Problem: Stereo Input from Jack OSX - MS Sums to Mono!!!!

To cut a long story short: Mainstage doesn't process a stereo Jack OSX input properly. It's summed to mono. Anyone experience this? It's a Mainstage problem, not a Jack problem. Reason receives stereo unsummed, Logic receives stereo unsummed, Cubase receives it unsummed, but Mainstage insists on summing.

The work around is two mono inputs, panned. Still, Mainstage should process a paired input from Jack OSX as stereo as all my other audio programs do.....

Any experience here? Any ideas?

Background:

Jack is brilliant, Mainstage is brilliant.

Up to this point I've been using Cubase for my live performances. I use two controllers via USB, route them into the appropriate VST synths. Audio (Presonus FP10) is routed out 1-2 PA, 3-Bass, 4-empty, 5-6 Drummer, 7-8 My Monitor. I also route my mic, the drummer's mic, a room mic, and my guitar amp mic back into the system to monitor with IEMs. The mixing is delicate, but flexible.

This works fine, the PITA is that since I'm using VST synths, I can't have them all open at the same time. It's too much load for the system to support reliably. So, I run one project per song, and in Cubase, you can have multiple projects open but not necessarily active so they don't suck resources. But, having 20 open windows means a hunt if using Expose, or a half hour set up time if using Spaces - to order the song project windows.

So, I want to use Logic instead since there's this other "brilliant" app call OnStage. It's a midi program change aware app that will select the appropriate Logic project with a program change command! Awesome! And, you need a dongle for Cubase, and one day it will fail, get lost, or get stolen. Lastly, since Logic and Mainstage have everything I need to do this, i.e. I don't need to have various VST synths installed, I can more confidently load my wife's Macbook with Logic and Mainstage (and the few midi drivers I need) and have a quicker setup not using Cubase.

Looking for alternatives, I've turned Mainstage (and Logic). I really like it. It keeps a set list where the basic mixing channels that stay the same song to song can be set at the Concert level, and the synths change at the Set and Patch level. Brilliant! And the setup is very easy.

There's a catch. I run backing tracks. In Cubase, I was using midi for the backing tracks. Everything heard was a VST synth. Of course, Mainstage doesn't do sequencing. So, I decided to turn the Cubase backing tracks into audio. But, I still want midi sequencing to control a POD HD500 guitar processor.

I did try Soundflower before Jack - audio glitches when delivering audio from Logic into Mainstage. Abandoned Soundflower.

I also tried the Playback plugins - 1 for synths, another for the click track. Also a disappointment. Because I want midi sequencing, I drive Mainstage's timing from Logic via the IAC driver. The problem was, the midi timing messed with the synced Playback plugin. Timing was spotty. If I didn't rewind the Playback, timing was bad between Logic and Mainstage.

Lastly, the Playback plug is a disappointment in itself. With flextime enabled when exporting from Logic, the audio quality is compromised. With no sync issues from Logic...l mean, Mainstage by itself, its own timing, it still affects the quality of audio of the Playback plug.

Oh well.

I was about to concede to the setup of having Mainstage use its own audio interface (M-Audio Fastrack) and route it into Logic via 1/4 cables, do the mixing in Logic when a friend suggested Superlooper and that put me on the Jack track.

No audio glitches with Jack. It seems to work well.

But now, since I need Logic to play those backing audio tracks, they need to be routed into Mainstage for mixing. The synth backing track is stereo, I want it fed through Mainstage as stereo.

But, Mainstage sums it to mono!!!! AHHHHHHH!

If it's not one thing, it's another.

Hi

Yep.... several Mono/Stereo issues with MS2.2

viewtopic.php?f=17&t=79402

viewtopic.php?f=25&t=79080

CCT