Multitasking is easier for some activities than others. Contrary to how my family would tease me, I’ve always been able to walk and chew gum quite proficiently. Playing piano and singing well at the same time, however, takes some practice. Both of those activities could require nearly 100% of your focus at times. Obviously, both can’t have your full attention. I think the key to playing … [Read more...]
Streamline Mainstage patch changes with Ableton
In this post and video, I'll show users of Ableton Live and Mainstage how to streamline Mainstage patch changes. Mainstage and Ableton Live both have infinite possibilities. That is why one of the biggest hurdles is finding an efficient way to make them work for you. You need methods for setup and performance that don’t consume all your time and focus. I’ve known about the ability to … [Read more...]
Transferring sounds between Mainstage and Logic Pro
Apple's Mainstage and Logic Pro have a lot in common. Basically, they share all the same music-making tools. The difference is that Logic is set up to use those tools for studio recording, while Mainstage sets them up for live playing. Either can do at least some of what the other can do, but many musicians find having both applications beneficial. One reason is the option for transferring … [Read more...]
How you can become a Mainstage keyboard master
When the Mainstage Keyboard Course launched in 2015, I shared a video that showed an overview of how powerful Mainstage is and how you can use it efficiently. Many orders later, I realized I never actually told anyone much of what is actually in the course! So in the latest video (see below), I take a few minutes to give details, going through each module to show you what's there and how it … [Read more...]
What kind of keyboard is that?
By far, the most frequent question asked of me is, “What kind of keyboard do you play?” The simple answer is that I play a Yamaha S80. It’s an oldie but a goodie - discontinued many years ago, but the feel, action, and durability are excellent. You may find some additional explanation helpful. The secret weapon is inside my keyboard I typically get the keyboard question after someone watches … [Read more...]
