APPLE MAINSTAGE PERFORM MODE PATCH
APPLE MAINSTAGE PERFORM MODE PRO

Perhaps the most compelling aspect of Main Stage is that each Concert can have a customвЂ“designed user interface that you can drive either with a mouse or via external hardware controls.

APPLE MAINSTAGE PERFORM MODE PATCH

A Patch can contain a number of audio effects and software instruments, meaning that Main Stage is useful for keyboard players and guitarists alike, or indeed any musician who wants to play with MIDIвЂ“triggered instruments or use an effects rack. In Main Stage you work with a type of project thatвЂ™s aptly referred to as a Concert, and a Concert comprises a number of Patches that can be organised into Sets.

APPLE MAINSTAGE PERFORM MODE PRO

Like Logic Pro 8, and the vast majority of AppleвЂ™s application software, Main Stage has a singleвЂ“window interface, and Logic users should be able to get their heads around it pretty quickly, as the look and feel are shared with the new version of that application. ItвЂ™s interesting to note that AppleвЂ™s Lead Architect of Audio/Music Applications, Emagic coвЂ“founder Dr Gerhard Lengeling, has himself been performing as a keyboard player in band over the last few years, using a MacBook Pro as a sound source, so itвЂ™s possible that Main Stage has been tested and influenced by a user with high expectations. But if you want to perform with the vast array of bundled effects and instruments that have been hardвЂ“wired into Logic Pro, the only choice has been to, well, run Logic on stage.ДЄpple have clearly been inspired by the number of musicians who have embraced Logic as part of their live rigs, and one of the new applications in Logic Studio is Main Stage, which takes LogicвЂ™s audio engine and combines it with a new, simple yet configurable user interface targeted at live musicians. Several companies have worked on developing software that facilitates the use of music software on stage, and Muse ResearchвЂ™s Receptor, which runs software instruments from a hardware soundвЂ“moduleвЂ“like unit, has become popular with live musicians.

The computer may keep running, but an accidental click in the wrong part of the screen could become an embarrassing highlight of the evening for your audience. ItвЂ™s more the worry of doing battle with complex software on stage. Part of the problem is simply that computers used to be quite unreliable when running complicated audio and music software, but these days the issue isnвЂ™t so much worrying that the computer will crash. However, the thought of using computers live on stage at a concert causes many musicians to break out in a cold sweat. Virtual instruments and effects are pretty ubiquitous these days, and if youвЂ™re a musician working in a studio itвЂ™s quite likely you wonвЂ™t even touch an instrument that isnвЂ™t controlled by a mouse. But what of these applications? Would a musician who didnвЂ™t necessarily want to use Logic Pro be interested in getting Logic Studio just to use either Main Stage or Soundtrack Pro 2, such that Logic Pro became the ornamental sugarвЂ“based substance? And could you justify buying the Logic Studio bundle if this was the case? In this article weвЂ™ll be taking a closer look at both Main Stage and Soundtrack Pro 2, in an effort to find out. In much the same way that Final Cut Pro is the centrepiece of Final Cut Studio, the main reason people talk about Logic Studio is because of Logic Pro, and the вЂother twoвЂ™ applications are seen very much as the icing on an already generously decorated cake. Logic Studio was priced at half of Logic ProвЂ™s previous retail tag, and Apple also included two other applications: Main Stage and Soundtrack Pro.

What was a big surprise, however, was the cost. A new version of Logic Pro, which was already highly anticipated, and the creation of new bundle based around it, followed the same convention that had already been established with Final Cut Studio, AppleвЂ™s suite of software aimed at video editors. Notice that the Inspector is showing the settings for the selected Software Instrument Channel Strip.When Apple released Logic Studio last month, in many ways it wasnвЂ™t that big a surprise. Main StageвЂ™s Edit mode allows you to create and manage Patches and Sets. Do the bundled live performance and soundtrack tools make it worth buying even if youвЂ™re not a Logic user? AppleвЂ™s Logic Studio bundle certainly offers a great deal for very little money.

Apple mainstage perform mode