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 and rename 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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- 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 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 controls
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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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- Sample Alchemy overview
- Interface overview
- Add source material
- Edit mode
- Play modes
- Source overview
- Synthesis modes
- Granular controls
- Additive effects
- Additive effect controls
- Spectral effect
- Spectral effect controls
- Filter module
- Low and highpass filter
- Comb PM filter
- Downsampler filter
- FM filter
- Envelope generators
- Mod Matrix
- Modulation routing
- Motion mode
- Trim mode
- More menu
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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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- Copyright
Channel EQ parameters in MainStage
The central area of the Channel EQ window includes the graphic display and parameters for shaping each EQ band. The master Gain slider is shown at the right. The Analyzer and Q-Couple controls are shown at the lower left.
Channel EQ parameters
Band 1 On/Off button: Switch on a high pass filter. Only frequencies above the set frequency value are allowed to pass.
Band 1 background or control point: Drag the red control point to change the frequency and Q values. Drag the red shaded area horizontally to change the frequency value.
Band 1 vertical/horizontal line: Drag vertically to change the slope.
Note: The Q parameter of band 1 and band 8 has no effect when the slope is set to 6 decibels per octave. When the Q parameter is set to an extremely high value, such as 100, these filters affect only a very narrow frequency band.
Band 2 On/Off button: Switch on a low shelving filter that cuts or boosts frequencies below the set frequency.
Band 2 background or control point: Drag the orange shaded area, curve, or control point to change the frequency and gain values. Click the control point to select the band.
Band 2 horizontal line: Drag vertically to change the gain value.
Band 2 vertical line: Drag horizontally to change the Q value.
Band 2 vertical/horizontal lines: Drag to change the gain and Q values.
Band 3 On/Off button: Switch on a parametric filter with three controls. Frequency sets a center frequency. Q sets the width of the frequency band around the center frequency. Gain sets the level of the band.
Band 3 background or control point: Drag the yellow shaded area, curve, or control point to change the frequency and gain values. Click the control point to select the band.
Band 3 horizontal line: Drag vertically to change the gain value.
Band 3 vertical line: Drag horizontally to change the Q value.
Band 3 vertical/horizontal lines: Drag to change the gain and Q values.
Band 4 On/Off button: Switch on a parametric filter with three controls. Frequency sets a center frequency. Q sets the width of the frequency band around the center frequency. Gain sets the level of the band.
Band 4 background or control point: Drag the green shaded area, curve, or control point to change the frequency and gain values. Click the control point to select the band.
Band 4 horizontal line: Drag vertically to change the gain value.
Band 4 vertical line: Drag horizontally to change the Q value.
Band 4 vertical/horizontal lines: Drag to change the gain and Q values.
Band 5 On/Off button: Switch on a parametric filter with three controls. Frequency sets a center frequency. Q sets the width of the frequency band around the center frequency. Gain sets the level of the band.
Band 5 background or control point: Drag the aqua shaded area, curve, or control point to change the frequency and gain values. Click the control point to select the band.
Band 5 horizontal line: Drag vertically to change the gain value.
Band 5 vertical line: Drag horizontally to change the Q value.
Band 5 vertical/horizontal lines: Drag to change the gain and Q values.
Band 6 On/Off button: Switch on a parametric filter with three controls. Frequency sets a center frequency. Q sets the width of the frequency band around the center frequency. Gain sets the level of the band.
Band 6 background or control point: Drag the blue shaded area, curve, or control point to change the frequency and gain values. Click the control point to select the band.
Band 6 horizontal line: Drag vertically to change the gain value.
Band 6 vertical line: Drag horizontally to change the Q value.
Band 6 vertical/horizontal lines: Drag to change the gain and Q values.
Band 7 On/Off button: Switch on a high shelving filter that cuts or boosts frequencies above the set frequency.
Band 7 background or control point: Drag the purple shaded area, curve, or control point to change the frequency and gain values. Click the control point to select the band.
Band 7 horizontal line: Drag vertically to change the gain value.
Band 7 vertical line: Drag horizontally to change the Q value.
Band 7 vertical/horizontal lines: Drag to change the gain and Q values.
Band 8 On/Off button: Switch on a low pass filter. Only frequencies below the set frequency value are allowed to pass.
Band 8 background or control point: Drag the pink control point to change the frequency and Q value. Drag the pink shaded area horizontally to change the frequency value.
Band 8 vertical/horizontal lines: Drag vertically to change the slope.
Frequency control: Drag to set the frequency of the selected band.
Gain/Slope control: Drag to set the amount of gain for the selected band. For bands 1 and 8, this changes the slope of the filter.
Q control: Drag to set the Q factor or resonance of the effected range around the center frequency in the selected band.
Note: The Q parameter of band 1 and band 8 has no effect when the slope is set to 6 dB per octave. When the Q parameter is set to an extremely high value, such as 100, these filters affect only a very narrow frequency band.
Analyzer Range display: Drag vertically to offset the scaling of the Analyzer range. Control-click to open a shortcut menu where you can set the Analyzer Range value.
Scale display: Drag vertically to offset the scaling of the overall EQ curve. Control-click to open a shortcut menu where you can set the EQ dB Scale Mode.
Master Gain slider and field: Set the overall output level of the signal. Use it after boosting or cutting individual frequency bands. Control-click the graphic display to open a shortcut menu where you can enable an overlay on the Channel EQ graphic display, which shows the overall EQ curve when adjusted by the Master Gain parameter.
Analyzer button: Turn the Analyzer on or off. Play the audio signal and watch the graphic display to identify peaks and troughs in the frequency spectrum. Control-click to open a shortcut menu where you can set Analyzer Mode and Analyzer Resolution. See Channel EQ shortcut menus, Channel EQ Analyzer, and extended parameters.
Analyzer (Pre/Post) button: Set to display the frequency curve before or after EQ is applied, when Analyzer mode is active.
Q-Couple button: Turn on Gain-Q coupling to automatically adjust the Q when you change the gain on any EQ band. This preserves the perceived bandwidth of the bell curve. Control-click to open a shortcut menu to set the Gain-Q Couple Strength value. See Channel EQ shortcut menus.
HQ button: Turn on to enable oversampling.
This setting is useful when you are EQing near the upper end of the spectrum (5kHz and higher) and your project sample rate is below 96kHz. Without oversampling, filters (notably peaking filters) can sound harsh because they become narrower at high frequencies, and have an asymmetric slope.
Processing pop-up menu: Choose to process both sides of a stereo signal, or the Left Only, Right Only, Mid Only, or Side Only signal. See Channel EQ use tips for information on using Channel EQ with Mid-Side recordings.