DP to/from Mainstage/Logic via Blue Cat Connector

[stubbsonic]

Specifically, these are steps for using Blue Cat Connector to pipe MIDI from DP to Mainstage, and to pipe audio from Mainstage's Sculpture back to DP. If you request it, I can revise to work out how to send audio from DP through plugins in MS/Logic and back to DP, but perhaps from this description that process will be apparent.

My results for this example show a total latency of almost exactly twice the buffer amount in samples. The buffers in both DP & MS need to be set to the same amount. Keep raising until glitches go away. I set them both to 256, and in MS's audio settings I turned off the i/o safety buffer checkbox. I got glitch free sound on a simple one voice sound, but obviously need to do more tests.

Here are the (revised) steps:

1. I created a new Aux Track in DP and set the input to an arbitrary-and-unused stereo bus pair. I selected Blue Cat Connector ("BCC") in the first audio FX insert slot. I set the BCC mode to "LOCAL HOST". I set it to Transmit MIDI (I turned audio off). I left the default "Port 8080" as is. You can name the BCC instance (which I did). Probably makes sense to name the Aux track "BCC MIDI Send".

2. Still in DP, I created a MIDI track and put some MIDI notes in there. For MIDI track's output destination, I chose "BC Connector : BCC MIDI Send etc" I set up some looped playback for testing purposes.

3. Then, I went over to MainStage, where I made an instrument track. I chose Sculpture, as this is the instrument I'd like to access in DP. I selected "Blue Cat Connector MFX" as a MIDI FX insert, I also set it to "LOCAL HOST" and left its port number at the default port 8080.

4. Below that on the same instrument channel strip in MS, in the first Audio FX insert slot, I added an another instance of BCC to transmit audio-only back to DP, also set it to "LOCAL HOST" but I changed the port number to 8081. I turned the channel-strips volume slider down in MS, so I would only hear the returning signal in DP.

5. Back in DP, I made second Aux Track, and named it "BCC Audio Rcv". In the first FX insert slot I selected another instance of BCC, again I set it to "LOCAL HOST" mode, and set it to receive the audio, changing the port to 8081 --to match the sending instance from Mainstage's 2nd insert of BCC.

6. I set the output of the 2nd aux track, "BCC Audio Rcv" to bus 3-4. I created a new stereo audio track to record onto/into. I set the input of that track to Bus 3-4. I hit play and... "bob's your uncle".

NOTE: in my previous instructions I got a significant amount of latency. For some reason, having the returning audio go to a 2nd Aux Track (rather than directly to an audio track) seems to have fixed it.

FWIW, Connector is still on sale for $39 as of 1/3/25

[bayswater]

Thanks so much. I’ll try this out over the weekend and if I can get it working, and I can fix the latency with a delay plugin, it can replace my Byzantine approach.

[stubbsonic]

I ended up having to bump up the buffers in DP & MS to 512 to get rid of glitches.

I gotta say, I was expecting better performance from this 2022 M1 MBP with lots of RAM. I rarely needed to have my buffer set this high on my 2012 MBP.

Now the latency is 1024 samples (512 + 512), or 23 ms, which isn't terrible, but would make recording MIDI tracks while monitoring MS VI's too laggy for me.

[bayswater]

Yes, I had to use a high latency, but that ws on a 2011 iMac. The only consequence when mixing is value used for delay in getting rid of the latency effect

[tremo]

Thank you for posting this, stubbsonic. I had tried to get BCC working between Studio One and Mainstage a couple years ago, but never with satisfactory results. Using your recipe, I can send MIDI from S1 triggering Alchemy in MS, record the MIDI on a track, edit the MIDI and then record the audio coming back into S1 from MS. Perfect!

I ended up having to bump up the buffers in DP & MS to 512 to get rid of glitches.

Did you try nudging up the buffers in the instances of BC Connector? I found that setting them to minimal values, around 3ms, eliminated any glitches, even playing 6-note chords. Buffers in both Studio One and Mainstage are set to 128.

[stubbsonic]

Thank you for posting this, stubbsonic. I had tried to get BCC working between Studio One and Mainstage a couple years ago, but never with satisfactory results. Using your recipe, I can send MIDI from S1 triggering Alchemy in MS, record the MIDI on a track, edit the MIDI and then record the audio coming back into S1 from MS. Perfect!

I'm so glad it helped! I think I just lucked into the solution. Blue Cat didn't have an example for DP. I posted my steps on the Blue Cat forum. Perhaps the developer(s) will take notice.

I ended up having to bump up the buffers in DP & MS to 512 to get rid of glitches.

Did you try nudging up the buffers in the instances of BC Connector? I found that setting them to minimal values, around 3ms, eliminated any glitches, even playing 6-note chords. Buffers in both Studio One and Mainstage are set to 128.

Thanks for that suggestion. I'll try it. I did try messing with those BCC buffer values in a previous configuration, but will definitely try it with the above config. Will report back.

[bayswater]

Just to be difficult, I decided to go back and try my original method of playing Logic instruments in DP. I think once done, and templated it's not that difficult or complicated. I've used this with composers who send me their songs in Garageband. I normally load these in Logic and then transfer everything to DP, and use the VIs I have. But in some cases, someone send things that are too tedious to reproduce in DP.

Here is a PDF showing how it was done.

Playing Logic Instruments in DP.zip

(1.91 MiB) Downloaded 34 times

Here is a quick video showing it working

Logic in DP.mov

(5.03 MiB) Downloaded 42 times

[stubbsonic]

Are the two methods comparable in terms of performance & latency?