Mainstage 2 or Logic 9 Used for live engineering?Need advice

Hi Guys...

As a live sound engineer ( if I can call myself like this :])I've been thinking for a while about fixing the problem of bringing around a quite big outboard and replacing it with a Mbp and an audio interface.

My goal would be using more or less 8 inputs and outputs, and use them like a real outboard (2x 31 band eqs, a pair of compressors, effects... etc) working only with a mixer, a sound card and the mbp.

I could save various projects correspinding to different bands/venues,

not talking about the room of analog racks

Now my question is:

What would your choice be between Mainstage and Logic?

Is there the possibility in Mainstage to use mono outputs? (if I'm using it for an insert compressor, for example, I don't need the output to be stereo, I'm only wasting a channel out)

thanks in advance,

M

i'd go for mainstage.

have you looked at the mixer templates in mainstage (i don't know if they were new templates for mainstage 2 or not, can't remember seeing them when i was using mainstage 1)

as far as i know i don't think mainstage can handle mono outputs (which is ridiculous i know) there's always the hard panning of stereo tracks to split them L + R which you could use in conjunction with busses I suppose which will get you there but i really don't see why mono outputs aren't available in mainstage!

and if you went with a firewire interface that could be daisy chained to another you could end up with 16 channels which would do you nicely for most small-medium sized gigs.

one more thing:

if you've not got cases for this allready and if you're gonna be wandering to gigs with a laptop+a couple of rackmount pieces check out the SKB studio flyer.

http://www.sonicftp.com/news/images/skb_studioflyer4u.jpg

Thanks for the advice!

So with stereo outputs I could use, for example, ch.1 for a compressor and pan it hard left, ch.2 for a reverb and pan it hard right so I can create different "mono" outputs for channel 1 and 2 using "output 1-2"?

I just hope latency is not too high using 8 in/outs simoultaneosly in real time...

but using a firewire there shouldn't be problems, right?

I'll check the SKB, it seems a really nice solution for me

M

Thanks for the advice!

 

So with stereo outputs I could use, for example, ch.1 for a compressor and pan it hard left, ch.2 for a reverb and pan it hard right so I can create different "mono" outputs for channel 1 and 2 using "output 1-2"?

Theoretically yes. I don't know if there will be any bleed within mainstage, shouldn't be. Its the way I force the stereo groups on the desk for live bands to become mono groups. e.g send drums to group 1 panned hard left, and guitars to group 2 panned hard right. the L channel slider for group 1 now controls the drum group and the R slider for group 1 controls guitars. essentially 2 whole groups. Same concept with bussing to stereo outputs in mainstage! so should work!

I just hope latency is not too high using 8 in/outs simoultaneosly in real time...

but using a firewire there shouldn't be problems, right?

i can't see it being a problem if you do all the old cpu/ram freeing up tricky type thingamajiggybobs. have a look around the mainstage forum a bit theres some really good tips lying around.

I'll check the SKB, it seems a really nice solution for me

 

M

i'm definitely gonna get one when my band finally gets a gig or two. i just think its a no brainer if you're wandering around with a laptop and couple of rackmount things

glad to be of help!

thanks again,

by the way what do you mean with this "cpu/ram freeing up tricky type thingamajiggybobs"?

thanks in advance