MainStage Tutorial | Customizing the Layout - Part 1

This video covers how to take MainStage - a $30 software - and create a layout that mimics a $4000 workstation.
Link to MainStage Template referenced in the video:
bit.ly/MainStage-Template
Was this video helpful? Consider a donation at paypal.me/sfmstudios

[@wvsnwbrdr]

👏👏👏 thank you for the time it took to create this. 6 years later and your still helping people create music.

[@MrSoloPaul]

Thank you so much Brian, your video is still helping people. I'm starting a Trio here in Spain and just discovered MainStage, watching you do this has saved me a ton of time.

[@jimwatson7438]

Thank you Brian. Your video is one of the best. I learned more listening to you in 15 mins than hours on others. And, thank you for the template. You rock!

[@cornelpiersahuburua5290]

Thankyou Man! what a great work. you are totally a blessing for all Mainstagers who's looking to create their own Patches. bless you heaps!!

[@mwesigwapeter8007]

Dude, You have saved me. I am New to mainstage, this was of immense help. Kudos

[@DavidSmith-ne1zp]

Great crash course on how to set things up! Appreciate it.

[@elihobbs9819]

Thank you so very much! Now my worship music can be played how I really need to express it. Bless you!

[@stevenhonnold2630]

Fantastic. One of the best.

[@jodyodomjr]

THANK. YOU!!!! This tutorial was so simple and easy to follow

[@philipjames751]

I've been looking for a video like this that goes step by step as I'm having problems mapping out my Nano Kontrol 2 last week and can't wait to try it, thx bro!

[@BrianNagel]

Philip James Awesome - enjoy the process!

[@srikanntragvani2701]

Thank you once again Brian, this is great help

[@MrSouthsilicon]

Thanks Brian, greatly appreciated ! cheers from the other side of the world..!

[@jephoyz]

Very helpful. Thanks for this video.

[@mxkbd74]

Great vídeo. Thanks Brian!

[@simonhead666]

Thanks for the super clear step by steps!!

[@davidtee5417]

Great tutorial. Thank you

[@simbaking6338]

Thanks bro!...you've helped me in a lotta ways.

[@lesserinsministry5830]

Great tutorial , nice teaching

[@henrywhalen6121]

Brian, thank you so much you've HELP ME BIG TIME BRO!!!! Im still working on it.

[@chriswerge]

Awesome! Thanks Brian.

[@scooter9240]

I'm brand new to MacBook Pro, Logic Pro X, and MainStage 3. You may have just saved me from throwing it all back in the box and returning it. Thank you!

[@AlexTWE]

Great video, thank you!

[@pjdahmen]

Great tutorial

[@riadiputra]

Thanks, Brian

[@psbsynthmusic]

THIS was a great hands-on tutorial for everybody! Now I know how to program my next show using MainStage. Any chance to post a Part 2? I wonder what the Part 2 would be about .... Hmmmmm. ;)

[@Thmusic7]

Thank you!

[@pianokaiochillmixmusic2344]

thanks so much

[@josiasgongora2434]

Gracias

[@tracybehrman2579]

Your video was very helpful to this rookie Mainstage 3 user. Do you have a video on assigning keyboard buttons to trigger patch changes? Thanks again!

[@BrianNagel]

Hi Tracy... Glad it helped! You should actually be able to use the same concepts of this video where you first need to have some element in the Layout mapped to your controller (I use two pads for patch up/down) and then, in Edit mode, assign each element to the patch change option in the MIDI map screen. You could additionally do it the opposite way, if you are using a layout template that already has patch up/down options: support.apple.com/kb/PH13542?locale=en_US

[@-_AjB_-]

Now 8 years old, but so helpful to me.

[@ellane8441]

Thanks B

[@musicfortommyz8106]

Thank you Brian Nagel! This has been a big help except that the newest version of mainstage 3 that I just downloaded has different options chen it comes to the Channel Strips. I followed your setup exactly until it came to the mapping. The Channel Strips totally do not match anymore. A couple of the instruments work but the others don't and the buttons don't light up at all. But it's a good start and I appreciate the help you've given us. It would be great if someone did the same using the newer version of Mainstage 3. Thanks again!!

[@BrianNagel]

Hey Tommy… things change over 6 years, huh? ;-) May certainly be a good chance to just play in it and figure out what the appropriate steps are! Could very well be it’s just some of the labels are different, but the overall concepts should hold true. The template I’m currently working with (check out Part 2 if you haven’t yet) is holding up really well for me and has for multiple years.

[@musicfortommyz8106]

@@BrianNagel Brian, I'm going to keep working on this until I get it just the way I want. Thanks again!

[@PJfabrizio]

Hi Brian, great video thanks so much for covering this! Quick question, when I try to zoom out my layout, there's no corner to grab, even when everything is highlighted. Do you know how I can correct this?

[@BrianNagel]

PJ Fabrizio Do you mean when you try enlarging the objects? MainStage doesn’t really like enlarging multiple things at once, unless they’re grouped...I typically go from a background > up approach to making a layout (almost like scrapbooking, where each object is a layer that sits on top of another). So, a bit of reverse-engineering possibly - check out some more thoughts on this in my Part 2 video. Hope that helps!

