ryanh92nin

Q: Mainstage, Applescripts, and midi

I know that mainstage has actions that will allow you to play/pause tracks from itunes via a midi controller. I'm looking to do the same type of thing, however, i need to start a midi file from quicktime (or another suggested program) with the push of a button. How would i script this? You can add your own scripts inside the Mainstage actions folder and since it works with itunes, i would imagine that this is possible. any help at all or direction to go for help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot!

MainStage, Mac OS X (10.7.3), need help!

Posted on May 17, 2012 8:10 PM

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Q: Mainstage, Applescripts, and midi

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  • by Blueberry,

    Blueberry Blueberry May 17, 2012 10:01 PM in response to ryanh92nin
    Level 4 (2,944 points)
    May 17, 2012 10:01 PM in response to ryanh92nin

    Why not just use MainStage to send a MIDI file? Or do you use QuickTime to play it via the GM Synth? In that case: bounch it to AIFF and use Playback in MainStage to play it back.

  • by ryanh92nin,

    ryanh92nin ryanh92nin May 18, 2012 11:10 AM in response to Blueberry
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 18, 2012 11:10 AM in response to Blueberry

    well now that i think about it, i'm not sure if quicktime will do what i need it to. i have midi controlling program / patch changes but since mainstage doesn't support this i don't think there is a way to do that inside the program. any suggestion on a program that might read those kind of midi messages?

  • by Treatment,

    Treatment Treatment Jul 28, 2012 10:12 PM in response to ryanh92nin
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jul 28, 2012 10:12 PM in response to ryanh92nin

    Outside of using MS drum sequencer, I would use Reason, "rewired" into MS.

    I would try the drum sequencer first and see how it handles midi files.

    Sorry can;t remember the name of the damned thing...

    TREATMENT

  • by CCTM,

    CCTM CCTM Jul 28, 2012 10:46 PM in response to ryanh92nin
    Level 6 (10,949 points)
    Jul 28, 2012 10:46 PM in response to ryanh92nin

    ryanh92nin wrote:

     

    , i need to start a midi file from quicktime (or another suggested program) with the push of a button.

    Hi

     

    Mainstage 2.2 has the option to assign a MIDI file to an external MIDI channel. When this is done, the MIDI file is transmitted when the patch is selected.

     

    Sadly, there is no way to stop, or pause, the transmission once initiated: the data is buffered and will play all the way through regardless of what else you might wish.

     

     

    CCT

  • by dhjdhj,

    dhjdhj dhjdhj Aug 7, 2012 6:39 AM in response to ryanh92nin
    Level 2 (165 points)
    Aug 7, 2012 6:39 AM in response to ryanh92nin

    If you're willing to spend some money, consider getting a copy MaxMSP and use it with MainStage. Using IAC, you could send commands to Max to do any kind of MIDI processing you want and then have the results come back into MainStage. It woud be trivial to do things like play MIDI files this way.

    I used to do this all the time.