Use Sampler Zone view in MainStage

You can choose from three editor views in the Mapping pane: Key Mapping Editor, Group view, and Zone view. Click the buttons at the top right to switch between these editor views. The menu bar at the top of the Mapping pane contains elements that are common to all views. See Mapping pane menu bar.

You can use Zone view to: View and edit all zone parameters, organized in columns, with related parameters shown in subcolumns. The zones from one or more selected groups can be shown.

Note: The Group and Zone parameters found in the Key Mapping Editor are a subset (duplicates) of the parameters found in Zone view. A change to a parameter value in one editor view will be reflected in the other views.

In Zone view, you can do the following:

Click a zone or group to select it. Shift-click to select multiple zones or groups. You can also select zones or groups with Edit menu commands or with your MIDI keyboard. When multiple zones are selected, you can click the number to the left of the zone name to move focus to that specific zone. This limits previewing and edits to the focused zone, while retaining your multi-zone selection.
Note: Changes to parameter values affect all selected zones. Value changes are relative. For example, in two selected zones with High Velocity values of 12 and 27, reducing the value of the first zone to 10 reduces the second zone value to 25.
Click parameter subcolumn headers to sort zones. For example, click the Key subcolumn header to sort zones by note names.
Horizontally drag parameter columns to resize.
Control-click a parameter column header to open a shortcut menu where you can hide or show individual zone parameters. You can also quickly show all columns, restore the default column view, and restore the default column width.
Drag the scrollbars to navigate to non-visible zone parameters. You can also use a two-finger swipe on your trackpad to scroll vertically or horizontally. If you are using a Magic Mouse, use single-finger swipes.

Zone view parameters

Drag vertically in parameter value fields to change them. For example, vertically drag the value shown for a zone in the Tune column to change it. Alternatively, you can double-click in a field and enter a value, then press the Return key.

Zone parameters: New zones are automatically assigned a consecutive number.
- Zone Mute button: Mute or unmute a zone.
- Zone Name field: Displays the zone name. Double-click to enter a new zone name.
Audio filename pop-up menu: Displays the audio filename. Click to open a shortcut menu that contains the following commands:
Note: If at least one audio file is missing an extra column is shown to the left of the audio file column. Each missing file is marked with an exclamation mark icon. You can sort this column by clicking on the column header (exclamation mark icon). The column is visible only if there are missing audio files.
- Load Audio File: Opens a dialog where you can select an audio file. Default key command: Control-F.
- Show in Finder: Shows the full path of the loaded audio file in the Finder.
Pitch parameters: Use to determine the tuning of the zone.
- Key field: Set the root note of the zone—in other words, the note at which the sample assigned to the zone is heard at its original pitch.
- Tune field: Use to fine-tune the zone.
Key Range parameters: Use these parameters to define a key range for the zone. When you play notes outside this range, you will not trigger or hear the sample assigned to this zone.
- Low field: Set the lowest note for the zone.
- High field: Set the highest note for the zone.
Velocity Range parameters: Use these parameters to define a velocity range for the zone. When you play notes outside this range, you will not trigger or hear the sample assigned to this zone.
- Low field: Set the lowest velocity that triggers the zone.
- High field: Set the highest velocity that triggers the zone.
Mixer parameters: Use these parameters to define zone output handling.
- Volume field: Set the overall output level of the zone.
- Pan field: Set the pan position of the zone. This parameter works only when Sampler is used in stereo.
- Scale field: Balance the level of a zone (sample) across the defined key range. A negative value makes lower notes softer than higher notes; positive values have the opposite effect.
- Output pop-up menu: Set the outputs used by the zone. Choices include the main outputs, paired channels, or individual outputs. This allows individual zones to be routed independently to aux channel strips (in a multi-output Sampler instance).
Playback parameters: Use these options to determine zone playback behavior.
- Pitch button: Turn on to change the sample pitch when you play different keys. When disabled, the sample is always played at its original pitch, regardless of which note you play.
- 1Shot button: Turn on to make the zone ignore the length of incoming MIDI note events—resulting in the sample assigned to the zone always being played from beginning to end whenever you play a note (or a note-on event is received). This is useful for drum samples, where you often don’t want the MIDI note length to affect sample playback. Also see the Fade field parameter below.
- Reverse button: Turn on to play the sample from the sample end marker to the sample start marker.
Group Assignment pop-up menu: Shows the group assignment of a zone. You can choose another group to reassign the selected zone or zones. For more information, see Create Sampler groups and Use Sampler Group view.
Sample parameters: Use to define zone sample parameters. Sample parameters can be graphically edited in the Zone pane.
- (Sample) Start and End fields: Set the sample start and end points, respectively.
- Fade In and Fade Out fields: Use to set the fade times for a zone. Values are shown in samples. The higher the value, the longer it takes for the fade.
- Anchor field: Set a value to trigger playback of the sample earlier in the project. To explain further, on playback, Logic looks into the future and advances sample playback by the amount set in the anchor field. The sample is played earlier, so that the anchor sounds exactly on the downbeat of the note. The sample anchor is useful for instruments such as shakers that have a rhythmic anchor at a position after the beginning of the sample.
  Note: The Anchor field value affects only sequenced playback of the sample. Live keyboard playing triggers the sample at the anchor point, so any sample data that precedes this is not played.
Loop parameters: You can control all aspects of zone loops with these options.
- Loop ON/OFF button: Turn on to enable looping and to set other loop parameters.
- Loop Mode pop-up menu: Choose a looping mode.
  - Forward: Playback cycles from the loop start point to the loop end point while you hold a key.
  - Reverse: Playback cycles from the loop end point to the loop start point while you hold a key.
  - Alternate: Playback continuously cycles from the loop start point to the loop end point, then switches from the loop end point to the loop start point, while you hold a key.
- Play to End on Release ON/OFF button: Turn on to continue playback to the end marker position after you have released the key—provided that the amp release time is long enough for the audio portion after the loop to be audible. This feature is useful for allowing the natural decay of a sampled acoustic instrument to be heard during the envelope release phase, for example.
- (Loop) Start and End fields: Use to define the loop start and end points, allowing you to loop a portion of the audio file.
- Tune field: Change the tuning of the looped portion of the audio file in cent increments.
- Xfade (Crossfade) field: Use to define the crossfade time between the loop end and loop start points. In a crossfaded loop, there is no step between the loop end and loop start points. The higher the value, the longer the crossfade and the smoother the transition between the loop end and start points. This is especially convenient with samples that are hard to loop, and would normally produce clicks at the transition point—the join in the loop.
- E. Pwr (Equal Power) ON/OFF button: Turn on to enable an exponential crossfade curve that causes a volume boost of 3 dB in the middle of the crossfade range. This fades the join between the loop end and start points at an equal volume level.
  Note: The ideal settings for the Xfade and E. Pwr parameters depend on the sample material. A loop that cycles reasonably smoothly is the best starting point for a perfectly crossfaded loop, but a crossfaded loop does not always sound better. Experiment with both parameters to learn how, when, and where they work best.
- Audio File Tail parameters: Use these options to add and control a sample that is added to the end of a zone. This is typically used to add a reverb tail, or a section of reversed audio, but you are free to use any audio material.
  - Name pop-up menu: Displays the audio file tail filename. Missing files are indicated with an icon in a column to the left. Click to open a shortcut menu that contains file handling commands.
  - Tune field: Tune the audio file tail.
  - Volume field: Set the overall output level of the audio file tail.
  - (Audio File Tail) Start and End fields: Set the audio file tail start and end points, respectively.

Download the guides:

MainStage User Guide: PDF

MainStage Instruments: PDF

MainStage Effects: PDF

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