Apple MainStage 3 - Manual (Page 10)

Chapter 1 Introducing MainStage 10
You can also map screen controls to actions, which provide the ability to select patches, control
the Tuner or metronome, provide visual feedback, and perform other functions.
MainStage lets you quickly and easily make controller assignments and parameter mappings
to speed your workflow. You can customize your layout to match the controls on your MIDI
hardware, to optimize the use of available screen space, or in other ways that suit your needs.
MainStage for keyboard controllers
If you perform using a USB or MIDI keyboard controller, you can play and control MainStage
patches with software instruments using your controller. You can assign faders, knobs, buttons,
and other controls on the keyboard controller to screen controls in your concert, and then map
those screen controls to parameters in your patches. You can choose exactly the parameters
you want to have at your fingertips for each patch and access them from your controller as
you perform.
You can use MainStage with other MIDI controllers, including sustain pedals, expression pedals,
foot switches, MIDI guitars, and wind controllers that send standard MIDI messages. You can also
control external hardware synthesizers, ReWire applications, and other software instruments
using external instrument channel strips.
MainStage for electric guitars
If you play an electric guitar, you can use MainStage as a powerful, customizable multi-effects
processor. After you connect your instrument to your computer using an audio interface, you
send your guitar’s audio signal to audio channel strips in your patches, where you can add effects
including the Amp Designer and Pedalboard plug-ins designed specifically for use with electric
guitar. You can also use EQ, compression, reverb, overdrive, and other effects in your guitar
patches. You can control volume, effect blend, or expression with an expression pedal, and use a
foot switch to select patches hands-free when you perform.
MainStage for vocals, drums, and other instruments
Vocalists and acoustic musicians can use MainStage by sending the audio output from a
microphone connected to their computer to audio channel strips in their patches. You can
use MainStage with Core Audio-compatible audio devices, such as audio interfaces and digital
mixers, for input from instruments and microphones, and for audio output to speakers, monitors,
a mixing board, or a public address (PA) system. In MainStage, you can access a wide range of
effects in your patches.
Drummers can also use MainStage by sending the audio output from microphones to audio
channel strips in their patches or by using drum pads or a virtual drum kit to control the
EXS24 mkII sampler, Ultrabeat, and percussion-oriented plug-ins.