Alchemy inspector zone controls in MainStage

Source components are shown only in advanced view. Click the Advanced button to switch to advanced view, then click the A/B/C/D button to view detailed parameters for the selected source.

The source edit window is opened by clicking the Edit button on any source subpage. Click the close window icon (X) at the top right to close the window.

The source inspector is divided into three main parameter groupings: global and source parameters, group parameters, and zone parameters. See Alchemy inspector global controls in MainStage and Alchemy inspector group controls in MainStage.

Figure. Zone parameters in Main source edit window.

Inspector zone parameters

Add Zone (+) button: Open the Import browser where you can select one or multiple samples to import into zones. Newly imported samples are added to the current configuration. Each new sample results in a new zone. See Alchemy Import browser in MainStage.
Select MIDI button: Turn on to automatically select zones by playing your MIDI keyboard.
Zone name field: Displays the name of the current audio file in the selected zone. Click to open a pop-up menu where you can select other source zones.
Note: The keymap editor lets you select multiple zones simultaneously. In this case the zone name field shows Multiple to indicate a multi-zone selection. Any parameter changes are applied to all selected zones. See Alchemy keymap editor in MainStage.
Key field: Set the root key for the selected zone with the up and down arrows. The chosen note triggers playback of the sound at its original pitch. A pitched sample should ideally be mapped to a matching root key. If the root note is defined as part of the filename, the Key parameter is set accordingly when the file is imported. If the root note is not in the filename, samples are analyzed on import to calculate their original pitch and a suitable root key setting. Drag vertically in the field or use the arrows to set a value.
Learn button: Turn on to set the root key for a sample: the next MIDI note received defines the new root key. The button is automatically turned off once the root key has been learned.
Loop mode field: Open a pop-up menu with five looping options.
- None: Ignores the loop start and end points, and plays the entire sound once without looping.
- Continuous: Plays from the beginning, enters the loop region, and loops continuously in a forward direction while a note is held and during the envelope release phase.
- Sustain: Plays from the beginning, enters the loop region, loops continuously while a note is held, and exits the loop region to play the normal sound release phase.
- Forward/Back: Like Continuous, but plays the loop region alternately forward and backward.
- All: Ignores the loop start and end points, and loops the entire sound continuously.
  Note: The loop start and loop end points can be edited in the source main edit page. See Alchemy zone waveform editor in MainStage. In VA mode, a raw oscillator noise source is used rather than loopable data, so VA synthesis elements are not affected by the Loop mode setting.
Volume knob: Set the selected zone output level. This parameter is also useful for level-matching multiple selected zones.
Tune knob: Tune the zone in semitone increments.
Pan knob: Determine the left/right pan position for each zone or the left/right balance for a stereo zone.
Lo Key field: Drag vertically or use the arrows to set the lowest MIDI note that triggers the zone. Alternatively, drag the left edge of the highlighted zone in the keymap editor. See Alchemy keymap editor in MainStage.
Hi Key field: Drag vertically or use the arrows to set the highest MIDI note that triggers the zone. Alternatively, drag the right edge of the highlighted zone in the keymap editor.
Lo Vel field: Drag vertically or use the arrows to set the lowest MIDI note velocity that triggers the zone. Alternatively, drag the lower edge of the highlighted zone in the keymap editor.
Hi Vel field: Drag vertically or use the arrows to set the highest MIDI note velocity that triggers the zone. Alternatively, drag the upper edge of the highlighted zone in the keymap editor.
Zone Fade pop-up menu and field: Determine the method used to fade overlapping zones at the boundaries of key and velocity ranges. No more than two zones can be triggered simultaneously within one group, which means that crossfades can be set for zones with adjacent key ranges or for zones with adjacent velocity ranges, but not for both at the same time.
- Linear: Create a linear ramp from full amplitude to zero. This typically results in a crossfade that sounds quieter at the halfway point. Linear mode can be useful when crossfading two highly similar sounds that may reinforce one another at the halfway point of an equal-power crossfade.
- Power: Create an equal-power curved fade that is suitable for most sounds. When crossfading two sounds with a similar loudness, Power mode results in a smooth fade with the same apparent loudness at the halfway point.
Left field: Drag vertically or use the arrows to set the range of the fade for the left edge of the zone, relative to the Lo Key parameter. If Lo Key is set to C2 and Left is set to 12, the zone fades in gradually for notes with pitches between C2 and C3.
Right field: Drag vertically or use the arrows to set the range of the fade for the right edge of the zone, relative to the Hi Key parameter. If Hi Key is set to C4 and Right is set to 5, the zone fades out gradually for notes with pitches between G#4 and C5.
Bottom field: Drag vertically or use the arrows to set the range of the fade for the lower edge of the zone, relative to the Lo Vel parameter. If Lo Vel is set to 20 and Bottom is set to 15, the zone fades in gradually for notes with velocities between 20 and 35. Velocity values below 20 do not trigger the zone.
Top field: Drag vertically or use the arrows to set the range of the fade for the upper edge of the zone, relative to the Hi Vel parameter. If Hi Vel is set to 90 and Top is set to 30, the zone fades out gradually for notes with velocities between 60 and 90. Velocity values above 90 do not trigger the zone.
Note: Zone fades and overlapping zones are not compatible with morphing sources. When morphing is enabled, only one zone is triggered at a time from each morphing source (the first zone in the list), and zone fades are disabled.

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MainStage User Guide: PDF

MainStage Instruments: PDF

MainStage Effects: PDF

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