#Background for apple mainstage how to#
#Background for apple mainstage software#

How would you control the volume in such a setup? Dragging sliders with the mouse before your solo seems a bit impractical. You can do this from a control surface, if your keyboard has buttons that send MIDI you can have each keyboard have its own activate/deactivate button, which will be mapped to the arm/unarm function of the MIDI track. To activate/deactivate you arm/unarm the MIDI track. Upper keyboard -> MIDI channel 1 -> organ sound, lower keyboard -> MIDI channel 2 -> piano sound. Set upper keyboard to send MIDI through channel 1, and set lower keyboard to send MIDI through channel 2. Set the organ sound to receive MIDI only from channel 1, and set the piano sound to receive MIDI only from channel 2. Make each keyboard send MIDI from a different channel, and make each virtual instrument receive MIDI only from the channel you want.

#Background for apple mainstage how to#

Exactly how to do it will depend on your host, but it will almost always be more or less like this: This is very easy to do, and most VST hosts can handle it (I can't think of one that wouldn't). upper keyboard = organ sound A, lower keyboard = piano sound B), and activate them with as little fuss as possible. Optimally, I would like to define presets for two keyboards in advance (e.g. This can be done in most plug-in hosts (in the form of multiple tracks and MIDI mapping), but nothing comes close to how fast, easy, and live-friendly Live implements it.Ĭheck other options (BitWig and Mainstage come to my mind), but chances are that Ableton Live is exactly what you want. You can layer many instruments in one single track, and have macros control different parameters from different instruments at once. One think that I love about Live for live performances is the Instrument Rack. Even if you imagine a device that doesn't exist, you can build it with MAX for Live. 'Can we do this live?' With Live the answer is almost always 'yes'. It is so much more than a plug-in host, so it leaves a lot of room for creativity. It was tailored for live performance, everything is agile and intuitive. There are many options, but I think the best one right now (and by far) is Ableton Live.

#Background for apple mainstage software#

Is there any software tailored specifically to live performances? I don't really care about recording. Consider having more than one if you can afford it. You want your setup to run absolutely flawlessly: no artifacts, ultra low latency, and no CPU usage peaking near the limit.Ĭhoosing the correct system for your needs (Mac, PC, Mobile, Laptop, OSX, Windows, Android, iOS, Linux, processor, RAM, etc) is crucial here.Īlso, if you are very serious about this, you might want to consider having a backup system in case your main one fails. This will give you a good idea of what you need and what to expect from different specs. Test your vst setup with different systems, see if the systems can handle it (check latency, CPU usage, and if any artifacts are being induced), and write down the specs of those systems. You might need a lot less than this, but that setup would leave a reasonable room for expansion if you ever feel like going more crazy. Unless you want to go nuts, something like Intel Core i5-4690K and 8GB 1600Mhz DDR3 RAM should be more than enough. The minimal specs will also depend on how many instruments and processes you want to run at the same time.

You'll need to consult the minimum specs of your virtual instruments for this detail.

A simple subtractive synth will run in almost anything, but a robust sampler might need more RAM and disk space. The minimal specs of the system will depend on the virtual instruments that you'll use. Audio and MIDI interface that is compatible with that system.Ī plug-in host (the program that will host the VST and/or AU and/or other plug-in format).Any system capable of running a plug-in host (PC, laptop, tablet, mobile).

What is the minimum setup to use VST on a live gig, hardware- and software-wise (please supply a complete list, including MIDI and audio stuff etc.)?