Use Sampler Group 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 edit panes. The menu bar at the top of the Mapping pane contains elements that are common to all editor views. See Mapping pane menu bar.

In Group view, you can: View and edit all group parameters, organized into columns, with related parameters shown in subcolumns. Group parameters provide simultaneous control of all zones assigned to the group.

Click a group name or number to select it, or Shift-click or drag (from an empty area outside any group) to select multiple groups. You can also select groups with your MIDI keyboard.
Note: To enable the selection of groups with a MIDI keyboard, turn on the Select from Last Played Keys > Groups or Groups and Zones menu option in the Mapping pane Edit menu.
Note: When multiple groups are selected, changes to parameter values affect all selected groups. Each group has a number that you can click to move focus to that specific group, when multiple groups are selected. The focus feature makes it easier for you to edit complex mappings that contain multiple overlapping groups.
Value changes are relative. For example, in two selected groups with High Velocity values of 12 and 27, reducing the value of the first group to 10 reduces the second group value to 25.
Click parameter subcolumn headers to sort groups. For example, click the Low Key Range subcolumn header to sort zones by the lowest note.
Control-click a parameter column header to open a shortcut menu where you can hide or show individual group parameters. You can also quickly show all columns, restore the default column view, and restore the default column width.
Horizontally drag parameter columns to resize.
Drag the scrollbars to navigate to non visible group 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.

Figure. Sampler Group view, showing parameter columns.

