Program/Control Messages to external Pedalboard

Can MainStage 2 output Program and/or Control Messages to external devices. For example would I be able to record in Logic 9 some midi program or Control changes, and then use them in Mainstage 2 to trigger my external guitar Pedal Board?

Thank you in advance!
Micdim

Hi Micdim,

I believe you can use IAC to route the MIDI between Logic and Mainstage. I'll have to look into this in more detail.

Do you know about IAC driver in the Audio MIDI Setup (in Applications/Utilities)?

Thanks
Rounik

Thanks Rounik,

I'm not familiar with how to use the AIC drive, and how this would apply to Mainstage 2 controlling midi out.

Is it in the Tutorials on Mainstage 2? I didn't see it there.

There's no tutorial on IAC driver that I've come across. It's certainly not a common topic for a 101 tutorial - and I'm not even sure if it'll work in a practical sense.

I think there is scope to create a specific written tutorial for the MPV Hub Online Magazine on setting up iAC driver to enable Logic and Mainstage to talk to each other... I'll have to do some research into this.

Sorry there is no immediate answer. Give me a week or two.

Thanks :)

Rounik

p.s. just to clarify, you want to send a control or program message from Logic's Environment to Mainstage? What exactly do you wish this to control - please tell me more about what you want to achieve and why.

:)

Actually I want to send midi control messages or program change messages directly from Mainstage 2 to my external Guitar Floorboard Processor, but I thought Mainstage 2 can't record midi program changes or control messages. So my thought was to record these midi messages in Logic and then export/import them into Mainstage 2.

Right now we are using Sonar that has a Song List program within it. With Sonar we can change a song list on the fly just by moving songs around with the mouse. Have the next song start Manually or automatically with or without a specified pause time, and have midi program change messages or control messages sent to external equipment, such as a guitar processor.

So you see I've been wanting to use either Logic 9 or Mainstage because I'm an avid Mac user, but there seems to be nothing out there that can accomplish these tasks.

To recap... I'm looking for Mainstage 2 to do the following:
1. Play backing tracks
2. Send out midi program changes and/or control messages to external devices.
3. Maybe record midi messages and then have mainstage send them out to the external devices like logic can do.
4. Have a Song List that goes to next song Automatically and starts with a user defined pause before it starts.

I'm also looking forward to your comment about the the iAC Driver in a week or two.

Thanks Rounik!
Micdim

Hi Micdim,

Wow. That's a lot of questions. In this thread let's focus on question 2.

So, I was thinking of Mainstage 1 when I answered your thread the first time. Actually one of the big features in Mainstage 2 is that it supports rewire (as the Master) and it can send out MIDI messages to external devices.

I'm going to use a screen control to show how to do this, Here's how:

1. Open an Empty template (I've chosen Keyboard Starter) and create an External Channel Strip on the right-hand side of the screen and make sure to choose the relevant MIDI Output in the new tracks dialog window.

2. Switch to Layout Mode and Drag a Button into the Workspace.

While it's possible to assign MIDI CC data to control a screen control in Layout mode, it is NOT possible to set it up to send MIDI data to an external instrument here.

3. Switch to Edit mode and make sure the Button is selected.

4. In the Screen Control Inspector select the Unmapped Tab and choose Ext. Inst 1 > MIDI Controller > Program Change.

From here you can set the appropriate value(s)

Note that if you select the Ext Instrument Channel Strip itself then in the Channel Strip Inspector you can choose the MIDI Output tab and setup patch changes to send program changes!

Although this still requires some user input as Mainstage 2 doesn't have a sequencer or the ability to place a MIDI message somewhere in time. It's just not designed for that.

However, you're thinking along the right line for Mainstage to talk to Logic which sends the MIDI Program change... though in this situation, why not simply use Logic only?

Hope this helps for question 2...

Rounik

Thanks for the info Rounik. Very helpful in getting the idea of Maintstage.

I've bee using logic for many years and I would love to just use Logic for all my live sequencing, but there's no way to use a song list to change songs automatically or manually. Like I said in the post before, Sonar has a song list program within sonar, and we can change the order on the fly, send out midi messages from a timeline, and have the songs change automatically to the next song with a user defined pause time for the next song, or even do it manually with the computer keyboard.

It seems even though I don't like using windows or Sonar, it's my only choice at this time. I really hope apple makes something like this available in their next release. It's keeping so many musicians from using such a great program for live situations.

Once again I'm very grateful for your help. Thank you
Micdim

Hey micdim,

I hear you & second your request. Sounds like Sonar fits your requirements.

But... have you come across Fluque's OnStage:
http://fluqe.com/newnewssoft.htm

It enables you to switch between logic projects as if they were in a playlist...

Another option is to use Meta Events to go to a marker - this way you can create one project with all your different tracks for each song in it separated by markers. You can insert meta event #51 in a MIDI region that'll move the playhead to the beginning of the specified marker number.

You could also insert program changes in the Arrangement which would be sent to your external gear.

Using the Environment it's very possible to then move to a certain marker.

In fact there's also a Meta Event for switching projects. I've never delved into using that one to be honest though...

Hope this helps somewhat,
Rounik

Thanks Rounik,

Very good info you've given me. Thanks!

Yes I'm familiar with OnStage, and that can be an option. I only wish it had a way of changing the song list by moving the songs around with the mouse, and being able to open a project with the up/down arrows instead of a midi controller.

I really like the idea of just using Logic. I'll have to look into it, because I would really need to be able to use the Marker list to go from marker to marker.

Do you know if the Marker list can be changed on the fly. So for example if I have 10 songs numbered 1-10, and then I then I go into the marker list and I change marker 2 to 4, and 4 to 2, I wonder if then logic would play it in that order.

Any idea where I can learn about the Meta Events, and environment. I used to be pretty good at it, but it's been quite some time.

Thanks again.