Control the metronome in MainStage

MainStage features a metronome that you can use to play in time with the concert tempo. The metronome always plays at the current convert tempo.

You can have the metronome play different notes for different bars, beats, groups, or divisions. You can also choose a different sound for the metronome, change the audio output for the metronome sound, and change the volume of the metronome relative to the overall audio output.

Start the metronome

In MainStage, do one of the following:

Click the Metronome button in the toolbar.
Click a button mapped to the Metronome action.
If you are using a Playback plug-in, click the Metronome button in the Playback window (or click a button mapped to the Metronome button).
To stop the metronome, click any of the listed buttons again.

Note: Starting the metronome also starts the MainStage clock if it is not already running.

At the concert level, you can also map a button or other screen control to the Metronome action (located in the Actions folder) and use it to start and stop the metronome.

If you are using a Mac with a Touch Bar, you can also press the Metronome button in the Touch Bar to start the metronome.

By default, the metronome sound is routed to the main outputs (Output 1-2). You can route the metronome to another output pair, which can be useful in performance when you want to hear the metronome sound through a separate audio output (for example, a headphone mix) and not through the main outputs.

Change the output of the metronome sound

In MainStage, choose Choose Show Metronome Channel Strip from the Channel Strips Action pop-up menu.
Choose a different output from the Output pop-up menu on the Metronome channel strip.

Change the sound of the metronome

In MainStage, choose Show Metronome Channel Strip from the Channel Strips Action pop-up menu.
Open the Klopfgeist plug-in from the Instrument menu on the Metronome channel strip.
Choose a different metronome sound.

Play multiple metronome sounds simultaneously

In the MainStage Concert Settings Inspector, click the Metronome tab.
Select the “Polyphonic click” checkbox.
Select one or more of the Bar, Beat, Group, or Division checkboxes.
The metronome sends notes as defined for bars, beats, groups, and divisions. When multiple selections occur at the same musical division, the defined notes play simultaneously. For example, if you selected Bar, Beat, and Division, three notes would play simultaneously at the beginning of each measure.

Change note and velocity settings for the metronome

In the MainStage Concert Settings Inspector, click the Metronome tab.
Do any of the following:
- To change the note value for bars, beats, groups, or divisions, drag the value vertically.
- To change the velocity value for bars, beats, groups, or divisions, drag the value vertically.

Open the Metronome plug-in window

In MainStage, do one of the following:
- In the Metronome tab of the Concert Settings Inspector, click the Metronome button.
- In the Channel Strips area, select the Metronome channel strip, and click the Klopfgeist instrument.

Helpful?

MainStage User Guide