Mainstage/SL problems

[jonasostholm]

Hi

I have two problems with SL used as a AU-plugin in Mainstage. First of all, when I use SL as a mono-plugin it outputs no sound. Sound is coming into it, can be monitored and the out-meters are showing activity, but there seems to be an internal routingproblem (that I can´t find, i´m not using JACK). It works just fine as a stereo-plugin though, which is nice but strange. Second, I´ve created a Mainstage concert with an audiochannel sending to a bus inserted with SL. SL is controlled by the transport on Korgs nanoKontrol, this is routed in MIDI Patchbay and binded in SL. I use a EDIROL PCR-1 as MIDIkeyboard to play a softsynth in Mainstage and the nanoKONTROL also controls the faders and bussends in Mainstage. There is no problem setting this up, it works fine, BUT, when I save the concert, quit, and restart the program Mainstage doesn´t respond to any of the MIDI-devices. When I try to reconfigure the layout in Mainstage it gives a message about third party MIDI or audio problem. I´ve read about similar messages but not similar problems. The thing is, if I delete the SL-plugin, save the concert, and restart Mainstage, it works fine and all I have to do is to insert the SL again. It is as if you can´t boot SL and Mainstage up att the same time, or is the problem elsewhere? So, everything is working but with small modifications that makes me a litte nervous and scared of using it in a livesituation.

Thanks in advance
/J

[sam_square]

I was having the same problem with the 'third party drivers' message. To stop this from happening, I would have to start up MS with my midi controllers off and then turn them on after MS had been on for a minute. Soon after, the problem stopped happening. I found the 'solution' on the discussion.apple.com site - but it's a weak solution since not having your keyboards on when you boot MS, makes you lose your mappings.

I think this is a problem with mainstage. I have intermittant problems with mainstage - for a while my concert was crashing on start up, and then the third party drivers thing - but it's stopped now. I also had an issue when changing patches in MS when playing SL - MS stopped responding to midi and I had to reboot the computer to get the midi devices to be recognized.

I don't know why these problems emerge and then disappear over time. It's like it settles down after some time - which is not how I'm used to computers behaving!

I don't think I would use mainstage without some kind of backup plan in case a reboot is needed.

[jonasostholm]

Thanks for answering !

..and thank you as well for your instructional video on setting things up, very helpful.

Any experience with AU-Lab? It seems simple and stable.

/J

[sam_square]

You're very welcome, glad to be of help.

AU-Lab ... looks interesting, although I could probably just do the same thing in logic. I used to do all of this in logic - it wasn't too hard to set up. The floating splits in MS are nice though - and it's much faster to get it set up in rehearsal.

I don't remember having problems with logic 7 - it never crashed during about 20 performances and I don't remember any problems in practice. I had 3 midi keyboards playing AU's in logic - one switch to change all the patches as once. It's was pretty cool.

[aspersemusic]

How hard is using logic in place of mainstage?

I never got into the midi-map re-wiring thing inside of logic, but am under the impression that if i do:
it'd be more stable.

My problems with mainstage have been solved by actually unplugging my midi-keyboard when starting up...
waiting a sec, and plugging back in. i have a show scheduled for jan, and need a back up that isn't just me
sitting there with a crashing software... i guess i better bring my acoustic, and practice some covers jic.

so, ? logic 8 in place of mainstage? good?bad?great? s
uggestions on where to start? (i do use logic regularly for recording etc)
i do pretty simple stuff (with mainstage), and am making custom exs24 instruments
with my splits built in... to minimize the amount of tracks i need.

thanks.

[sam_square]

It's good - basically the only thing you can't do is get the floating keyboard split.

Here are the basics:

Create a new environment layer

Create a new instrument for each midi controller you have.

Run each instrument into a cable switcher - you control that switch to change patches. You can make multiple switches react to the same midi control, letting you change all your settings with one button press.

Out of that cable switcher, you can run into other environment modules. I mostly use the transformer to create splits, do transposing and whatnot.

Once you are ready to pipe that to an AU, you hold alt and click on an output cable - then choose an au to route to.

Then you need to get the instrument you created in the environment in the arrange window so you can play it.

As far as midi mapping - there is now a midi learn button on the top menu bar by default - otherwise press alt-k to bring up the keycommand/keyboard mapping utility.

[aspersemusic]

Thanks as always sam!
I think it's a good idea to set up a backup session in logic that i'd be able to at least play with....
Mainstage has been working (crosses fingers) better sense i put all samples on a new external,
and upgraded my ram.

I'll let you know if using logic pulls me away from mainstage all together.

Do you like the idea of making spits by creating exs with them built in?
It just seems like a complicated way to make things much more simple.

cheers

[sam_square]

That is a good way to simplify - running splits in the exs24.

I don't really use exs24 very much live, aside from piano. I usually use an ES2 patch or 3rd party such as Garritan Personal Orchestra or the GForce Mellotron plugin.

The biggest risk for me is the whole computer crashing, or midi keyboards stop working, requiring a reboot - which is as least 5 minutes of setup. Unfortunately I have my guitar plugged into the computer for SL now, so doing a little acoustic number is out of the question. I'd also need to be setting stuff up - the midi learning in MS, firing up midi routing, making sure SL works, etc.

It's probably best to have an mp3 player plugged into the sound system! I know that some pros have two laptops set up. But really, most of the shows we play have about 10 people actually watching, so I don't think it would be a big deal to have a 5 minute break.

I'll probably do a little video on setting up the routing in logic - getting the switches to work wasn't the most intuitive thing.

And you're very welcome

[aspersemusic]

Let me know of a video, as your last one was helpful.

Merry Holidaze.

[sam_square]

http://www.samgreene.com/drupal_samgree ... nvironment