Operation Manual
Matthias Klag, Michael Ruf Cristina Bachmann, Heiko Bischoff, Christina Kaboth, Insa Mingers, Matthias Obrecht, Sabine Pfeifer, Benjamin Schütte, Marita Sladek This PDF provides improved access for vision-impaired users. Please note that due to the complexity and number of images in this document, it is not possible to include text descriptions of images. The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.
Table of Contents 6 6 7 8 8 8 9 9 9 10 Installation and Setup Conventions System Requirements Downloading Program Files Installing the Program Activating Your License Registering Your Software How You Can Reach Us About the Documentation Setting Up 11 11 12 13 15 15 HALion Control Panel Configuring the Control Panel View and Tab Operations Window Handling Setting the Focus Available Editors 18 18 18 19 19 20 20 Common Editing Methods Dials and Sliders Multi Selection and Parameter Controls Buttons Val
Table of Contents 153 155 155 157 163 166 167 167 168 170 171 Info Line Overview Line Waveform Display Parameter Section Sample Editor Context Menu Markers Zooming Editing Samples in an External Editor Creating Loops Creating Slices Automatically Replacing Samples 173 174 186 186 187 188 188 189 Wavetable Synthesis Wavetable Editor Creating a Wavetable Pitch Detection Markers Replacing Samples Importing Wavetables Managing Wavetables 190 190 197 Granular Synthesis Grain Oscillator Modulating the Grain
Table of Contents 480 480 483 494 497 502 508 510 512 514 516 522 524 526 527 529 530 531 533 MIDI Modules Reference Common Functions FlexPhraser Trigger Pads MIDI Player Drum Player Mono Envelope Mono LFO Mono Step Modulator True Pedaling MegaTrig Layer Alternate Key Switch Alternate Key Switch Remote MIDI Randomizer CC Mapper Velocity Curve Tuning Scale Lua Script 537 Key Commands Reference 540 540 Note Expression Note Expression Editor 542 542 542 544 544 546 547 547 Using the Standalone Version
Installation and Setup Conventions In our documentation, we use typographical and markup elements to structure information. Typographical Elements The following typographical elements mark the following purposes. PREREQUISITE Requires you to complete an action or to fulfill a condition before starting a procedure. PROCEDURE Lists the steps that you must take to achieve a specific result.
Installation and Setup System Requirements Markup Bold text indicates the name of a menu, option, function, dialog, window, etc. EXAMPLE In the header of the plug-in panel, click the Preset Management button next to the preset name field and select Load Preset. If bold text is separated by a greater-than symbol, this indicates a sequence of different menus to open. EXAMPLE To save a specific layer, right-click it and select Load/Save > Save Layer As.
Installation and Setup Downloading Program Files Windows • 64-bit Windows 7*/8.
Installation and Setup Registering Your Software IMPORTANT The process for license activation is described in detail on the Steinberg web site. Registering Your Software Register your product at the MySteinberg online customer portal. As a registered user, you are entitled to technical support, you gain access to exclusive offers such as software updates and upgrades, and more. PROCEDURE 1. Start your software. 2. Select Help > Register now. An online registration form opens in your web browser. 3.
Installation and Setup Setting Up Setting Up The following sections describe how to use HALion as a plug-in in different host applications. NOTE HALion can also be used as a standalone application. Selecting Outputs HALion loads with a stereo output configuration by default. However, you can use up to 32 stereo outputs plus one 5.1 output in the Steinberg DAW. This allows you to route all 64 program slots to a dedicated channel in the MixConsole. PROCEDURE 1.
HALion Control Panel HALion provides flexible and highly customizable window management. You can arrange the available editors in the window, structure the window sections using tabs, and configure several separate windows for your work. The size of each window, and window section, is freely adjustable. This allows you to make the most of the available screen space.
HALion Control Panel View and Tab Operations Undock Creates a duplicate of the view or tab in a new window. Create Tab Creates a tab. You can also create tabs within tabs. Rename Allows you to rename tabs. Close Removes the view or tab. Select Opens a pane that shows icons for the available editors. To select an editor, click its icon. Editor Allows you to select the editor to be displayed from the list of available editors.
HALion Control Panel Window Handling • To expand or collapse a section, click the + or - icon on the left of the title bar, or click the title bar. • To expand or collapse all sections at the same time, hold down Shift and click the + or the - icon or the title bar. • To resize a section, click the dotted line in the middle of its lower border and drag up or down.
HALion Control Panel Window Handling Default This screen set is optimized for wide-screen monitors and contains the most important editors. It is suitable for a display resolution of 1440 x 900. Advanced This is the full editor screen set. It is suitable for a resolution of 1440 x 900. Basic This is a minimized single slot player view. It is suitable for a display resolution of 1024 x 768. Extended 1 This screen set is optimized for use on laptops with a display resolution of 1280 x 800.
HALion Control Panel Setting the Focus Setting the Focus It is important to know which view, window, or tab has the focus. The focused section of the window is the area to which your actions, such as key commands, are applied. The view that has the focus is indicated by a blue frame. PROCEDURE • To set the focus on a specific view, use one of its controls, edit a parameter, or click on the frame or in an empty background of a view.
HALion Control Panel Available Editors Mapping Allows you to specify and visualize how samples are distributed over the keyboard and velocity range. Sample Editor Allows you to define the sample and loop parameters. Wavetable Editor Allows you to make settings for the wavetable synthesizer that is used by wavetable zones. Sample Recorder The Sample Recorder allows you to record samples in HALion. Browser Allows you to browse and import files, including external sampler formats.
HALion Control Panel Available Editors Trigger Pads Allow you to assign and trigger notes and chords. Furthermore, it is possible to use the trigger pads to switch the states of FlexPhraser modules. Program Table Shows all loaded programs. This includes the programs that are used in the Slot Rack as well as those that are loaded via MIDI program change. Parameter List Gives you a detailed overview of the parameters of the selected item in the Program Tree.
Common Editing Methods Dials and Sliders Dials and sliders can be unidirectional or bidirectional. Unidirectional values, for example level values, start at a minimum value and go up to the maximum. Bidirectional controls start from the middle position and go to the left for negative and to the right for positive values. Most of the editing methods are the same for dials and sliders. • To adjust a value, click a dial or a fader and drag up and down, or use the mouse wheel.
Common Editing Methods Buttons Buttons On/Off Buttons These buttons have two states: on and off. If you move the mouse over an On/Off button, it changes its appearance to show that you can click it. Push Buttons Push buttons trigger an action and then go back to their inactive state. These buttons open menus or file dialogs. Value Fields To set a value, you have the following possibilities: • Double-click in a value field, enter a new value, and press Enter.
Common Editing Methods Using Key Commands Using Key Commands • To open the Key Commands dialog, open the Options Editor and click the Key Commands button in the Edit section. The commands are arranged in a hierarchical folder structure on the left. When you open a category folder, the items and functions are displayed with any currently assigned key commands.
Common Editing Methods Presets For more information on VST presets, see the Operation Manual of your Steinberg DAW. Handling Section and Module Presets The preset controls can be found throughout the program. The handling is always the same. • To save a preset, click Save . NOTE You cannot overwrite factory presets. If you want to save changes made to a factory preset, save the preset under a new name or in a new location. • To load a preset, click the arrow icon and select a preset from the list.
Common Editing Methods Presets Replacing Programs and Layers with VST Presets PROCEDURE 1. Right-click the program or layer that you want to replace. 2. Open the Load/Save submenu and select Replace Program or Replace Layer. 3. Select a VST preset and click OK. RESULT The program or layer is replaced. • Alternatively, drag the VST preset from the MediaBay or the file browser onto the Program Tree, and drop it on a program or layer.
Global Functions and Settings Plug-in Functions Section The plug-in functions section at the top of the window gives you access to global functions that affect both the currently loaded programs, and the general working of the plug-in. The plug-in functions section contains the multi slot section, the program slot section, the master section, and the performance displays. The toolbar below the plug-in functions section contains controls for loading multi-programs on the left.
Global Functions and Settings Plug-in Name and Steinberg Logo Performance Displays The meters and text displays indicate the system load of the plug-in. CPU This meter shows the processor load during playback. The more voices you play, the higher the processor load. If the overload indicator lights up, reduce the Max Voices setting on the Options page. Disk This meter shows the hard disk transfer load during the streaming of samples or when loading presets.
Global Functions and Settings Toolbar Global insert, AUX, and FlexPhraser buttons Use these buttons to switch off all insert effects, AUX effects, and FlexPhrasers for the whole plug-in at once. You can use this to compare sounds with and without effects or to use a preset without the FlexPhrasers, for example. RAM Save The RAM Save function scans the playback of your project and unloads unused samples. 1. Click the RAM Save button and in the dialog, click Yes to start collecting the necessary samples.
Global Functions and Settings Keyboard Editor NOTE How many undo/redo operations are available depends on the Number of Undo Steps setting on the Options page. Keyboard Editor The Keyboard Editor contains the wheel controls, the sphere control and the internal keyboard. Wheel Controls To the left of the internal keyboard, the pitchbend wheel and the modulation wheel are located.
Global Functions and Settings Quick Controls • To play a key and all following keys at the same velocity, for as long as you keep the mouse button pressed, hold down Ctrl/Cmd and click the key on the keyboard. • To play each note 10 times at increasing velocities between 1 and 127, hold down Ctrl/ Cmd-Alt and click a key. Keyboard Context Menu Right-click a key to open a context menu that contains information about the key.
Global Functions and Settings Quick Controls For example, this can happen if the quick control introduces an offset or if a button is controlled by a quick control. Therefore, parameters that are assigned to a quick control show a value tooltip. This value tooltip indicates the resulting parameter value and the name of the assigned quick control. Value tooltips can be activated or deactivated in the Options Editor.
Global Functions and Settings Quick Controls Trimming the Range The Trim Range function allows you to automatically set the best quick control range, depending on the current parameter value. PROCEDURE • In the Quick Control Assignments editor, right-click the assignment in the list on the right. • To trim the range of a single assignment, select Trim Range. • To trim the range of all quick controls, select Trim Range of All Quick Controls. RESULT The minimum and maximum values are set automatically.
Global Functions and Settings Quick Controls Single Assignment vs. Multi Assignment You can assign a quick control to a single parameter of a zone or module. This is called a single assignment. And you can assign a quick control to the same parameter of all zones inside a layer. This is called a multi assignment. • Single assignments override multi assignments.
