User profile for user: TomG101
TomG101 Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

Can I use Mainstage 3 for a Live Band?

Hi Everyone,


Firstly I apologise if this is a stupid question but I am a bit lost.


I am part of a three piece rock band and I am looking for a solution whereby we can arrive and plug into an in house PA with our own pre saved settings for all the live elements of the band. Cutting out the need to soundcheck every time and struggle with all of the usual struggles, hopefully by saving our set up for each venue that we play regularly.


The band is made up of the following:


Acoustic Drums - They will be Mic'd as required.

Bass - Bass Amp with DI

Guitar - Line 6 Helix DI

Vocals - Mic

No pre recorded or backing track elements (at least for now!)


I would like to be able to provide a FOH mix and an onstage monitor mix that can be sent either to our own PA or the in house PA (these vary of course) and be able to mix these on the fly (perhaps from my MacBook Pro and/or an iPad) and be able to save settings once we are happy.


I am sure we will need some kind of interface to enable this too, any suggestions for that would be very welcome.


My question is, can Mainstage 3 do this for me?


Thanks in advance.


Tom G

MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

Posted on Nov 11, 2020 5:06 AM

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User profile for user: Madddcow
Madddcow
User level: Level 2
463 points

Posted on Nov 12, 2020 5:08 AM

Well, yes, MainStage can do what you’ve asked but a) you’ll definitely need an audio interface, and b) why wouldn’t you just get a cheap digital mixer instead? e.g. Behringer X12 or equivalent? This would be far more reliable and also cheaper than buying than buying a decent audio interface. You can mix using an iPad (or even an iPhone if you get a third-party app) and you can save your settings etc for each venue or band setup.


The only thing I’d recommend if you get an X12 (or equivalent) is an Apple Airport Express....you can still find these even though Apple no longer makes them. The built-in WiFi router in many digital mixers are often flaky and prone to dropouts.

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User profile for user: Madddcow
Madddcow
User level: Level 2
463 points

Nov 12, 2020 5:08 AM in response to TomG101

Well, yes, MainStage can do what you’ve asked but a) you’ll definitely need an audio interface, and b) why wouldn’t you just get a cheap digital mixer instead? e.g. Behringer X12 or equivalent? This would be far more reliable and also cheaper than buying than buying a decent audio interface. You can mix using an iPad (or even an iPhone if you get a third-party app) and you can save your settings etc for each venue or band setup.


The only thing I’d recommend if you get an X12 (or equivalent) is an Apple Airport Express....you can still find these even though Apple no longer makes them. The built-in WiFi router in many digital mixers are often flaky and prone to dropouts.

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Can I use Mainstage 3 for a Live Band?

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