EQ Curve button is active. This curve approximates (mirrors) the average spectrum of your source audio file.

In MainStage, choose the channel strip that you want to match from the Side Chain pop-up menu of the Match EQ window.
Click the Reference Learn button.
Play the entire source audio file from start to finish. To stop the learn process, click the Reference Learn button again.
Return to the start of your mix, click the Current Learn button, and play your mix (the current material) from start to finish.
When you are done, click the EQ Curve Match button.

Download the guides:

MainStage User Guide: PDF

MainStage Instruments: PDF

MainStage Effects: PDF

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