Global Functions and Settings Quick Controls Affected Layers/Modules Displays which program, layer, or module is affected by the quick control. Bypass Single Quick Control Assignment Bypasses the corresponding quick control assignment. For example, if a quick control is assigned to several layers, this option allows you to bypass the quick control assignment for one of the layers only. Mode Determines the mode that is used for changing the parameter values.
Global Functions and Settings Quick Controls Setting the Scope for Quick Control Assignments If quick controls are assigned to a layer, all zones inside this layer respond to the quick controls as well. In the Quick Control Assignments editor, you can change the scope of each quick control, that is, you can specify which layers or modules it affects. The pop-up menu in the middle of each assignment row displays which part of the program is affected by this quick control assignment.
Global Functions and Settings Quick Controls Adjusting the Curvature You can adjust the curvature of each assignment in the Quick Controls Assignment editor separately. PROCEDURE • To adjust the curvature, do one of the following: • Select the quick control that you want to edit and specify a value in the Curvature value field. Positive values change the curvature towards logarithmic behavior and negative values towards exponential behavior. • Click and drag the curvature in the display on the right.
Global Functions and Settings Quick Controls However, if a quick control has multiple assignments and you change the range of one or more assignments, the neutral setting cannot be set automatically. In this case, you can specify the neutral setting manually using the Set Quick Control to Neutral Setting command on the context menu for the quick control. Bypassing Quick Controls Bypassing quick controls allows you to hear a sound without quick control assignments. 1.
Global Functions and Settings Options Editor Options Editor The Options Editor contains global settings regarding performance optimization, global functions, and MIDI controllers. Performance Section The Performance section contains settings to optimize the overall CPU performance of the plug-in. Max Voices Determines the total number of voices that a plug-in instance can play back. As soon as this limit is reached, HALion starts stealing voices.
Global Functions and Settings Options Editor Max CPU To avoid clicks from CPU overloads, you can specify a maximum limit for the CPU load of the plug-in instance. HALion steals voices automatically when this limit is exceeded. At a setting of 100 %, no voices are stolen and the available CPU is used to its limit. This can lead to audio drop-outs. NOTE Because of the reaction time of the plug-in, it is possible that you get CPU peaks that exceed the set limit.
Global Functions and Settings Options Editor RAM. You can specify how much RAM should be used and how much HALion should rely on accessing the hard-disk. Balancing Disk vs. RAM Use the Balance slider to balance the hard disk versus the RAM usage. • If you need more RAM for other applications, drag the slider to the left towards the Disk setting. • If your hard disk is not supplying data fast enough, drag the slider to the right towards the RAM setting. NOTE The Disk vs.
Global Functions and Settings Options Editor Edit Section Here, you find common settings of HALion and you can specify an external wave editor that you want to use for editing your samples. NOTE The settings in this section are not saved with a project, but affect the plug-in as a whole. Show Tooltips If this option is activated, a tooltip is shown when you move the mouse over a control.
Global Functions and Settings Options Editor Update Sample Specifies what happens if a sample is saved in the external wave editor. • If Ask is selected and you switch back to HALion from the external editor, you are asked whether you want to replace the current sample with the modified sample. • If Always is selected, HALion accepts the modified sample. • If With Backup is selected, HALion accepts the modified sample and automatically creates a backup of the old sample file.
Global Functions and Settings Options Editor Import Section In this section, you can specify which zone templates to use when importing samples. For example, by specifying different headroom settings for single and multiple samples, you can import single drum loop samples without headroom and multiple instrument samples including their headroom settings, because they are required for polyphonic playback.
Global Functions and Settings AI Knob Support FlexPhraser Hold Reset sends a global hold reset message to all FlexPhraser modules that are used. The Reset Controller pop-up menu allows you to assign a dedicated MIDI controller to the Hold Reset button for remote-controlling it. Performance Meter Section This section provides performance-relevant information. Each meter displays the current value, the peak value, and a curve showing the changes over time.
Automation You can automate most of the HALion parameters from within your host application, whether these are parameters of a program or global parameters such as AUX effects. HALion provides 512 automation parameters that can be addressed from within the host application. You can assign HALion parameters to one of these automation parameters, and even assign multiple parameters to the same automation parameter, to control these parameters at the same time.
Automation Automation Editor Automation Editor All assigned automation parameters are shown in the Automation editor. With the tabs at the top, you can specify whether you want to show the automation parameters for the slot, the global parameters, or all automation parameters. On the left, the name of the automation parameter is shown, and on the right, the name of the assigned HALion parameter.
Automation Setting Up Automation Disconnected automation assignments could not be connected properly. This can occur if you make automation settings for a program and then load another program with a different structure into a slot, for example. • To rename an automation parameter, double-click the parameter name and enter the new name. This name is then used in your host application.
Automation Setting Up Automation If the new program has the same structure as the previous program, for example if you exchange a Voltage preset with another Voltage preset, HALion reconnects the automation parameters correctly and no manual modifications are necessary. However, if you load a preset with a different structure, for example a Model C preset, the automation parameters cannot be reconnected. In this case, the disconnected automation parameters are still displayed in the automation list.
Managing Your Sounds About Programs, Layers, Multis, Macro Pages, and Presets Programs A program is a complex instrument or sound that can consist of up to 4 layers. Often, a program contains a single layer that comes with all necessary components, such as the synthesis part or insert effects. Programs add the possibility of combining different layers to build up more complex sounds or to create combinations of sounds that you want to load as a unit.
Managing Your Sounds Registering VST Sounds Instrument Layers Instrument layers contain several multi-samples of an instrument that can be parts of single sounds or different articulations. These sublayers are called expressions. You can modify expression parameters. By switching off an expression, you can shorten the load time of a sound. Multis HALion is a multitimbral plug-in that can load up to 16 sounds (or programs) and combine them. This combination is called a multi-program, or multi for short.
Managing Your Sounds Loading Programs and Layers NOTE Before registering a VST Sound container, move it to the folder on your system where you want to store it. If you have registered a VST Sound container from the wrong location, for example from your Download folder, you can move it at a later point in time, using the Library Manager. • Double-click the VST Sound container in the File Explorer/Mac OS Finder.
Managing Your Sounds Loading Programs and Layers Finding Missing Samples There might be situations where loaded programs cannot find the samples they use. This can happen if the referenced samples are located on a different drive and the drive name has changed, or because the program was created on a different computer system. When this happens, the Find Missing Sample dialog opens, showing a list of all samples that are missing, with additional information about the format, size, and creation date.
Managing Your Sounds Load Dialog Load Dialog The Load dialog contains many of the MediaBay functions, allowing for very sophisticated search criteria. RELATED LINKS Applying Filters on page 56 Managing Files via the MediaBay on page 55 Results List on page 57 Slot Rack The Slot Rack has 64 slots. Each slot can hold a program, that is, you can work with 64 programs at the same time. Once a program is loaded in the Slot Rack, it can be played and edited.
Managing Your Sounds Slot Rack Slot Rack Controls The top section of the Slot Rack contains the controls. Sort Slots Allows you to select the sorting mode. • Custom Sorting – Allows you to define the order by dragging the slots up or down. • Sort Slots by MIDI Port and Channel – The slots are sorted according to their MIDI port and MIDI channel. • Sort Slots by Index – Sorts the slots according to their slot index. Slot Size Buttons Allow you to show large, medium, or small slots.
Managing Your Sounds Slot Rack Pan Controls the stereo position of a program. The parameter has an influence on all outputs that are used by layers and zones inside the program. If the slot bus has a surround configuration, this control is not available. MIDI Port and Channel Determines on which MIDI port and channel the slot receives MIDI messages. MIDI Activity Indicator This green bar next to the slot number and symbol indicates incoming MIDI data.
Managing Your Sounds Managing and Loading Files Save All Programs Allows you to save all programs as a VST preset. Remove Program Removes the program from the slot. Init Program Loads the Init program. This contains a neutral synth layer. Revert to Last Saved Program Discards any changes that you made to the program since the last time it was saved. Cut Program Copies the program and removes it from the slot. Copy Program Copies the program. Paste Program Pastes the copied program into the slot.
Managing Your Sounds Managing and Loading Files A multi-program contains all plug-in parameters. If you use HALion as a plug-in in a Steinberg DAW, these multis are listed in the Preset Management pop-up menu of the host application. You can drag multis and programs from the MediaBay to a slot in HALion. If you use HALion as a plug-in in a different host application, you can use the preset functionality from the host application or the multi management features provided by HALion.
Managing Your Sounds Managing and Loading Files Creating Subfolders for User-Defined Multis You can create subfolders inside the user preset folder to organize presets. • To create a new folder, click the Create New Folder icon at the top left of the Save Multi-Program dialog. Navigating Through the Folder Hierarchy You can move through the folder hierarchy using the three navigation buttons at the top left of the dialog.
Managing Your Sounds Managing and Loading Files • To adjust the size of the two sections, drag the divider at the top of the results list. Applying Filters Category Filter You can filter the results list based on up to 4 filter criteria using the configurable attribute columns. The standard attributes are Category, Sub Category, Style, and Character. Only the files that match the filter are displayed in the results list. • To define the filter, click on specific values in the columns.
Managing Your Sounds Managing and Loading Files Using User Icons for Content Libraries The Select Content Set pop-up menu allows you to filter presets according to their library name. To be able to filter out your user presets, you can set up a custom library name for your user presets in the MediaBay. By default, the pop-up menu displays user libraries with a generic library icon, but you can also set up your own icons for your libraries. PROCEDURE 1. Open the Select Content Set pop-up menu. 2.
Managing Your Sounds Managing and Loading Files To reset the text-based result filter, click Clear Search Text next to the search field. View Filters The toolbar has three filter buttons that allow you to define which preset types to display: multis, programs, or layers. In the results list, the corresponding icon is shown to the left of the preset name. Rating Filter You can limit the results list according to the rating of the presets. Use the rating slider to define the minimum rating.
Managing Your Sounds Managing and Loading Files Results List Context Menu The context menu of the results list offers additional options for managing the selected presets. Different options are available for factory presets and for user presets. NOTE Programs from the factory content are write-protected and cannot be deleted or renamed. Factory Presets Load Program into selected Slot/Load Multi-Program Loads the highlighted preset. Select All Selects all presets in the results list.
