MainStage Tutorial

MainStage 3 Explained®

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20 Videos | Length: 1hr 32min 42sec
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Chapter 1 : Getting Started

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    Introduction

    Mitchell welcomes you to the series and explains what you’ll learn in the videos to come.

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    Downloading & Launching

    his video guides you through downloading MainStage 3 and it’s additional content, as well as launching the application for the first time.

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    Setup

    Setup for MIDI devices and Audio devices are explained. After that, we’ll explore setup for both MIDI and Audio devices. Firewire vs USB is also explored here.

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    Keyboard Templates

    The keyboard templates are explored here, with an overview of some of the presets.

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    Guitar, Drums & Vocals Templates

    The remaining four templates are explored and explained.

Chapter 2 : Interface

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    Menu Items Pt. 1

    The contents of the main menu items 'MainStage' and 'File' are explained.

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    Menu Items Pt. 2

    The contents of the main menu items 'Edit', 'Action', 'View', 'Window' and 'Help' are explained.

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    The MainStage UI

    The Toolbar, Activity Monitor, Workspace, and Channel Strips are explained here.

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    MainStage Modes

    MainStage’s three modes, layout, edit, and perform, are discussed in brief here.

Chapter 3 : Layout Menu

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    Layout Menu Pt. 1

    This is one of two videos which will cover the Layout menu. We’ll talk about the items in this view including panel controls, shelf controls, and grouped controls.

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    Layout Menu Pt. 2

    This video looks at how to set up the layout menu GUI to represent your physical hardware controller. The screen control inspector is also explored here.

Chapter 4 : Patch Creation

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    Patch Creation Pt. 1

    This video will look at the different “levels” of patch creation in MainStage 3, including the concert, set, and patch level. We’ll also learn how to create a single layer patch, how to name it, and how to rearrange patches. We also take a look at the patch inspector window.

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    Patch Creation Pt. 2

    This video will explain the channel strips in relationship to the patch level, and complexity of the patch. We’ll discuss all the feature of the channel strip layout including EQ, Audio FX, Input, Pan, Level, and Labeling.

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    Patch Creation Pt. 3

    This video will demonstrate how to make a multilayered patch with splits, including floating split points. We take a look at the instrument channel strip editor and discuss the channel strip library, attributes, layer editor, and MIDI input panels.

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    Patch Creation Pt. 4

    This video explains the assignment, screen control, and mapping column as it applies to the concert, set, and patch levels. We’ll also explain how to edit and delete assignments.

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    Patch Creation Pt. 5

    This video takes an in depth look at the screen control inspector window when using assignments and mappings. An explanation of some of the most important mappings are discussed here.

Chapter 5 : Advanced Patch Creation & Actions

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    Click Tracks

    This video shows how to set the time signature for a concert and individual patches, as well as how to send a click to a dedicated output.

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    Playback Plug-In

    This video demonstrates how to integrate the playback plug-in inside of your concert and get set up for backing tracks.

Chapter 6 : Performance & Wrap Up

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    Putting it All Together

    We begin building a concert using a fictitious set list and incorporate everything we’ve learned so far in the edit menu.

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    Troubleshooting

    This video goes through a handful of troubleshooting tips including loss of sound and inconsistencies with MainStage performance.

Product Overview

Apple's MainStage 3 turns your Mac into a complete live rig, and expert MainStage performer Mitchell Alpaugh will show you how to bring all your studio tools onstage, in any configuration you can dream up, and make a truly complete live performance package!

Mitchell starts out with the basics, downloading MainStage and setting up your Audio and MIDI Devices. Then, he jumps right into the Factory Templates for Keyboards, Guitars, Drums, Vocals, and so on, designed to get you up and running immediately.

From there, Mitchell dives into the real creative potential of MainStage. Starting with an explanation of the menu items, over a series of five videos, Mitchell offers you a thorough guide to creating Concerts, Sets, and Patches from scratch, covering everything from the basics, to advanced patch creation features and techniques.

Mitchell also makes sure you're ready for the band, exploring playing backing tracks and setting up Click Tracks and Multiple Mixes. Finally, Mitchell ends with some Troubleshooting Tips to help insure that the show can go on. Whether you're new to MainStage 3 or an experienced user looking to get more out of it, "MainStage 3 Explained" can help you get your rig ready for the gig!

