OK, I'll start. Here are the current plugins that dominate my keyboard rig: Omnisphere, Stylus RMX, Arturia Analog Factory, Native Instruments FM8, and Reason 5. Now that I've spilled the beans on my rig it's your turn!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Poll: What's Your Favorite Synth Software
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Create A Click Track In Mainstage
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| My Click Track Controls |
Step 1 - Create An On-Screen Control
Go to Layout Mode and create a button on your screen and then assign it to a button on your MIDI controller so that you can trigger your click track live. I have integrated my on-screen click button with the Tempo info and MIDI message light so I can see all related info in one easy place.
Step 2 - Assign Your Control To The Metronome
Go back to Edit Mode and click on the concert level. This is important because you want the click to work on all patches inside the concert. Once you're there, click on the button you created and go down to the Screen Control Inspector and select Actions > Metronome. You can now press the button on screen or the assigned MIDI controller button and you should hear the click start and stop.
Step 3 - Assign The Metronome To Alternate Outputs
If you have an audio interface with multiple outputs you can easily assign it to a different set of outputs to be fed to your team's in-ears. Go to Mainstage > Preferences, go to the Metronome section and select the Output drop down menu and select the outputs you want to send the metronome to.
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Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Setting Up Stylus RMX In Mainstage - Step 3
In the final video of this series I show you how to assign the on-screen controls you created in the last step to the Stylus RMX plugin. When you are done you will be setup to use Stylus RMX live!!! Enjoy.
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Monday, June 6, 2011
Video Series Topics - Professional Tutorials
So I have decided that I am going to produce several professional tutorials covering topics like the ones I have posted on this blog. What I would like to know is what topics would you like covered. I am already working on several series involving: Mainstage and live applications, working with different software plugins such as Stylus RMX and Omnisphere, and lastly some videos showing keyboard players how to play certain sounds in a worship setting. There's room for plenty more so please let me know your thoughts!
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Setting Up Stylus RMX In Mainstage - Step 2
Now that you know how to create a channel for Stylus RMX I move on to showing you how to create on screen controls. I walk you through how to create buttons to start and stop the loops, independent loop volume controls, and how to assign them to your MIDI controller so that you don't have to reach over to your computer to control the software. Enjoy!
Coming soon in my third and final video I will teach you how to assign the on screen controls you created to the Stylus RMX plugin. This is the last step to making your setup with Stylus RMX in Mainstage complete!
Coming soon in my third and final video I will teach you how to assign the on screen controls you created to the Stylus RMX plugin. This is the last step to making your setup with Stylus RMX in Mainstage complete!
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Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Setting Up Stylus RMX In Mainstage - Step 1
Per a commenter's request I have started working on a video series that shows you how to setup Stylus RMX in Mainstage. In Step 1 I walk you through setting up a software channel to load Stylus RMX into, where to load it, and how to get it setup to make sound out of your interface. In the next video (coming soon) I'll show you the second step which is creating on screen controls for Stylus RMX. Enjoy!
This video is best watched in HD or at a higher resolution than just what shows up in this blog post so if you click the video after it starts playing it will open up YouTube and you can watch it in HD.
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Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Sounds for Modern Worship - The Rhodes & Wurli
Today we'll be taking a closer look at the sound of a Rhodes and Wurli. These have become some of my favorite sounds to play! In fact, I probably play them as much as I play piano. What's great about these instruments is many times they can be played instead of piano and will add a very different character to the song.
The Rhodes
The Rhodes has a bell type of tone with lots of body. If you add some effects such as delay or tremolo you can create a more spacious sound that can really fill in a mix. You hear it used a lot in the Hillsong United and Jesus Culture albums. A great example of a Rhodes sound is in the intro of the song "Forever Reign" from Hillsong's Beautiful Exchange Live album (video below). The sound is pretty much a straight Rhodes with some delay for effect. Another example is in the song "Revelation Song" on the Consumed album by Jesus Culture where you can hear it throughout the verses.
Another cool thing about the Rhodes is that the original instrument uses pickups similar to an electric guitar, which means you can make some great "electric guitar" sounds with a little creativity. To accomplish this, just run the Rhodes through a simulated guitar amp and crank up the gain until it starts to sound distorted. Then apply EQ, delay and reverb to taste and you have a killer electric guitar-ish sound! When playing a sound like this you want to make sure that you approach it like a guitar player and not a piano player. It's really a lead instrument so you won't be playing chords but more individual notes and if you use a lot of delay (like I do) then you can play even less and have a HUGE sound.
The Wurli (Wurlitzer)
A Wurli (or Wurlitzer) is typically classified in the same category as a Rhodes but it has a much sharper attack and less body and almost always has some tremolo applied to it. A great example of this sound is in the verses of "Rain Down" by Delirious on their album Now Is The Time: Live At Willow Creek (video below).
I use it a lot as an alternative to clean guitar parts if I only have one guitar player and want the sound of a second by modifying my playing to try and match the notes of the guitar riff. If you try this you really have to think about the correct inversions a guitar player would use because it will have a huge impact on whether it sounds right or not. It's also great as a replacement for piano as it's a very percussive instrument and cuts through a mix well.
Hopefully this got your creative juices flowing and in the next few articles I'll be covering Organ, Synth Lead, and Synth Pad. If there's another type of sound you'd like me to cover feel free to post it in the comments.
