Logic 8 Mainstage -- the ultimate DP synth module?

emulatorloo · Post by **emulatorloo** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 3:00 pm

My logic studio upgrade is still backordered w my beloved vendor. (timeliness may triumph loyalty in another week or two LOL)

But doesn't it seem like mainstage is the what so many here have been asking for?

That is, a relatively easy way to use Logic instruments w DP.

Say with two machine, in a set up like this:

DP machine MIDI out --------------------------> Mainstage machine MIDI in

----

Or do I not understand what the hell mainstage is.

Shooshie · Post by **Shooshie** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 3:25 pm

I haven't tried it yet, but I think it would be pretty easy to record with Maintstage into DP on ONE machine. I've used Mainstage, just haven't tried recording it into DP. Mainstage is pretty darn nice, really. I haven't figured it out from top to bottom yet, but just playing with it's a lot of fun.

I'm very surprised that it doesn't automatically present an Audio Out, and MIDI In for Interapplication MIDI. It's perfect for that.

Shooshie

blue · Post by **blue** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 3:37 pm

Using Mainstage as a Logic rack is a great idea. I don't have L8 yet, so I don't know how it will work exactly, but you might need a 3rd party utility to pipe the audio back to DP. I would probably use Soundflower.

http://www.cycling74.com/downloads/soundflower

Shooshie · Post by **Shooshie** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 3:40 pm

Yeah, I'm sure Soundflower or Jacktools will do the trick, but what a glaring blind spot in Apple's thinking, not to have included ports!

waxman · Post by **waxman** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 8:20 pm

Well I must thank Shooshie for giving me the tip to get Logic Pro 8 through Sweetwater. I have not needed it yet but knowing there is support is great.

So two nights and a day into Logic Pro I am liking it. That said I won't be bailing on DP unless they just go downhill. Here is why.

I have imported OMF files from DP projects to Logic. (DP is broken going in but not out for OMF obviously.) Everything works and sounds good. All the data did not come in like names and tracks but that is probably something I am doing wrong.

One thing is going back and forth from Logic to DP if you are using a Mackie MCU pro you will need to cut the connections to the main Mackie module in your audio MIDI set up window. I am using the MCU pro and two XTs. I really like the way it works. Don't remind me... I said wait... I already received forgiveness for that.

It took a hour to figure out what was going on with that MCU because the manual really is not that clear... so doublers beware.

As for Logic Pro 8. It is a different feel. Having the cool loop base and having such great VI performance it is much better for me for sketching out a song. The loops that makes it really easy. At the end of the day I don't know how much I would actually use the loops... but hey to get the song sketched there is nothing in DP like that. I have to use BFD, then play everthing. This thing is like writing on a AKAI 4000 but easier. Just not as linear as DP. So if feels kind of weird to me. I am sure for many Logic is the preffered way of working cause they are loop, sample kind of guys.

So to me Logic is like a big DJ machine added on to a nice DAW... something that DP kind of does ok.

So before you shoot me... I have been in the biz for a while and worked in lots of world class rooms with all the cool stuff. DP works like those rooms.

DP is set up like the studios I have worked in for decades. The look and feel of things are in what feels like to me the correct proportions. Logic is great but the mixer is kind of Ugly Betty. The tracks are kind of big and fat. You know when you sit down to a nice English Desk that has this elegant feel... or you end up at some club working on a peavey mixer. Yeah they both have faders, inserts, eq, etc... but you would not take one of them to the homecoming dance...

Ok that said. Give me something that is fast and works good and I can hang. So DP won't be going on Ebay anytime soon. And Logic is in Waxmaster to stay. Steve Jobs may need a little more time on this one before I can crown him king stevie...

To me of the greatest values DP has going for it is UNICORNATION... I really mean it. The people and the help on this board I have gotten are inspiring to say the least. I know of nothing out there for Logic like this... does anyone know of a good forum that is anything close to Unation for Logic. I think the Unation off topic gripes page is better then the Logic boards I have been looking at.

James if MOTU does not give you all your stuff they should. Maybe someday this will be DAW Nation. No other boards I have looked at seem to have the depth of UNation... so James keep this thing going.

