Auto Sampler controls in MainStage
The following lists the Auto Sampler controls, with brief descriptions of their functions.
Range Start field and slider: Drag vertically to set the lowest note of the key range. You can also drag the left Sample Note Range handle in the keyboard display.
Range End field and slider: Drag vertically to set the highest note of the key range. You can also drag the right Sample Note Range handle in the keyboard display.
Sample Every field and slider: Drag vertically to set the interval between sampled notes in semitones.
Round Robin pop-up menu: Choose the number of times each sample is captured to provide sound variations for more realistic sample playback (if the source provides sound variations). Choose No to capture each sample only a single time (no round robin).
Sustain field and slider: Drag vertically to set the duration that the note is sampled (before its release phase begins) in seconds. Percussion and other short-duration sounds are shortened after sampling if the end contains complete silence.
For notes (pitched sounds), a Sustain value of 10 seconds or more is recommended.
Velocity Layers pop-up menu: Choose the number of velocity layers to sample. The default is 1. To sample multiple velocity layers, the source instrument must respond to MIDI Velocity as well as MIDI Note messages.
Velocity Response pop-up menu: When multiple velocity layers are sampled, choose a velocity response curve:
Linear: Divides the Velocity span region equally. This is the default, and is recommended for most situations.
Exp1-Exp3: Gradually render the Velocity curve more exponentially. After the Velocity high and low parameters are set, more zones are sampled next to the High Velocity setting. This results in more zones with smaller Velocity spans, and lower Velocity zones that span more Velocity values.
Log1-Log3: Gradually render the Velocity curve more logarithmically. After the Velocity high and low parameters are set, more zones are sampled next to the Low Velocity setting. This results in more zones with smaller Velocity spans, and higher Velocity zones that span more Velocity values.
Velocity Editor: View and edit velocity layers. Hold the pointer over the Velocity Layers and Velocity Response pop-up menus to show the Velocity editor in the lower part of the window. Each velocity layer appears as a horizontal line, with its velocity value displayed. You can drag lines vertically to adjust their velocity value. When you manually adjust velocity layers in the Velocity editor, the Velocity Response value changes to Custom.
Auto Loop pop-up menu: Choose if loop points are automatically determined by Auto Sampler, and if so, which method or algorithm to use.
None: No auto-looping is performed.
Search: The audio content is analyzed and the optimal loop in each sample is set, without adding a loop crossfade. This is useful if the sampled sound contains clearly looping sections.
Search with XFade: The audio content is analyzed and the optimal loop in each sample is set, with a loop crossfade also added to smooth the loop. This is useful if the sampled sound contains clearly looping sections.
Search with Rev XFade: The audio content is analyzed and the optimal loop in each sample is set. A copy of the loop is automatically created, reversed and mixed with the analyzed loop, and then a loop crossfade is added.
Penrose Machine: Instead of searching for the best loop in each sample, a snapshot of the sample is taken, and the Penrose Machine algorithm is used to create a DSP-synthesized loop from the snapshot, which is inserted and crossfaded with the rest of the sample.
The Penrose Machine is an algorithm in which the sonic properties of the current loop are analyzed, and an artificial loop is created with the same sonic properties. This algorithm is completely automatic and has no parameters, making it simple as well as very powerful.
Bidirectional: The loop area is cut, doubled in length (by being crossfaded into a reversed copy of itself—hence the name “bidirectional”), and the resulting loop is smoothly crossfaded back into the original sample.
Auto Loop Start field and slider: Drag vertically to set the Auto Sampler search start point for an automatic loop. The value indicates a percentage of the total sample length/time. For example, in a 10-second sample with an Auto Loop Start value of 40%, Auto Sampler begins looking for an auto loop start point after 4 seconds.
Auto Loop End field and slider: Drag vertically to set the auto loop end point. The value indicates a percentage of the total sample length/time.
One Shot checkbox: Turn on to save samples as non-repeating, “one shot” samples that play to the end of the sample and stop, rather than loop.
When you trigger a one shot sample, it plays to the end of the file, regardless of whether other samples are triggered. One shot samples are typically used for percussion sounds and sound effects.