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Another cool thing about the Rhodes is that the original instrument uses pickups similar to an electric guitar, which means you can make some great "electric guitar" sounds with a little creativity. To accomplish this, just run the Rhodes through a simulated guitar amp and crank up the gain until it starts to sound distorted. Then apply EQ, delay and reverb to taste and you have a killer electric guitar-ish sound! When playing a sound like this you want to make sure that you approach it like a guitar player and not a piano player. It's really a lead instrument so you won't be playing chords but more individual notes and if you use a lot of delay (like I do) then you can play even less and have a HUGE sound.
The Wurli (Wurlitzer)
A Wurli (or Wurlitzer) is typically classified in the same category as a Rhodes but it has a much sharper attack and less body and almost always has some tremolo applied to it. A great example of this sound is in the verses of "Rain Down" by Delirious on their album Now Is The Time: Live At Willow Creek (video below).
I use it a lot as an alternative to clean guitar parts if I only have one guitar player and want the sound of a second by modifying my playing to try and match the notes of the guitar riff. If you try this you really have to think about the correct inversions a guitar player would use because it will have a huge impact on whether it sounds right or not. It's also great as a replacement for piano as it's a very percussive instrument and cuts through a mix well.
Hopefully this got your creative juices flowing and in the next few articles I'll be covering Organ, Synth Lead, and Synth Pad. If there's another type of sound you'd like me to cover feel free to post it in the comments.
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Thursday, May 19, 2011
3 Simple Ways To Optimize Your Computer For Live Performance
Nothing here involves adding more RAM or installing a faster hard drive, though those things will help immensely, but rather I'll provide some simples tweaks that should give you overall better performance. I will cover both Mac's and PC's so if you read this and know of a great trick I didn't cover feel free to leave a comment with your suggestion. Alright, let's get to it!
1. Turn Off Programs That Run In The Background
Often times this is the number one thing that makes your computer run slow even if you aren't trying to use it in a live situation. Lots of programs, when installed, will make it so that they start running when you boot your computer. Pretty soon you have tons of little programs (and some that aren't so little) all running at the same time using processing power and ram which are a high commodity for audio applications.
Anti-Virus Software (PC)
If you are on a PC the biggest culprit is anti-virus and spyware software which is constantly scanning your hard drive and uses a huge amount of resources. Typically there will be an icon in the toolbar in the lower right hand of your screen. Right click on it and select disable. If it gives you a warning that your computer will be at risk just select ok as you won't be surfing the web or checking email while you perform (at least I hope not). If you press Ctrl+Alt+Del on your PC it will bring up the Task Manager window which will show you all the programs that are currently running. This is a useful tool in helping you know what programs are actually running and you can close them right from there.
Time Machine (Mac)
On the Mac side no one uses anti-virus software but that doesn't mean you don't have programs running in the background. If you use Time Machine to keep your computer backed up (which is always recommended by the way) it is constantly scanning your drive for any changes that might occur. This is great but again, you aren't going to be performing a backup during a live performance so it's best to turn it off until you want to backup your computer again.
Dashboard (Mac)
If you happen to use Dashboard a lot and run lots of programs this can also have an impact on your performance. I never even use it so I just closed all running applications in Dashboard so it doesn't eat up any resources. Also look up in the top toolbar for any program icons that may be running and right click on any you don't deem necessary for audio such as Dropbox and turn them off. If you press Command+Space Bar and type Activity Monitor, you can open the program which is just like the Task Manager for Windows and it will show you all programs that are running and how much of your resources they are consuming.
Disable Non-Essentials (Mac & PC)
Last but not least you should disable your Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. They're just another thing using up valuable resources that could be dedicated to your audio application.
2. Close All Applications You Aren't Using
This seems like a duh statement but really it's not. Mac users are usually the worst offenders in this category because they often believe that if they closed the window of an application that they closed the program, when in fact they just closed the window. The reason this happens is because in the PC world it typically DOES close the program so a quick way to check for all you Mac uses out there is to hold down the Command key and then press Tab and you'll see icons of all running programs on your computer. Keep pressing tab to select the different programs and then press Q (you should still be holding down the Command key) to close the program that is highlighted. When you're done nothing should be left except the Finder icon, which looks like a square smiley face, because it will always be running.
3. Hard Drive Maintenance
Clean It Up!
Your drive should not be over 80% full. This can be a challenge for people who have all their pictures and music on their laptop so just make sure that if there are things you can backup and get off that drive do it. The less data your computer has to search through to find a file the better. This is also why I recommend installing samples or large audio programs to a secondary hard drive as this will make your computer run much more efficiently. Also, make sure to empty your trash! I can't tell you how many people literally have gigabytes of data just sitting in their deleted file and they just need to empty it.
Defrag Your Drive
Second, if you are on a PC you should Defrag your hard drive. Bits of data that make up a single file can be in several locations on the hard drive making it much slower to read the file so Defrag goes out and re-organizes the bits of data so they are all together. This is something you should do on a regular basis and you should include defraging on any external hard drive you use for audio as well. If you're on a Mac it's a bit different but you should run the program Disk Utility which is located in your Applications > Utilities folder. For the sake of this article it's best described as a similar program to Defrag for Windows. Just select the drive you want and click "Repair Permissions" which will correct any errors it finds.
