mainstageApple today released MainStage 2.2.1 [Mac App Store], an update to the company's software for bringing virtual instruments and effects to live performances. According to the full release notes, the update addresses sixteen separate issues, with the company highlighting the following:

The MainStage 2.2.1 update addresses overall stability and performance issues including:

- Resolves several issues related to the download and installation of basic and additional content
- Addresses a stability issue that could cause MainStage to hang during startup while initializing MIDI
- Fixes issues that improve CPU performance and latency, particularly when using the Playback plug-in
- Resolves an issue that prevented stereo audio input from working as expected
- Fixes a problem that blocked sidechain input for plug-ins

MainStage is a 302 MB download from the Mac App Store and is priced at $29.99, although the 2.2.1 update is of course free for current MainStage 2.2 users. Formerly a component of the Logic Studio suite, Apple moved MainStage (and Logic Pro) to the Mac App Store last December.

Top Rated Comments

Orcasound Avatar
169 months ago
I paid $500.00 for Logic 9 / As a music professional - I'm not upset at Apple.
I also paid full price for PT10, and DP7 .... Its an investment in tools for my trade.

It was rather clear that Soundtrack Pro was headed to the morgue, Waveburner's going bye bye and will be incorporated into Logic 10. - And that Mainstage was being split out as well - All this was out there on the streets in September.
It was also well stated by many that Apple was doing away the boxed products - Logic was the real holdout. When Apple moved Logic to the AppStore - again they made it clear that Mainstage was being broken out -
and being sold separately....

Certainly Logic9 and MS users had a much easier road paying $30 for the new MS updated version - Avid royally screwed many/most of their "pro" users with upgrade prices ranging from $200-$5000 / to get out of outdated HD hardware and into PT10 and subsequent PT11/64bit -

The release of Logic 9 on the app store and the subsequent removal of Soundtrack Pro and Waveburner - along with the split of MainStage signifies that Apple is streamlining, pushing forward and getting ready (very quickly, I'll add) for Logic Pro 10.

Apple dropping the price to$199.. - simply a business move - they've gained thousands of users - who in tears and with maxed out credit cards - couldn't pay Avid's upgrade path... to get to 10, and 11... and etc. / There were major out lashes at AVID in Oct and Nov of 2011. - Apple sat back - waited - and then dropped the price to $199.00 / Basically making it a no brainer buy - the user base has grown drastically in the last three months -

Re the comment regarding - "who's hands are in the making of the new Logic.."
The Emagic/Logic team at Apple Gmbh have their hands on it - Cupertino does little more than sign off on it.
They are alive and very well... Gerhard's in CA and he gave Steve his garageband... Logic IS NOT dumbed down - Matter of fact - 10 will blow your mind - and certainly have the Avid boys hiding behind their outdated HD rigs... I believe that Logic Pro 10 is the release that will put Apple in the driver's seat.

I think March is gonna be a good month.... LP10 will not have a 32 bridge - 64bit only. Waves is moving 64bit this month with V9 - Get ready ...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
John.B Avatar
169 months ago
Whoa whoa whoa.

What the hell is this?

MainStage "2.2" is a PAID UPGRADE for users who spent $500 for the boxed copy?

Seriously?

FIVE HUNDRED dollars, and because there's no easy way to upgrade stuff that wasn't purchased through the App Store (that is, Apple is too lazy to implement a system where you can buy the MAS version of an app for free if you already own it externally)- I have to pay another $30 for something I ALREADY OWN just to get a minor version bump, and other critical bug fixes?

Let me guess, when Logic 9.2 hits, I'll have to pay another TWO HUNDRED ($200) dollars just to get THAT upgrade as well?

I really don't mind paying for major updates. Truly I don't. Logic 7, Logic 8, Logic 9. Bought them all.

