use per service or song, or normalizing the MIDI time now to learn the default destinations for probably find a sound to fit the bill without
hardware you’ll use and labelling each control your software of choice. Once you know it will having to buy any extra plugins, just dig around
with some gaff tape, making a conscious effort soon become second nature to take the extra inside MainStage, Ableton, etc.
to limit yourself (and the software) can go a long second or two to ensure that your files get way towards moving those hands back down saved where they belong.
Second, find a warm pad sound that doesn’t
to the handlebars.
ALWAYS WEAR YOUR HELMET
distract or fight with the other instruments
Along with saving files intentionally I’d like to in your band that can serve as the ‘glue’
emphasize the importance of routinely backing underneath everything. There are a million
up your work to an external hard drive or different pad sounds in the world, but when you
In my experience one of the areas that many fall cloud-based storage option. Computers get find this sound it should feel familiar, somewhat
short is in the practical logistics of using keys used and abused, transported from place to subdued, and respond well to chord changes
software. I’m talking about everyone’s favorite place, dropped, virus-infected, and more. It even at moderate to fast tempos.
topic: file organization. After you’ve taken the only takes a few minutes to backup all your time to intentionally decide on how you’ll use hard work to somewhere removed from your That’s it, folks. Those are the ‘training wheels’.
the software you choose (and have filled your computer so that if you ever have a hard drive It sounds simple (because it is) but the truth
team in on why you made those choices) take or system failure you don’t lose all that invested is that those two sounds will be a rock-solid
the time to make sure you nail the organizational time. Your future self will thank you, I promise. foundation for building everything else you
side of that plan. Consider it the digital equivalent of wearing your hope to achieve on. The best news is that you
bicycle helmet. shouldn’t have that much difficulty finding these
There’s nothing more frustrating than spending
two sounds in your software or even in your
DON’T SKIP THE TRAINING WHEELS hardware workstation keyboard.
then not being able to find that sound again the The third tip to make MainStage easier to use Once you have those sounds on-tap and ready
next time that song is scheduled. is something of an echo of the first. In a near to go you or your volunteers can begin to push
some time creating the perfect keys sound for
a song, nailing it during your weekend service,
endless stream of possibilities overwhelmed boundaries a little bit at a time, knowing that
Look folks, it’s not glamorous but it is necessary. can be hard to avoid. I’d like to encourage they can always fall back on those elements
Take some time to learn best practices for you to not just clarify how you’ll use your whenever needed.
saving and backing up your work and to software of choice from a logistical or hardware empower your volunteers to do the same. perspective, but also to identify what will serve Within MainStage specifically there are several as the foundation of your setup from a sounds/ default locations for files that the software presets perspective.
It can be easy when discussing the software
based approach to focus on the potential
designates for saved sounds, files, and projects
(called ‘Concerts’ within MainStage).
IT’S ALL PART OF THE FUN
In most worship keys context, it doesn’t take obstacles and pitfalls, but the reality is that
much to level-up the sounds available to you software will continue to be more and more
The problem is MainStage doesn’t teach you or your keys players so don’t rush from ‘only prevalent and the barriers to entry have never
where those locations are. At one point when I piano’ to ‘cutting edge techno’ unless you feel been lower than they are right now.
was getting started with MainStage I had a folder strongly that’s what you want to do.
I can’t imagine going back to an exclusively
on my desktop named simply ‘To Sort’. This
folder sat there month after month and anytime So, what do you really need? Only you can hardware-based setup. The possible hurdles
I didn’t care to be bothered with organization answer that question, but in my experience, you’ll encounter are generally easily anticipated
I’d save anything and everything to this folder. there are only a few ingredients that you have and if you move forward with intention you and
Eventually I ended up with another folder inside, to nail. These can serve as your training wheels, your keys players will be cruising down the
also named ‘To Sort’. This inception of junk your ‘when I don’t know what sounds to use I sidewalk, hands in the air, in no time.
folders cost me not minutes but hours looking can fall back on these’ home-base.
for files, sounds, and concerts that should have
been easy to find.
First, find a great acoustic piano sound that
feels responsive, has a decent dynamic range,
You can learn from my mistake and take the
and will feel familiar to most listeners. You can
April 2019
David Pfaltzgraff
Founder and Lead Sound Designer
SundaySounds.com
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