DP --> Logic Pro's "Mainstage"

emulatorloo · Post by **emulatorloo** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 9:50 am

This is probably news to no one but me.

I know a few of you have Logic Pro.

I had felt that Logic Pro's Mainstage app could probably be used as a soundmodule with DP. I was always going to try setting it up on a separate VI host machine. But too lazy to ever do it.

However today, with a little time on my hands, I though -- why not try Motu's method for using Garageband as a VI for Digital Performer?:

How do I use my GarageBand instruments with DP?
GarageBand instruments can't be loaded directly in Digital Performer, but you can still use GarageBand along side DP as another instrument.

http://www.motu.com/techsupport/technot ... 6218004846

Followed the instructions, just substituting "Mainstage" for "Garageband."

It works!

(DON"T TELL APPLE!!!!!!)

Just a preliminary experiment running only an EXS Steinway in a lovely SpaceDesigner hall.

But it seems like the potential is there. I need to read the mainstage docs. No time to fool around with it anymore today, but will experiment more

wylie1 · Post by **wylie1** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 10:20 am

Once you've done that can you freeze a track like a reg VI?

emulatorloo · Post by **emulatorloo** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 10:49 am

You could do it manually -- that is, just record the track like you would an external synth, guitar, vocalist, etc.

wylie1 · Post by **wylie1** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 11:05 am

I was just curious really I've never even launch GB.
See people use it I wish I had more time.
But if it works as a VI I just might have to give it a whirl.

David Polich · Post by **David Polich** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 9:51 am

Will this work with ALL the Logic instruments, including Sculpture? Sculpture is the one I want to use the most.

emulatorloo · Post by **emulatorloo** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 10:34 am

David Polich wrote:Will this work with ALL the Logic instruments, including Sculpture? Sculpture is the one I want to use the most.

From Apple's description:

Instruments
Access and play any of the instruments in Logic Studio, including the vintage keyboard series; a range of superb synthesizers; and hundreds of beautifully sampled pianos, horns, and percussion and string instruments. You can also use your favorite third-party Audio Units plug-ins.

And from the technical specifications:

Perform using the entire selection of Studio Instruments
Process audio using all appropriate effect plug-ins from Studio Effects
Audio Units support for all third-party plug-ins

Have not had a chance to play with it anymore, but if I do I will put an instance of Sculpture in. However there is no reason to expect that it won't work.

Here's apple's page describing MainStage for more on it:

http://www.apple.com/logicstudio/mainstage/

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emulatorloo · Post by **emulatorloo** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 1:33 pm

Had a second or two, so I have a DP sequence playing back a Sculpture pad.

davedempsey · Post by **davedempsey** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 1:42 am

It's been a while since but I had Logic running as a slave to DP using something similar to the Motu method. With the multi out version of Soundflower I believe it's possible to have a number of VIs in the Logic mixer with plugs and all appear as audio in the DP mixer. I was having problems with MIDI feedback loops in IAC when a MIDI track was record enabled whilst outputting to the Logic VI which caused me to instantiate the plug in DP first, create the MIDI track, disable record enable for that track and then point it at the Logic instrument.
I'm going to revisit this and try the setup/ interapplication MIDI part of the Motu instruction and see if I can get the full 18 channels of Soundflower returning VIs to DP - kind of like a Reason rewire kind of thing.

emulatorloo · Post by **emulatorloo** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 9:46 am

That may be a better approach. Because as far as I can tell, MAINSTAGE seems to be monotimbral. (which is probably good enough to me)

You can easily stack synths -- i.e. create a layered patch using say EXS24, Sculpture, and the ORgan one.

But so far I haven't seen a way to access multiple synths on different MIDI tracks.

(Of course I haven't read the manual either)

Let me know what you find out. . .I may mess around with it too, but can't really for a while as I am going out of town.

tommymandel · Post by **tommymandel** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 11:29 pm

emulatorloo-
I had the EXACT same experience today, trying to get Mainstage to put the different channel strips in the current instrument, on different MIDI channels, but even though I could assign them that way in the first tab, they still all only responded to one channel from DP...

My effort to get Logic itself to respond on multi-channels to DP will continue now. Soundflower, DP added as a new output in Interapplication MIDI menu...

you know what i mean.

tommymandel · Post by **tommymandel** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 11:34 pm

davedempsey wrote: ... it's possible to have a number of VIs in the Logic mixer with plugs and all appear as audio in the DP mixer.

Is that something to do with a Multi-Instrument? The Environment Window?

davedempsey wrote: ... I was having problems with MIDI feedback loops in IAC when a MIDI track was record enabled whilst outputting to the Logic VI which caused me to instantiate the plug in DP first, create the MIDI track, disable record enable for that track and then point it at the Logic instrument.
I'm going to revisit this and try the setup/ interapplication MIDI part of the Motu instruction and see if I can get the full 18 channels of Soundflower returning VIs to DP - kind of like a Reason rewire kind of thing.

yeah me too. i might need some help getting Logic to listen on separate channels...

thanks for any and all help. you too e'loo!

nk_e · Post by **nk_e** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 5:41 am

emulatorloo wrote:This is probably news to no one but me.

I know a few of you have Logic Pro.

I had felt that Logic Pro's Mainstage app could probably be used as a soundmodule with DP. I was always going to try setting it up on a separate VI host machine. But too lazy to ever do it.

However today, with a little time on my hands, I though -- why not try Motu's method for using Garageband as a VI for Digital Performer?:

How do I use my GarageBand instruments with DP?
GarageBand instruments can't be loaded directly in Digital Performer, but you can still use GarageBand along side DP as another instrument.

http://www.motu.com/techsupport/technot ... 6218004846

Followed the instructions, just substituting "Mainstage" for "Garageband."

It works!

(DON"T TELL APPLE!!!!!!)

Just a preliminary experiment running only an EXS Steinway in a lovely SpaceDesigner hall.

But it seems like the potential is there. I need to read the mainstage docs. No time to fool around with it anymore today, but will experiment more

Aw man. Thank You. This is huge for me. There are resources in Logic that I want access to and I have been lamenting their "loss". Didn't even occur to me to think a bit out of the box on this. (Note to self: Don't be so clueless.)

I don't need to do extensive stuff inside of logic while using DP...I just want access to some of the VIs so this is great.

One quick observation: I can't seem to get Mainstage set up to respond to tempo changes even though I am transmitting stuff to Mainstage (as chosen in DP 'transmit sync' preferences). Moving the tempo slider makes nio difference to a rhythm pattern that is playing in Ultrabeat for instance.

(Actually, I need to read the MainStage docs myself because I don't see how to change tempo within Mainstage period beyond 'tap tempo'.)

Ah the glories of RTFM!

Thanks again. This is really helpful.

MOTUnation.com

DP --> Logic Pro's "Mainstage"

DP --> Logic Pro's "Mainstage"

Re: DP --> Logic Pro's "Mainstage"