Mastering Sustain & Expression Pedals in MainStage: The Ultimate Guide

Updated at: 04/06/2025

MainStage, Apple's powerful digital audio workstation, offers unparalleled control over your instruments and effects. But truly unlocking its potential hinges on mastering the often-overlooked yet incredibly expressive sustain and expression pedals. These simple devices can transform your performances, adding nuance, depth, and a level of dynamic control beyond the capabilities of your keyboard alone. From subtle vibrato to dramatic swells and everything in between, these pedals are key to crafting truly captivating soundscapes. They are instrumental in achieving a professional, polished performance, allowing for a level of artistry that simply isn't possible without their effective use.

This ultimate guide will delve into every aspect of integrating and harnessing the power of sustain and expression pedals within MainStage. We’ll walk you through a step-by-step process, showing you exactly how to set them up, assign controls, and ultimately, use them to elevate your musical performance to new heights. Prepare to unlock a world of expressive possibilities and transform your MainStage experience.

Preparation and Safety Guidelines

Tools Needed
Safety Guidelines
  • Always ensure your sustain pedal is properly connected to your MIDI interface and configured correctly within MainStage. Incorrect configuration can lead to unexpected behavior or no response.
  • Experiment with different sustain pedal types (e.g., half-damper pedals) and explore MainStage's settings to fine-tune the responsiveness and sensitivity to your playing style. The default settings may not be optimal for everyone.
  • Avoid abrupt or jerky movements with expression pedals. Smooth and gradual changes yield the best results for nuanced control and prevent unwanted jumps or glitches in your sound.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Connect Sustain Pedal

    • Connect the sustain pedal to the 'Sustain' or 'Sus' port on your MIDI controller using a 1/4 inch jack.

  2. Set up Sustain Pedal in MainStage

    • In MainStage, go to Layout mode. Drag the 'Sustain Pedal' control from the Screen Controls palette (All Controls) into your workspace.
    • Click the 'Assign' button, then press your physical sustain pedal. A light should illuminate, indicating a successful connection.
    • In Edit mode, highlight the sustain pedal, go to 'Send to All', then select your keyboard destination. Scroll down to control number 64 (Sustain).
    In Edit mode, highlight the sustain pedal, go to 'Send to All', then select your keyboard destination. Scroll down to control number 64 (Sustain).In Edit mode, highlight the sustain pedal, go to 'Send to All', then select your keyboard destination. Scroll down to control number 64 (Sustain).In Edit mode, highlight the sustain pedal, go to 'Send to All', then select your keyboard destination. Scroll down to control number 64 (Sustain).
    Set up Sustain Pedal in MainStage

  3. Connect Expression Pedal

    • Connect the expression pedal to the 'Expression' or 'Volume' port on your MIDI controller.

  4. Set up Expression Pedal in MainStage

    • In MainStage, drag the 'Foot Pedal' control from the Screen Controls palette (All Controls) into your workspace. Assign it by moving the physical pedal.
    • In Edit mode, adjust the pedal's range (minimum and maximum values) in the 'Send to All' settings to fine-tune its response.
    In Edit mode, adjust the pedal's range (minimum and maximum values) in the 'Send to All' settings to fine-tune its response.In Edit mode, adjust the pedal's range (minimum and maximum values) in the 'Send to All' settings to fine-tune its response.
    Set up Expression Pedal in MainStage

Read more: Increase Expression Pedal Sensitivity: Ultimate Guide

Tips

  • Troubleshooting Polarity Issues: Method 2 - Use a pedal with a polarity switch. This is the most reliable method.
  • Advanced Usage: Expression Pedal can control parameters beyond volume (e.g., channel EQ high-cut frequency).
  • Advanced Usage: Configure the sustain pedal to act as a patch advance button using the 'Actions' area in the sustain pedal settings.
  • Advanced Usage: Block sustain pedal functionality on specific channels or instruments by using the 'MIDI Input' settings and filtering the sustain message (control number).

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Incorrect Pedal Assignment

Reason: The sustain or expression pedal is not correctly assigned to the appropriate controller in MainStage, resulting in no response or unexpected behavior.
Solution: Verify the correct MIDI controller assignment in MainStage's Control Surfaces settings and ensure the pedal is properly connected.

2. Ignoring Pedal Calibration

Reason: The pedal's range isn't calibrated within MainStage, leading to inconsistent volume changes or effect modulation that doesn't work effectively across the entire pedal range.
Solution: Calibrate the pedal's minimum and maximum values in MainStage's Control Surfaces settings to match the pedal's physical range.

FAQs

My sustain pedal isn't working in MainStage. What should I do?
First, ensure your sustain pedal is properly connected to your MIDI interface and that the interface is correctly connected to your computer. In MainStage, check your MIDI assignments in the Instrument's settings to confirm the sustain pedal is correctly assigned to the sustain parameter of your instrument or effect. If using a virtual instrument, ensure it's properly configured to respond to MIDI sustain messages. Lastly, try a different MIDI channel or different sustain pedal to rule out hardware issues.
How can I use an expression pedal to control multiple parameters simultaneously?
MainStage allows for powerful MIDI mapping. You can use the 'Learn' function to assign an expression pedal to multiple parameters within a single instrument or across multiple instruments. Alternatively, you can use a dedicated MIDI controller or a third-party plugin to create more complex control mappings. Remember to carefully adjust the ranges for each parameter to avoid unintended results.