Managing Your Sounds Managing and Loading Files RESULT Now, you can use MIDI program change messages to load the assigned sounds into the slot of the corresponding MIDI channel. NOTE Slot 10 ignores any program change messages and keeps the loaded drum set. Loading Programs into Slots To load a program into one of the slots of the Slot Rack, you have the following possibilities: • Select the slot into which you want to load the program, and double-click the program in the results list.
Managing Your Sounds Managing and Loading Files RESULT The imported presets are copied to your user folder. Editing Preset Attributes Presets can be described by using a predefined set of attributes. PROCEDURE 1. In the New Preset Attributes section of the Save dialog, click in the field of the attribute value that you want to set. Depending on the attribute, a menu or a dialog opens. 2. Select a value. Attribute values are written into the corresponding preset files.
Managing Your Sounds Managing and Loading Files Importing FXP/FXB Files PROCEDURE 1. Click Import on the right of the category filter and select Import HALion FXP/FXB Files. 2. Navigate to the folder that contains the FXP/FXB file. 3. Select the file that you want to import and click OK. Alternatively, import multiple FXP/FXB files by dragging them from the File Explorer/ Mac OS Finder into the MediaBay.
Managing Your Sounds Managing and Loading Files Path Section • To step through the recent locations, click the Previous Browse Location/Next Browse Location buttons. • To navigate to the folder one level up in the location tree, click the Browse Containing Folder button. • The path field shows the current location. To specify a new location, enter or copy a new path. • To open the navigation history, click at the very right of the path field.
Managing Your Sounds Managing and Loading Files Quick Rescan Disk Rescans only the folders that have changed since the last scan. Show in Explorer (Win)/Reveal in Finder (Mac) Shows the location of the selected file on your system. Locations Locations are folders or directories on your system that contain media files. By setting up locations, you can organize the files that are available in the results list according to context. The text field above the tree shows the name of the selected folder.
Managing Your Sounds Managing and Loading Files any attributes into account. The value field in the top right corner indicates the number of files that match the search text. • To clear the search text, click Clear Filter Text. Configuring the Results List • To configure which attributes are shown in the results list, click Set up Result Columns in the upper right corner of the results list and activate the corresponding entries. New attributes are added at the right of the list.
Managing Your Sounds Managing and Loading Files Preview and File Info Sections The Preview and File Info sections below the results list allow you to play back the focused sample and shows information about the file. File Info Section This section shows information on the focused sample or MIDI file. • For samples, length, channels, bit depth, and sample rate are shown. If available, root key, key, and velocity range are also shown.
Managing Your Sounds Managing and Loading Files The folder specified in the Destination Folder field is used to save samples from bank or container files, such as GigaSampler files (.gig). You can enter the path manually or click the button to the right to navigate to a specific directory.
Managing Your Sounds Managing and Loading Files Loading Files from HALion 3 You can load FXB and FXP files from HALion 3. These files can be located in a directory on the file system or inside an HSB container file. HSB container files must be registered in the MediaBay before they can be used. When loading FXB files, the multi-program is replaced. If FXB or FXP files are referring to HSB container files, the sample paths always work.
Managing Your Sounds Working with General MIDI Files * ISO images on HDD only. Working with General MIDI Files HALion can play back files in the General MIDI format. For this, the following preparations must be made: PROCEDURE 1. Load a GM multi from the MediaBay. The first 16 slots are prepared with send effects for chorus and reverb. 2. Open the Options Editor, navigate to the MIDI Controller section, and activate Receive Program Changes and Receive RPNs 0/1/2. 3.
Mapping Zones You can edit the sample mapping manually in the Mapping Editor. The mapping functions are based on information like key range, root key, and velocity range. Mapping Editor The Mapping Editor allows you to view and edit the distribution of the zones within a program. All zones are mapped to the key range on the horizontal axis and the velocity range on the vertical axis. In the upper area, you have access to mapping ranges and sample parameters for the selected zone.
Mapping Zones Mapping Editor Zones are displayed as boxes. Overlaying zones are semi transparent, so that overlapping areas can easily be recognized. Selected zones have a red border, and the focused zone has an orange border. To set the focus on a zone, click on it or select it on the Focused Zone popup menu above the toolbar. When you play notes on your MIDI keyboard, these notes are highlighted on the Mapping Editor keyboard. The velocity of the played note is shown on the velocity scale on the left.
Mapping Zones Mapping Editor • Activate Select Zones via MIDI MIDI keyboard. • If Select Zones depending on Velocity the incoming velocity are selected. • If Select Zones using a MIDI Controller to set the Velocity is activated, the velocity from the keyboard is replaced by the controller values that are sent by the selected controller. to select zones by playing on an external is activated, only zones that match Right-click the icon to select another controller or use the Learn function.
Mapping Zones Mapping Editor Key Range With the Low Key and High Key value fields, you can set up the key range for the selected zone. Velocity Range With the Low Velocity and High Velocity value fields, you can set the velocity range for the selected zone. Root Key The root key determines the original pitch of a zone, that is, the key on which the zone is played without being transposed. Tune Sets the tune offset of the zone. This value can be written into the sample file on export and is read on import.
Mapping Zones Mapping Editor Context Menu Velocity Scale The velocity scale on the left provides an orientation when you adjust the velocity range of a zone. In the background of the scale, a meter indicates the incoming velocity value. After each note, the meter automatically falls back to zero and leaves a marker on the last velocity value. Mapping Editor Context Menu Selection Opens a submenu where you can select all zones or invert the current selection. • To select all zones, select Select All.
Mapping Zones Mapping Editor Context Menu Delete Deletes the selected zones. Cut Removes the selected zones and saves them to the clipboard. Copy Copies the selected zones to the clipboard. Paste Pastes the zones from the clipboard to the selected program or layer. Visibility The Visibility submenu allows you to control the visibility of zones inside the Mapping Editor. • Hide Selected hides the selected zones. • Hide Non-Selected hides all zones that are not selected.
Mapping Zones Mapping Editor Context Menu • Pitch and Velocity first fills the gaps on the keyboard axis. Then, the remaining gaps on the velocity axis are filled. • Velocity and Pitch first fills the gaps on the velocity axis. Then, the remaining gaps on the keyboard axis are filled. Set Root Key Allows you to adjust the root keys of the selected zones without changing their key or velocity ranges. • Center of Zone sets the root key to the center of the zone.
Mapping Zones Mapping Editor Context Menu Layered on Root Key The zones are layered on the root key, equally spaced from the lowest to the highest velocity. Layered on Key Range Zones that have exactly the same key range are layered equally spaced from the lowest to the highest velocity. Chromatic from Last Key Starting with the highlighted key of the Mapping Editor keyboard, the zones are mapped chromatically to the white and black keys in ascending order. The root keys are set to the corresponding key.
Mapping Zones Sample Zones and their Root Keys Velocity in Sample Folder The zones are mapped to the velocity range that is extracted from the name of the sample folder. Ranges in Sample File The zones are mapped to the key and velocity ranges that are stored in the sample file header. NOTE If the header does not contain this information, the samples cannot be mapped. Tuning from Sample File The zones are mapped according to the tuning settings that are stored in the sample file header.
Mapping Zones Creating Fades and Crossfades To restrict the movement to the horizontal direction, start dragging the zone and press Ctrl/ Cmd, and to restrict movement to vertical, start dragging and press Alt. When you move sample zones horizontally, they are transposed, therefore, it might be necessary to adjust the root key.
Mapping Zones Selecting Zones • To zoom in on a specific zone, double-click it. To zoom out, double-click again. • To zoom in on an area where two or more zones are overlapping, double-click the area. To zoom out, double-click again. • To zoom to the selection, activate the S button next to the scrollbar. • To zoom out completely or return to the last zoom state, click the A button next to the scrollbar. Zoom Snapshots Zoom snapshots save the zoom factor and scroll position of the editor.
Mapping Zones Importing Multiple Samples Using Drag And Drop Importing Multiple Samples Using Drag And Drop PROCEDURE 1. Select the samples that you want to import. 2. Drag the samples to the key on the Mapping Editor keyboard where you want the first selected sample to be placed. If you drag samples from a separate browser window, the selection order determines how the samples are mapped, with the first selected sample being mapped to the first key. 3. Move the mouse up and down.
Editing Programs and Layers In the Sound Editor for programs and layers, you can find the parameters that are set globally for an entire program or layer. For example, you can transpose the pitch, adjust level and pan, and limit the playback to a specific area on the keyboard. Programs and layers share the same set of parameters. Main Section The Main section contains basic settings. Octave Transposes the pitch in octave steps. Coarse Transposes the pitch in semitone steps.
Editing Programs and Layers Trigger Section Low Key Defines the lowest key on which the program or layer is triggered. High Key Defines the highest key on which the program or layer is triggered. Low Vel Defines the lowest velocity on which the program or layer is triggered. High Vel Defines the highest velocity on which the program or layer is triggered. Sus, FCtrl, FSw, PB, MW, and AT The Filter options allow you to filter incoming MIDI controllers. Level Adjusts the level of the layer.
Editing Programs and Layers Trigger Section • If this parameter is set to Temporary, the key switch is only active for as long as the corresponding key is pressed. Default Switch Specifies the default key switch that is active when you load a program, that means, before you used the first key switch. The default key switch is also used in Temporary mode when no key switch is pressed.
Editing Programs and Layers Voice Management Section • If Note-on is selected, the velocity is used to trigger the zones. • If Controller is selected, a MIDI controller is used to replace the velocity, that is, the controller value is used to select the zones. The note-on message triggers the zones selected by the controller. Only zones that belong to the corresponding velocity are played back. • If Continuous is selected, a MIDI controller is used to replace the velocity.
Editing Programs and Layers Voice Management Section • If this parameter is set to Program, the settings of the program are used, regardless of any Voice Management settings made for layers higher up in the hierarchy. Voice Mode Determines which notes are stolen during playback and whether new notes are triggered when the Polyphony setting is exceeded. • Last Note Priority – New notes have playback priority over the notes that were played before them.
Editing Programs and Layers Voice Management Section If the new note stays within the same zone, the envelope is retriggered, but resumes at the level of the stolen note. The pitch of the zone is set to the new note. If the new note plays in a different zone, the sample and the envelope of the new note are triggered from the start. • Legato does not always trigger a new note. If the new note stays within the same zone, the envelope keeps running. The pitch of the zone is set to the new note.
