Randomize points in the Sculpture Morph Pad in MainStage

The randomize feature creates random variations of selected morph points. When combined with the copy/paste function, randomizing lends itself to using the Morph Pad as an automatic sound generator.

Use of the Morph Pad can yield interesting composite sounds—hybrids of the original and morphed sound. You can copy this hybrid sound to a corner of the Morph Pad, or to several corners, and randomize it by a definable amount. The morphed sound then becomes a new timbral element that can, in turn, be moved to the corners, randomized, and so on.

In effect, you are “breeding” a sound, while maintaining some control by selecting parent and child sounds. This approach can result in new, complex sounds—even if your sound programming knowledge is limited.

Figure. Morph Pad, showing Point buttons and Randomize parameters.

Morph point randomize parameters

Point buttons: Define the number of morph points you want to use for randomization. The active button indicates which points are randomized.
The bottom button, when selected, limits randomization to the currently selected morph point.
Auto Select button: Automatically select the closest morph point.
Randomize button: Create randomized values for all parameters of the chosen morph points.
Intensity slider: Set the amount of randomization from 1% (slight deviation) to 100% (completely random values).

Randomize morph points in Sculpture

This example provides a general approach that you can follow for morph point randomization.

In MainStage, select a Point button (the top, five-point button, for example).
Turn on Auto Select.
Drag the Int(ensity) slider to a value of 25%.
Click the Rnd button.
Note the movement of a number of the parameters in the core synthesis engine.
Drag the morph ball to each corner in the Morph Pad. Do this along the edges and through the center of the Morph Pad.
Note how this affects the morph.
Strike a few notes on your MIDI keyboard while dragging the ball.
Note: The morph ball is visible only when the Record Trigger button is active.

As you move the morph ball around, you’ll see ghost controls in the Pickup display and the ball in the Material Pad move. If you look closely, you should see a number of red dots moving in the string and object parameters, which indicate the current morph position.

Note that positions on the Morph Pad that fall in between the various morph points cause the randomized parameters to interpolate between values. You can use the Copy and Paste commands to make use of these in-between values.

Download the guides:

MainStage User Guide: PDF

MainStage Instruments: PDF

MainStage Effects: PDF

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