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MainStage 3 Explained® is rated 4.3 out of 5 by 17 .
Rated 4.5 out of 5 by from Very Helpful Thorough explanation of the layout of Mainstage..
Date published: 2020-02-17
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from very heplful wish I had this when I was setting up main stage .very interested I learn a few kool stuff.
Date published: 2019-07-22
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from So far, it's good Presenter is fast which I like because I need to compare the instruction to the software to really gain an understanding of the software.
Date published: 2018-09-03
Rated 2.5 out of 5 by from It's factually accurate—but dull and unhelpful. There's a ton of "what", but no "why". Instead of leading with "Here's a bunch of great ways you might use MainStage", it's more of a "Here's every option in the file menu. And now, here's every option in the Edit menu. Now, here's every option in the toolbar..."
Date published: 2018-03-08
Rated 2.5 out of 5 by from Needs improvement I found these videos to be cursory and of mediocre production value. The course needs to be rethought and reorganized perhaps with more real world examples and attention to good naming and labeling habits and better explanations. It was at times difficult to see where the instructor was pointing his cursor which could have been easily fixed with highlights and magnification. Overall a pretty uninspired effort.
Date published: 2018-01-03
Rated 4.0 out of 5 by from Good examples of setting up patches Found the videos on setting up patches with midi controllers very useful
Date published: 2017-11-05
Rated 4.5 out of 5 by from A good introduction This is a new concept to me and it was well explained. I would have liked more insights into memory management and practical examples of how people use Concert, sets and patches.
Date published: 2017-11-01
Rated 4.5 out of 5 by from I like the pace of these tutorials. Full in description, yet prompt to the point. I like the pace of these tutorials. Full in description, yet prompt to the point.
Date published: 2017-09-29
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Very Helpful Very informative. No button left unpressed.
Date published: 2017-09-04
Rated 4.5 out of 5 by from Easy to understand and comprehensive I am a beginner level synth/MIDI operator. MainStage is my first "real" live sound software to play with, and this tutorial is making everything so much easier to understand, in much less time than it would've taken to learn on my own and for a very good price!
Date published: 2017-05-29
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from One of the better tutorials Different tutorials I have viewed have all had their good and bad points but this one - for me at least - seems to be at the right speed while covering all of the right topics. It's relatively basic but at the same time has the right amount of buried detail over and above those basics. I guess the only downside is I would say it's not for the experienced main stage user but it's good at what it does
Date published: 2017-05-03
Rated 4.5 out of 5 by from Very useful for me. I got a basic understanding of what the program consists of.
Date published: 2017-03-20
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Really enjoying this tutorial. Great tutorials! Lots of interesting topics! Makes learning easy!
Date published: 2016-12-13
Rated 4.0 out of 5 by from Thanks! These were great videos for a roadmap of Mainstage. Not sure these were for absolute beginners, but I followed along ok. Could have used additional videos for visual/kinesthetic learners that need to see sample concerts done from creation to concert.
Date published: 2016-10-15
Rated 4.0 out of 5 by from Mainstage 3 explained I purchased MS3 and the G3 tutorial vid for the express purpose of learning how to use my Spectrasonics VI(s) with my Akai MPK61 controller in a live scenario. Though the info is spot on re: operation of MS3, it is generic and the terminology of Concert/patch in MS3 is different in Omnipshere and the G3 vid doesn't differentiate and therefore confusing. I will have a lot of trial & error in understanding the different terminology and how to optimize MS3 for the external VIs I intend to use. Lastly, in the voiceover, the silence between spoken phrases appears to have been stripped and each spoken phrase ends with odd voice phrasing, sometimes the phrase is up , others down and gives this listener an odd sense of where the narrative starts and stops …… adding confusion in understanding the info being imparted. All the info for every MS3 feature is represented however.
Date published: 2016-08-10
Rated 3.0 out of 5 by from Very General The delivery is very good, but the content is very basic.
Date published: 1969-12-31
Rated 2.0 out of 5 by from Basics Much shorter than the MainStage 2 vids. There are 20 vids in this one vs 47 in MainStage 2. The material covered is pretty basic, but would probably be helped by spit screen showing what's being done when mapping etc. Not needed but helpful to some just for reference.
Date published: 1969-12-31
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