Editing Programs and Layers Voice Management Section Polyphony When you play a note, one or multiple zones can be triggered. Each triggered zone equals a voice. The number of voices that you trigger with each note is displayed in the Voices field of the program. Use this parameter to set an upper limit for the number of notes that can be played simultaneously in polyphonic mode.
Editing Programs and Layers Voice Management Section Play Release By default, the release phase of stolen notes is not played back and the notes fade out in the time specified by the Fade Out parameter of the zone. Activate this option to fade out the notes with their normal release phase instead. RELATED LINKS Fade Out on page 96 Voice Groups By assigning zones to a voice group, you can set their polyphony individually. You can manage the polyphony across zones that are not part of the same layer.
Editing Programs and Layers Variation Groups Section Variation Groups Section To avoid the so-called machine gun effect that occurs when the same sample is triggered repeatedly, you can create programs that use several samples for the same key and velocity range. These samples can then be triggered alternately as variations. To define which samples are triggered as variations, you can assign them to variation groups. If no variation groups are activated, all zones play simultaneously.
Editing Programs and Layers Quick Control Assignments Section Quick Control Assignments Section This section allows you to manage and edit the assigned quick controls. How to work with the quick controls is described in a separate section. RELATED LINKS Quick Controls on page 27 Note Expression Section How to work with the Note Expression parameters is described in a separate section.
Editing Zones You can edit zones in the Zone Editor or in the Sound Editor. These editors allow you to modify the settings for a single zone, for multiple selected zones, or for all zones at the same time. Adding Zones You can add zones in the Program Tree. Which zone type to add depends on the type of sound that you want to create or work with. PROCEDURE 1. On the toolbar, click Create New Zone . 2. From the pop-up menu, select the zone type that you want to add.
Editing Zones Adding Samples to Empty Zones Organ Zone Organ zones produce the sound of classic drawbar organs with up to nine drawbars. Wavetable Zone Wavetable zones use wavetable synthesis as sound source. Its high-quality analysis combined with the wavetable envelope allows for resynthesis of a sample, that is, only a few waves are necessary to reproduce the original character of any sample. If not explicitly stated, the functions described in this chapter apply to all zone types.
Editing Zones Editing Selected Zones or All Zones Editing Selected Zones or All Zones When working in the Zone Editor or Sound Editor, you can apply your editing either to the selected zones (SEL) or to all zones (ALL), depending on the setting of the corresponding button on the toolbar. Global Zone Settings The global section at the top of the Zone Editor allows you to set up basic zone parameters. Mute Zone Mutes the zone.
Editing Zones Voice Control Section The buttons can be activated, deactivated, or locked. Low Key/High Key These parameters determine the lowest key and the highest key on which the zone is triggered. Low Velocity/High Velocity These parameters determine the lowest velocity and the highest velocity on which the zone is triggered. Root Key The root key determines the pitch of the zone.
Editing Zones Voice Control Section Trigger Tab On the Trigger tab, you can specify the triggering of a zone. Voice Group You can set the polyphony of a zone individually, by assigning it to one of 128 voice groups. The settings of voice groups can be edited in the Voice Management section of the program or layer. Variation Group Specifies the alternation mode for the different variation groups. Priority Each zone that you trigger corresponds to a voice.
Editing Zones Voice Control Section Release Mode and Amount These parameters determine how loud the release samples are played back. Release samples play back the sound of an instrument when the note ends. For example, this can be the noise of the damper touching down on the piano string, or the reverb tail of an instrument that was recorded in a concert hall. • Off deactivates the Release Mode. The level of the note-off sample is controlled only by the amplifier section of the zone.
Editing Zones Voice Control Section Detune Detunes the pitch of each unison voice in cents. This produces a fatter sound. Pan Spreads the unison voices across the stereo panorama. The higher the value, the broader the stereo image. Delay Allows you to introduce a small random delay for each unison voice. With a value of 0 ms, all unison voices are triggered at the same time. Values from 1 ms to 100 ms add a random delay to each unison voice. The higher the value, the more random the delay.
Editing Zones Voice Control Section for Organ Zones Glide Time Sets the glide time, that is, the time it takes to bend the pitch from one note to the next. Sync Activate Sync to synchronize the delay time to the host tempo. Select a note value from the pop-up menu. To change the selected note value to a triplet, activate the T button. Mode • Set this parameter to Constant Time to keep the glide time constant and independent from the note interval.
Editing Zones Voice Control Section for Organ Zones Voice Group You can set the polyphony of a zone individually, by assigning it to one of 128 voice groups. The settings of voice groups can be edited in the Voice Management section of the program or layer. Priority Each zone that you trigger corresponds to a voice. If the number of played zones exceeds the Maximum Voices setting specified in the Options Editor, zones are cut off and replaced by other zones. This is called “voice stealing”.
Editing Zones Pitch Section Pitch Section On the Pitch section for synth, sample, grain, and wavetable zones, you can make settings for tuning and pitch modulation. Pitchbend Up/Pitchbend Down Determines the range for the modulation that is applied when you move the pitchbend wheel. Octave Adjusts the pitch in octave steps. Coarse Adjusts the pitch in semitone steps. Fine Allows you to fine-tune the pitch in cent steps. Pitch Envelope Amount Determines how much the pitch is affected by the pitch envelope.
Editing Zones Oscillator Section Oscillator Section The Oscillator section is available for synth zones. The Oscillator section offers six sound sources: three main oscillators, the sub oscillator, the ring modulation, and the noise generator. To create interesting electronic spectra, you can mix any of these sound sources. The resulting signal is sent to the Filter and Amplifier sections for further sound shaping.
Editing Zones Oscillator Section Osc 1/2/3 Waveform Modifies the sound of the oscillator algorithm. Its effect depends on the selected oscillator type. NOTE • Except for PWM, all algorithms support the sine, triangle, saw, and square wave shapes. PWM supports only the square wave shape. • The Waveform parameter for the three main oscillators can be assigned as modulation destinations in the modulation matrix. OSC 1/2/3 Octave Adjusts the pitch in octave steps.
Editing Zones Oscillator Section • Detune detunes the oscillators. • Pan narrows or widens the stereo panorama. With a setting of 0 %, you create a mono signal, and with 100 %, you create a stereo signal. NOTE The pitch distribution of the oscillators is determined by the Distribution control in the Voice Control section. Retrigger Mode Allows you to decide whether the oscillator runs freely, with a random phase each time a note is triggered, or with a fixed start phase.
Editing Zones Oscillator Section • If Free Phase is selected, the behavior of analog synthesizers is emulated. The oscillator is running freely and continuously. • If Random Phase is selected, the start phase is randomly set to a different value each time that you trigger a note. In contrast to Free Phase, there is no continuity in the phase of the waveform. • If Fixed Phase is selected, the oscillator runs with a fixed start phase that can be specified between 0 and 360 degrees.
Editing Zones Sample Oscillator Section Sample Oscillator Section This section is available for sample zones. It contains various playback and loop parameters. Load/Replace Sample This button on the right side of the section header allows you to load an initial sample or to replace the current sample. In the dialog, you can listen to the samples, to select the best match for your working situation. Playback Mode • Normal – The sample is played back from beginning to end.
Editing Zones Sample Oscillator Section Preload A sample can either be loaded completely into RAM or it can be streamed from the hard disk. If samples are streamed, HALion needs to preload a portion of these samples to be able to play a voice without having to search for the sample data first. The size of this preload buffer can be set in the Options Editor. The Preload setting allows you to adapt this buffer size for individual sample zones by setting a multiplier from 1 to 16.
Editing Zones Sample Oscillator Section Sample End The end marker of the sample. Release Start Determines the position to which the cursor jumps when you release a key. For example, if you are playing back a sample in a loop, but you want it to play its original release phase, set the Release Start parameter to this position. Release Offset Allows you to fine-tune the release start for each sample.
Editing Zones Organ Oscillator Section Tuning Sets the tuning of the loop. This is useful to adjust the frequency of the loop. Organ Oscillator Section Organ zones produce the sound of classic drawbar organs with up to nine drawbars. Each drawbar controls the level of a harmonic. The drawbars are named after the length of church organ pipes, ranging from 16' to 1'. 16' is the lowest and 1' the highest harmonic. You can mix the harmonics using the drawbars to create different classic organ timbres.
Editing Zones Wavetable Section Oscillator On/Off Activates/Deactivates the oscillator. Select Wavetable This pop-up menu allows you to select a wavetable for the wavetable oscillator. You can choose between the included wavetables and the wavetables that you created in the Wavetable Editor. Show 3D Wavetable Map/2D Wave Toggles between displaying a single cycle of the current waveform and a topographic map of the entire wavetable. Octave Adjusts the pitch in octave steps.
Editing Zones Wavetable Section Level Adjusts the output level of the oscillator. Pan Adjusts the position of the oscillator in the stereo panorama. At a setting of -100 %, the sound is panned hard left, and at +100 %, it is panned hard right. NOTE The Position, Pitch, Level, and Pan parameters of wavetable oscillators 1 and 2 can be modulated separately in the modulation matrix. Position Determines where the envelope starts. Random Position Adds a random value to the current position when you play a note.
Editing Zones Wavetable Section If this button is deactivated, waves outside the loop are not played when you release the key. Legato If Legato is deactivated, each note starts playback from the position cursor. If Legato is activated, the first note starts playback from the position cursor, and any following notes start from the current playback position for as long as the first note is held. Sync to Host Allows you to sync the wavetable to the beats and measures of your host application.
Editing Zones Wavetable Section a setting of 2.5, you hear two oscillators at full level and a third one at half level. • Detune detunes the oscillators. • Pan narrows or widens the stereo panorama. With a setting of 0 %, you create a mono signal and with 100 %, you create a stereo signal. • Spread distributes the oscillators so that each oscillator plays from a different position in the wavetable. NOTE • The multi-oscillator settings can be modulated separately in the modulation matrix.
Editing Zones Wavetable Section Sub Oscillator The pitch of the sub oscillator is always one octave below the overall pitch of the wavetable zone. If you modulate the pitch of the wavetable zone, the pitch of the sub oscillator follows. On/Off Activates/Deactivates the sub oscillator. Type The wave shape of the sub oscillator. You can choose between Sine, Triangle, Saw, Square, Pulse Wide, and Pulse Narrow.
