Windows alternative for Apple MainStage?
just bob
DAW with softsynth?). If I read correctly, for $500 I get Logic Studio and
MainStage is included. That is a bit outside my budget and even if it was
within the budget I have no Mac.
So is there a Windows alternative for around the same price range? I looked
at the ProTools website but it seemed I couldn't get anything like this for
under $1000.
Thanks,
-Bob
Mike Rivers
> Just saw the demo video for MainStage and was impressed (do you call this a
> DAW with softsynth?).
What does it do? Or is it simply the name for a bundle that includes
Logic and some soft synths?
--
If you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring and reach
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hank alrich
> just bob wrote:
> > Just saw the demo video for MainStage and was impressed (do you call this a
> > DAW with softsynth?).
>
> What does it do? Or is it simply the name for a bundle that includes
> Logic and some soft synths?
http://www.apple.com/logicstudio/mainstage/
Looks to me kind of like a preconfigured Logic Environment intended to
facilitate using Logic Studio for live performance.
I can't say more because I'm still running Logic Pro 6.4.3, Dinsosaurs
don't die until they must. And for live performance I generally use a
guitar or a mandolin.
--
ha
shut up and play your guitar
Mike Rivers
> Looks to me kind of like a preconfigured Logic Environment intended to
> facilitate using Logic Studio for live performance.
My gawd! Are people STILL trying to use sequencers live on stage when there
are perfectly good media players to provide backing tracks? And
perfectly good
musical instruments that they can play with their own hands and feet?
While I'm always in favor of easy-to-use on-screen controls (which it seems
this program offers) it looks like too much stuff for most people.
Nate Najar
Mainstage, among other things, really is a soft synth environment. I
know plenty of guys who use it strictly as a soundmodule (played live
from a midi controller) to great effect.
N
just bob
"Nate Najar" <na...@natenajar.com> wrote in message
news:a3e9d192-540d-43c0...@p20g2000yqi.googlegroups.com...
Phil W
So, you´re actually looking for software, which hosts soft synths, so you
can softsynths live via MIDI?
If yes, there are quite a few options for Windows. Either get soft synths
that work in "stand-alone" mode or some host software which lets you load
VST and/or DX plug-ins. If this host software includes a sequencer or not,
does not matter in this case... What´s important, is the ability to monitor
soft synths or fx "live".
some - there are more, than I know probably - programs for Win are:
VST hosts without sequencer:
-VSTack (by Steinberg) / commercial
- VSThost / free
http://hermannseib.com/vsthost.htm
or some sequencers, which can act as a host:
- Cubase (SE and LE versions too)
- Sonar (Homestudio)
- Samplitude / Magix "Music Studio"or whatever their small version is
called. Not to be confused to their "Music Maker", which only contains loops
to "build" songs.
Another choice might be "Reaper", but I don´t have any real-world experience
with it. Just downloaded the latest trial version and found it quite nice -
especially for the low price.
Anyway, all sequencer programs are commercial, i. e. you have to buy a
license to use it. Since the small versions will probably be sufficient for
your needs, you might get along paying 80-200 $ instead of 500 $ for
MainStage. On the other hand, MainStage might contain some instruments (from
Logic), which are not included with the Windows alternatives mentioned
above... but at least the commercial sequencers come with some instruments.
Technically, it´s possible to do the same things, that MainStage does, with
Windows-based software. Just not as conviently looking maybe...
A nice VST and stand-alone soft synth is available from Native Instruments.
Their "KORE player" comes bundled with 1 "soundpack" and there´s another
"compilation soundpack" for free. Besides that, you can of course buy
additional "soundpacks". ;-)
http://native-instruments.com/index.php?id=koreplayer&L=1
http://native-instruments.com/index.php?id=holidaycompilation&L=1&nitr=1&l_src=koreplayer&tsr_id=73868&ftu=82e8a0ef9a739b0
This will at least be sufficient for trying out and playing around for fun.
Phil
Mike Rivers
> So, you´re actually looking for software, which hosts soft synths, so you
> can softsynths live via MIDI?
> If yes, there are quite a few options for Windows. Either get soft synths
> that work in "stand-alone" mode or some host software which lets you load
> VST and/or DX plug-ins. If this host software includes a sequencer or not,
> does not matter in this case...
That's the impression I got from looking at the first page of the
MainStage web site.
But I also got the impression that it either used custom soft synths or
customized
versions of popular soft synths, optimized for a performer-friendly user
interface.
Big virtual knobs and displays, easily accessible presets, things that
let you set
and play without a lot of tweaking - for people who know they don't have
time to
tweak the high frequency reverb for the acoustics in the hall they're
playing, but
just want to get the right characteristic distortion and brightness
without taking
the time they might in the studio fooling with the dozens of parameters
that can
be adjusted.
Kind of like having an amplifier with three knobs, or a piano with three
pedals.
digh...@gmail.com
northern...@gmail.com
polin...@gmail.com
Nil
djo...@softwareriver.com
https://www.gigperformer.com
mnbul...@gmail.com
You can switch between songs really quick, without the waiting times of loading plugins, and still use your favorite plugins; furthermore you can assign controls from your keyboard so you don't even need to touch the computer when playing live. You can setup songs, set lists, song states, etc. Very comprehensive, and you can do whatever you want, control the split, transpose, velocity curve, anything imaginable.
It's not created for recording, it is for live performance, specially for keyboardists. And it's not that expensive as Logic Pro, Ableton or Cubase.