MainStage and 2 keyboards

I would like to use MS with 2 keyboards

Keyboard A and keyboard B

Keyboard A will be using Midi Ch.1

Keyboard B will be using midi Ch.2

can I change patches in MS on keyboard A without them changing

the Patches that keyboard B would be using and visa versa

In other words can 2 keyboard players use MS at the Same time

has anyone tried this?

In other words can 2 keyboard players use MS at the Same time

Yes and no. Yes, you can easily hook up several MIDI keyboards, however only _one_ patch can be active at the same time. MainStage is not intended to replace the instruments for a whole bad, you need (and probably should) use more than one Mac for that.

This one of the things that stopped me using MAINSTAGE in my rig.....

I wanted to have two keyboards running ONE mainstage...and be able to select differant presets on each keyboard without effecting the other.......

Like piano on KEY 1 and then select differant sounds for KEY 2..and vice versa....

But i fould that you could use it like a muti timeral module..with 16 independant channels for differant patches/presets....SHAME as it cant be that much differant..

In the end I set up logic to do this and it works great( but it would be easier to have a dedicated program like MAINSTAGE to do it

ROB

I don't see the problem.

It would get really complicated having two separate people constantly choosing different patches.

Whatever patch you are changing to has to have one of the previous Keys in there.

So if Key1 is going to be Piano, Key2 is Organ, and the Program change is 001

Now Key2 wants a clav, but Key1 still is on the piano.

So patch 002 is Piano and Clav.

It will take some setting up and remembering, but it still works.

Yes that is a work around.....but very restrictive.....unless you have a every possible variation set up as splits between the 2 keys....

It seems such a waste to have so much processing power in the program and not being able to split it to different midi channels/keyboards......

you could have 2 macs,but thats a very expensive solution....

As i said I have logic doint exactly what I want,but its very fiddly to set up in the environment and bit over the top running the whole program just to access a couple of sounds at a time...

Yes that is a work around.....but very restrictive.....unless you have a every possible variation set up as splits between the 2 keys....

It seems such a waste to have so much processing power in the program and not being able to split it to different midi channels/keyboards......

 

you could have 2 macs,but thats a very expensive solution....

 

As i said I have logic doint exactly what I want,but its very fiddly to set up in the environment and bit over the top running the whole program just to access a couple of sounds at a time...

What work around?

You can set each keyboard up for its own midi channel and set up Concerts/Sets/and or patches to what ever you want. Each midi channel/Keyboard can also have layers and Kybrd splits. Either player can change patches.

If it (the computer) had the Processing capability, Bands would be playing out live using a single computer and Mainstage. However, playing out live is NOT the time to take chances and push the computer past its limits because the other guy can't afford, or does not want to get another computer.

Stick with the real instruments.

"So if Key1 is going to be Piano, Key2 is Organ, and the Program change is 001

Now Key2 wants a clav, but Key1 still is on the piano.

So patch 002 is Piano and Clav"........you said

In this way of working if you had 16 sounds you wanted to use in a set (usually a lot more)....you would have to have 256 presets to allow you to mix these in anyway you want....you would also have to have 256 buttons on the front of each keyboard....

The way I want is to have 16 buttons on each keyboard(done) and chose whatever combination I want on each.....???

Perhaps Im missing the the way you suggest....HOPEFULLY as I would love for it to do what I want.....So appologise if have missed the point...if so can guide me through it a little more...

ROB

"So if Key1 is going to be Piano, Key2 is Organ, and the Program change is 001

 

Now Key2 wants a clav, but Key1 still is on the piano.

 

So patch 002 is Piano and Clav"........you said

 

In this way of working if you had 16 sounds you wanted to use in a set (usually a lot more)....you would have to have 256 presets to allow you to mix these in anyway you want....you would also have to have 256 buttons on the front of each keyboard....

 

The way I want is to have 16 buttons on each keyboard(done) and chose whatever combination I want on each.....???

 

Perhaps Im missing the the way you suggest....HOPEFULLY as I would love for it to do what I want.....So appologise if have missed the point...if so can guide me through it a little more...

ROB

My point is to the original post about pushing the computer past its limits. MS is capable of doing this, but the computer is not.

For one keyboard player, MS is super versatile. My set up is two KBs and a midi foot controller. I have no need for 256 combinations, but I do need a few program changes and effects control.

I can have up to 20 layers/key splits per KB. I can mute/unmute/(solo) each channel strip per patch. Basically, I can do everything I need to do.

Someone else may not have this set up or a set up with all those buttons. So a different plan is needed.

The bottom line is what works for you.

Hi,

Similar situation here with the latest version of Mainstage 3

2 Keyboard controllers:

Bottom keyboard is set mapped to have 11 channel strips (piano, organ, ep, synth pad, etc) - Have 11 screen control buttons for muting/unmuting each channel strip as needed.

Top keyboard sound changes per patch, but within the same set so bottom keyboard sounds are consistent (Same 11 channel strips).

This works pretty well for changing sounds on the fly, only drawback is that I have to mute the active bottom keyboard strip and then unmute the next one. I'd like to have a set up with one touch control so when I unmute one channel strip, all the others are automatically muted or stay muted.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Ben

I have a Alesis V49 MIDI keyboard. And I'm in Mainstage 3. Im wandering how to change the key sensitivity? I have to play SUPER hard in order to get full velocity. How do I change this setting in Mainstage 3 to play easy and have it at full velocity?

Thanks in advance!

I have a Alesis V49 MIDI keyboard. And I'm in Mainstage 3. Im wandering how to change the key sensitivity? I have to play SUPER hard in order to get full velocity. How do I change this setting in Mainstage 3 to play easy and have it at full velocity?

Thanks in advance!

In the future you should avoid posting off topic items in threads and start a new one with your specific topic. Good forum house keeping is very helpful when people are searching for answers. No big deal though 8)

But to answer your question, you can go to the layout screen and click on the keyboard you have assigned to your alesis. On the left of the screen there will be a horizontal slider where you can set the velocity sensitivity.