Hi, i have an Apogee Ensemble which i use with Logic, i would like to use Mainstage for the EQ, compressor and reverb for vocals and guitar in a live setting. Is that something Mainstage can do, or can Logic handle that better?
I think both will do well. We have tested this for our real-time vocal software Mu Voice. One difference though is that when you want to use MIDI enabled effects that this is not supported (yet) in MainStage. I've contacted Apple third party relations and they confirmed it will be added but don't know when.
You also need a audio interface that can handle low latency. Make sure you can test anything before you buy.
As i have been reading the posts here, what i get is the sense Mainstage is more designed for keyboards players. Does it make sense to run the vocal and guitar mic through the Apogee, into Logic or Mainstage, utilizing their effects (reverb, compression, and eq) and then out to the amp and speakers? Would there be an advantage to using Mainstage for this? A downside as i understand it is that if i ran it through Logic (opening a song to record, as if i were in the studio), i could record the live event, whereas that is more difficult (needing third party software) with mainstage.
I play solo with acoustic guitar, vocal, and sax, and have spent quite a bit of time experimenting o my setup, running through a Fireface 400 interface into Mainstage. The issue is latency, which needs to be minimized especially for fast guitar picking and vocal....if there is too much delay it throws off your performance and it is difficult to get in the groove.
IF you are able to cut your buffer down to 64 samples, you may be able to perform without much psychoacoustic impact. You can even try setting your interface and Mainstage frequency to 32000 kHz to improve the impact on CPU. As you reduce buffer size and increase frequency, CPU is jeopardized, and you risk spikes and crashes. Ideally, keep CPU meter in Mainstage to 50% or below.
After giving up for awhile, I am back to experimenting with Mainstage using 64 samples, 32000 kHz, and routing things in the Fireface so that the vocal and guitar go directly to the PA (zero latency, of course), then just using Mainstage for effects (run at 100% wet), run into a separate channel to the PA. Of course, this won't give you compression which should be immediate (although you can get away with using it on things like guitar leads/effects). I find compression is not required for my live vocals and increases the possibility of feedback. If you really need it on guitar and Mainstage is working for your compression needs, you can use a hardware compressor somewhere in your audio chain before going into Mainstage for effects.
For me, I am spending time trying to get Mainstage to meet my needs rather than Logic because it is perfect for setting up a customized setup very easily, and I also need to control effects, signal mutes, guitar tuning, etc via footswitches while I play.
Spend time experimenting before deciding whether Mainstage or Logic will work best for you. It takes a lot of time, but is worth it. And, I have not experimented with recording while performing with the same software .... let us know how that goes. You will need some fast stuff (computer, hard drive, car, women, etc).
For me, the main difference between MainStage & Logic is the amount of control available in MainStage compared with Logic when playing live. If you don't need to change FX parameters in mid performance, then Logic may suit you better.
If you need to be able to change parameters, eg delay times, overdrive tone etc, whilst playing live, then MainStage is the one to use.
Thank you all, I gave up for awhile as I was not doing live gigs, but will be returning to that soon, and I have read through the thoughtful replies. No final answers, but insights...I don't travel in company that fast yet, so if I record the live, I will use a separate unit most likely.
