The basics of Perform mode in MainStage

By default, Perform mode opens in full screen. The workspace fills your entire computer display so that your screen controls are as large as possible for maximum readability. Perform in Full Screen optimizes your display for live performance when you want to use MainStage exclusively while you play.

You can choose to have Perform mode open in a window rather than full screen. The toolbar remains visible so that you can switch modes using the Mode buttons, use the Panic or Master Mute button, and the Tuner. The browsers and inspectors are hidden to maximize the size of the workspace, making screen controls larger and easier to read in onstage situations. You can still access the Finder and switch to other applications but cannot open plug-in windows.

Perform mode disables OS-level Auto Save, Spotlight, and Time Machine.

To learn about performing live with MainStage, see Before performing live with MainStage and the following sections in the Perform live with MainStage chapter.