MainStage User Guide
- Welcome
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- Overview of Edit mode
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- Select patches and sets in the Patch List
- Copy, paste, and delete patches
- Reorder and move patches in the Patch List
- Add and rename patches
- Create a patch from several patches
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- Overview of the Patch Settings Inspector
- Select patch settings in the Patch Library
- Set the time signature for patches
- Change the tempo when you select a patch
- Set program change and bank numbers
- Defer patch changes
- Instantly silence the previous patch
- Change patch icons
- Transpose the pitch of incoming notes for a patch
- Change the tuning for a patch
- Add text notes to a patch
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- Overview of channel strips
- Add a channel strip
- Change a channel strip setting
- Configure channel strip components
- Show signal flow channel strips
- Hide the metronome channel strip
- Create an alias of a channel strip
- Add a patch bus
- Set channel strip pan or balance positions
- Set channel strip volume levels
- Mute and solo channel strips
- Use multiple instrument outputs
- Use external MIDI instruments
- Reorganize channel strips
- Delete channel strips
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- Overview of the Channel Strip Inspector
- Choose channel strip settings
- Rename channel strips
- Change channel strip colors
- Change channel strip icons
- Use feedback protection with channel strips
- Set keyboard input for a software instrument channel strip
- Transpose individual software instruments
- Filter MIDI messages
- Scale channel strip velocity
- Set channel strips to ignore Hermode tuning
- Override concert- and set-level key ranges
- Add text notes to a channel strip in the Channel Strip Inspector
- Route audio via send effects
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- Screen Control Inspector overview
- Replace parameter labels
- Choose custom colors for screen controls
- Change background or grouped screen control appearance
- Set screen controls to show the hardware value
- Set parameter change behavior for screen controls
- Set hardware matching behavior for screen controls
- Reset and compare changes to a patch
- Override concert- and set-level mappings
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- Overview of mapping screen controls
- Map to channel strip and plug-in parameters
- Map screen controls to actions
- Map a screen control to multiple parameters
- Use screen controls to display PDF document pages
- Edit the saved value for a mapped parameter
- Set drum pads or buttons to use note velocity
- Map screen controls to all channel strips in a patch
- Undo screen control parameter mappings
- Remove screen control mappings
- Work with graphs
- Create controller transforms
- Share patches and sets between concerts
- Record the audio output of a concert
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- Overview of concerts
- Create a concert
- Open and close concerts
- Save concerts
- How saving affects parameter values
- Clean up concerts
- Consolidate assets in a concert
- Rename the current concert
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- Overview of the Concert Settings Inspector
- Set MIDI Routing to channel strips
- Transpose incoming note pitch for a concert
- Define the program change message source
- Send unused program changes to channel strips
- Set the time signature for a concert
- Change the tuning for a concert
- Set the pan law for a concert
- Add text notes to a concert
- Control the metronome
- Silence MIDI notes
- Mute audio output
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- Layout mode overview
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- Screen control parameter editing overview
- Lift and stamp screen control parameters
- Reset screen control parameters
- Common screen control parameters
- Keyboard screen control parameters
- MIDI activity screen control parameters
- Drum pad screen control parameters
- Waveform screen control parameters
- Selector screen control parameters
- Text screen control parameters
- Background screen control parameters
- How MainStage passes through MIDI messages
- Export and import layouts
- Change the aspect ratio of a layout
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- Before performing live
- Use Perform mode
- Screen controls in performance
- Tempo changes during performance
- Tips for performing with keyboard controllers
- Tips for performing with guitars and other instruments
- Tune guitars and other instruments with the Tuner
- The Playback plug-in in performance
- Record your performances
- After the performance
- Tips for complex hardware setups
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- Overview of keyboard shortcuts and command sets
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- Concerts and layouts keyboard shortcuts
- Patches and sets (Edit mode) keyboard shortcuts
- Editing keyboard shortcuts
- Actions keyboard shortcuts
- Parameter mapping (Edit mode) keyboard shortcuts
- Channel strips (Edit mode) keyboard shortcuts
- Screen controls (Layout mode) keyboard shortcuts
- Perform in Full Screen keyboard shortcuts
- Window and view keyboard shortcuts
- Help and support keyboard shortcuts
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- Use MIDI plug-ins
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- Arpeggiator overview
- Arpeggiator control parameters
- Note order parameters overview
- Note order variations
- Note order inversions
- Arpeggiator pattern parameters overview
- Use Live mode
- Use Grid mode
- Arpeggiator options parameters
- Arpeggiator keyboard parameters
- Use keyboard parameters
- Assign controllers
- Modifier controls
- Note Repeater controls
- Randomizer controls
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- Use Scripter
- Use the Script Editor
- Scripter API overview
- MIDI processing functions overview
- HandleMIDI function
- ProcessMIDI function
- GetParameter function
- SetParameter function
- ParameterChanged function
- Reset function
- JavaScript objects overview
- Use the JavaScript Event object
- Use the JavaScript TimingInfo object
- Use the Trace object
- Use the MIDI event beatPos property
- Use the JavaScript MIDI object
- Create Scripter controls
- Transposer controls
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- Alchemy overview
- Alchemy interface overview
- Alchemy Name bar
- Alchemy file locations
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- Alchemy source overview
- Source master controls
- Import browser
- Source subpage controls
- Source filter controls
- Source filter use tips
- Source elements overview
- Additive element controls
- Additive element effects
- Spectral element controls
- Spectral element effects
- Pitch correction controls
- Formant filter controls
- Granular element controls
- Sampler element controls
- VA element controls
- Source modulations
- Morph controls
- Alchemy master voice section
- Alchemy Extended parameters
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- Playback plug-in overview
- Add a Playback plug-in
- Playback interface
- Use the Playback waveform display
- Playback transport and function buttons
- Playback information display
- Playback Sync, Snap To, and Play From parameters
- Use the Playback group functions
- Use the Playback Action menu and File field
- Use markers with the Playback plug-in
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- Sample Alchemy overview
- Interface overview
- Add source material
- Edit mode
- Play modes
- Source overview
- Synthesis modes
- Granular controls
- Additive effects
- Additive effect controls
- Spectral effect
- Spectral effect controls
- Filter module
- Low and highpass filter
- Comb PM filter
- Downsampler filter
- FM filter
- Envelope generators
- Mod Matrix
- Modulation routing
- Motion mode
- Trim mode
- More menu
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- Sculpture overview
- Sculpture interface
- Global parameters
- Amplitude envelope parameters
- Use the Waveshaper
- Filter parameters
- Output parameters
- Define MIDI controllers
- Extended parameters
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- Copyright
Load and save Sampler instruments in MainStage
A sampler instrument is the file type that is loaded into Sampler with the plug-in Settings pop-up menu. When you choose a sampler instrument, the associated audio files are automatically located on the hard disk (or disks) and are loaded into your computer’s RAM.
