Logic 7.2 to 8, AutoSampler, Mainstage with Ableton on Top

[BobaFett]

My band is going on tour this fall and I'm looking to use an application for live MIDI performance and manipulation, recording of and playback of live audio from Logic 7.2 and soon to be 8.0 files.The drums and some of the bass lines will NOT be played back from Logic, but instead live musicians will play acoustic/analogs.

 

I will want to play one or two keyboard lines for each song written in Logic using either Redmatica AutoSampler instruments or Logic native plug-ins (or BOTH) and control this from a remote stage keyboard or keytar.

 

In addition, I want to control live loops, change sound effects and back up band recordings from my keytar controller to the program (Mainstage, Abelton or both).

 

I've been through the specs and ads for mainstage. I have also had very limited experience using ableton, but would like to hear from someone who has used both programs and might be able to tell me some of the differences and strengths of each program as well as which one might be more useful for the specified purposes? Any help/ opinion would be useful. Thanks in advance. Contact me on as well as off-post.

[B_Stone]

My band is going on tour this fall and I'm looking to use an application for live MIDI performance and manipulation, recording of and playback of live audio from Logic 7.2 and soon to be 8.0 files.The drums and some of the bass lines will NOT be played back from Logic, but instead live musicians will play acoustic/analogs.

 

I will want to play one or two keyboard lines for each song written in Logic using either Redmatica AutoSampler instruments or Logic native plug-ins (or BOTH) and control this from a remote stage keyboard or keytar.

 

In addition, I want to control live loops, change sound effects and back up band recordings from my keytar controller to the program (Mainstage, Abelton or both).

 

I've been through the specs and ads for mainstage. I have also had very limited experience using ableton, but would like to hear from someone who has used both programs and might be able to tell me some of the differences and strengths of each program as well as which one might be more useful for the specified purposes? Any help/ opinion would be useful. Thanks in advance. Contact me on as well as off-post.

 

That's a question with a big answer. I'll kick it off by saying, MainStage is ideal if you want to play keyboard type sounds or process audio. Live's great strength is triggering audio, either stems, whole mixes or little loops. I would use both of these programs for completely different reasons. Theoretically, both can run simultaneously on a single machine, but you might want to run both on separate boxes.

 

MainStage is great since you can use Autosampler to copy any hardware devices, then you can use MS and the EXS as your primary keyboard device. You can also process vocals and guitar, etc.

[manofra]

I'd use Live for that with Logic's instruments 'rewired' into Live.