Mainstage 3 alternative for ipad?
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There's an app called KeyStage. I have no experience with either MainStage or KeyStage, so I don't know how similar or dissimilar they are. But there is a free KeyStage Lite version that you could try to see if it can do what you're looking for. I don't know whether KeyStage comes with any virtual instruments; I suspect that you must supply your own.
If you like the virtual instruments that come with MainStage, and if it's okay to have a Mac with you, Apple makes an iPad app that lets you remotely control Logic Pro that they say will also work with MainStage.
If you like the virtual instruments that come with MainStage, and if it's okay to have a Mac with you, Apple makes an iPad app that lets you remotely control Logic Pro that they say will also work with MainStage.
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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. On the iPad, this would require a minimum of two apps, one for each task. Though it's possible that task #2 might be the only one you need to worry about, depending on answers to some questions:
* 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)?
* will you be playing only one sound at a time, or will you be splitting/layering multiple sounds?
* what keyboard(s) will you be using to trigger your iOS sounds? Specifically, what kind of MIDI functionality does it have? i.e. 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.
Depending on your answers to those questions, one app may do what you need, or you may need two or more apps.
1. Ideally, all sounds would come from the ipad
2. My needs for playing are VERY simple as I'm a guitarist, not a piano player. I want to accomplish two things...
A. Using a Nektar Pacer foot controller, play simple, accompanying "chords", via a foot controller. (Think Taurus pedals)
B. Eventually, improve my piano skills to play an actual midi keyboard
3. As a newbie, I was looking at something fairly simple, like the Nektar LX61, for my keyboard needs
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To play chords with your foot controller, I think you'd look at an app like ChordPolyPad.
To play "piano, keyboards, etc. as well as some orchestra strings horns, etc", for your purposes, I would look for one app that has all the sounds you need. To get the BEST in those different categories you might want different apps, but I think that, in your situation, that will probably add unnecessary complication. Check out these apps for example and see if they have all the sounds you need and how you like them: Korg Module, Garageband, Sampletank, Korg iM1, Roland Sound Canvas
...though you'd have to check further to see if you could trigger their sounds from ChordPolyPad.
Some more discussion at http://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/2702870/ROMplers_for_Ipad
To play "piano, keyboards, etc. as well as some orchestra strings horns, etc", for your purposes, I would look for one app that has all the sounds you need. To get the BEST in those different categories you might want different apps, but I think that, in your situation, that will probably add unnecessary complication. Check out these apps for example and see if they have all the sounds you need and how you like them: Korg Module, Garageband, Sampletank, Korg iM1, Roland Sound Canvas
...though you'd have to check further to see if you could trigger their sounds from ChordPolyPad.
Some more discussion at http://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/2702870/ROMplers_for_Ipad
Additionally to the great advice above a great iPad App for instruments is Music Studio, there is a free version that you can try but it does have a limited amount of instrument sounds.
Then there is Arturia for synth sounds and Korgs Gadget.
In fact there are many many Apps to chose from.
One cannot have enough choice of Music related Apps installed on an iPad.
Do check what Mainstage can do related to an iPad and I think you would need a MacBook to use it or a well specified iPad Pro, I certainly cannot get Mainstage showing in my iPads App store
Then there is Arturia for synth sounds and Korgs Gadget.
In fact there are many many Apps to chose from.
One cannot have enough choice of Music related Apps installed on an iPad.
Do check what Mainstage can do related to an iPad and I think you would need a MacBook to use it or a well specified iPad Pro, I certainly cannot get Mainstage showing in my iPads App store
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Yeah, I saw a page that claimed MainStage 3 was available to download for free on an iPad, but carefully reading the links on the page clearly showed that it was for macOS, not iOS! And then I found an Apple Support page that said you can use an iPad app to play MainStage instruments, but it's just accessing MainStage remotely on a Mac using the Logic Remote app for iPad. As far as I can tell, you need a Mac to run MainStage or Logic Pro, but if you are doing that then you can also access the instruments on your iPad-- except I'm not sure whether the iPad is truly accessing them, or just acting as a touch-sensitive controller for playing them remotely on your Mac.
Michael
That is precisely how I read it also.
I am unsure about if an iPad Pro has the capabilities, the question needs to be asked on an Apple forum to clarify,
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There is not (and has never been) any version of Mainstage (or Logic) for iOS, it only runs on a Mac.
The Remote control app is just for remote control. It will not work without the Mac. The Mac still generates all the sounds.
The Remote control app is just for remote control. It will not work without the Mac. The Mac still generates all the sounds.
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Mac is definitely far more capable than iOS. 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). 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. 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. 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.
Short version: Best solution is probably Mac Mainstage AND an iPad. If you're okay with that budget and with setting up more gear. (You could also always start with one and then add the other.)
p.s. to what I wrote earlier... if you did want to try an iPad-only setup, GarageBand may be the weakest option of the apps I mentioned, because its MIDI implementation is particularly limited.
Short version: Best solution is probably Mac Mainstage AND an iPad. If you're okay with that budget and with setting up more gear. (You could also always start with one and then add the other.)
p.s. to what I wrote earlier... if you did want to try an iPad-only setup, GarageBand may be the weakest option of the apps I mentioned, because its MIDI implementation is particularly limited.