Playing MainStage 3 with eDrums

In this video tutorial series, eDrum guru Luke Oswald shows you what need to know to get up and running with Apple MainStage 3, when using today’s eDrum controllers. If you’re looking for another palette of drum sounds or inspirational software when eDrumming, pull up a seat and watch!

Setup

• Initial Setup (08:16) - Learn how to install and setup MainStage 3 for e-drum MIDI controllers. Luke also explains how to setup your audio interface and configure latency settings.

• Interface Overview (04:48) - Luke discusses each of the main sections of the MainStage 3 interface: Patch List, Workspace, Mixer and the Patch Library.

Instrument/Patch Configuration

• Kit Selection (07:47) - Learn how to add new instrument patches to your concert setup, load a variety of drum kits, set MIDI mapping configurations and save the entire setup as a preset to load later.

• Smart Control Adjustments (06:22) - Luke explains how to adjust the relative levels of each drum and how to quickly add compression, EQ and reverb to your drum mix.

• Drum Selection, Pitch, Dampening, & Gain (05:41) - Learn how to customize your drum sound by choosing different kick/snare drum combinations and by making pitch/envelope adjustments for each drum.

• Controls View & Saving Custom Kits (03:31) - Customize your drum kits even further by accessing the extended "Controls" view and save your custom kits for later recall.

Mixer

• Manipulating FX Plugins with Smart Controls (10:03) - Luke discusses the relationship between the mixer channel strip FX and the Smart Controls configuration knobs. Learn how to use the Smart Controls as a starting point and then make customized adjustments within the mixer.

• Using FX Presets: EQ (03:13) - Learn how to use the built-in EQ presets to come up with creative drum mixes on the fly.

• Using FX Presets: Compression (04:56) - Learn how to use the compression plugin presets to manipulate the sound of your drums. Add subtle or aggressive compression and try out different emulation models.

• Using FX Presets: Reverb (04:48) - Luke explains how to use the reverb sends and how to change the convolution reverb presets to audition different reverb "rooms".

• Adding Mixer FX & 3rd Party Plug-ins (03:21) - Learn how to add additional FX to the channel strip for more sound shaping possibilities. You can use both built-in plugins and 3rd-Party AU plugins.

Additional Configuration Settings

• Global Velocity Curve Adjustments (03:20) - Luke explains how you can use the velocity curve MIDI effect to make global velocity adjustments to your e-drum performance.

• Adding Aux Channels (03:39) - Learn how to quickly add Aux channels in the mixer and perform parallel compression.

• Producer Presets (02:46) - Learn how you can load additional patch presets with extended mixer options, allowing you to add FX to specific instruments/channels and perform multi-out functions for discrete channels.

• Conclusion (01:00) - Luke recaps the series.