Facts about using DP Live

[dewdman42]

pulled the trigger on Mainstage3. its nice. GUI is way cleaned up. Feels smoother to use.

the new logic MIDI plugins are included. So yes, there is a scriptable MIDI plugin which will basically let you do any fancy on the fly MIDI remapping that you can possibly conceive.

The instruments are so good, I'm half tempted to just gig with the Mainstage instruments and I don't even need to bother installing most of my normal plugins. Its got amp sims, etc. I mean, gosh, anyone with a macbook and a cheap MIDI controller can play keyboards in a band.

[dewdman42]

pulled the trigger on Mainstage3. its nice. GUI is way cleaned up. Feels smoother to use.

the new logic MIDI plugins are included. So yes, there is a scriptable MIDI plugin which will basically let you do any fancy on the fly MIDI remapping that you can possibly conceive.

The instruments are so good, I'm half tempted to just gig with the Mainstage instruments and I don't even need to bother installing most of my normal plugins. Its got amp sims, etc. I mean, gosh, anyone with a macbook and a cheap MIDI controller can play keyboards in a band.

[dewdman42]

Bah.. Mainstage3 is like the new Logic, doesn't support 32bit AU's and doesn't support VST at all so even jbridge can't be used. half of my best plugins are still 32bit. So mainstage3 is out.

Mainstage2 does most of what Mainstage3 does though. Doesn't have MIDI plugins and the interface is not as smooth, but it basically works well.... just a warning to anyone thinking about Mainstage3... all your plugins need to be 64bit. It comes with a lot of nice plugins of its own though, to be fair.

[stubbsonic]

Those MIDI plugins are worth the upgrade (for me). Even though a couple of them are clunky (design-wise)-- I expect they might (with enough feedback) fix them.

As for the 64-bit, they have tried to make the program so complete with plugs and instruments that one could make do with only 64-bit elements-- and most of the stuff that matters to me is already 64-bit.

Sculpture is a great instrument (and probably worth the $30 bucks right there).

It was a little disappointing that the UI's for the logic instruments didn't get updated. They look pretty bad on a retina display (and I'm usually not one to complain about such things).

[dewdman42]

Sculpture is definitely worth the price alone. I have a dozen 32bit plugins I can't live without though, so I'm sticking with Mainstage2 for the time being, which also includes Sculpture. I will miss the MIDI plugins and new GUI, but it will work fine.

Too bad they didn't make a 32bit mode like DP did.

People have been struggling with 32/64 bit issues for nearly a decade...still lots of important plugins that are not on 64bit and it will be years before everything is 64bit.

[adriano]

Hello forum,
Just reading the thread here. I've never used mainstage, but I came across this:

http://www.defectiverecords.com/audiopl ... ndex2.html

I don't think it's as sophisticated as mainstage but, it also supports VST.
Might be worth a try, maybe?

Adriano

[jaykeys]

Hi @all and thanks for your suggestions, thoughts and opinions making this thread that much interesting.
It's time to get back to my opening question, or as dewdman42 wrote:

"1 - The keyboard mapping issue someone mentioned before is a real concern. I still don't have a workaround that really works for keyboard splits and layers. Sounds like DP's VST host implementation can not accept MIDI only plugins at this time, which would solve the problem if it could."

How do we fix this? Because that's what it's all about using DP as a keyboarder in a live situation. We all need keyboard splits to play multiple synths at one time.

[bayswater]

Hello forum,
Just reading the thread here. I've never used mainstage, but I came across this:

http://www.defectiverecords.com/audiopl ... ndex2.html

I don't think it's as sophisticated as mainstage but, it also supports VST.
Might be worth a try, maybe?

Adriano

I found this in the App Store for $2.99. It emits a burst of white noise every now and then, as if it's an unpaid demo.

[Prime Mover]

Damnit... Mainstage...

I bought it some time back (probably 2). Jambalaya hasn't been updated for a few years, and the bugs are growing worse with every OS update... It would be a huge undertaking to convert all my existing stuff, and it's kind of a different paradigm, but I might end up giving it a shot.

Last problem, updating my Korg KLC plugins to the new 64 bit versions (I wanted to wait until all major shows for the season were out of the way), broke Jambalaya, so I had to roll back. Playlists no longer work, and many effects and plugs won't either.

Only big thing that worries me is that Mainstage 3 doesn't support 32bit or VSTs... and I use lots of B4-ii. I'd have to buy into that new AU bridging plugin, which is overpriced and I don't know if it'll even work. Doesn't Logic/Mainstage have a 32bit bridge?

[dewdman42]

Yea that is a problem that AU bridge is expensive, I agree. I am glad I bought Mainstage2 while I had the chance. Apple should consider keeping it available or allow Mainstage3 users to download Mainstage2 as an interim, something like that.

I do think Mainstage is the way to go now for live performance on a Mac. Unfortunately there are a few 32bit plugs most of us still need. I think Apple was foolish to kill 32bit support on Logic/Mainstage. Eventually everyone will catch up with the 64bit plugins, but that process has been very slow so far..its going to be a while, and some plugs like B4 you mentioned will never be 64bit.

I have been experimenting around with Cantabile on win7/bootcamp and it also works very well, but windows license, bla bla bla... Mainstage is better option and has a few cool features too. The only reason I would consider the bootcamp option is to run OPX-Pro which I absolutely love. But there are alternatives...so...

[jaykeys]

Not even a function like this in DP?
http://www.logicprohelp.com/forum/viewt ... p?p=327332
http://www.logicprohelp.com/forum/viewt ... t+keyboard

[jantoman]

I'm an experienced Performer user, and I can't work with anything else... in the studio. Playing live is a different world, and it needs a different tool, IMHO.

That said, I'm fighting with MainStage since v1 and I still can't make it work the way I need to. Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic app, and it works really well if you keep playing with Apple plugins. But in my experience, using it as a host for third party software leads to CPU overload, system crashes and multiple headaches

MIDI and control sections are awesome... you can even assign a controller connected on a keyboard to a VI played by another keyboard, on different MIDI channels: I've never been able to do that with ANY other setup, hardware or software.

Working with aliases is quite easy: you can copy your favorite VI channel from a song and "paste as alias" to another, being able to modify every settings for each song - plugins, MIDI splits and so on.

BUT... you can't send a patch change to your VI, and that's what drives me mad. A friend told me that there's a workaround in Performance mode, but I didn't find it yet.

32 bit support is another issue. I'm testing Sound Radix's 32 Lives, and it works... but just yesterday, halfway through rehearsing, MainStage 3 crashed opening B4's window

I'm not working with an extralarge rig: I run Ivory, Lounge Lizard, B4, String Studio, Legacy Cell and Wavestation. I was planning to add Omnisphere but now I'm scared...

Anyway, we're on MOTU forum and we're discussing about Apple software. Maybe we should move to Apple forum... or maybe we'd better stay here fussing until MOTU decides to work on its own plugin host

[daniel.sneed]

I've used DP for years now in my studio.
So I may say I know pretty well how it reacts, its limits, and how to set it up for different jobs.
That is to say where to be picky, and the like.

I've used it for years on stage too. Crossing fingers... Never a glitch.
I would not use anything else...

[Shooshie]

I've used DP for years now in my studio.
So I may say I know pretty well how it reacts, its limits, and how to set it up for different jobs.
That is to say where to be picky, and the like.

I've used it for years on stage too. Crossing fingers... Never a glitch.
I would not use anything else...

+1000

Shoosh