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 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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- Effects overview
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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 the 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 MIDI plug-in controls
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- Instruments introduction
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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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- 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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PlatinumVerb reverb parameters in MainStage
PlatinumVerb provides the following reverb parameters.
PlatinumVerb reverb parameters
Initial Delay slider and field: Set the time between the original signal and the diffuse reverb tail.
Spread slider and field: Control the width of the reverb stereo image. At 0%, the effect generates a monaural reverb. At 200%, the stereo base is artificially expanded.
Crossover slider and field: Set the frequency used to split the input signal into two frequency bands, for separate processing.
Low Ratio slider and field: Determine the relative reverb times of the bass and high frequency bands. It is expressed as a percentage. At 100%, the reverb time of the two bands is identical. At values below 100%, the reverb time of frequencies below the crossover frequency is shorter. At values greater than 100%, the reverb time for low frequencies is longer.
Low Freq Level slider and field: Set the level of the low frequency reverb signal. At 0 dB, the volume of the two bands is equal. In most mixes, set a lower level for the low frequency reverb signal. This lets you boost the bass level of the incoming signal, making it sound punchier. This also helps to counteract bottom-end masking effects.
High Cut slider and field: Filter frequencies above the set value from the reverb signal. Uneven or absorbent surfaces—wallpaper, wood paneling, carpets, and so on, tend to reflect lower frequencies better than higher frequencies. The High Cut filter replicates this effect. If you set the High Cut filter so that it is wide open (maximum value), the reverb sounds as if it is reflecting off stone or glass.
Density slider and field: Set the density of the diffuse reverb tail. Ordinarily you want the signal to be as dense as possible. In rare instances, however, a high Density value can color the sound, which you can fix by reducing the Density slider value. Conversely, if you select a Density value that is too low, the reverb tail sounds grainy.
Diffusion slider and field: Set the diffusion of the reverb tail. High Diffusion values represent a regular density, with few alterations in level, times, and panorama position over the course of the diffuse reverb signal. Low Diffusion values result in the reflection density becoming irregular and grainy. This also affects the stereo spectrum. As with Density, find the best balance for the signal.
Reverb Time slider and field: Determine the reverb time of the high frequency band. Most natural rooms have a reverb time somewhere in the range of 1 to 3 seconds. This time is reduced by absorbent surfaces, such as carpet and curtains, and soft or dense furnishings, such as sofas, armchairs, cupboards, and tables. Large empty halls or churches have reverb times of up to 8 seconds, with some cavernous or cathedral-like venues extending beyond that.
Download the guides:
MainStage User Guide: Apple Books | PDF
MainStage Instruments: Apple Books | PDF
MainStage Effects: Apple Books | PDF