Group view parameters

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

Group parameters: New groups are automatically assigned a consecutive number.
- Mute button: Mute or unmute a group.
- Solo button: Solo or unsolo a group. All other groups are silenced when active. You can solo multiple groups.
- Name field: Displays the group name. Double-click to enter a new group name.
Mixer parameters: Globally adjust group settings.
- Volume field: Adjust the overall level of the group—and, therefore, the volume of all zones in the group. This works much like a subgroup on a mixing console.
- Pan field: Adjust the pan position of the group—stereo balance for stereo samples—and the pan position of all assigned zones simultaneously.
- Output field: Use to define the outputs used by the group. Choices include the main outputs, paired channels, or individual outputs. This allows individual groups to be routed independently to aux channels in a multi-output Sampler instance.
Key Range parameters: Use to define a key range for the group. When you play notes outside this range, zones assigned to this group will not be heard.
- Low field: Set the lowest note for the group.
- High field: Set the highest note for the group.
- XFade Type pop-up menu: Choose the crossfade type that best suits the group audio material. The Linear dB and Linear Gain options scale the amplitude for the group crossfade. Equal Power applies an exponential crossfade curve that causes a volume boost of 3 dB in the middle of the crossfade range. This fades out/fades in at an equal volume level. See Fade between sample groups in Sampler.
- XFade field: Set the crossfade range for zones grouped by the specified key range. Only zones within the specified key range are crossfaded.
Velocity Range parameters: Use to define a velocity range for the group. When you play notes outside this velocity range, you will not hear zones assigned to this group. This feature is useful when you want to dynamically mix—or switch between—grouped zones (samples) by playing your MIDI keyboard harder or softer. This is ideal for layered sounds, such as a piano/string layer, or when switching between different percussion samples, as examples.
- Low field: Set the lowest velocity that triggers the group.
- High field: Set the highest velocity that triggers the group.
- XFade Type pop-up menu: Choose the crossfade type that best suits the group audio material. The Linear dB and Linear Gain options scale the amplitude for the group crossfade. Equal Power applies an exponential crossfade curve that causes a volume boost of 3 dB in the middle of the crossfade range. This fades out/fades in at an equal volume level.
- XFade field: Set the crossfade range for zones grouped by the specified velocity range. Only zones within the specified velocity range are crossfaded.
Round Robin parameters: Control groups in a round robin cycle. Round robin cycles are used to switch between groups of samples assigned to a single key. See Make advanced group selections.
- ON/OFF button: Turn on to use the group in a round robin cycle.
- Cycle pop-up menu: Choose to add or remove groups from the round robin cycle, or move the selected group to the end of the cycle, or to a new cycle.
Enable by Articulation parameters: Use to define an Articulation ID for the group. This parameter is available as a modulation target, so you can switch between sample groups with a MIDI controller. For example, you could use your keyboard modulation wheel to switch between several hi-hat groups with different opening degrees. See Sampler articulation handling.
- ON/OFF button: Turn on to use an Articulation ID for the group.
- Value field: Set the Articulation ID number used by the group.
Enable by Bend parameters: Use to define a bend range for the group. Values outside the specified range do not affect the group. See Make advanced group selections for information on the use of all Enable by… options.
- ON/OFF button: Turn on to use a defined bend range for the group.
- Low field: Set the minimum bend range value.
- High field: Set the maximum bend range value.
Enable by Channel parameters: Use to define a MIDI channel for the group. Only this MIDI channel affects the group.
- ON/OFF button: Turn on to use a defined MIDI channel for the group.
- Value field: Set the MIDI channel.
Enable by Control parameters: Use to define a MIDI controller and range for the group. If you set up controller 64 (Sustain), for example, the group will be held (sustained) when an incoming controller 64 message (within the defined range) is received. Controller values outside the specified range do not affect the group.
- ON/OFF button: Turn on to use a controller for the group.
- Value field: Set the MIDI controller number.
- Low field: Set the minimum controller value.
- High field: Set the maximum controller value.
Enable by Note parameters: Use to define a MIDI note number for the group. Only this MIDI note number affects the group.
- ON/OFF button: Turn on to use a defined MIDI note number for the group.
- Value field: Set the MIDI note value.
Enable by Tempo parameters: Use to define a tempo range for the group. Values outside the specified range do not affect the group.
- ON/OFF button: Turn on to use a defined tempo range for the group.
- Low field: Set the minimum tempo range value.
- High field: Set the maximum tempo range value.
Release Trigger parameters: Use to determine if zones pointing to this group are triggered on key down or on key release. This is useful for emulating organ key clicks, for example, where you may want the organ note triggered on key down, but the organ click triggered on key release.
- ON/OFF button: Turn on to turn on key release triggers. If turned off, zones in the group are triggered only on key down.
- Decay button: Turn on to turn on the (Decay) Time field.
- Time field: Use to set the time it takes for the level of a sample (triggered by key release) to decay.
  Note: The Decay button and Time parameters function only when the Release Trigger parameter is turned on (set to key release).
Playback parameters: Use these parameters to determine playback behavior for the group.
- Voices pop-up menu: Use to set the number of voices that the group can play.
- Exclusive pop-up menu: Assign multiple groups to the same Exclusive Class. Groups in the same class can only be used independently. As soon as one group in the class is triggered, all other groups in that same class are disabled.
  Tip: A practical use of the Playback parameters is to set up a classic hi-hat mode within a full drum kit that is mapped across the keyboard. For example, you could assign an open and closed hi-hat sample to an exclusive group and set the Voices parameter of the group to 1. The most recently triggered of the two hi-hat samples mutes the other because only one voice is allowed for the group. This mirrors the real-world behavior of hi-hats. The other sounds of the drum kit can still be played polyphonically, if samples in zones are assigned to another group.
Envelope 1 and 2 Offsets parameters: Independently offset the envelope parameter settings for each group. This is useful if you want Envelope 1, for example, to uniquely affect the zones in a specific group—after the initial impact of the envelope on other played groups. See Sampler envelopes for details on envelope parameters.
Filter Offsets parameters: Independently offset the Cutoff and Resonance settings for each group. This can be useful if you want the initial impact of a note to be unfiltered for one group but not other groups. See Sampler Synth pane for details on filter parameters.
Playback Details parameters: Use to define the sample select behavior for the group.
- Sample Select Random Offset field: Set a randomization range offset value for Sample Select modulation, which you define with the Sample Select Random parameter in the Synth Details slide-out panel.

Download the guides:

MainStage User Guide: PDF

MainStage Instruments: PDF

MainStage Effects: PDF

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