However, if Apple is going to nail me $30 (for Mainstage, or even $200 for Logic Pro) for MINOR upgrades that fix CRITICAL bugs, then **** this ****. This platform is dead. I don't have time for this crap, I bought into Apple because the platform was stable and reliable. I don't give a flying **** about the Mac App Store, but apparently Apple does enough to try and penny/nickel me to death all because they don't give a **** about the users who paid for the boxed version of their software, and offer no suitable upgrade path to the MAS versions.

This is out of control. Apple is out of control.

How is anyone supposed to invest in a platform that treats it's users like this? I know the idiot masses will, because they don't know any better. But what about professionals? Oh, right, I'm sure Apple is going to take care of us with Logic 10, and by that, I mean they'll just target youtubers who think it's hilarious to re-live that scene from Freddy got Fingered ("Daddy want a sausage?") on their $50 M-Audio keyboards.

-SC
So. Much. Angst.

You bought into this platform at the $500 level, and when they lower the buy-in price to the old upgrade prince range, you have a cow about having MainStage be spun off as a separate $30 App Store product (that most Logic owners never use)? Your rant seems completely out of proportion to the problem.

OBTW, Garageband is already a great platform for "youtubers ... on their $50 M-Audio keyboards". Though I have to ask: Is it tough to be born into such greatness, but have to live in this world full of amateurs?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OS X Dude Avatar
169 months ago
Apple is out of control.
Didn't want to quote all of your post, but I totally agree with you mate. Avid has already made huge grounds in taking the video professionals from Apple (thanks to their infamous cockup of FCX), and we in the professional audio sector seem to be their next target.

Sadly, it seems Apple is letting them take us!

----------



I'm selling swist proof knickers for $29.98

I'll sell you the minor-updated App Store exclusive versions for £5.99 after you've bought your boxed copy ;)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ScottishCaptain Avatar
169 months ago
Whoa whoa whoa.

What the hell is this?

MainStage "2.2" is a PAID UPGRADE for users who spent $500 for the boxed copy?

Seriously?

FIVE HUNDRED dollars, and because there's no easy way to upgrade stuff that wasn't purchased through the App Store (that is, Apple is too lazy to implement a system where you can buy the MAS version of an app for free if you already own it externally)- I have to pay another $30 for something I ALREADY OWN just to get a minor version bump, and other critical bug fixes?

Let me guess, when Logic 9.2 hits, I'll have to pay another TWO HUNDRED ($200) dollars just to get THAT upgrade as well?

I really don't mind paying for major updates. Truly I don't. Logic 7, Logic 8, Logic 9. Bought them all.

However, if Apple is going to nail me $30 (for Mainstage, or even $200 for Logic Pro) for MINOR upgrades that fix CRITICAL bugs, then **** this ****. This platform is dead. I don't have time for this crap, I bought into Apple because the platform was stable and reliable. I don't give a flying **** about the Mac App Store, but apparently Apple does enough to try and penny/nickel me to death all because they don't give a **** about the users who paid for the boxed version of their software, and offer no suitable upgrade path to the MAS versions.

This is out of control. Apple is out of control.

How is anyone supposed to invest in a platform that treats it's users like this? I know the idiot masses will, because they don't know any better. But what about professionals? Oh, right, I'm sure Apple is going to take care of us with Logic 10, and by that, I mean they'll just target youtubers who think it's hilarious to re-live that scene from Freddy got Fingered ("Daddy want a sausage?") on their $50 M-Audio keyboards.

-SC
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fredoviola Avatar
167 months ago
It's only a free upgrade if you bought Mainstage for $29 from the Mac App Store.

Funny, though, that people who feel so incredibly ripped off at having to spend $29 can so easily dismiss "$50 M-Audio keyboards"...


Is their support/FAQ page wrong?

http://www.abbeyroadplugins.com/support.aspx

Yes, what they have written there is wrong. I had a long back and forth with one of the tech staff and his last word was that Brilliance Pack does in fact fail installation, and in order to get it to POSSIBLY work you have to load it in an unorthodox way. He said they are working on fixing and could not offer a date as to when it would be completed.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OS X Dude Avatar
168 months ago
Following my email to Apple about MainStage on the MAS not being free for Logic Studio owners, I received a call today from an Apple representative.

