Use the Alchemy arpeggiator in MainStage

The arpeggiator is shown only in browse or advanced view. Click the Browse or Advanced button to switch to either view, then click the Arp button in the Perform/Arp/Effects section.

Follow the steps outlined in the tasks to use the Alchemy arpeggiator.

Turn the selected arpeggiator on or off in Alchemy

In Alchemy in MainStage, click the All/A/B/C/D button to select an arpeggiator in the Arpeggiator section, then do one of the following:
- Set the Mode knob to any value other than off to enable the arpeggiator. Set the Mode knob to Off to stop the arpeggiator.
- Set the Latch knob to any value other than off to enable the arpeggiator. Set the Latch knob to Off to stop the arpeggiator.
- Stop the MainStage transport.

Create classic arpeggiator patterns in Alchemy

In Alchemy in MainStage, click the File button in the Name bar and choose Initialize Preset from the pop-up menu to reset all Alchemy parameters to default settings.
Click the Arp button to show the arpeggiator section. All is selected by default.
Turn the Mode knob to select Up, Down, Up/Down, or Down/Up mode.
Play a chord and hold it: the individual notes of the chord are arpeggiated with regular 8th notes.
Try one or more of the following:
- Set the Rate knob to 1/16 to create 16th note arpeggios instead of 8th notes.
- Set the Octave knob to 2 or 3, so the pattern is transposed up by octaves before repeating at the original pitch.
- Adjust the Swing knob to add a swing feel. Note that this knob is capable of extreme settings, so use lower values for a normal swing feel. Values around 25% result in a strong swing feel. Values of 10% or lower result in a subtle, relaxed feel to the groove.
- Set the Latch knob to Hold to make the arpeggio continue cycling after you release the keys.
- Experiment with Trigger mode. With Trigger turned on, the arpeggiator feels more responsive and allows you to deliberately restart the pattern with your playing. It also allows you to play out of time with the rest of the project.

Create an octave bouncing bassline in Alchemy

In Alchemy in MainStage, click the File button in the Name bar and choose Initialize Preset from the pop-up menu to reset all Alchemy parameters to default settings.
Click the Arp button to show the arpeggiator section. All is selected by default.
Turn the Mode knob to select Up, Down, Up/Down, or Down/Up mode.
Set the Octave knob to 2.
Play single notes in the lower registers: each note bounces up and down one octave, with an 8th note timing.
Rotate the Length knob to change note lengths. Higher settings result in a more legato feel, while lower settings create shorter staccato notes.

Arpeggiate multiple sources with different settings for each in Alchemy

In Alchemy in MainStage, click the File button in the Name bar and choose Initialize Preset from the pop-up menu to reset all Alchemy parameters to default settings.
Click the Arp button to show the arpeggiator section. All is selected by default.
Click the A button at the top left of the arpeggiator.
This switches the display to show settings for the source A arpeggiator. You can have a separate arpeggiator for each source instead of the single global arpeggiator available in All mode.
Turn the Mode knob to enable the source A arpeggiator, then play a chord, and adjust the Rate and Octave knobs to suit.
Turn on source B. Switch to advanced view if required.
Click the B button at the top left of the arpeggiator.
This switches the display to show settings for the source B arpeggiator. The settings you made for the source A arpeggiator are not changed.
Turn the Mode knob to enable the source B arpeggiator, then play a chord, and adjust the Rate and Octave knobs to suit.
Choosing a different mode results in source A and B alternately playing in unison or playing intervals from within the chord you play. Try setting one of the arpeggiators to Random mode to add a level of unpredictability. Choose different Rate settings to change the playback timing of sources. Try combining a straight timing for one source with a triplet or dotted timing for another to create complex polyrhythms.
Repeat steps 5-7 for sources C and D if you require additional arpeggiated sources.
Note: You need at least four note polyphony to hear all four arpeggiated sources at once. See Alchemy master voice section in MainStage.

Create a more complex arpeggiator pattern using the sequencer section in Alchemy

In Alchemy in MainStage, click the File button in the Name bar and choose Initialize Preset from the pop-up menu to reset all Alchemy parameters to default settings.
Click the Arp button to show the arpeggiator section. All is selected by default.
Turn the Mode knob to select Up, Down, Up/Down, or Down/Up mode.
Click the Step button to switch to Step edit mode, then choose Velocity from the pop-up menu.
Adjust step levels for the Velocity sequence to introduce volume changes. Try turning down all even numbered steps for a groovier feel, or Option-click specific steps to disable them, thus creating a rest for that step.
Choose Length from the pop-up menu to display the length sequence. Experiment with shorter or longer notes for different steps: try lengthening odd numbered steps and shortening even numbered steps to enhance the groove.
Try tying a step to the next step by clicking the link symbol at the bottom. Experiment with tying different steps to generate different rhythms and with tying multiple subsequent steps to create a long note that spans several steps.

Create a step sequencer style pattern with pitch glides in Alchemy

In Alchemy in MainStage, click the File button in the Name bar and choose Initialize Preset from the pop-up menu to reset all Alchemy parameters to default settings.
Click the Arp button to show the arpeggiator section. All is selected by default.
Turn the Mode knob to select Up, Down, Up/Down, or Down/Up mode.
Set the Rate knob to 1/4. You can also choose to use a small Swing knob value to create a looser feel.
Click the Multi button to switch to Multi edit mode.
Turn off several steps in the top Gate row to create a different rhythmic pattern. As an option, you can also adjust the Pan knobs to position steps left or right in the stereo field.
Click buttons in the Tie row to tie two or more steps.
Drag vertically in a Tune field for one of your tied steps. This results in a pitch change partway through the note. Values of +/- 12 semitones can work well to produce octave shifts up or down, but other values can also produce useful results: try +7 semitones for example, or -2.
Switch to advanced view if required, then click the Global button, and set the Num(ber) of voices to 1 to create a monophonic preset. See Alchemy master voice section in MainStage.
Set the voice mode to Legato.
Click the Time button to set the Glide mode.
Set a small Glide knob value, such as 50ms or lower, to introduce pitch glides for tied and detuned steps. This results in smooth, rather than jarring, pitch transitions.

Create synchronized rhythmic pulsing chord patterns in Alchemy

In Alchemy in MainStage, click the File button in the Name bar and choose Initialize Preset from the pop-up menu to reset all Alchemy parameters to default settings.
Click the Arp button to show the arpeggiator section. All is selected by default.
Turn the Mode knob to Chord.
Set the Rate knob to 1/4. You can also choose to use a small Swing knob value to create a looser feel.
Click the Multi button to switch to Multi edit mode.
Turn off a significant number of steps to make the pattern simpler. For example, enable only steps 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, and 15 to create a triplet polyrhythm.
Choose Off in the Trigger pop-up menu to prevent the arpeggiator from retriggering when you play a chord.
You can choose to perform similar operations on further patterns, chosen with the Pattern knob. Use different values for each pattern to create complex polyrhythms.
As a further option, Control-click the Pattern knob, then choose Add Modulation from the shortcut menu, and link it to one of the performance controls. This lets you use the assigned performance control to switch between patterns while playing.

Download the guides:

MainStage User Guide: PDF

MainStage Instruments: PDF

MainStage Effects: PDF

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