Can mainstage2 send automated MIDI program changes ?

I'm a bit in the same positions, I found yesterday this video, hope it answer your question, or part of it... for me I search how to play/stop logic from mainstage now...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOION17JgRU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgzBOJYSY64

I have many of the same desires as you. I recently moved from Ableton Live 8 to MainStage 2. Ableton Live is a monster. Incredible application. Does far more than what you and I want.

Ableton Live can easily;

Streams a backing tracks (Wav, MP3, etc...)

Play MIDI loops, tracks to VSTs and External equipment

Hosts AUs & VSTs

Sends MIDI program changes and CC as set times during the song

Receives MIDI CC info to remote control

Sends click out a designated MONO output

I've succeeded in reproducing many of the Ableton Live features in MainStage.

Stream backing tracks (with playback)

Play MIDI files out to external equipment, but not to a AU (* this might be what helps you)

Host AUs but not VSTs (that's ok.. most of my VSTs have AU equivalents)

I can send MIDI program changes only at the beginning of a patch

Receives MIDI CC info to remote control

It's not that easy to send click out a designated MONO output. Wish this was easier.

* It may be possible to have a MIDI file have patch changes in it at designated times. Simply start the MIDI file at the beginning of the song. It'll basically send nothing until the moment in the song where the Program Change is needed. You'll have to make the MIDI file in another application.

This is how you need to use a Live Sequence set up. MainStage 2 is so cumbersome it's not funny! We should have the ability to use LOGIC and ONLY LOGIC for Live situations.

Take a look below at SONAR...

You'll notice on the left...

- The Song/Project List with infinite number of songs. Open up next song Automatically or user defined. Change Song/Projects around on the fly with the mouse. Yes you can have the next song open up automatically, or user defined such as any delay you wish before the next song starts, or start the next song by pressing the spacebar.

On the Right...

- Opens up the Project you're going to play, with ALL AUDIO, VIDEO, MIDI PROGRAM/CONTROL CHANGES, AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD PUT INTO A SEQUENCER.

P.S. WE ONLY USE SONAR BECAUSE APPLE DOESN'T SEEM TO WANT TO INCLUDE THIS CAPABILITY IN LOGIC, SO WE HAVE TO TRANSFER PROJECTS INTO MAINSTAGE? UNACCEPTABLE!!!

click to see image full size...

Hi Eyekon,

No that is Sonar 6. Sonar 7 is even better! Really easy when it comes to the song list feature.

If Logic had that feature I would be in heaven, as well as so many other musicians using logic.

I'm familiar with what you're doing Eyekon, and it's an OK solution, but once again it's just too comberson, and we should not have to be forced into doing this. Way too much extra work.

Here' s another good product for what your doing. It has an interface with up to 30 songs in each window, and opens up any Logic project by using a midi controller, or just pressing the appropriate button. However it does not have the user customization that Sonar has, thus falls short of what we should be able to use.

Here's the link: (using this software, you will be able to have each song in it's separate project)

http://www.fluqe.com/

You're welcome,

Don't get me wrong, I've been using Logic since Emagic owned it and called it Notator on an Atari Computer System with only 2-4mb of ram. I don't even think I had more than a few mb of of storage either.

Anyhow I'm very happy Apple bought Logic from Emagic. I think Logic is the best out there, but It's also very important to bring to the forfront where Logic falls short... and as we know one major flaw is the Song List feature.

It's not very difficult to create such a feature. That way we can use Logic for everything from recording, mixing, and live use, etc.

All the best Eyekon!

I've been looking all over to try and figure out how to have mainstage automatically change to the next patch when a new marker comes up on the backing track through playback.

Basically, when i'm playing to a backing track, i sometimes play The pads and keys on mu Akai MPK49, nd when a new section comes up and i need need to change my synth sound, i don;t physically have enough hands to change to the next patch. I've read a load guides, but using the AIC drive in Logic seems far too complicated and I'm getting a bit out of my depth.

The whole point of me using markers is to identify different sections with different instruments, but I have to change between them manually anyway?

Is there a way to have the Marker automatically change the patch? The only other way i can see of getting round this live is having a midi footswitch to automatically cycle through the patches, which means Markers are of no use to me in my 'Perform' view really.

Any help would be amazing!

Not sure if you found your answer, but I use Logic to Change Mainstage using the IAC Driver.

It's really simple: Dedicated track in logic for mainstage, can control volume, pan, anything really if you want it to, notes will even play in mainstage if you want. I only use it to control Mainstage patch changes. I also use seperate track to send change song commands to OnStage (which was mentioned in an earlier post).

One thing you have to do is setup the Environment in Logic so Mainstage doesn't get the crazy "stay offline" loop warning. Command 8 -> Click & Ports - > Remove the Line from left to your input.

Create an external midi Track and assign it to a channel on your IAC Driver (See youtube videos on how to install this).

Under the patch attributes in Mainstage give each patch a unique number and put that in your logic midi track. I even have solo patch changes programmed in so all i have to do is play. Patches change automatically throughout a song.

Just insert a program change in your logic midi track with the Val set to whatever you put in for the Program Change in Mainstage. [Nice feature of Mainstage is it will actually tell you if two patches in a concert have duplicate program change values!]

Hope it helps.

I've seen someone do something similar to this, I just to understand it a bit better, but it sounds ideal. In this case, would your backing track also run in logic, rather than triggering it in mainstage in Playback plug in? Or is there a way to trigger both simultaneously? The only problem i forsee is not being able to blend different songs together smoothly.

I use logic and play bounced tracks out of there. I actually put full sets together one track to the next. I use my axiom pro to stop/start between songs. My band tends to run 3-4 songs together and this way I save them in blocks and we practice with that existing timing so gig wise we know exactly what to expect.

We actually control lighting from logic as well as click track and instrument settings (guitar players use pods). It is a great setup with lots of automation but we keep it live and light and focus on stage presence while performing.

I can't get mainstage to recognise the PCs from Logic it's driving me mad! I use an Akai MPK 49, so that's what i have as my Midi Port on Mainstage, with Channel 1 from the vysex editor controling keys, and Channel 2 controlling pads.

I'm chaning my midi port to my IAC driver, but it's just not working. All i want to use it for is backing track and patch changes.

Also, I must be doing something wrong somewhere as Mainstage 3 crashes constantly.

Is Mainstage crashing or giving you the "Panic - Use Offline" message?

If it is the Take online/use offline it is because your Logic environment isn't setup properly. (see previous post re:Command 8).

Mabye these screenshots will help???

Yeah that's what I've done. I'm e-mailing JasTheMusician from the YouTube videos and he's finding out where I am so he can help. Can;t figure out which step I've gone wrong at.

Great idea to use it to control lights by the way - definitely going to learn how to do that!