You're done! Now wasn't that easy? Hopefully that helps your computer move a little faster. If you have other great tips or suggestions on how to improve your computer's performance feel free to leave a comment.
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Monday, May 2, 2011
Customizing Your Design in Mainstage - The Layout Page
Now that you have a pretty good idea what Mainstage looks like in a live setting and what makes up that performance, it's time to take a peak at how you customize the actual layout of what you see on the screen. To make these changes we'll go to the Layout Page and look at what you have to work with.
Layout Section
This section is what takes up most of the screen and EVERYTHING in it can be moved, resized, deleted, re-named, etc. to be customized to the way you want to use Mainstage. The possibilities are endless and are only limited by your imagination. You can create a guitar rig with different amps and effects, you can add a looper, you can have lyrics, level meters, and on and on. What I have found in creating a layout is I usually mimic a combination of my controller layout and the way the software synths work within it's own interface. In the screenshot of my most recent layout you can see that I have setup things that I trigger live and need to have visual reference of. Here's a list of what I have created in my layout screen:
- List of keyboard patches
- On & Off, volume control, and current tempo for my click track (metronome)
- CPU meter so I can monitor my computers performance at all times
- Stylus RMX Control Pannel - Start/Stop 8 drum loops with independent volume controls
- Keyboard with layers
- Effects module - Reverb & Delay with independent wet/dry and mute controls (next to metronome)
- Volume control, mute, and level meters for 4 separate outputs on my audio interface
Pads, buttons, and sliders on my MIDI controller have been assigned to everything on the screen so I can have complete control in a live situation without needing to touch the laptop. Which brings me to the Screen Control Inspector which makes it easy to assign the knobs and buttons you put on the screen to your MIDI controller whether it's a keyboard or foot controller.
This is the section where you can easily assign your screen controls to a physical controller. The easiest way to do this is to click the on screen control you want to assign to your controller, click the "Learn" button, and then move the knob or press the button you want to assign to it. You'll see it grab or light up and your that's it! Now all you have to do is just select the next on screen control and it will stay in "Learn" mode so you can quickly assign all of your controls. You can also set the color and label of the control as well as have access to in-depth editing to the MIDI channel, number, type, etc.
Screen Control Palette
Essentially this is where all the different types of controls Mainstage uses can be pulled from to add to your layout. All you have to do is drag and drop the control of your choice to your layout. If you see a number by a control it tells you it's a group so when you drag it to the layout screen it will create that many identical controls for you at once.
You can also create your own grouped controls. For example I created a group that included a level meter, volume control, and mute button so anytime I want an easy way to control and monitor an output on my audio interface I just drag the group to my layout and assign it accordingly. This can really save you tons of time when designing other layouts our when you're trying to re-work an existing one. I enlarged the section and took a screen shot so that you can see more of the controls that are available in this section.
You can also create your own grouped controls. For example I created a group that included a level meter, volume control, and mute button so anytime I want an easy way to control and monitor an output on my audio interface I just drag the group to my layout and assign it accordingly. This can really save you tons of time when designing other layouts our when you're trying to re-work an existing one. I enlarged the section and took a screen shot so that you can see more of the controls that are available in this section.
Hopefully this helped you understand just how flexible and creative this program can be and how it can be used for many different things not just keyboards! In fact, Mainstage comes with several templates for Vocals, Guitars, and Audio Mixers to help jump start your creative juices.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Your Opinion Matters!
It's clear by the number of views my article "So You Want To Use Your Computer Live!" has received that it's a huge topic of interest. There are so many things I could cover so I thought I'd ask you what questions you would like me to answer or related topics you would like me to cover in relation to this topic. Drop me a line and let me know!
Converting Powerpoint Files to ForScore
Here's a quick and easy guide to converting your Powerpoint files to work with ForScore 2!
Step 1: Convert Your PowerPoint files to PDF
If you're using Microsoft Office on a MAC all you have to do is open the file, select "Save As", and then in the drop down menu select PDF! If you're on a PC all you need to do is download a free Print to PDF program and once installed you open the Powerpoint file and then select print. When the print screen comes up change the printer to PDF and hit print. This will save it as a PDF file and you're good to go!
Step 2: Import Your PDF to ForScore
There are a few ways you can do this. The first way is to connect your iPad to your computer and then drag the files into it. Another great way is to use Dropbox (click see my tutorial on setting up Dropbox) which is quick and easy to use.
Step 3: Adjust Your PDF To Fit The Screen
When you see the file loaded into ForScore you'll notice that it does not stretch to fit the screen entirely. To fix this tap the title of the file in the gray bar at the top of the screen and a pop-up window will appear just like the picture below. In the pop-up window you'll see a view of the file as it appears on the screen and right below that is a slider that adjusts your zoom. Use your finder to slide it until you can't see white on the right and left edges. Once you lift your finger you'll notice the file in the background adjusts so you can see if you zoomed the correct amount. When you're happy with it just tap outside of the pop-up window and it will disappear and save the settings to your file. Note that this will apply to all pages in that file not just the first one.
Step 4: Your Done!
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Step 2: Import Your PDF to ForScore
There are a few ways you can do this. The first way is to connect your iPad to your computer and then drag the files into it. Another great way is to use Dropbox (click see my tutorial on setting up Dropbox) which is quick and easy to use.