Load an instrument from the plug-in Settings pop-up menu
In the MainStage Sampler plug-in header, click the plug-in Settings pop-up menu.
Browse to the instrument family, App Presets, or other folder, then choose the sampler instrument you want to play or edit.
Load the next or previous instrument in your sampler instrument library
In MainStage, do one of the following:
In the plug-in header, click the Previous and Next buttons (the arrows).
Use the Previous Instrument or Next Instrument key command.
If Sampler is in focus, you can also use the following key commands:
Previous Plug-in Setting or Instrument
Previous Channel Strip or Plug-in Setting or Instrument
Next Plug-in Setting or Instrument
Next Channel Strip or Plug-in Setting or Instrument
Tip: You can also browse through your sampler instruments by using your MIDI keyboard. You can assign a MIDI event, such as a MIDI note, control change, or program change to select the previous or next sampler instrument in Sampler settings.
Filter the instrument display in the plug-in Settings pop-up menu
You can use a keyword filter to restrict the plug-in Settings pop-up menu to show only instruments that contain your search term.
In the MainStage Sampler plug-in header, click the plug-in Settings pop-up menu.
Choose Search Filter…
A text entry dialog opens.
Enter your search term, then click OK or press Return. Enter “bass” to try this.
The Settings pop-up menu now displays only instruments that contain your search term.
Click the Settings pop-up menu, then browse to the instrument family, App Presets, or other folder, and choose the sampler instrument you want to play or edit.
Click Clear Search Filter to show all instruments in the Settings pop-up menu.
Open Quick Sampler settings with Sampler
In MainStage, do one of the following:
Choose the Quick Sampler setting name from the Sampler plug-in Settings pop-up menu. Use the Load menu item to browse to the default location: ~/Music/Audio Music Apps/Plug-In Settings/Quick Sampler.
The Quick Sampler sound is loaded as a group containing one or more zones. You can now edit, process, and handle the content as you would with any group or zone.
Choose Sampler from the Instrument pop-up menu on an instrument channel strip that contains a Quick Sampler instance.
This replaces Quick Sampler with Sampler on the channel strip, and the sound is automatically loaded as a group containing one or more zones.
Important: You cannot open a Sampler setting with Quick Sampler.
Save a sampler instrument
In MainStage, you can access all basic sampler instrument file operations using the commands in the plug-in Settings pop-up menu.
Save: Saves the currently loaded sampler instrument. When you create a new instrument and save it for the first time, you are asked to provide a name. If you have edited an existing sampler instrument and use this command, Sampler uses the existing filename and overwrites the original instrument. You can also use the Save Instrument key command.
Save As: Saves the currently loaded sampler instrument, but you are prompted to provide a different filename. Use this command when you want to save a copy or multiple versions of an edited sampler instrument, rather than overwriting the original version. Like the Save A Copy As command, this command may be useful when you want to save a Sampler setting (including audio data) that is unique to a specific project. Storing this in a location outside of the App Presets library or user folders may also be practical for sharing a copy of your Sampler setting (with or without audio data) with a colleague or friend.
In the Finder window, you can:
Browse to any folder location or create a new folder.
Click the “Save with audio data” checkbox to duplicate the samples and place them in a folder named after the Sampler setting file.
For example, the save location is the default User Library, the instrument files (.exs) are placed in the Sampler Instruments folder. The audio files are placed in a subfolder named after the plug-in setting. This subfolder is placed in a Samples folder. The original audio files are not touched or moved.
Save A Copy As: Saves a copy of the currently loaded sampler instrument. You are prompted to provide a different filename. Use this command when you want to save a copy or multiple versions of an edited sampler instrument, rather than overwriting the original version.
In the Finder window, you can:
Browse to any folder location or create a new folder.
Click the “Save A Copy with audio data” checkbox to duplicate the samples and place them in a folder named after the Sampler setting file.
For example, the save location is the default User Library, the instrument files (.exs) are placed in the Sampler Instruments folder. The audio files are placed in a subfolder named after the plug-in setting. This subfolder is placed in a Samples folder. The original audio files are not touched or moved.
Save As Default: Saves the currently loaded sampler instrument as the default instrument. This instrument serves as a template for future sampler instruments and is used when you create a new instrument. It is also used when you choose the Recall Default command in the plug-in Settings pop-up menu.