[@srikanntragvani2701]

Hey Brian thank you so much for this video. I have been struggling to set up Mainstage for years but this video has clarified so many things which I wasn't doing right. Excellent step by step guide which helped me make a lot of progress from where I was stuck. I am a live performer who is absolutely novice to technology and I just can't get my head round Mainstage but this video has been great. I have one more question, I am using Korg Kronos to control my mainstage - what can I do if at a time I want to only play one of the five instruments that you have set up in this video, what parameters I need to set? I would like to control those instruments using my korg kronos rather than a mice. Any step by step help would be highly appreciated. Thank you once again.

[@BrianNagel]

Srikannt - Glad it has helped! You should be able to take advantage of the faders/buttons on the Kronos in Layout mode and Assign them to the appropriate layout elements. More info here: support.apple.com/kb/PH13542?locale=it_IT

[@duncanhazlewood8045]

Hi Brian. Thanks so much for the walkthrough. You mentioned that you would place a link to the file in the video info. Am I missing that somewhere? I don't see it. Thanks again. Great job!

[@neckbont]

Thanks for the video. What do you suggest for a computer as a traveling musician? Macbook air, mac mini, macbook pro?

[@BrianNagel]

kornsnap There are some variables and personal preferences here - I’ve used a MacBook Air and MacBook Pro for both live and studio work, and know of many who find a Mac mini to be the best option. They all have the capabilities, so it usually boils down to the power you need - some plugins are processor/RAM intensive, as are recording programs if you’re managing multiple tracks/FX at once, so you spec a machine based on the performance you need. Safest bet if you have the budget would be a MacBook Pro.

[@SLHkeyboards]

Nice video! Not having used MS myself, I'm wondering if you can confirm whether you could add this functionality to your template: (1) specify that certain buttons toggle the state of certain other buttons (for example, set it so that when you turn Organ on, it turns off whichever of piano/rhodes,pad/string that may have been on, so you can easily switch to organ alone) (2) specify a key range for each sound (for example, bass patch--when enabled--only plays up to a certain key) Thanks!

[@BrianNagel]

SLHkeyboards Not sure the button toggling another, as you can only set a parameter that's available on a channel strip, and not another button state (haven't seen variables as a choice). The different keyboard, absolutely! Just select your channel strip and modify the midi range and/or transposition.

[@freedomseeker01]

You can map a button to Solo on the channel strip for each instrument and accomplish what you want.

[@crazylegscooper100]

Very helpful tutorial much appreciated, finding problems labelling the 8 Buttons - Piano, Rhodes, Strings etc maybe my A-PRO buttons won't allow this any advice please, Steve

[@BrianNagel]

Hi Stephen ... assuming you’re staying in Layout mode, each is an individual text box that you should be able to select and then modify in the text area on the left. Sometimes, layers get the in way, so you could select the box and move with the arrow keys to a blank area for a little bit more tangible control.

[@crazylegscooper100]

Thank you very much Brian I will give it a go, Steve

[@richardfernandes6053]

Hey Brian thanks a lot, I just started using MS3 and this tutorial was very helpful I do have a question and was wondering if you could help me out. I noticed that MS3 displays the wrong note when I play, it's literally a whole tone higher. Any idea on how can I correct this? Thanks again

[@BrianNagel]

Richard Fernandes Hi Richard... if it’s a solid whole tone displaying, that tells me that either MainStage is receiving that note or that it’s set for that on the Patch level. Check your keyboard to ensure you’re not transposing there first. Then, check the possible options in MainStage (patch transpose - support.apple.com/kb/PH24746?locale=en_US&viewlocale=en_US) or (channel strip transpose - support.apple.com/kb/PH13571?locale=en_US). Hope that helps!

[@richardfernandes6053]

@@BrianNagel Hi Brian thanks for the help, it was from the keyboard, somehow setting it up I pressed the transpose buttons. Cheers :D

[@mikemasters4248]

Hi Brian, great video. I could never get my master fader vu meeter to move and I noticed on your video yours isn't moving either. I mapped it to Master / Volume just as you described. Not the end of the world but it would be cool to see it move. Cheers!

[@BrianNagel]

Hey Mike - I think what I missed in this was that, instead of mapping to the Master Level (14:20), you’d want to connect it to your main Outputs instead. In my case on the video, Outputs 1-2 Level.

[@mikemasters4248]

@@BrianNagel Cool thanks, I'll give that a try tomorrow and let ya know how it goes. Thanks for the reply!

[@crazylegscooper100]

Thank you for video, we using Mainstage & Ableton live 10 with MacPro how do we assign MIDI channels from Ableton to separate instruments within the main stage. Basically we wantMain stage to be a multi-timbral plug-in within Ableton where separate Mableton tracks On different midi channels will access different sounds in main stage. Thanks in advance!