Step 3: Adjust Your PDF To Fit The Screen
When you see the file loaded into ForScore you'll notice that it does not stretch to fit the screen entirely. To fix this tap the title of the file in the gray bar at the top of the screen and a pop-up window will appear just like the picture below. In the pop-up window you'll see a view of the file as it appears on the screen and right below that is a slider that adjusts your zoom. Use your finder to slide it until you can't see white on the right and left edges. Once you lift your finger you'll notice the file in the background adjusts so you can see if you zoomed the correct amount. When you're happy with it just tap outside of the pop-up window and it will disappear and save the settings to your file. Note that this will apply to all pages in that file not just the first one.
Step 4: Your Done!
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Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Using Dropbox To Import Files to ForScore
There are several ways to get your files from your computer to your iPad but what's the best way? The answer can depend on your workflow or just personal opinion but using Dropbox has several advantages and is very easy to do.
What is Dropbox?
Dropbox is a cloud based service that allows you to store your files on the internet so that you can have access to them anywhere and on several devices such as your iPad or iPhone. The free version gives you 2GBs of storage, which for our purposes is more than plenty, but you can get up to 8GBs free by inviting others to join. You can also share folders that you create with other Dropbox users making it easy to share files with one another. Now that you know what Dropbox is, let's look at the steps to getting the files to Dropbox and then to ForScore 2.
Step 1: Go to http://www.dropbox.com and create a free account.
Step 2: Once your logged in, create a folder where you will place all your music to be uploaded to your iPad. You can also download the Dropbox application to your MAC or PC which makes uploading even faster and easier!
Step 3: Upload your PDF files to the folder you created in Dropbox
Step 4: Go to the App Store on your iPad and download the Dropbox App and get logged in.
Step 5: Click on the folder where your music is located and press the Export button in the very top right of the screen. You will see a drop down menu appear showing applications you can open the file in. ForScore should be listed so choose it. (See screen shot below)
Step 6: Your done! Once it opens in ForScore the file is saved in the program.
As you can see this is extremely easy to do. If you have a lot of files ready to go and you want to import them all at once then I would recommend using iTunes since you can drag and drop all the files at one time. The advantage to using Dropbox, however, is that your team can have access to whatever files they need and if someone else creates a new song they just upload it and you just go get it and import it!
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Monday, April 25, 2011
Foottime Page Turner for iPad & iPad 2
Last time I talked about the GigEasy Mounting System which allows you to mount your iPad to a microphone stand. We are one step closer to having a complete music reader solution, in terms of hardware, for the iPad but there's still one thing we're missing. That is some kind of footswitch that allows you to turn the page so you don't have to use your hands. Well, there IS such a thing which leads me to the Foottime Page Turner.
Foottime Page Turner for iPad & iPad 2
As you can see this is a very simple device that allows you to turn pages forward or backward on your iPad. In order to connect it you will need to purchase Apple's Camera Kit for iPad ($29) which converts their 30pin plug to USB. Once connected the two buttons light up so you know it's on and ready to go! It works with ForScore and MusicReader Apps to name a few but there are others you can find as well in the App Store.
Another feature of this pedal, which at first doesn't seem like one, is that it is wired. This is good because there is no lag time when switching to the next page of your music. There are several other page turning pedals on the market that use bluetooth to wirelessly connect to the iPad. This is cool and works well but there were a few factors that in the end made me go with this unit.
Price - The Foottime Page Turner is only $49 compared to a bluetooth footswitch which puts you in the neighborhood of $149.
Batteries - none required! This is a huge plus in a live situation because I don't have to worry about it dying on me in the middle of a song or remind myself to constantly charge the unit.
Build - It uses a metal base with rubber feet, tough plastic housing, and backlight buttons so I know that it's powered up and I can see it in the dark.
Plug & Play - Just plug it in and it works!
If you want to read more about the Foottime Page Turner go to http://www.bilila.com/page_turner__ipad
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As you can see this is a very simple device that allows you to turn pages forward or backward on your iPad. In order to connect it you will need to purchase Apple's Camera Kit for iPad ($29) which converts their 30pin plug to USB. Once connected the two buttons light up so you know it's on and ready to go! It works with ForScore and MusicReader Apps to name a few but there are others you can find as well in the App Store.
Another feature of this pedal, which at first doesn't seem like one, is that it is wired. This is good because there is no lag time when switching to the next page of your music. There are several other page turning pedals on the market that use bluetooth to wirelessly connect to the iPad. This is cool and works well but there were a few factors that in the end made me go with this unit.
Price - The Foottime Page Turner is only $49 compared to a bluetooth footswitch which puts you in the neighborhood of $149.
Batteries - none required! This is a huge plus in a live situation because I don't have to worry about it dying on me in the middle of a song or remind myself to constantly charge the unit.
Build - It uses a metal base with rubber feet, tough plastic housing, and backlight buttons so I know that it's powered up and I can see it in the dark.
Plug & Play - Just plug it in and it works!
If you want to read more about the Foottime Page Turner go to http://www.bilila.com/page_turner__ipad
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The GigEasy Mounting System for iPad & iPad 2
Now that the iPad has been around for over a year companies are finally starting to come up with some great accessories that make it easier to use as a music reader. One of the most requested items by far is a product that allows you to mount your iPad to a stand. As soon as I purchased my iPad 2 I went into research mode to see what was out there and found a great product you should be aware of.
