Link patches in Patch List?

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Link patches in Patch List?

I'm setting up MainStage for use during musical theatre shows. I know a musical theatre keyboard player who sets up a long Patch List, which she plays through sequentially by pressing a Next Patch button. Eg: piano, clav, organ, piano, synth, piano, etc. This seems like a good approach, but however, I think she uses the default settings for each patch.

However, I'm a percussionist and would like to use timpani, glockenspiel, etc. I was thinking of using the same approach: eg timpani, glock, wood blocks, timpani, bells, timpani, etc.

But I will need to set various custom parameters for each instrument. For example, timpani will need a custom transposition parameter (in the Channel Strip inspector, in MIDI input). I suspect during early performances that I will want to change a parameter, and want that to apply to ALL uses of timpani within the Patch List.

In more detail: I'd like (eg) a timpani patch to appear multiple times in the Patch List – so the Next Patch button gives me this instrument when I need it – but also have a way that I can change a parameter (eg transpose) and have this apply to all the other timpani patches within the Patch List.

Is there a good (reliable, fast) way of achieving this? (Better than copy/paste the change over all the instances of the timpani patch?) I was hoping there would be a "link patches" feature, so that changing one patch affects other copies of it, but it seems not.

I've tried duplicating a patch; making an alias of a channel strip (manual page 53); saving a patch to a file and re-loading it (manual page 94). I haven't tried adding a channel strip at set level (manual page 94), because I believe the timps will then be playing simultaneously with other instruments?

The only solution I can think of is to just create a short Patch List containing just one instance of each instrument, so that there is a single place to change the settings, and go to the instrument I need using cursor keys or a Program Change. But this isn't quite as simple to use during performance as a sequential Patch List.

Can anyone give me some hints?

MainStage, Mac OS X (10.7.4), MacBook Pro 2.53GHz, 8GB

Posted on May 31, 2012 7:00 AM

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chiccorosso

Level 1

145 points

Jun 4, 2012 6:03 AM in response to cssbz

I usually avoid a channel strip at set level, as you say.

I do this: set a separate patch for timpani then place it as an alias in every other needed patch. then i set a mute/unmute button and i mute/unmute the channel strip when needed.

You can use also a single button as a multiple mute/unmute button to set everything in a single click.

Every mod you make to the timpani patch will be replicated to all the instances, including the "mute" button.

If you want muting to be different from patch to patch just have a dedicated mute button on screen and set it appropriately.

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