MainStage With Logic Remote

[paulnajar]

This topic gets touched on in some other threads but I felt it deserved its own thread since I'm have a very specific issue and need help from the brains trust.

 

Logic Remote (LR) works well with mainstage 3.0.3 just as long as they are both on the same network. The mac can be wired or wireless and it works. The iPad of course can only join the network wirelessly. Currently there's no provision to have the two talk via a USB cable. OK so most with any interest will know this already.

 

Where this "wireless only" approach gets problematic is when you're at a gig and there is no local network to bridge the communication.

 

So apple claim you can create an ad hoc network on the mac, connect the ipad to this and LR will talk to mainstage. It does work. I've done it. The same is true if you connect the two via Bluetooth. This works as well. But - and it's a big but, this device to device style of connection seems only to work AFTER you've made the connection via a regular LAN first. Once this has been done you can move to the ad hoc style of connection and it will work.

 

But for me at least it won't work if you get to the gig, boot up the laptop and then try to make a straight ad hoc connection from scratch. Not via wifi or via Bluetooth. To make this work I figured a workaround. I connect both mac and ipad to my iphone personal hotspot and this makes them see each other. Once this has been done you can go ahead and remove the phone from the equation set up the ad hoc network and it will keep working.

 

I am guessing that my issue has something to do with network settings either ipad, mac or both but I don't know enough about it.

 

Your experiences in getting this working would be much appreciated.

 

Kind regards

[paulnajar]

So I think I've figured this thing out for myself without using any additional hardware or "pre connecting" to a standard LAN before going ad hoc.

 

On the mac turn wifi on and create a network then go into network preferences and go to the tcpip page. Change the "uses DHCP" to manually. This allows you to enter you own values into the address and other fields.

 

create the address as something like 10.1.1.2. Set subnet mask to 255.255.255.0. Set router field to 10.1.1.1. Then move to the DNS tab of the network preferences and also enter 10.1.1.1. Click OK and then click Apply.

 

Then on the iPad connect to the ad hoc network you just created on the mac. Go into ipad settings/ wifi and make sure it's connected to the correct network. Once it is click the "I" next to the wifi network name. In there set the same setting values for subnet mask, router and DNS that you set on the mac but in the IP Address field enter 10.1.1.3. Then close out of settings.

 

launch MainStage on the mac. Wait for the concert to load. Launch Logic Remote on iPad and it should then see Mainstage and you can select it and connect. Done.

 

Its important to not launch mainstage or logic remote until all network settings have been made.

 

On the ipad you only need to make the settings once and it will remember them for each time it connects to the same network.

 

On the mac you can make a network location preset and call it something like logic remote etc. By doing this you only need to select that location each time you boot the mac, create the network and you're done.

[Ashville.Guru]

Glad you sorted it out, Paul...

 

So if I understand correctly, each time you boot up the Mac on stage you need to select the ad-hoc network, right?

 

- Guru

[keyman27]

Logic Remote only works with iPad, is that correct? I'm looking for an app for my iPhone with some of the same functions.

[Jazzed]

keyman27: try TouchOSC. It's not the same thing, as in a specialised MainStage controller that automatically knows your MainStage patches, but a general customisable MIDI control surface than you can use to achieve some of the control (with way more prep work of course...you'll have to make sure to configure unique patch numbers for all your MainStage patches and what not).

 

Paulnajar: So basically, there's a bug in Logic Remote where it cannot connect over an ad-hoc network with the autoconfigured 169.254.*.* type IP block? This shouldn't be inherently impossible, I'm fairly sure Omni TR can connect in this situation. I'm going to play with this later.

[paulnajar]

Sorry for the slow response guys. I have not mastered how to get this forum to email me when there is a reply to a thread!

 

Ashville, yes each time you boot the mac you need to crate a network. The option is in the wifi menu.

 

Keyman, Logic remote is only for the ipad. As jazzed said, TouchOSC is a good choice for iPhone and mainstage. It's way more configurable. I've tried it using core midi over wireless and it works well but the latency is greater than logic remote.

 

Kind regards

[Ashville.Guru]

@PaulNajar: Batch scripts are your friend. My Win laptop is always on ad-hoc mode, so TouchOSC on my Android phone/tablet can find it instantly. I mention it in this thread, because ironically, I use Apple's Bonjour service to connect my devices - neither of which is by Apple...!

 

Which is why I'm pretty sure the same can be done with Mainstage and Logic. I now have rock-solid and reliable connection, which is stable even after waking the laptop from sleep.

 

@keyman: this thread might be useful. TouchOSC supports bidirectional communication, so I have my patch names and whatever else I like showing up in the display.

 

- Guru