The GigEasy Mounting System for iPad
If you're like me you chose to use your iPad as a music reader to save space on stage as well as store all your songs in one place. After looking at all my options this was the iPad mount I decided to go with because of it's high quality build and the mounting system worked well with my existing setup.
As you can see in the picture to the right, it's very sleek and can mount onto any microphone stand. It uses spring loaded arms to grab each corner of your iPad which holds it firmly in place and makes it easy to take in and out of the mount. If you want to use the iPad in landscape mode all you have to do is turn it! It has notches that lock in into either view so it's really easy to change on the fly.
If you are looking to mount it to a mic stand that you are also using to sing into then all you have to do is purchase the extension arm. The arm attaches around the mic stand itself and has a threaded mount on the other end for the GigEasy to attach. This gives the GigEasy a lot of flexibility for different scenarios you might encounter. If you look at the pictures on My Keyboard Rig page you'll see that I actually mounted it directly to my keyboard stand. Since I have a mic boom attachment that mounts to my keyboard stand I am able to attach the extension arm to the boom and have my iPad appear as if it's floating in the air above my keyboards!
This GigEasy mount is $89.99 or $99.99 with the extension arm. It's not the cheapest mount on the market but due to it's quality build and versatility it's worth every penny.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Behind the Scenes of Mainstage - The Edit Page
Last time I gave you a simple overview of Mainstage by looking at the Performance page and how it can be used in a live setting. In this segment, we will take a look at the Edit page and discuss the different sections and show you how they relate to the Performance page. In future installments I will go deeper into each section and how to accomplish certain tasks but to start we'll do an overview.
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| Click to enlarge image |
The Edit Page
The Edit page is where you will spend a majority of your time loading the sounds you want to use live, assigning controls you see on the screen to control the different software synths, route the audio from the program to the inputs and outputs of your audio interface, and insert effects. You'll also be able to create keyboard layers and splits, monitor your CPU usage, and see how much memory you have used up. In the center of the screen there is a Workspace window which allows you to visually see what Performance mode will look like as you make changes to presets and channels. Now lets take a look at a few of the other windows on the Edit page.
Patch List
In short, this section is where you will organize and name your *presets (patches) to be played. You will notice that in this screen shot there are essentially three things: the concert folder, folders to organize your presets, and then the presets themselves.
*A preset or patch contains all information pertaining to the sound you are playing, including what sound is to be played.
The Concert Folder is the master folder that contains all the presets you'll use for a performance. In addition, when you select the Concert Folder you can assign your screen controls to a MIDI keyboard or other hardware to parameters such as master volume or master effects that you always want to be active no matter what preset you have selected. The idea is to have global control. To give you an example, I run my vocals through Mainstage and I like to have a little reverb and delay on my voice. So I assigned the reverb to one of the sliders on my midi controller and delay to another in the concert folder. Moving the slider on my MIDI controller will give me more or less of either effect on my voice. By doing this in the Concert Folder I can change presets but my reverb and delay don't have to deal with being reloaded each time and it saves on computer resources.
The folders inside the Concert Folder can be used to organize your presets. In the example above they are used to organize presets by type so that you can quickly go to the section that contains a certain sound in that category. This is similar to browsing presets on a regular keyboard. Another use would be to label these folders as song titles instead and then place whatever presets you will be playing for that song inside it. It provides great flexibility to make it work in whatever way you need it to. As for organizing the presets themselves, just drag them around with your mouse until they're right where you want them (this includes folders as well). So where do you change the sounds assigned to the presets you have selected?
Channel Strip
The answer is the Channel Strip! Here you can see all Concert Level channels which are always active no matter the preset and you will see preset specific channels as well. Notice the name of the first channel in the picture to the right. It's labeled Steinway 1 which tells you what type of sound has been assigned to that channel in the preset. Here are a some quick definitions of some of the other parts of the channel strip:
I/O - This is where you can change the sound assigned to the channel as well as tell it what outputs of your audio interface to send the sound to
Inserts - Most often you would place EQ, compression, limiting, or other effects you want to be applied to the sound you have selected. * Don't forget that every time you add an effect it uses CPU resources.
Sends - This lets you send the sound to another channel most often dedicated to effects like reverb and delay just like you see in the picture. The best way to think about it is that you have a reverb that everything runs through but you can control how much of that same reverb is being added to each channel. It's very useful for saving CPU resources so you aren't loading lots of effects on every single preset. There are, however, times when you would want to do this but do so wisely.
A few other things you have are volume control for each channel strip, digital meters so you can see if the signal is clipping (distortion), mute and solo buttons, and panning control.
The Edit page is where you will spend a majority of your time loading the sounds you want to use live, assigning controls you see on the screen to control the different software synths, route the audio from the program to the inputs and outputs of your audio interface, and insert effects. You'll also be able to create keyboard layers and splits, monitor your CPU usage, and see how much memory you have used up. In the center of the screen there is a Workspace window which allows you to visually see what Performance mode will look like as you make changes to presets and channels. Now lets take a look at a few of the other windows on the Edit page.
In short, this section is where you will organize and name your *presets (patches) to be played. You will notice that in this screen shot there are essentially three things: the concert folder, folders to organize your presets, and then the presets themselves.
*A preset or patch contains all information pertaining to the sound you are playing, including what sound is to be played.