[@BrianNagel]

Hi Stephen... that's not something I've explored or done myself, but I've seen others try it... @ourworshipsound has been a great resource for me, and I think this video hopefully will send you in the right direction: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppLPYatvept5jrs

[@crazylegscooper100]

Many Thanks@@BrianNagel

[@FlowstoneJams]

Hi there! Instruments work, but the delay/reverb doesn’t function. Knobs move but no change or registering of the delay/reverb. What did O do wrong? I assigned them to volume.

[@BrianNagel]

It sounds like you may have mapped it to the wrong value. Typically, you want to affect the Level or Send of the reverb/delay or possibly the wet/dry mix. Check out your assignment and play around with the different settings within there to get the desired effect.

[@tracybehrman2579]

I play keyboard live and we use Logic Pro projects and play along with the the tracks. I want to use MS 3 with my keyboard, but I need to control the keyboard volume. I normally use a volume pedal, but that doesn't work with MS using MIDI and and interface. Is there any way to use a foot pedal to control the volume of my keyboard? I bought an expression pedal, but that was no help. Thank you, Brian!

[@BrianNagel]

Hi Tracy... I'd check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3uoeKWYpdB0f7M which shows how to add a layout control for the pedal and map it. Around 48 seconds in, you'd be looking to have the pedal control either the Master channel or the main outputs (instead of the mod wheel as shown). Hope that helps!

[@tracybehrman2579]

Brian, Thanks for replying. After watching the video, I have tried several combinations of what you suggested, but the expression pedal still does not respond. Anything else you can suggest?

[@tracybehrman2579]

I have discovered that my keyboard is the problem. It does not have an expression input. Do you use a MIDI controller or can you recommend a keyboard that will work?

[@BrianNagel]

+Tracy Behrman Glad you found the solution, even if it means needing more equipment. MIDI keyboards can be tricky to recommend, as playing style and personal preference usually dictate a "good" one or not, as all can have pretty similar features (MIDI is MIDI, so you're paying for feel/knobs/pads/faders/automation). For me personally, I like the keys to feel a little heavier and less "synthy", with faders on the left side and some knobs and pads. I ended up with a Nektar Panorama P6 (after using a couple cheaper options from Akai and M-Audio), and really enjoy it as my 2nd keyboard/main controller.

[@SLHkeyboards]

It doesn't matter what controller you use, you can add an expression pedal input to your Mainstage setup with a $49 adapters from www.audiofront.net/MIDIExpression.php?action=overview

[@JuanLopezmusica]

Does anyone know why my fader 1 is attach with master volume? And how to fix it? Every time I move my fader 🎚 1 it move the master volume too

[@BrianNagel]

It’s probably because it has a controller mapping for both of those items... in my part 2 video (kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZi3aINpo9KWas0), check out around 21:35 where I show in Edit mode how a single layout element can have multiple mappings to it. You can also look in the “Assignments and Mappings” tab above your layout where it lists everything that’s going on so you can identify what you may need to remove.

[@JuanLopezmusica]

Brian Nagel thank you so much I think the link is wrong

[@kriskollmar9728]

How about with two midi controllers? (Launchkey 49, launchkey 37)

[@BrianNagel]

I’d check out the Part 2 video (kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZi3aINpo9KWas0si=Wok40fzcz4lZhcHX), as that looks more in depth at customizing the layout to accommodate the controller(s) you have. Effectively, you’ll create the Layout elements you need and Map them to the desired parameters. Hope that helps!

[@RikkysStudio]

Where's part 2 bro?

[@robdigital5920]

Hey Brian would I be able to email or message you for help with Mainstage?

[@BrianNagel]

Hi Rob...while I’d be more than happy to help with what I can, I would also recommend to join a couple MainStage groups on Facebook. The amount of knowledge and support that’s out there is excellent! Feel free to DM me on Twitter @bwnagel and I’ll try to send you in the right direction.

[@dogukankural1984]

Hi .. How to solve the unexpected note off command not kicking problem in mainstage? İt couse a disaster during performance .. thank all

[@BrianNagel]

If I’m understanding you correctly, I think added the MIDI panic option would help with this. I usually have a layout button/pad for this function. See Apple’s related help article: support.apple.com/guide/mainstage/silence-midi-notes-mstg6ac2a50c/mac

[@dogukankural1984]

@@BrianNagel thank you so much i think panic button will solve that.

[@bjb51]

How bout part 2?

[@SandipDas-zv2ce]

Sorry the video is to fast for me as beginner

[@BrianNagel]

Sandip - the best advice I’d give you is to take your time through the process. Everyone certainly moves at their own speeds. Feel free to pause the video, rewind, rewatch, practice, etc. until you’re comfortable making the strides you’d like to. Enjoy the process!

[@ricknorris1466]

All that work for what? Too complicated for me.

[@BrianNagel]

I get it! Not everyone wants to start from scratch with something. There are plenty of downloadable templates if you want to get a head start. This video was made to show the process for anyone interested. Feel free to check out my Part 2 that includes a link to a template: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oZi3aINpo9KWas0