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The name of the audio file appears in the File field, and the waveform of the audio file
appears in the Waveform display.
You can preview an audio file in the Open dialog by selecting the file and clicking Play.
To hear the file after adding it to the Playback plug-in, click the Play button in the plug-in
window.
Setting the Sync Mode for the Playback Plug-in
When you add an audio file to the Playback plug-in, MainStage looks for tempo information
in the file. For audio files containing tempo information (including Apple Loops and files
exported from Logic Pro), the file is scanned for transients (short bursts of audio energy
that usually occur on rhythmic beats). Transient information is stored in the audio file
and used to play the file with the best audio quality, even when the file is played at a
different tempo or pitch. For these audio files, you can use the Sync feature to set whether
the audio file plays at its recorded tempo or uses the current tempo of the concert. When
Sync is set to Off, the audio file plays at its recorded tempo, regardless of the current
tempo of the concert. This can be desirable, for example, when the audio file contains
non-pitched sounds or a sound effect. When Sync is set to On, the audio file plays at the
current tempo (set by the patch, set, or concert, by tapping the tempo, or by listening to
MIDI beat clock). This makes it easy to keep backing tracks, for example, in time with each
other and with your performance. Setting Sync to On can affect audio quality.
You set the Sync mode for an instance of the Playback plug-in from the Sync pop-up
menu, located in the lower-left corner of the plug-in window.
To set the Sync mode for a Playback plug-in
µ
To have the audio file play back at its original tempo, choose Off from the Sync pop-up
menu.
µ
To have the audio file play back at the current tempo of the concert, choose On from the
Sync pop-up menu.
128 Chapter 8 Playing Back Audio in MainStage