Use screen controls to display PDF document pages in MainStage

You can import a multipage PDF document into your layout and then use screen controls to select a page or turn the pages. This is useful if, for example, you want to add a PDF of sheet music or lyrics to your layout and then advance the pages as you perform. In MainStage, you import the PDF into a Background screen control.

A Patch List screen control associated with a multi-page PDF.

Add multi-page PDF documents

In order to map screen controls to turn the pages of a multipage PDF, your layout must contain at least one Background screen control with a multipage PDF selected as the image, and one Patch List screen control to act as a table of contents for your PDF. If your layout does not already contain these items, follow the steps below:

In MainStage, click the Layout button at the upper-left corner of the MainStage window (or press Command-1).
Drag one of the Patch List screen controls from the Screen Controls palette to the workspace.
In the Patch List screen control, click the list.
In the Screen Control Inspector for the Patch List screen control, select the Patch Names or Markers checkbox.
Drag a Background screen control from the Screen Controls palette to the workspace.
In the Screen Control Inspector for the Background screen control, click the Image button.
Drag your multipage PDF into the image well, or click the Select button, browse to the location of the PDF, and select it.

If you have multiple PDFs—for example, to add both a PDF of sheet music and a PDF of lyrics—repeat the steps above to add both a Patch List and Background screen control to your layout for each PDF.

Map screen controls to turn pages of a multi-page PDF

With a multipage PDF as a Background image and a dedicated Patch List screen control for that PDF, you can then map the Next Patch and Previous Patch buttons at the bottom of the Patch List to navigate from one page to the next.

In MainStage, click the Edit button at the upper-left corner of the MainStage window (or press Command-2).
Select the Patch List screen control you wish to assign to the multipage PDF.
In the Attributes tab of the Screen Control Inspector, choose Image/PDF Object 1.
All the page numbers in your multipage PDF appear in the Patch List.
Click the Next Patch button at the bottom of the Patch List screen control.
In the Attributes tab of the Screen Control Inspector, select Override Concert Mapping.
In the Unmapped tab of the Screen Control Inspector, choose Actions > Image/PDF Objects > Image/PDF Object 1.
The name of the parameter tab changes to PDF Page.
In the Range Mode pop-up menu, choose Increase Value.
Repeat steps 5 and 6 for the Previous Patch button at the bottom of the Patch List screen control.
In the Range Mode pop-up menu, choose Decrease Value.
You can now click the Next Patch and Previous Patch buttons to move forward or backward one page at a time in your multipage PDF.

If you have multiple PDFs, follow the steps above for each Patch List screen control associated with each additional PDF, incrementing the numbering—so if you have two PDFs, in your second Patch List screen control in step 3 you would choose Image/PDF object 2, and so on.

You aren’t limited to only turning pages using the Next Patch and Previous Patch buttons below the Patch List screen control. Using the Assignments & Mappings tab, you can assign any assignable screen control to increase and decrease value. For example, if you wanted larger screen buttons to turn pages, you could use Drum Pad screen controls. Or if you wanted to turn pages using your MIDI keyboard, you could assign one key on your MIDI keyboard to increase and another key to decrease page numbers. See Overview of assignments and mappings in MainStage and Map MainStage screen controls to actions for comprehensive instructions on how to assign screen controls to parameters.

Map screen controls to select a page of a multipage PDF

With a multipage PDF as a Background image and a dedicated Patch List screen control for that PDF, you can then map any screen control to select a page of the PDF by changing the patch number in the Patch List.

In MainStage, if you haven’t already associated a Patch List screen control with the multipage PDF you want to use, follow steps 1 through 3 in the previous task.
Select the screen control you want to select a page in your PDF.
In the Unmapped tab of the Screen Control Inspector, choose Actions > Image/PDF Objects > Image/PDF Object 1.
If you have multiple PDFs in your layout, use the PDF Object number for the PDF with the page you wish to select.
The name of the parameter tab changes to PDF Page.
In the Range Mode pop-up menu, choose Standard.
In the Button On and Button Off pop-up menus, choose the number of the page you wish to select.
Triggering the screen control now selects the specific numbered page in your PDF you chose in step 5.

You can assign multiple screen controls to select individual page numbers in the same PDF. You can also assign multiple screen controls to select individual page numbers in separate PDFs. Using the Assignments & Mappings tab, you can assign any screen control capable of being assigned to select a patch number to select a page in a multipage PDF. See Overview of assignments and mappings in MainStage and Map MainStage screen controls to actions for comprehensive instructions on how to assign screen controls to parameters.

Download the guides:

MainStage User Guide: PDF

MainStage Instruments: PDF

MainStage Effects: PDF

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