Long story short, they're investigating why it's a paid-for program in it's own right (and not a free update for current owners), and get back to me in a couple of days with an answer. The guy was neutral, but one can hope they do release it as an update as a result of a valid customer complaint (I also linked to this thread in the email).

Glass half-full, right?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18

Apple Expected to Release iOS 18.3 Next Week With These New Features

Thursday January 23, 2025 6:41 am PST by
iOS 18.3 should be released to the public next week, following beta testing since mid-December. While the software update is a relatively minor one, it still includes a handful of new features, changes, and bug fixes for iPhones. Below, we recap everything new in iOS 18.3. Notification Summary Changes Examples of inaccurate Apple Intelligence notification summaries Apple Intelligence...
iOS 18

5 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.3

Friday January 24, 2025 1:55 am PST by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.3 next week, bringing further refinements to Apple Intelligence features, a couple of neat new capabilities to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 devices, and bug fixes. While not quite as packed with new features as Apple's preceding iOS 18 point releases, iOS 18.3 still introduces capabilities that aim to make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive. Below, we've...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Beta Coming Soon With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday January 24, 2025 8:16 am PST by
iOS 18.3 is expected to be widely released next week, and that means the first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner. Apple has previously implied that iOS 18.4 will be released in April, as that is when it promised to make Apple Intelligence available in even more languages. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri ...
Apple Pay Walmart Feature

Walmart Stands Firm on Why It Doesn't Accept Apple Pay in the U.S.

Thursday January 23, 2025 7:32 am PST by
Walmart still does not accept Apple Pay or other NFC payments at its more than 4,600 stores across the U.S., and it stood firm on its reasoning for that today. A spokesperson for Walmart today informed MacRumors that its position on contactless payments has not changed since we last reached out about the matter in 2022. The big-box retailer said it remains focused on its own convenient...
apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Launching This Year With These New Features

Wednesday January 22, 2025 6:01 pm PST by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year. In this article, we recap rumored features and changes for the device. The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports Wi-Fi 6E, which would be an upgrade over the current Apple TV's standard Wi-Fi 6 support. Wi-Fi 6E extends the...
iOS 18

Here Are Apple's Full Release Notes for iOS 18.3

Tuesday January 21, 2025 4:31 pm PST by
Apple provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 18.3 today, and with it comes release notes confirming what's new. While we knew about several of the features that are in the update, there are some lesser known tweaks and bug fixes. The update adds new Visual Intelligence features for iPhone 16 models, it tweaks Notification summaries on all...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Horizontal Single Feature

Kuo: iPhone 17 Models Won't Have Smaller Dynamic Island

Friday January 24, 2025 9:09 am PST by
The upcoming iPhone 17 models that Apple plans to release this year will not feature a smaller Dynamic Island, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today. On social media, he said that he is expecting the size of the Dynamic Island to remain "largely unchanged" across the iPhone 17 lineup. His statement is contrary to prior rumors that we've heard about planned changes for the iPhone 17 models. ...
iPhone 16 Apple Store Levels

Gurman: Apple Stores Receiving 'Merchandise' Updates Next Week

Saturday January 25, 2025 5:07 pm PST by
Apple's retail stores will be rolling out "merchandise/floor marketing updates" next week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman did not explicitly say if the store updates are related to any upcoming product announcements, but he did mention that next week is around the time that Apple rolls out its annual Black Unity watch band for the Apple Watch. In each of the past four years, ...
apple power beats pro 2

Apple's First Product Announcement of 2025 is Imminent

Thursday January 23, 2025 2:48 pm PST by
It's also time for Apple's first product announcement of the year. Last year, Apple said it would be launching Powerbeats Pro 2 in 2025, and the wireless earbuds are expected to launch very soon. Powerbeats Pro 2 images found in iOS 18 code In his Power On newsletter last weekend, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the Powerbeats Pro 2 are "due imminently." In addition to Apple filing the...