Short version: Best solution is probably Mac Mainstage AND an iPad. Even people using Mainstage may well also already have an iPad on stage for things like lyrics/chords, so if it's going to be there anyway.

Obviously the cost of using a Mac AND an iPad exceeds the cost of using either one alone, but a lot of people already have both devices so that isn't necessarily a factor.

That kind of mapping is also very useful for iOS, but may be a little less essential because the iPad form factor and touchscreen makes it a little more easily directly usable at a gig, which I suppose is one reason Apple makes the Remote app for controlling the Mac from the iPad touchscreen. Since keyboard/mouse is awkward live, you'll probably want to depend more on defining the controls in your Nektar (or whatever controller you end up using). Mac is definitely far more capable than iOS. Though it's possible that task #2 might be the only one you need to worry about, depending on answers to some questions: On the iPad, this would require a minimum of two apps, one for each task. a keyboard that has MIDI zoning and the ability to send definable MIDI Program Changes built into it will demand less of your software choices than a keyboard that does not.ĭepending on your answers to those questions, one app may do what you need, or you may need two or more apps.įor live performance, Mainstage is basically a combination of two things: (1) A program that allows you to manage the routing of your MIDI keyboards to play/split/layer different hardware and software sounds at different times, and (2) a library of actual sounds that you can play. * what keyboard(s) will you be using to trigger your iOS sounds? Specifically, what kind of MIDI functionality does it have? i.e. * will you be playing only one sound at a time, or will you be splitting/layering multiple sounds? * will all your sounds be coming from the iPad? Or will you also be playing sounds that are built into your keyboard (or some other MIDI source)? Click to expand.For live performance, Mainstage is basically a combination of two things: (1) A program that allows you to manage the routing of your MIDI keyboards to play/split/layer different hardware and software sounds at different times, and (2) a library of actual sounds that you can play.

Load roland sound canvas in mainstage