Create instruments with menu commands

You can manually create a zone and can add an audio file by using menu options. You can also choose whether the new zone maps your samples chromatically or based on analysis of the audio material.

Create a new, empty instrument

In MainStage, insert Sampler into an instrument channel.
Click the Mapping button in the Navigation bar to view the Mapping pane.
You can also click the Zone button if you want to view the Zone pane.
The empty Mapping pane is ready for you to add audio material. You have a choice of adding audio files in either the Key Mapping Editor or Zone view. You can also add files by dragging them to the Navigation bar, Group view, or Zone pane.
- Click the Key Mapping Editor button to add audio files in the Key Mapping Editor.
- Click the Zone view button to add audio files in this view.

Create an empty zone, and assign a sample to it

In MainStage Sampler, do one of the following:
- In Zone view, choose Zone > New to create a new, empty zone.
- In the Key Mapping Editor, press and hold Command-Shift, then drag the pointer to create a new, empty zone.
A new group is shown in the Mapping pane and a zone is automatically added to the group.
Do one of the following:
- In Zone view, click the empty Name field for the zone in the Audio File column, then choose Load Audio File from the pop-up menu.
- In Zone view, drag an audio file from the Finder, Loop Browser, or File Browser into the empty Name field of the zone in the Audio File column.
- In the Key Mapping Editor, click a zone, then choose Zone > Load Audio Files (or use the Load Audio Files key command: Control-F).
  This method associates the audio file with the selected zone.
- In the Key Mapping Editor, drag an audio file from the Finder, Loop Browser, or File Browser directly onto the zone.
- In the Zone pane, if open, drag an audio file into the waveform display area.

Create an assigned zone with menu commands

In MainStage Sampler, do one of the following:
- In Zone view, Choose Zone > Load Audio Files (or use the Load Audio Files key command: Control-F).
  This method creates a new zone with the selected audio file.
- In the Key Mapping Editor, click a zone, then choose Zone > Load Audio Files (or use the Load Audio Files key command: Control-F).
  This method associates the audio file with the selected zone.
Locate the audio file you want and select it in the File Selector window.
- Click the Options button at the lower left of the File Selector window to show or hide the checkboxes and Play button.
- Select “Hide used audio files” to dim the names of files used in the currently loaded sampler instrument.
- Select “Preview audio file in Sampler Instrument” to temporarily replace the sample files in the currently selected zone. The zone is not directly triggered by selecting this option, but it can be triggered by playing MIDI notes while the File Selector window is open—and different files are chosen. The selected sample can be heard as part of the zone, inclusive of all synthesizer processing (filters, modulation, and so on).
To preview looped playback of the currently selected audio file, click the Play button at the lower right of the File Selector window. The Play button label changes to Stop during playback.
- You can step through files by using the Down Arrow key, or by clicking them, to audition each file in turn.
- Click the Stop button to stop playback.
When you find an audio file you want to use, click the Open button to add it to the zone.
When the audio file is loaded, the sample name is displayed in the Name field for the zone in the Audio File column in Zone view.

Helpful?

MainStage User Guide

Create instruments with menu commands

Create a new, empty instrument

Create an empty zone, and assign a sample to it

Create an assigned zone with menu commands