Ok couple of requests. Is there a random goto function like the . and bar # enter for Logic like there is on DP? I have only been on this a couple of days and I want to use Logic more in a way with the control surface but I would really like that function.

Thanks to all who are helping make this place great...

Shooshie · Post by **Shooshie** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 9:42 pm

Yeah, the bar entry key is / on the keypad, I think. Mine didn't work, so I reprogrammed it to . (dot on the keypad) and now it works just like DP. I also set 1 to rewind, 2 to pause, and 3 to record. I thnk I had to reprogram the window sets, as 1 was the window set that I wanted to use most of the time, or something like that.

Go to the LOGIC PRO > PREFERENCES MENU > KEY COMMANDS

I think it's self-explanatory after that. It gives you two ways of setting the keys, though. One differentiates between Keypad and Main keyboard, while the other one does not.

Shoosh

waxman · Post by **waxman** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 11:52 pm

Aha thanks...

Reprogram the keypad like DP... I should of thought of that

waxman · Post by **waxman** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 11:57 pm

another thing I am stuck on... I tried all the tempo remedies I could find.
I imported OMF file and all the tracks came in fine, play fine, named but none of the plugs are in...

So the tempo is at 120. The song was actually 92. So my counter is off. When I try any tempo change method to 92 it changes the tempo and the counter is right but then the tracks slide all over the place.

I tried global change... select all. Tempo box input. Sliders... I don't get it. I will probably fall asleep reading the manual for that...

aha got the answer from somebody on the logic pro forum...

Select all the regions, then use the "Lock to SMPTE" command, in the regions menu. Then change the Tempo. You can unlock them after if you wish.

Shooshie · Post by **Shooshie** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 12:37 am

waxman wrote:Select all the regions, then use the "Lock to SMPTE" command, in the regions menu. Then change the Tempo. You can unlock them after if you wish.

Well of COURSE! Why WOULDN'T one do it that way? I mean... isn't it perfectly LOGICal?

[...good grief... what other logical solutions are we in for?...]

Shooshie

markg · Post by **markg** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 5:30 pm

Shooshie wrote:Yeah, I'm sure Soundflower or Jacktools will do the trick, but what a glaring blind spot in Apple's thinking, not to have included ports!

Shooshie,

By going to the Layout page and adding Keyboards, you can configure multiple devices and ports. When you go back to the Edit page, you click on a Channel Strip and select an Input (Keyboard) in the Inspector on the left. Kind of a kludge, but the alternative is running Logic and connecting an input to a channel splitter and finally to the appropriate channel strip in the environment.

Mark

Shooshie · Post by **Shooshie** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 6:01 pm

Mark, are you saying that once you add a port, it will appear in Logic Studio or Digital Performer?

I'm thinking it takes SoundFlower to do that. Or Jacktools.

waxman · Post by **waxman** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 6:20 pm

Well of COURSE! Why WOULDN'T one do it that way? I mean... isn't it perfectly LOGICal?

[...good grief... what other logical solutions are we in for?...]

I would never of thought of it had I not been trying to fix massive audio tracks in OMF... come to think of it I did not think of it. Someone on the Apple forum told me...

markg · Post by **markg** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 6:38 pm

Shooshie, sorry I wasn't clear. I was talking about being able host multiple instruments in MainStage and address them individually. By creating keyboards, you can map a MIDI In port to an individual Channel Strip. You still need to use IAC, SoundFlower, etc. to actually pass the MIDI & Audio data.

Mark

Shooshie · Post by **Shooshie** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 6:47 pm

markg wrote:Shooshie, sorry I wasn't clear. I was talking about being able host multiple instruments in MainStage and address them individually. By creating keyboards, you can map a MIDI In port to an individual Channel Strip. You still need to use IAC, SoundFlower, etc. to actually pass the MIDI & Audio data.

Mark

Ok... no harm done. I spent some time looking for some Inter-Application MIDI ports or Audio ports, but ended up learning a lot of other things, so it was a worthy excursion!

Shooshie

markg · Post by **markg** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 7:44 pm

Keymap is such a nice sample instrument editor that it has made me take a closer look at EXS24. So, I've been playing around with Logic and MainStage for hosting EXS24.