Editing Zones Wavetable Section Noise The Noise section offers you a large amount of different noise types that can be used to add inharmonic frequencies to the overall spectrum, either for the entire sound, with looped noises or with one-shot noise samples. This allows you to add characteristic transients to percussive instruments based on samples, for example. Noise On/Off Activates/Deactivates the Noise section.
Editing Zones AudioWarp Section Start Adjusts the start of the noise sample. With a value of 50 %, playback starts in the middle of the sample. Random Start Selects a random playback start within a specific range around the current position. At a setting of 100 %, the playback position jumps to a random position between the specified Start value and the end of the noise sample. Level Adjusts the output level of the Noise section. Pan Determines the position of the noise in the stereo panorama.
Editing Zones AudioWarp Section Time Stretching On/Off If this button is activated, you can play back a sample at a different pitch than the root key without changing its tempo and length. In Music mode, transposition is limited to the range between -24 and +24 semitones around the root key of the sample. If you play notes outside this limit, the highest, or lowest, note is used, respectively. The same applies for pitch modulation.
Editing Zones AudioWarp Section Original BPM If Sync Mode is set to Tempo, you can enter the original tempo of the sample in beats per minute. The playback speed of the sample is adjusted to match the tempo of the host application. Note Length and Number of Beats If Sync Mode is set to Beats, HALion calculates the tempo of the sample, based on the note length and number of beats that you enter. For example, if the sample is a drum loop with four quarter notes, set Note to 1/4 and Beats to 4.
Editing Zones Filter Section In addition, you can use this parameter to experiment and create interesting effects. NOTE This parameter is only available in Solo mode. Transient Detection Sets a threshold for the transient detection. The higher the value, the more transients are detected. Transients can sound more defined if you adjust this parameter. NOTE This parameter is only available in Solo mode.
Editing Zones Filter Section Filter Mode The buttons on the left determine the overall filter structure. • Single Filter uses one filter with one selectable filter shape. • Dual Filter Serial uses two separate filters connected in series. You can select the filter shapes for each filter independently. The parameters Cutoff and Resonance control both filters simultaneously. However, you can offset these parameters for the second filter with the parameters CF Offset and Res Offset.
Editing Zones Filter Section NOTE Filters without distortion use less processing power. Filter Shape • LP24, 18, 12, and 6 are low-pass filters with 24, 18, 12, and 6 dB/oct. Frequencies above the cutoff are attenuated. • BP12 and BP24 are band-pass filters with 12 and 24 dB/oct. Frequencies below and above the cutoff are attenuated. • HP6+LP18 and HP6+LP12 are combinations of a high-pass filter with 6 dB/ oct and a low-pass filter with 18 and 12 dB/oct, respectively (asymmetric band-pass filter).
Editing Zones Filter Section • For the filter types Morph 2 and Morph 4, the X/Y control adjusts the morphing between the filter shapes on the vertical axis. The horizontal axis adjusts the cutoff frequency. • For Morph XY, the X/Y control adjusts the morphing between the filter shapes AD and BC on the horizontal axis, and AB and DC on the vertical axis. Resonance Emphasizes the frequencies around the cutoff. At higher settings, the filter selfoscillates, which results in a ringing tone.
Editing Zones Amplifier Section Cutoff Key Follow Adjusts the cutoff modulation using the note number. Increase this parameter to raise the cutoff with higher notes. At 100 %, the cutoff follows the played pitch exactly. Center Key Specifies the MIDI note that is used as the central position for the Key Follow function. Bypass Filter Envelope Allows you to listen to the zone without modulation of the filter envelope. Bypass Filter Allows you to listen to the zone without any filtering.
Editing Zones Amplifier Section Pan Determines the position of the sound in the stereo panorama. At a setting of -100 %, the sound is panned hard left, and at +100 %, it is panned hard right. Mode With this option you can specify how the loudness changes across the stereo panorama. • If this parameter is set to 0 dB, it works like a balance control. Setting the pan control towards the left fades out the right channel and vice versa. At the center position, the loudness is not cut.
Editing Zones Envelope Section Center Key Specifies the MIDI note that is used as the center position for Pan Key Follow. AUX Tab AUX 1-4 If you send the zone signal to one of the local AUX busses, you can control the signal level that is sent to the busses with the controls AUX 1-4. Output Zones can be routed to the following destinations: • Busses that are higher up in the hierarchy of the program. This includes the plug-in outputs, but not the bus that is set for the program slot or global AUX busses.
Editing Zones Envelope Section • Click Filter to display the parameters of the filter envelope. The filter envelope controls the cutoff frequency to shape the harmonic content over time. • Click Pitch to display the parameters of the pitch envelope. The pitch envelope modulates the pitch over time. The pitch envelope is bipolar, which means it allows for negative and positive values to bend the pitch. • Click User to display the parameters of the freely assignable user envelope.
Editing Zones Envelope Section Snap You can select a second envelope to be displayed in the background of the edited envelope. If Snap is activated and you change the position of nodes, they snap to the nodes of the envelope that is shown in the background. • To specify the envelope for the background, open the pop-up menu to the right of the Snap button and select an envelope from the list. Fill Allows you to add multiple envelope nodes after the selected nodes.
Editing Zones Envelope Section Segments Here, you can select which phases of the envelope are affected by the Time Velocity parameter. • Attack – The velocity affects the attack only. • Attack + Decay – The velocity affects all phases until the sustain. • Decay – The velocity affects all phases until the sustain but without the attack. • Attack + Release – The velocity affects the attack and the release phases. • All – The velocity affects all phases.
Editing Zones Envelope Section To the right of the scrollbar, you can find three numbered buttons that allow you to save and load zoom snapshots. • To save the current state of the editor as snapshot, Shift-click one of the numbered buttons to the right of the scrollbar. • To load a zoom snapshot, click the corresponding button. The button color changes if a snapshot is active. NOTE If you perform any manual zooming or scrolling, the zoom snapshot is deactivated.
Editing Zones Envelope Section • To set the Level parameter, select the nodes that you want to adjust and enter a value in the Level field. • You can also adjust the Level parameter in the graphical envelope editor by dragging the selected nodes up or down, to decrease or increase the levels. For a higher resolution, hold Shift while moving the nodes. To limit the movement to the level axis, that is, to change only the vertical position of a node, hold down Alt while dragging.
Editing Zones Envelope Section Scaling the Level of the Release Node with the Level at Note-Off PROCEDURE 1. Set up an amplifier envelope with five nodes, spaced at intervals of 1000 ms. The second, third, and fourth nodes have a level of 100 %. All curve segments are linear. 2. Deactivate Scale Rel and play and release a note in the middle of the attack, halfway between node 1 and 2. The level of node 4 is not altered.
Editing Zones LFO Section • Nodes that exactly match a note value are indicated by a red dot inside the handle of the node. This is useful if you switch the grid between triplets and normal note values, for example. The triplet nodes still indicate that they match a note value, even if the grid shows normal note values. You can also enter note values and triplets manually in the value field. Setting Up the Loop You can set up the envelope to repeat its playback between the selected nodes. PROCEDURE 1.
Editing Zones LFO Section • The fourth node adjusts the Fade Out time. LFO Waveform and Shape • Sine produces smooth modulation, suitable for vibrato or tremolo. Shape adds additional harmonics to the waveform. • Triangle is similar to Sine. Shape continuously changes the triangle waveform to a trapezoid. • Saw produces a ramp cycle. Shape continuously changes the waveform from ramp down to triangle to ramp up.
Editing Zones LFO Section Frequency Controls the frequency of the modulation, that is, the speed of the LFO. Phase Sets the initial phase of the waveform when the LFO is retriggered. Rnd (Random Phase) If this button is activated, each note starts with a randomized start phase. NOTE The Phase control cannot be used if Rnd is activated. Delay Determines the delay time between the moment you play a note and the moment the LFO comes into effect.
Editing Zones Step Modulator • One Shot + Sustain is similar to One Shot. The Delay and Fade In parameters are always applied when you play a note. The Hold and Fade Out parameters are not available. • If Hold + Fade Out is selected and you play a note, the Delay and Fade In parameters are applied. The envelope fades out after the time specified by the Hold parameter or when a key is released. Releasing a key during the fade in starts the fade out from the current level.
Editing Zones Step Modulator steps, the note value, and the tempo you set in your host application. To use triplet note values, activate Triplet. The sequence restarts with the transport of the host application and lines up to the beats of the project. The Retrigger Mode is not taken into account. Frequency If Sync Mode is set to Off, this controls the speed at which the sequence is repeated. Note If Sync Mode is set to one of the Tempo settings, this adjusts the length of the steps in fractions of beats.
Editing Zones Modulation Matrix Shift Phrase Right/Shift Phrase Left These commands shift all the steps to the right/left. If you shift the rhythm of the phrase to the left, the first step is moved to the end. If you shift the phrase to the right, the last step is moved to the beginning. Reverse Phrase Reverses the phrase, that is, inverts the order of all steps. Editing Steps • To set the level of a step, click at the corresponding position in the graphical editor.
Editing Zones Modulation Matrix The modulation matrix offers you up to 32 freely assignable modulations, each with a source, an offset parameter, a modifier, and a destination with adjustable depth. All modulation sources and destinations can be assigned several times. The polarity of each source can be switched between unipolar and bipolar. An additional modifier and user-definable curves and ranges give you further control over the modulation. The modulation matrix is divided into two sections.
Editing Zones Modulation Matrix Modulation Matrix Context Menu Cut Modulation Cuts the modulation data from the current slot. Copy Modulation Copies the modulation data from the current slot to the clipboard. Paste Modulation Pastes the modulation data from the clipboard to the current modulation slot. NOTE You can copy modulation rows between different programs and between different plug-in instances. Insert Modulation Inserts an empty modulation slot. Remove Modulation Removes the modulation slot.
Editing Zones Modulation Matrix Forget CC Removes the MIDI controller assignment for the current slot. Set Minimum Allows you to set the minimum value for the MIDI controller that is assigned to the modulation slot. Set Maximum Allows you to set the maximum value for the MIDI controller that is assigned to the modulation slot. Assign Quick Control Allows you to assign a quick control to the modulation slot. Forget Quick Control Removes the quick control assignment of the modulation slot.
