Mainstage Course Module 5
Module 5
Mainstage comes with a wide-ranging collection of ready-to-use presets. Some sounds are more useable than others. Here is how to find good sounds quickly, along with a list of presets that may work for you (see below).
Session: Finding and using presets Download this video (control-click, Save…) |
Presets to check out
Click here for a printable version
| Category | Subfolder | Patch | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mallet | (none) | Vibraphone | Open Tremolo effect and experiment with raising Depth and adjusting Rate. |
| Orchestral | Choirs | Chamber Choir | Functions like a pad or strings. Open EXS24 and experiment with Attack and Release lengths. |
| Orchestral | Choirs | Church Choir | Functions like a pad or strings. Open EXS24 and experiment with Attack and Release lengths. |
| Orchestral | Harp | Harp | Might work well as a layer for more standard keyboard sounds. |
| Orchestral | Keyboard | Celesta | Bell-like sound, great for Christmas style (or creepy in some contexts) |
| Orchestral | Percussion | Glockenspiel | Fancy name for orchestra bells, great for layering if your sound needs a little more sparkle or bite |
| Orchestral | Percussion | Tubular bells | Chimes, like church bells |
| Orchestral | Strings | (take your pick) | |
| Piano | (none) | Steinway Grand Piano | Doesn't always get as bright as I would like, but the best sounding piano in Mainstage to my ear. |
| Piano | Experimental | Daylight Piano | Ambient twist on a piano sound. |
| Synthesizer | Bass | Big Saw Bass | Bright attack, buzzy sound |
| Synthesizer | Bass | Jump Up Bass | Buzzy, with sustain |
| Synthesizer | Bass | Pulse Legato Bass | Good attack, tone a bit understated |
| Synthesizer | Bass | Synth E-bass | Similar to an overdriven bass guitar, smooth attack |
| Synthesizer | Bass | Tech Bass | Sharp, bring attack; no sustain |
| Synthesizer | Bass | Tense Synth Bass | Almost a wah affect on attack, little sustain |
| Synthesizer | Bass | Vintage Synth Bass | Buzzy, with glide; could be used as a lead sound in a higher range |
| Synthesizer | Brass | Emotive Pulse | Modern-sounding, melodic synth sound |
| Synthesizer | Brass | The Final Lead | Familiar synth brass sound; adjust delay to taste |
| Synthesizer | Bells | Delicate Bells | Pleasant, mellow bell sound, with delay |
| Synthesizer | Bells | Glass Bells | Not very bell-like, but an interesting sound |
| Synthesizer | Classic | 80's FM Piano | A familiar electric piano sound |
| Synthesizer | Classic | (various gems here) | This folder is an odd category as other "classics" are categorized with other like sounds. However, if you after retro synth sounds, there are some really good presets here. |
| Synthesizer | Lead | Classic Sawtooth Lead | Buzzy sound, with some delay |
| Synthesizer | Lead | Sweeping Lead | Bright attack, with some delay |
| Synthesizer | Lead | Sync Lead Synth | Open RetroSyn and adjust Glide to your taste |
| Synthesizer | Pad | Airways | Very airy sound |
| Synthesizer | Pad | Cosmic Dust | Bright, lots of movement, exciting. Maybe use as a transition to a fast song. |
| Synthesizer | Pad | Cycle Sweep | Brassy pad sound |
| Synthesizer | Pad | Dynamic Swell | Could be a good, bright layer with piano |
| Synthesizer | Pad | Jupiter Rising | (see Cosmic Dust) |
| Synthesizer | Pad | Modwheel Sizzler | Nice and tame; moved the modulation wheel for something much different |
| Synthesizer | Pad | Night Fall | Worth a listen |
| Synthesizer | Pad | Slow Drift | Slowly swells between dark and bright |
| Synthesizer | Pad | Glue Pads* | (Shameless plug) Mainstage has some decent pads, but I can’t say I like any of them as much as the custom pads I have available at ourworshipsound.com/pads |
| Synthesizer | Strings | String Decay | Nice substitute for "realistic" sounding strings |
| Vintage B3 Organ | (none) | Hard Rock Organ | Overdriven, meaty sound. Try turning off the upper vibrato setting. |
| Vintage B3 Organ | (none) | Power Chord Organ | Bright setting with vibrato |
| Vintage Clav | (none) | Distorted Clav | Well-balanced, overdrive clav |
| Vintage Clav | (none) | Cop Show Clav | Auto-wah effect |
| Vintage Electric Piano | (none) | Classic Electric Piano | |
| Vintage Electric Piano | (none) | Wurlitzer Classic | |
| World | Keyboard | Afro-Cuban Piano | As close to a good upright piano sound as you'll find in Mainstage. |
| World | Keyboard | Polka Accordion | Versatile as folk-sy or French |
| World | Percussion | African Kalimba | The African thumb piano lives on |
| World | Percussion | Caribbean Steel Drums | |
| Arpeggiator | (explore) | (explore) | Not for everybody, but if it's what you're after, it may be worth your time to go through these sounds. |
Other modules: Module 1 | Module 2 | Module 3 | Module 4 | Module 5 | Module 6 | Module 7 | Module 8 | Module 9 | Downloads