Controlling MainStage with Ableton Live

If you use MainStage for keys sounds, imagine how amazing it would be to have all your patches change at the exact right moment, and always have your tempos perfectly in sync. In this week’s tutorial Ableton Live Certified Trainer Will Doggett shows you how to do just that.

Most Ableton Live training is focused on producers and electronic music performance only. From Studio to Stage provides a community learning experience that shows you how to use Ableton Live on stage, so that you can confidently perform and spend less time preparing.

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#mainstage #ableton #mainstagesync

[fromstudiotostage]

**Want to get access to the MainStage Program Cues file I use in this video? Start a 7-day free trial today, download the cues for free, and learn how to use Ableton Live on stage. **

[KID]

Yo! this is a great video, congrats! i just have a quick question: what's the name of the hub that you have connected to each laptop? Thanks 🙏

[lorenzowoodmusic]

You can also do it without an ethernet cable. All you gotta do is make sure the computers are on the same network, and set everything else up the same.

[soundslikemichaelofficial]

I'm using Ableton and MainStage 3 on the same laptop (IAC Driver). I can see the MIDI note sends showing up in the MainStage display, but no program change is happening when I play from Ableton. The "tempo" change is working however. What am I missing?

[shannonhughes]

Are you limited to one Ableton track pointing to Mainstage or can multiple tracks be setup accepting different MIDI from (say two keyboards)

[lmusic]

how about controlling mainstage from Ableton on the same machine

[grandprimet.v]

I have two keyboard rig set up on mainstage when I click the next scene on ableton to the next mainstage program all the sounds change why is that happening?

[richardhecht]

Nice, does that work, if MainStage and Ableton runs on the same computer?

[mutechoir]

What if one of your interfaces doesn’t have midi or Ethernet? (Apollo 8) can I just plug an Ethernet cable into the built in USB hub on my 2 macs using a usb adaptor and achieve the same thing?

[David]

I tried this and it doesn't work for me. While Mainstage's tempo does sync with Ableton's tempo, Mainstage doesn't sync with Ableton's one count. In fact, no beats perfectly line up, even when I adjust sync delay. If I restart the click, they match tempo but lose sync. I'm connecting the computers via ethernet. Any ideas?

[kevinsardon]

I was able to synchronize the tempo in both programs, but I can not make it work by creating a midi channel and controlling by changing the program value, nothing happens when the midi track starts. What can it be?

[jacobjohnson]

But can this be done on the same Mac???

[Indreiuflorin]

If the tracks are on a laptop with Windows, not macOS, can this be done?

[David]

Does this mean Mainstage's clock is perfectly in time with Ableton's clock? Meaning... I could play Ableton's & Mainstage's click together and they would perfectly be in sync?

[jonnathanfalcon]

I like that multi port. How can I buy it?

[pcharming]

The 6:40 deal where you map sounds exactly where you need them only works if you are playing a single song vs a live set.