The Concert Folder is the master folder that contains all the presets you'll use for a performance. In addition, when you select the Concert Folder you can assign your screen controls to a MIDI keyboard or other hardware to parameters such as master volume or master effects that you always want to be active no matter what preset you have selected. The idea is to have global control. To give you an example, I run my vocals through Mainstage and I like to have a little reverb and delay on my voice. So I assigned the reverb to one of the sliders on my midi controller and delay to another in the concert folder. Moving the slider on my MIDI controller will give me more or less of either effect on my voice. By doing this in the Concert Folder I can change presets but my reverb and delay don't have to deal with being reloaded each time and it saves on computer resources.
The folders inside the Concert Folder can be used to organize your presets. In the example above they are used to organize presets by type so that you can quickly go to the section that contains a certain sound in that category. This is similar to browsing presets on a regular keyboard. Another use would be to label these folders as song titles instead and then place whatever presets you will be playing for that song inside it. It provides great flexibility to make it work in whatever way you need it to. As for organizing the presets themselves, just drag them around with your mouse until they're right where you want them (this includes folders as well). So where do you change the sounds assigned to the presets you have selected?
The answer is the Channel Strip! Here you can see all Concert Level channels which are always active no matter the preset and you will see preset specific channels as well. Notice the name of the first channel in the picture to the right. It's labeled Steinway 1 which tells you what type of sound has been assigned to that channel in the preset. Here are a some quick definitions of some of the other parts of the channel strip:
I/O - This is where you can change the sound assigned to the channel as well as tell it what outputs of your audio interface to send the sound to
Inserts - Most often you would place EQ, compression, limiting, or other effects you want to be applied to the sound you have selected. * Don't forget that every time you add an effect it uses CPU resources.
Sends - This lets you send the sound to another channel most often dedicated to effects like reverb and delay just like you see in the picture. The best way to think about it is that you have a reverb that everything runs through but you can control how much of that same reverb is being added to each channel. It's very useful for saving CPU resources so you aren't loading lots of effects on every single preset. There are, however, times when you would want to do this but do so wisely.
A few other things you have are volume control for each channel strip, digital meters so you can see if the signal is clipping (distortion), mute and solo buttons, and panning control.
Patch Inspector
Mainstage comes with TONS of presets with all kinds of sounds from pianos and strings to world instruments like sitars. You will find all of these presets here. Once you have created a software channel strip you can select from any of these presets and it will automatically load all associated effects, sounds, etc. right into the channel.
You will also notice there is an Attributes tab which allows you to set some important features. The one I use the most is the Tempo preset because I use lots of synth patches and loops that need to lock to the tempo of each song. Here's how it works. If the "Change Tempo To" box is not checked, this preset will retain the tempo from the previous preset. If the box is checked you can tell it exactly what tempo that preset should be and all effects, loops, etc. will lock to that tempo so everything is in sync.
There you have it! Next time I'll cover the Layout Page and cover some of the ways you can customize your Performance page to look and feel how you want it to.
Related Posts:
Friday, April 22, 2011
Changing the Time Signature of Loops with Stylus RMX
Stylus RMX from Spectrasonics is the best plugin for using and manipulating drum loops in real time! In this video Eric Persing, the creator of all these plugins, shows how Stylus RMX can take any audio loop you have and change it's time signature. This will blow your mind!
Spectrasonics Omnisphere - Psychacoustic Sampling
The software plugin Omnisphere from Spectrasonics is a staple of my keyboard rig. This video shows you what lengths these guys go to to create interesting and unique sounds and can actually be played! Of course the coolest thing they sampled was a burning piano! Check it out!
So You Want To Use Your Computer Live!
With everything getting faster and cheaper these days it's easy to think that if you just dust off that extra computer you have laying around the house then you have what you need to use it in a live application. Let me just say that if you have to dust it off it's unlikely it will be able to perform the way you need it to and even if it can it is only one piece of the puzzle. So the question I want to answer in this segment is:
"What do I need to use my computer live in an audio application?"
The answer is much simpler than you might think but many people tend to overlook at least one of the 4 crucial components: the computer, software, audio interface, and MIDI controller. Let's take a look at each one and explain why it's necessary in creating a great audio computer rig.
This is obviously the heart of your setup since the entire topic surrounds using a computer live but what kind of computer do you really need? Do I have to have a Mac or will a PC do the job? Does it have to be the fastest computer on the market or will a computer that is a year or two old do the trick? Here are some general rules of thumb to help you know if what you have will hack it or guide you to making a good purchase if your looking for a new computer.
1. The debate between a Mac (Apple) and PC will live on for eternity. I actually enjoy using both platforms but for this type of application I have found Mac's to be much easier to work with. Truthfully the biggest reason is that the software that I use is Mac only so that makes my choice pretty easy. There are lots of PC programs as well and if you have one you love a PC will do the job. We'll leave this topic at that.
2. Generally, computers that are within the last two years most likely will work for this application. They should have enough processing speed, support enough ram, and be able to run the most current operation software platforms so that you can run the software you need to. Some general specs to look for would include a dual core processor, at east 4 GB's of ram, and a 320GB hard drive or larger. I also recommend using an external hard drive to store your samples as this will take a lot of strain off of your internal hard drive and improve your overall performance.
