I’ve been interested in finding a MainStage alternative for Windows. Not because I want to run Windows, but because I like to know what all of the options are. Gig Performer shows up in a lot of lists as a MainStage competitor, so I had a look.
I have no idea why Gig Performer is pitched as a MainStage competitor, because it flat out isn’t. Read the next line carefully:
It comes with no instruments!
It allows you to use whatever plugin instruments you’ve already bought. You bring in all those plugins and it gives you a shell with a lot of features. So in order to make Gig Performer work like MainStage, you’re going to need a LOT of plugins. So it’s not a competitor, directly. It allows you to build a system that would be a competitor. Get a couple of samplers, a bunch of drum machines, tons of outboard plugins, something that can do what Alchemy can do, etc and so on. Once you’re done, you could build a better system than $39 MainStage, but you will have spent a lot of money.
But MainStage can also accomodate additional plugins. So… what’s the point of Gig Performer, you ask? It runs on Windows. That’s the biggest point.
I’m just disappointed that, out of the box, it does nothing. I’m also disappointed in the Gig Performer website. The home page has quotes from users complaining that MainStage is too “hard” and “unreliable.” Really? I’ve never managed to crash it using built in instruments. Tons of pros tour with it. It’s super easy to use and super reliable. That’s like saying McDonalds doesn’t have enough locations. I’d have marketed that product a totally different way.
And then there’s the product comparison table that neglects to mention that MainStage comes with everything you need (in terms of instruments and drum machines) and Gig Performer comes with nothing you need.
I’m disappointed. The search for a MainStage competitor on Windows continues.