I love to go deep with Mainstage, but I forget that sometimes the most basic tasks are the hardest to find answers for online. So today I thought I’d cover how to create a basic layer in Mainstage.

1. Open Mainstage. Select the keyboard template (this process works with any template that includes software instruments).

2. In the channel strip window, select a piano channel strip instead of the stock electric piano channel strip.

3. Once you’ve done that, click on the “+” button in the channel strip window.

4. Select instrument, then create.

5. In the Instrument Channel Strip Inspector window at the bottom of the window, select synthesizer>pad>classic analog pad.

6. You should now see two layers, one green and one yellow, above the piano in the main window. Voila! You have a layered pad!

7. Adjust the volume, EQ, and other parameters in the Channel Strips window to get the layered sound that works best for you.