Editing Zones Modulation Matrix Amp Envelope The amplifier envelope. This modulation source is unipolar. The shape of the envelope determines the modulation signal. Filter Envelope The filter envelope. This modulation source is unipolar. The shape of the envelope determines the modulation signal. Pitch Envelope The pitch envelope. This modulation source is bipolar. The shape of the envelope determines the modulation signal. User Envelope The user envelope. This modulation source is bipolar.
Editing Zones Modulation Matrix Modulation Wheel The position of the modulation wheel can be used as modulation signal. This modulation source is unipolar. Aftertouch Aftertouch can be used as modulation signal. This modulation source is unipolar. Some MIDI keyboards cannot send aftertouch messages. However, most sequencer software is able to produce such messages. MIDI Controller Any of the 127 available MIDI controllers can be used as modulation signal.
Editing Zones Modulation Matrix The Sample & Hold modifier is only available on the Source 2 pop-up menu. It takes a sample of the modulation source whenever it receives a trigger signal. It holds the sampled value until it receives a new trigger. This way, you can quantize a continuous modulation signal. The following Sample & Hold options are available: Trigger on Note-on Triggers the Sample & Hold modifier manually each time that you hit a key.
Editing Zones Modulation Matrix For example, to create rhythmic patterns in the spectral timbre, assign the Step Modulator. Resonance Modulates the filter resonance. Resonance changes the character of the filter. For example, to accent the filter the harder you hit a key, assign Velocity to Resonance. Distortion Modulates the filter distortion. This has no effect on the Classic, HALion 3, and Waldorf filters. Morph X Modulates the x-axis of the filter in Morph XY mode.
Editing Zones Modulation Matrix This modulation destination cannot be modulated continuously. The parameter is updated only when you hit a key. Speed Factor Modulates the speed factor of the sample. Formant Shift Modulates the formant shifting. Grain Position Modulates the playback position. The modulation is not continuous, but it is updated at the start of each grain. Grain Direction Modulates the Direction parameter. For the effect to be heard, the Speed parameter must be set to a value above 0 %.
Editing Zones Modulation Matrix For example, to change the character of an oscillator over time, assign one of the envelopes. Osc 1/2/3 Multi Detune Modulates the Detune parameter of the individual oscillator voices that are produced by multi-oscillator mode. Osc 1/2/3 Multi Pan Modulates the pan position of the individual oscillator voices that are produced by multi-oscillator mode. Osc 1/2/3 Multi Voices Modulates the number of oscillator voices that are produced by multi-oscillator mode.
Editing Zones Modulation Matrix Amp Env Decay Time Modulates the decay time of the amplitude envelope. This modulation destination cannot be modulated continuously. The time is updated only when the segment starts. Amp Env Sustain Level Modulates the sustain level of the amplitude envelope. This modulation destination cannot be modulated continuously. The level is updated only when the segment starts. Amp Env Release Time Modulates the release time of the amplitude envelope.
Editing Zones Modulation Matrix Pitch Env Decay Time Modulates the decay time of the pitch envelope. This modulation destination cannot be modulated continuously. The time is updated only when the segment starts. Pitch Env Sustain Level Modulates the sustain level of the pitch envelope. This modulation destination cannot be modulated continuously. The level is updated only when the segment starts. Pitch Env Release Time Modulates the release time of the pitch envelope.
Editing Zones Modulation Matrix User Env Release Level Modulates the level of the last user envelope node. This modulation destination cannot be modulated continuously. The level is updated only when the segment starts. Bus 1-16 You can send any modulation to one of the 16 busses, for example, to produce more complex modulation signals. Select the bus that you want to send the signals to as a destination. To use the modulation that was sent to a bus, assign the corresponding bus as a modulation source.
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor The Sample Editor allows you to view and edit samples. In HALion, samples are associated with sample zones. If a sample zone is selected, the Sample Editor shows the corresponding sample. Loading and Previewing Samples The controls in the Sample Editor header allow you to load a sample and make preview settings. Load/Replace Sample Allows you to load a new sample or replace the current sample.
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor Toolbar Range Selection Tool Click and drag with this tool to create a selection. Zoom Tool If this tool is selected, you can click in the waveform to zoom in on the position where you click. Play Tool If this tool is selected, you can click in the waveform to start playback. The sample is played back from this position until you release the mouse button. Scrub Tool If this tool is selected, you can click in the waveform and drag sideways to play back the audio.
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor Toolbar Edit Loop If this button is activated, the editor shows the looped region instead of the original sample data. This provides a better overview over the transition between loop end and loop start and allows you to set the loop markers to the best positions. NOTE If Loop Mode is deactivated when you activate Edit Loop, it is automatically set to Continuous and the loop markers are placed at the start and end of the sample.
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor Info Line NOTE This value is only updated when you search for loop positions using the Find Previous/Next Loop Start/End buttons. Pitch Detection Sensitivity Allows you to adjust the pitch detection curve. For example, if the pitch detection curve changes too fast or if it contains wrong pitches, lower the Pitch Detection Sensitivity. Detected Pitch The detected pitch at the current marker position.
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor Info Line Selection Start Sets the start of the selection. Selection End Sets the end of the selection. Selection Length Sets the length of the selection. Show Selection/Sample Parameters Switches the info line between displaying the parameters for the selection or for the entire sample. Root Key The root key determines the original pitch of a zone, that is, the key on which the zone is played without being transposed. Tune Sets the tune offset of the zone.
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor Overview Line Signature Allows you to specify the time signature of the loop. Offset Offsets the grid by the specified value. Overview Line The overview line shows the entire sample. The section that is visible in the waveform display is indicated by a rectangle. The current selection range in the waveform display is shown in brown. • To view a different section of the sample, click in the lower half of the rectangle and drag to the left or right.
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor Waveform Display View Options Channel View Options You can display either all channels, a specific channel, or the sum of all channels by activating the corresponding button to the left of the waveform display. If no selection is made here, all channels are displayed. NOTE Which channel selector buttons are available depends on the sample file. Show Fades in Wave If this button is activated, your fade settings are displayed directly in the waveform.
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor Parameter Section Zoom Envelope Zooms in on the pitch and level envelopes. This allows you to edit the envelopes in more detail. Bypass Gain, Tuning, Fades, and Envelopes in Editor Playback Bypasses any level and pitch corrections that are performed by changing the gain of the sample, using fade curves, the pitch envelope, and the level envelope. Parameter Section The parameter section below the waveform display contains sample and sample zone parameters.
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor Parameter Section activated, the relation between played note and root key is disregarded and all keys play the sample just as it was recorded. NOTE You can still apply the usual pitch modulations in the Pitch section and set the sample to follow the keyboard according to the Pitch Key Follow setting. Sample Start The start marker of the sample. Sample End The end marker of the sample. Link Sample Start and End Links the sample start and end positions.
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor Parameter Section Loop Tab This tab contains settings for the sustain loop and the release loop and lets you set up two different loop sets. Loop Sets A and B Allow you to set up two different sets of loops for the same sample. This is useful to compare different versions of the same loop, for example. Loop Mode Allows you to select a mode for the sustain loop and the release loop. • If this is set to No Loop, the sample is played without loop.
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor Parameter Section Curve Allows you to create a linear curve, an equal power curve, or anything in between for the crossfade. Tuning Sets the tuning of the loop. This is useful to adjust the frequency of the loop. Slice Tab The parameter section contains different parameters, depending on whether slices have been created or not.
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor Parameter Section Reset Slice Marker Edits Removes all slice markers that you have edited manually and repositions any moved markers. Apply Click this button to create slices. After clicking Apply, the button reads Revert and allows you to undo the slicing. If slices have been created, the following parameters are available: Playback Mode • Normal – The sample is played back from beginning to end.
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor Parameter Section • Eco is a performance-optimized low-pass filter without Resonance or Distortion parameters. It allows you to adapt the brilliance of samples for different velocity layers of the same key, for example. NOTE Filters without distortion use less processing power. Coarse Tuning Adjusts the tuning in semitone steps. Cutoff Controls the cutoff frequency of the filter. Resonance Emphasizes the frequencies around the cutoff.
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor Sample Editor Context Menu Reset Slice Marker Edits Removes all slice markers that you have edited manually and repositions any moved markers. Revert Click this button to remove any modifications to the slice markers, to undo the slicing, and to remove the layer with the sliced zones from the Program Tree. AUX Tab If you have created slices, the AUX tab becomes available.
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor Sample Editor Context Menu Scrub Tool If this tool is selected, you can click in the waveform and drag sideways to play back the audio. The playback direction and speed depend on how far you move the mouse left or right from the position where you clicked. Zoom • Zoom In zooms in one step. • Zoom Out zooms out one step. • Zoom Full displays the entire sample in the waveform display.
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor Sample Editor Context Menu NOTE This menu entry is only available if an external editor is specified in the Edit section of the Options Editor. • Trim Sample to Start/End trims the sample according to the start and end markers. • Trim Sample to Selection trims the sample according to the current selection range. • Normalize Sample allows you to normalize the sample.
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor Markers • Sustain Loop shows the entire sustain loop. • Sustain Loop Start shows the start marker of the sustain loop with the current zoom factor. • Sustain Loop End shows the end marker of the sustain loop with the current zoom factor. • Release Loop shows the entire release loop. • Release Loop Start shows the start marker of the release loop with the current zoom factor.
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor Zooming Sustain Loop End Defines where the sustain loop ends. When this marker is reached, playback jumps back to the sustain loop start. Release Loop Start Defines where the release loop starts. Release Loop End Defines where the release loop ends. When this marker is reached, playback jumps back to the release loop start. Release Start This marker defines the position at which playback starts when a note-off message is received.
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor Creating Loops NOTE Not all sample editors provide the same functionality, that is, certain features, like transferring sample loop markers, are not always possible. To get the best results, use Steinberg’s WaveLab. • To load the current sample in an external editor, right-click in the waveform of the sample, and select Sample > Open in External Editor. The external sample editor is launched and the sample is transferred.
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor Creating Loops • Set the start and end markers for the loop by dragging the marker handles or press Shift and drag the audio before or after the loop end marker to adjust the end or start position. • To automatically detect suitable loop start and end positions, click the Find Previous Loop Start/End or Find Next Loop Start/End buttons. The loop markers are set accordingly.