2. Software
Software is extremely important because it's really what dictates what you can do and how you do it. The computer is just a processor at this point so software can make or break your experience. Since we are talking about a live application I believe Apple's Mainstage is the best at what it does. For the PC side there is a program called Ableton Live (which also runs on a Mac) which is uniquely good at what it does. It's feel is very different from Mainstage however. Other than Ableton many people will use an audio sequencer like ProTools, Cubase, or Sonar to accomplish a similar task. Mainstage by far out shines the other applications for a live performance platform as that is it's specific intent, but people have different workflow preferences and may feel a program like Ableton Live is better suited for the task. Remember it's about you, the user and what you are trying to accomplish.
3. Audio Interface
This is just a fancy term for external sound card but it is VITAL to making your computer capable of pulling off it's job in a live application. So why do you need one when you already have a sound card built into your computer? There are many reasons why it is necessary:
1. Latency - All computers have what's called latency which basically is the time it takes the computer to process the audio signal passing through it. Built in sound cards are very slow typically. Since you will be using this live you don't want any weird delay because it will make it almost impossible to play a sound or run your vocals through effects. It would be like hitting a note on your keyboard and having it play a second later. Almost all audio interfaces have special drivers (called ASIO drivers) which are super fast and allow you to get the audio through the computer without noticeable delay.
2. Professional Connections - You might need a way to plug your microphone or guitar into your computer so you can use the effects inside it. Depending on the audio interface you choose you will have the ability to plug in multiple things as once as well as feed multiple outputs to different channels on the board or snake. For example I use an M-Audio Profire 610 which has 4 analog inputs and 8 analog outputs. That might sound like overkill at first but it doesn't take long to starting using them. With my setup I use Output 1&2 for my stereo keyboard sounds and I use output 3 for my direct vocal send. There are many more scenarios to could be cover here but trust me when I tell you it's better to have a few extra than not enough!
3. Sound Quality - There is no question that an external audio interface will sound 10 times better than your build in sound card. This stands to reason when you consider the internal sound card probably costs less than $5 to make and is not a core component to your computer, yet a decent audio interface starts at around $99. Hardcore Mac fans will tell you they use their internal sound card with great success but I'm telling you, you don't know what your missing until you get professional sound card. The result is dramatic and it can make the difference between you cutting through the mix and being heard by the audience or get buried in the mix because you lack sonic definition.
The MIDI controller is a key component because it's the piece of hardware you will be interacting with in a live performance and it brings to life everything else we have talked about. There are lots of options for MIDI controllers these days and most of them have more knobs and buttons then you'll know what to do with until you start seeing the potential and assigning it to your software. I currently use the Edirol PCR-500 49 key controller pictured above and almost every single thing you see on the face of it has a label of some kind. Just to give you an idea of how powerful it is here are some things my controller does for me:
* I can change patches (aka sounds) with the push of a button
* I use one of the sliders to control my master volume
* I use 8 of the drum pads to play and stop different loops I have assigned to them
* I use the 8 knobs above the pads to control the individual loop volumes
* I assigned Tap Tempo to one of the buttons so I can make all loops and effects play in sync with the tempo of whatever song is being played in real time
* I assigned another button as a mute for my keyboard sounds
* I assigned one of the sliders to control how much delay you hear on my voice
The possibilities are endless!
In Summary
As you can see all 4 parts are vital to turning your computer into something that you can perform with. Now that you have a good understanding of what you need you can focus on buying products that fit your work flow and personality so that your rig is your own. Please feel free to post any questions you might have.
"What do I need to use my computer live in an audio application?"
The answer is much simpler than you might think but many people tend to overlook at least one of the 4 crucial components: the computer, software, audio interface, and MIDI controller. Let's take a look at each one and explain why it's necessary in creating a great audio computer rig.
1. The Computer
1. The debate between a Mac (Apple) and PC will live on for eternity. I actually enjoy using both platforms but for this type of application I have found Mac's to be much easier to work with. Truthfully the biggest reason is that the software that I use is Mac only so that makes my choice pretty easy. There are lots of PC programs as well and if you have one you love a PC will do the job. We'll leave this topic at that.
2. Generally, computers that are within the last two years most likely will work for this application. They should have enough processing speed, support enough ram, and be able to run the most current operation software platforms so that you can run the software you need to. Some general specs to look for would include a dual core processor, at east 4 GB's of ram, and a 320GB hard drive or larger. I also recommend using an external hard drive to store your samples as this will take a lot of strain off of your internal hard drive and improve your overall performance.
2. Software
3. Audio Interface
1. Latency - All computers have what's called latency which basically is the time it takes the computer to process the audio signal passing through it. Built in sound cards are very slow typically. Since you will be using this live you don't want any weird delay because it will make it almost impossible to play a sound or run your vocals through effects. It would be like hitting a note on your keyboard and having it play a second later. Almost all audio interfaces have special drivers (called ASIO drivers) which are super fast and allow you to get the audio through the computer without noticeable delay.
2. Professional Connections - You might need a way to plug your microphone or guitar into your computer so you can use the effects inside it. Depending on the audio interface you choose you will have the ability to plug in multiple things as once as well as feed multiple outputs to different channels on the board or snake. For example I use an M-Audio Profire 610 which has 4 analog inputs and 8 analog outputs. That might sound like overkill at first but it doesn't take long to starting using them. With my setup I use Output 1&2 for my stereo keyboard sounds and I use output 3 for my direct vocal send. There are many more scenarios to could be cover here but trust me when I tell you it's better to have a few extra than not enough!
