r/mainstage

I'm not a very smart person, but there has to be something that I'm missing here...is there no way to start from nothing and build up from there? I've been searching everywhere, and the answer eludes me.

Hi there. I’ve been thinking of getting an expression pedal. However, it seems to me that many expression pedals with polarity switches are quite pricey. So, I would like to double check with the community here - if the expression pedal ends up working backwards, can we flip it around and reverse it with the MainStage assignments, like how we would do a sustain pedal?

By the way, what are some considerations you guys would advise me to take into for getting expression pedals, if you have any? I’m looking at using it to adjust different parameters on the fly without having to use my hands.

I appreciate any help. Thanks a lot.

Hi all, what I’m hoping to do is use MainStage to run some synth pads and a drum track while myself and a few band mates play over them. Most of the song is pretty straightforward, just let the track go and boom.
However, we were hoping to use the last section of the track as a backdrop for some improvisation, which would likely necessitate setting up some kind of loop.
So my question is; is there a way to play the first half of the song straight through and que up the last bit to loop? My apologies if this is basic, integrating this kind of tech into live performance is very new to me.
Thanks in advance!

So I am your basic weekend warrior keyboard player. I've had a need to update my sounds for awhile now, but have no desire to purchase another board. I love Logic, so I've started learning Mainstage.

The problem is that 99.999% of my gigs are in small rooms, with me using one speaker. My cheap Yamaha P-whatever handles this fine, but most software instruments are designed to be heard in stereo. Has anyone dealt with this, and if so, how?

Thanks!

##Hey all — building my first live keys rig and want feedback before I drop money.

Context: Drummer for 25+ years, switching to keys at my Jewish/Messianic church. Worship is klezmer-influenced — accordion, clarinet, sax textures, lots of modal/minor stuff. Already own Mac, Ableton, Logic X, MainStage, NI Komplete. Want ONE UI to manage everything live, samples on external SSD to keep the laptop light.

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##Hardware

• Controller — Studiologic SL73 MK2.
• Audio interface — Focusrite Scarlett Solo 4th gen. Standard, two ins enough.
• Expression pedal — Roland EV-5. Critical for SWAM winds (CC11).
• External SSD — Samsung T7, APFS-formatted. Sample storage.
• Skipped: Numa X Piano. Felt redundant when Mac is already in the rig.

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##Software architecture:

MainStage 3 as the only live host. Logic X / Ableton stay studio-only.

• Live host — MainStage 3 ($30). Patch-based, foot-switch transitions, single UI.
• Piano — MainStage stock (Vintage EVP88, Steinway). Pianoteq 9 optional. Stock covers most live needs.
• Pads / synths / organ — MainStage stock (ES2, Sculpture, Alchemy, Vintage B3). Plenty for worship pads.
• Winds (clarinet / sax / flute) — SWAM by Audio Modeling. Modeled, expression-pedal driven, klezmer-essential.
• Accordion — Best Service Accordions 2 OR Sample Modeling The Accordion. Klezmer must-have. Torn between the two.
• NI Komplete — loaded via Komplete Kontrol inside MainStage. Surgical use only — never raw Kontakt UI live.
• Free — Spitfire LABS. Pads, textures.

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##Things I deliberately decided against:

• Sunday Keys. $299 + hidden Omnisphere requirement ($499) = $800. Wrong genre target (US evangelical, not klezmer/Messianic). MainStage stock + SWAM + accordion VST seems to cover my actual context better.
• Going all-in on NI Komplete patches. I think MainStage stock carries ~85% of what I need. NI is for specific timbres I can't get from stock — not a default.
• Numa X Piano. See above — duplicates the laptop.

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##Where I'd love pushback:

1. SL73 MK2 vs alternatives — anyone gigging this keybed regularly?
2. MainStage as single host — anyone hit walls with this in a live worship context? Should I be looking at Gig Performer or Camelot Pro instead?
3. SWAM for winds — actually playable live with just an expression pedal, or do I need a wind controller (EWI/Aerophone) to make it sound human?
4. Accordion VST — Best Service Accordions 2 vs Sample Modeling The Accordion for klezmer specifically? Anyone A/B'd these?
5. NI Komplete inside MainStage — am I right that Komplete Kontrol is the sane way to load Kontakt instruments live, or is there a better workflow?
6. Anything load-bearing I'm missing? Specifically for klezmer/Jewish worship — strings? Brass? A specific organ patch I should know about?

Budget-conscious but not cheap-out — willing to spend on things that matter, want to avoid spending on things that don't. Appreciate any holes you can poke.