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor Creating Slices Automatically 4. Right-click in the waveform display, open the Selection submenu, and select Set Sustain Loop to Selection or Set Release Loop to Selection. Creating Slices Automatically You can slice samples in the Sample Editor. This allows you to play them back in sync with the host application, for example. PROCEDURE 1. In the Program Tree, select the sample zone that you want to slice. 2. In the Sample Editor, select the Slice tab. 3.
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor Replacing Samples Editing Parameter Curves If you click the parameter name above a control, you can view and edit the corresponding parameter in the waveform display. NOTE Only one parameter can be shown at a time. • To change the value of a single step, drag it up/down. • To adjust all steps at once, Shift-drag a step. • To reset a step to a level of 0 dB, Ctrl/Cmd-click the step.
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor Replacing Samples • The Sample Editor does not show the waveform of the replaced sample, only the original sample waveform. NOTE If you revert the slicing of a loop, all created zones are deleted and any replacement samples are also discarded.
Wavetable Synthesis HALion’s wavetable synthesis offers you a wide range of possibilities, from the re-synthesis of samples to the creation of entirely new sounds. In classic subtractive synthesis, static harmonic oscillator waveforms are sent through filters and amplifiers where the sound is shaped. In wavetable synthesis, you can extract specific portions of samples and align these to make up a wavetable. The waves in the wavetable are played back one after the other to create the sound progression.
Wavetable Synthesis Wavetable Editor Wavetable Editor The Wavetable Editor allows you to create wavetables by extracting waves from samples. The Osc 1 and Osc 2 tabs in the top section of the Wavetable Editor allow you to switch between the settings for the two oscillators. The Wavetable Editor contains a sample display, a Spectrum tab, and an Envelope tab. At the bottom of the window, an overview of the wavetable that contains the extracted waves is displayed.
Wavetable Synthesis Wavetable Editor • To zoom in and out, use the scroll wheel of your mouse. Toolbar Play Sample Plays back the original sample. You can specify the playback volume and output with the Preview Volume and Output for Preview controls in the upper right corner of the editor. Play Selection Looped Activate this button to play back the selection in a loop. Auto-Scroll If this button is activated, the waveform display is scrolled during playback, keeping the playback cursor visible.
Wavetable Synthesis Wavetable Editor Number of Markers The number of markers in the sample display. You can enter the number of markers that you want to use directly in the value field. Set Markers Analyzes the sample and inserts markers, depending on the Marker Creation Mode setting. Sample Position The position of the selected marker in the sample. Fixed Size Sets the FFT window to a fixed size. This is useful if you want to extract a specific portion of a sample.
Wavetable Synthesis Wavetable Editor Channel View Options On the left of the waveform display, you can find the view options for the waveform. If you use multi-channel samples, the buttons on the left of the sample display let you decide which channel is displayed and used for wave extraction. The channel setting is remembered for each extracted wave. This way, you can extract one wave from the left and another from the right channel, for example.
Wavetable Synthesis Wavetable Editor NOTE • If you adjust the envelope or change the order of the waves while Link Envelope Times to Marker Positions is activated, this option is automatically deactivated, because the markers and the envelope are not in sync anymore. • If the wavetable consists of multiple sequences, this option is remembered separately for each sequence.
Wavetable Synthesis Wavetable Editor Legato If Legato is deactivated, each note starts playback from the position cursor. If Legato is activated, the first note starts playback from the position cursor, and any following notes start from the current playback position for as long as the first note is held. Sync To Host Tempo You can synchronize the envelope to the tempo of your host application. This allows you to set envelope times that relate to musical time intervals.
Wavetable Synthesis Wavetable Editor Moving the marker towards the first or last marker stretches the density of markers at one side and expands it on the other side. Dragging the middle marker within the selection to the left or right has the same effect. Spectrum Tab The Spectrum tab shows the amplitude and phase spectrum of the extracted wave, that is, the amplitude and phase for each harmonic. The lowest harmonic is displayed on the left, the highest harmonic on the right.
Wavetable Synthesis Wavetable Editor If a selection is made, you can use the handles of the rectangle to execute the following functions: • To tilt the overtones from left to right, use the handle in the top left corner. Press Ctrl to tilt the overtones using a shelving filter curve instead of the linear curve. • To tilt the overtones from right to left, use the handle in the top right corner. Press Ctrl to tilt the overtones using a shelving filter curve instead of the linear curve.
Wavetable Synthesis Wavetable Editor NOTE A wavetable can consist of up to 256 waves. • To select a wave, click on it. • To select multiple waves, Shift-click on them. The corresponding segments in the wavetable envelope are highlighted. NOTE You can only add consecutive waves to a multi-selection. • To select all waves from a sequence, double-click a wave, double-click the marker for a wave, or open the context menu and select Select Sequence.
Wavetable Synthesis Wavetable Editor Solo Solos the focused wave. This bypasses the position and speed settings and you hear only the selected wave. Normalize Mode When samples are loaded, they are automatically normalized to 0 dB. This way, the levels of the extracted waves match more easily. If you extract waves from loud and from quiet parts of the sample, the levels of these extracted waves differ. In this case, you can normalize the waves to match their levels.
Wavetable Synthesis Wavetable Editor Fundamental Displays the frequency of the fundamental of a wave in Hz. This value is set automatically when a wave is extracted from a sample and represents the original pitch. If you have created the spectrum manually, either by drawing or by inserting one of the basic waves from the Create New Wave menu, the value is set to 20 Hz. If no extracted pitch information is available, the fundamental allows you to determine which harmonic represents which frequency.
Wavetable Synthesis Wavetable Editor NOTE If you delete all waves from a wavetable, the last sample that was visible in the sample display is kept. This allows you to start over if the wavetable was not to your liking. Cut Cuts the selected waves to the clipboard. Copy Copies the selected waves to the clipboard. Paste Pastes the waves from the clipboard at the current position. Reverse Order Reverses the order of the selected waves, including their envelope times.
Wavetable Synthesis Creating a Wavetable • To zoom in or out on the current position, click in the timeline and drag up or down. • To zoom to a specific region, hold down Alt, and click and drag over this region. • The three buttons to the right of the horizontal zoom slider allow you to zoom to the start, to the full range or the selection, and to the end. Click several times to increase the zoom level. Creating a Wavetable PROCEDURE 1.
Wavetable Synthesis Markers Pitch Detection Curve The pitch detection curve shows you where in a sample the pitch can be detected properly. To show the pitch detection curve, click the corresponding button to the left of the Sample display. For example, if you use a sample that has a constant pitch but that shows peaks and troughs at some positions in the pitch detection curve, this means that the detection is incorrect at these positions. This is not unusual if you work with complex audio samples.
Wavetable Synthesis Replacing Samples NOTE You can move markers by dragging them in the display. Moving Selected Wave Markers You can change the position and distribution of wave markers within a multi selection of markers. • To stretch or expand all markers, hold down Ctrl/Cmd and move the first or the last marker of the selection. • To modify the distribution of the markers inside the selection, hold down Ctrl/Cmd and move one of the middle markers.
Wavetable Synthesis Managing Wavetables If the file header does not contain this information, it can be specified manually. This is done differently for waves that contain one single-cycle wave and waves that contain multiple single-cycle waves. Importing Wave Files That Contain One Single-Cycle Wave 1. Load the wave file. 2. On the toolbar, activate Fixed Size. 3. Set Window Size to the number of samples of the single-cycle wave and Window Crossfade to 0 %.
Granular Synthesis You can use granular synthesis to extract interesting spectra from all kinds of samples, to create sound effects by completely scrambling a sample, or to perform low-fidelity time stretching, for example. In granular synthesis, it is not an entire sample that is played back, but only short portions of the sample, the so-called grains. These grains can be played back in any order. Each time a grain ends, a new one starts.
Granular Synthesis Grain Oscillator Grain Tab The Grain tab of the grain oscillator contains the parameters for the granular synthesis. Sample Display The sample display provides an overview of the sample and shows a playback locator for each grain stream. It shows the resulting effects of the grain oscillator parameters and helps you find the sample portions that you want to use as grain sources. The sample start and end markers of the sample are indicated by orange lines.
Granular Synthesis Grain Oscillator Position Settings Position You can set the playback position of the grains manually. For example, at a setting of 50 %, the playback position is in the middle of the sample. The playback position is updated with every new grain. Position Random Determines the range from which a random playback position is chosen. At a setting of 100 %, the playback position jumps to a random position between the start and the end of the sample.
Granular Synthesis Grain Oscillator To set the pitch of the grain oscillator, adjust the Duration, Center Key, and Key Follow parameters. If you want the pitch of the grain oscillator to follow the pitch of the zone, activate Follow Zone Pitch. Pitch Interval Here, you can specify an interval between -12 and +12 semitones. The grains are played randomly at their original pitch, or they are transposed according to the pitch interval.
Granular Synthesis Grain Oscillator Grain Settings Number of Grains You can specify the number of grains for each channel of the sample. At a setting of 2, the two grains are offset by 180°. Due to this phase offset, the root of the spectrum is canceled out, and the pitch increases by one octave. To compensate for this, adjust the Position Spread, Position Offset, or Duration Spread parameters. Duration Increases the grain period by a factor ranging from 1 to 1000.
Granular Synthesis Grain Oscillator Key Follow Determines how the grain duration changes with the notes that you play. At a setting of +100 % and a duration of 1.00, the grain duration corresponds to the pitch of the played note. Center Key In general, the grains repeat at the frequency of the center key. The grain duration corresponds to the wave length of that frequency. If you play C3 with the center key set to C3, the grains repeat at a frequency of 261.626 Hz, that is, at a grain period of 3.82 ms.
Granular Synthesis Grain Oscillator channel remains unchanged. This parameter can be used to widen the panorama of the sound. If you are working with surround files, the center channel and the LFE channel remain unchanged. The left and right channels and the left and right surround channels are modified symmetrically. Level Settings Grain Level Adjusts the overall level of the grain oscillator. When you increase the number of grains, it might become necessary to lower the oscillator level.
Granular Synthesis Modulating the Grain Oscillator Sample Tab The parameters on the grain oscillator Sample tab are the same as in the Sample Oscillator section for sample zones. RELATED LINKS Sample Oscillator Section on page 106 Modulating the Grain Oscillator You can use the following grain oscillator parameters as modulation destinations in the modulation matrix: Grain Position, Grain Direction, Grain Duration, Grain Length, Grain Pitch, and Grain Level.