3. Sound Quality - There is no question that an external audio interface will sound 10 times better than your build in sound card. This stands to reason when you consider the internal sound card probably costs less than $5 to make and is not a core component to your computer, yet a decent audio interface starts at around $99. Hardcore Mac fans will tell you they use their internal sound card with great success but I'm telling you, you don't know what your missing until you get professional sound card. The result is dramatic and it can make the difference between you cutting through the mix and being heard by the audience or get buried in the mix because you lack sonic definition.
4. MIDI Controller
* I can change patches (aka sounds) with the push of a button
* I use one of the sliders to control my master volume
* I use 8 of the drum pads to play and stop different loops I have assigned to them
* I use the 8 knobs above the pads to control the individual loop volumes
* I assigned Tap Tempo to one of the buttons so I can make all loops and effects play in sync with the tempo of whatever song is being played in real time
* I assigned another button as a mute for my keyboard sounds
* I assigned one of the sliders to control how much delay you hear on my voice
The possibilities are endless!
In Summary
As you can see all 4 parts are vital to turning your computer into something that you can perform with. Now that you have a good understanding of what you need you can focus on buying products that fit your work flow and personality so that your rig is your own. Please feel free to post any questions you might have.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
An Introduction to Mainstage - The Performance Page
Whether I'm talking with worship pastors, keyboard players, or customers at Guitar Center looking to integrate a computer into their live setup I am almost always asked the following question:
"Can I use a laptop to replace a keyboard like a Yamaha Motif or a Korg Triton?"
Obviously this can lead to a lengthy discussion but the short answer is YES! There are many ways to accomplish this but by far the best and most streamlined way to do this is with Apple's Mainstage. Mainstage is part of the Logic Pro suite which sells for $499.99 and is bundled with everything you need to create a professional product both live and in the recording studio. In all it installs over 50GB of data which includes loops, effects, software synths, and yes Mainstage among other programs! So how can Mainstage turn your laptop into a keyboard? Lets take a look!
A Glance At Performance Mode
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| Click the image above to see a full sized picture |
This is a screen shot of the keyboard template that comes in Mainstage and really helps you visualize how it organizes sounds and can be viewed as a keyboard running on your computer. The column on the left is a list of all the different sounds you can play and in the main section you have a keyboard with controls for the current sound you have selected. When you have a MIDI controller attached to your computer it can play the sounds and you see the on screen keyboard keys light up to tell you it is receiving a signal from your keyboard. Many MIDI controllers have extra knobs, sliders, and pads on them as well which can be easily assigned to control anything you see on the screen. For example there is a Reverb knob on this screen so if you assigned it to a knob on your MIDI controller you could just reach up to your keyboard and adjust the Reverb level for that sound without having to touch the computer! Another example would be to assign a button on your controller to move to the next sound on the list when you press it and assign another button nearby to go back! Mainstage makes is incredibly easy to make these types of assignments which is one reason I enjoy using it so much. I spend less time getting over a learning curve and more time playing music.
This is just a taste of Mainstage so look for my next segment where I'll take a look at the Edit Page and talk about the components that make up what you see on the Performance Page!
Related Posts:
Behind the Scenes of Mainstage - The Edit Page
Customizing Your Design in Mainstage - The Layout Page
Related Posts:
Behind the Scenes of Mainstage - The Edit Page
Customizing Your Design in Mainstage - The Layout Page
ForScore App: Turn Your iPad Into A Sheet Music Viewer
I was fed up with using paper for chord charts! It was expensive to constantly print out new lead sheets each week and it was difficult to shuffle the papers around during a live performance. I decided to buy an iPad 2 to use as a music reader so I could get rid of paper once and for all! That part was easy but the hard part was choosing a music reader app! After doing tons of research looking for articles and reviews I struggled to find much useful information. In the end I finally came across an app called ForScore 2.
ForScore 2 is only $4.99 and works with both the iPad and the iPad 2. It's design and layout is elegant and easy to use. The app allows you to create set lists, search for songs easily by title, artist, etc., and supports a footswitch so that you can flip pages without using your hands. Support for Dropbox is built in which makes it much easier to transfer files between your computer and your iPad. It also has Bluetooth sync'ing so if you have friends or your entire band using iPads you can easily send your music directly to them. The last thing really worth mentioning is that the developers are constantly trying to improve their product and are very responsive to feedback and bug fixes. This is very important and I was impressed that they fixed issues I reported in two days!
Later I will post some tutorials on using ForScore 2 but for now go check out the app at http://forscoreapp.com. Download the manual and look it over as it will give you a good feel for the app before you commit to buying it. Enjoy!
Related Posts:
Using Dropbox to Import Files to ForeScore 2
Converting PowerPoint Files for ForeScore 2
Foottime Page Turner for iPad & iPad 2
How to Mount Your iPad to a Mic Stand
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
What would you like to read about?
I have TONS of ideas of topics and content for this blog so I thought I would list a few to get people excited as well as ask you to post topics you might be interested in me addressing. So here are just a few ideas I already have in the works:
1. Finding A Balance with Worship and Technology
2. How to use Mainstage (This will be an entire series including templates you can download)
3. How to turn your iPad into a music reader
4. How to integrate loops into a live worship setting
5. What kinds of sounds should I be using as a keyboard player?
6. Recommended Software Synth Plugins
So tell me what would you like to read about?
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