Tracktion have announced the launch of a new standalone plug-in host and setlist manager aimed at live keyboard players. Available for both Mac and Windows systems, StageBox makes it simple to transfer instruments and effects setups from a studio session to a live show.
The application has been created by Matt Robertson, a three-time Grammy-nominated composer, musical director and software developer. In the studio, he has contributed to records by The Prodigy, Lamb, Dido, Emiliana Torrini and Anoushka Shankar, while his Musical Director credits include live shows for the likes of Björk, Anohni, Arca, The Cinematic Orchestra and Ellie Goulding.
Users are able to host virtual instruments and effects — StageBox supports VST3 and AU plug-ins — and can take advantage of flexible audio routing and MIDI mapping control. Groups of plug-ins are stored as Sounds, which can then be linked to Songs, which in turn can be arranged into Setlists. Setlists can be saved and recalled with just a few clicks, and Sounds, Songs and Setlists can be adjusted on the fly, giving performers the flexibility to adapt their rig to suit a specific venue or show.
As StageBox has been built specifically for live performances, it offers some significant benefits when compared to using a conventional DAW. Routing and MIDI mapping setups can be stored on a per-Song basis, for example, making it easy to quickly switch between different configurations, and the software has been designed to be as light on system resources as possible.
“After spending years on the road with touring musicians, I had the realisation that some of the tools used in live show environments are not specifically made for the job in hand. So I set out to make software that is targeted directly at solving the problems encountered in live music performance.” - Matt Robertson
Compatibility
StageBox is supported on PCs running Windows 10 or above, and Macs running macOS 13 and higher. It is capable of hosting VST3 and AU plug-ins.
Pricing & Availability
StageBox is available now, and is being offered at an introductory price of $89 until 13 April 2025, when it will increase to its full cost of $129.