MIDI Editing and Controllers MIDI Editor The MIDI Editor provides access to the MIDI slot parameters. Furthermore, you can specify MIDI controllers to be filtered. MIDI Editor Parameters Channel The slot receives MIDI signals on the MIDI port and channel that are specified here. You can set multiple slots to the same MIDI channel and trigger them simultaneously with the same note events. Polyphony Specifies how many notes can be played at the same time.
MIDI Editing and Controllers MIDI Editor Controller Filter Allows you to filter out the most commonly used MIDI controllers. Show Empty Slots • If this button is activated, the MIDI Editor shows all program slots. • If this button is deactivated, the MIDI Editor shows only the slots that contain programs. Editing the Key Range Each slot can be limited to a specific key range. To show the key range, activate the Key button above the range controls.
MIDI Editing and Controllers MIDI Controllers MIDI Controllers HALion allows you to assign almost any parameter to a MIDI controller. However, you can only assign one parameter of a single zone, layer, effect control, etc. at a time. If you want to use the same MIDI controller for several zones, layers, etc., you have to assign it several times.
MIDI Editing and Controllers MIDI Controllers Setting the Parameter Range You can set the minimum and maximum values for the parameter for each assignment separately. This gives you more control over the parameter, for example, when you are performing live on stage. PROCEDURE 1. Set the parameter to the minimum value. 2. Right-click the control and select Set Minimum from the context menu. 3. Set the parameter to the maximum value. 4. Right-click the control and select Set Maximum.
MIDI Editing and Controllers MIDI Controllers MIDI Ctrl Editor In the MIDI Ctrl Editor, all assigned MIDI controllers are shown. With the buttons at the top, you can specify whether you want to show the MIDI controllers that are assigned to the slot, to global parameters, or whether you want to show them all. On the left, the name of the MIDI controller is shown, and on the right, the name of the assigned HALion parameter.
MIDI Editing and Controllers MIDI Controllers Parameter Controller Number Name Send FX 2 #92 Effect 2 Depth Send FX 3 #93 Effect 3 Depth Send FX 4 #94 Effect 4 Depth Program QC 1 #74 Brightness Program QC 2 #71 Harmonic Content Program QC 3 #73 Attack Time Program QC 4 #72 Release Time Program QC 5 #75 Sound Controller #6 Program QC 6 #76 Sound Controller #7 Program QC 7 #77 Sound Controller #8 Program QC 8 #78 Sound Controller #9 NOTE • Send FX 1-4 are only available i
Mixing, Routing, and Effect Handling You perform your mixing operations in the Mixer. The Mixer manages all busses that are available in a HALion instance, that is, the 32 stereo output busses plus one surround bus, the 64 slot busses, the 4 AUX busses, and a dynamic number of program and layer busses depending on the current program architecture. Each bus can be controlled using a dedicated mixer channel, featuring functions like level, pan, mute, solo, and up to eight insert/send effects.
Mixing, Routing, and Effect Handling Mixer Window Show Empty Slots If the Show Slot Bus Channels button is activated, the Mixer only shows channels that are in use by programs loaded into the corresponding slots. To show the empty slot channels as well, activate the Show Empty Slots button. Collapse All Mixer Channels/Expand All Mixer Channels • To expand all mixer channels, click the Expand All Mixer Channels button. Expanded mixer channels provide direct access to the insert/send effects.
Mixing, Routing, and Effect Handling Audio Bus Architecture The output busses represent the audio interface to the host application or the audio hardware. Therefore, these channels cannot be routed freely and do not have an output pop-up menu. NOTE You can route the bus of a surround slot to one of the stereo output busses. In this case, only the first 2 channels are connected.
Mixing, Routing, and Effect Handling Audio Bus Architecture Apart from the routing and mixing possibilities, audio busses allow you to load insert effects for processing audio on that bus. Depending on how you set up the audio busses, you can load insert effects on single layers, the whole program, or the slot. For example, you can process only the strings of a piano and strings layer sound with a chorus effect, and keep the piano unprocessed.
Mixing, Routing, and Effect Handling Audio Bus Architecture Slots A slot outputs its audio busses to the master outputs of the plug-in. Each slot has one audio bus. You can reassign the outputs of the audio busses of the slots to any plug-in output bus. Creating Audio Busses PROCEDURE 1. In the Program Tree, select the program or layer to which you want to add a bus. 2. Click the Create New Bus icon on the toolbar. RESULT The audio bus and a corresponding Mixer channel strip are created.
Mixing, Routing, and Effect Handling Audio Bus Architecture Automatic Bus Width Adaptation HALion is constantly monitoring the width of all busses in the signal path and adapts to the required width automatically. For example, changing the bus width is required when you add a surround sample zone to a layer that only contains stereo samples. In this case, the layer bus and all following busses are set to surround, to allow for a correct routing.
Mixing, Routing, and Effect Handling Insert Effects Automatic Output Connection If connections to busses cannot be established in HALion, the signals are automatically routed to the master bus. HALion allows you to select outputs in many places. You can find output selectors in zones, layer busses, AUX busses, and slots. Each output can be freely named and the output selectors reflect these names.
Mixing, Routing, and Effect Handling Insert Effects Each insert can either be a classical insert effect like a chorus or a delay, or it can load one of the 4 AUX send effects that allow you to send the signal to the AUX busses. All slot, program, and layer busses, as well as zones, can send signal portions to these busses. If an AUX send effect is loaded, a level fader is available for the insert slot. Use this fader to set the level that is sent to the AUX bus.
Mixing, Routing, and Effect Handling Insert Effects • To copy an effect into another slot, Alt-click the drag icon and drag it onto the new slot. This replaces any effect loaded in this slot. NOTE You can also copy effects between the different mixers. First drag an effect to the corresponding mixer tab. Then drag it to the position where you want to insert it. • To copy an effect and insert it between two effect slots, Alt-click its drag icon and drag it between two slots.
Loading and Managing Programs via the Program Table HALion allows you to load a virtually unlimited number of programs into the Program Table. This is useful, because it allows for quick access to these programs and for preloading the program samples for faster changes between programs. NOTE Programs can only be played if they are loaded into the Slot Rack. However, you can perform editing like verifying the settings or copying zones for the focused program in the Program Table.
Loading and Managing Programs via the Program Table Configuring the Program Table Program Number Displays the program number. The first 128 entries of the Program Table correspond to the 128 MIDI program change numbers. You can load these programs into the Slot Rack by sending MIDI program change messages on the slot’s MIDI channel. Programs that are loaded into the Slot Rack are shown with a yellow number.
Loading and Managing Programs via the Program Table Program Table Context Menu Program Table Context Menu Load Program Allows you to load a program. Save Program Saves the current program. Save Program As Allows you to save a program under a new name and in a different subfolder in the content folder. Save All Programs Saves all programs in the Program Table. Save Selected Programs Saves the selected programs.
Loading and Managing Programs via the Program Table Program Table Context Menu RELATED LINKS Exporting Programs and Layers as HALion Sonic SE Layer Presets on page 244 216
Program Tree The Program Tree is the main area for navigating and making selections. It shows the active program with all its layers, zones, and modules and allows you to add, load, import, or delete elements. The Program Tree represents the signal flow inside the program. The MIDI comes in at the top and passes through the layers and MIDI modules. The processing order of the MIDI modules inside a program or layer is also from top to bottom.
Program Tree Program Tree Columns and Controls you want to load as a unit. A typical example is a bass/piano split sound or a piano/string layer sound. Zones Zones are the elements that create the sounds in HALion. In the Program Tree, the zone is the element on the lowest level. Different types of zones are available: synth, sample, granular, organ, and wavetable. The zone types differ in their basic sound source.
Program Tree Program Tree Columns and Controls Columns By default, the Program Tree shows the Visibility, Mute, Solo, and Name columns. You can add further columns that show more information. Key Range Shows the key range of the zones, programs, and layers. Velocity Range Shows the velocity range of the zones, programs, and layers. Root Key Shows the root key of the zones. Tune Shows the tune offset of sample zones. The Tune parameter is set in the Mapping Editor.
Program Tree Program Tree Columns and Controls Visibility Contains the Visibility icon for the elements of the Program Tree. You can click the icon to change the visibility setting for each element. Learn Zone Parameter To display a zone parameter in a column, use this option. Toolbar Load Program/Layer Allows you to navigate to and load a program or layer. Save Program Saves the program.
Program Tree Program Tree Columns and Controls Create New Bus Opens a menu from which you can add busses to the program. You can also add up to four AUX busses via the menu. Selection Filter Lets you select a group of elements by double-clicking on a program, layer, or zone. By default, a double-click selects all elements in the Program Tree. The selection filter can be set to select only zones, layers, effects, MIDI modules, or busses.
Program Tree Program Tree Columns and Controls Configuring the Columns • To add a column, right-click the column header and select the element you want to show. • To remove a column, right-click the column header and deselect the element. • To add a particular zone parameter as a column, right-click the column header, select Learn Zone Parameter, open the editor for the zone, and click the parameter that you want to add as a column.
Program Tree Program Tree Columns and Controls • To select all elements that were previously not selected and to deselect all elements that were previously selected, select Invert Selection. NOTE This function applies to elements of the same type that belong to the same hierarchy. For example, layers that are all sub-elements of a program, or busses that are part of the same layer. • To select all sub-entries of an element, select Select Tree.
Program Tree Program Tree Columns and Controls • Export Program/Layer as Protected VST 3 Preset allows you to export the selected program or layer as a protected VST 3 preset. • Export Program/Layer as VST 3 Preset with Files allows you to export the selected program or layer including all its files as a VST 3 preset. • Import Folder allows you to import a folder containing samples or subfolders with samples. • Import Samples allows you to import samples.
Program Tree Program Tree Columns and Controls Visibility • Hide Selected hides the selected elements. • Hide Non-Selected hides all elements that are not selected. • Show Selected shows all selected elements. • Hide All hides all elements. • Show All shows all elements. • If Auto Visibility is activated, the selected zones and any of their direct siblings that are part of the same layer are automatically shown. Other zones are hidden.
Program Tree Program Tree Columns and Controls • Center of Zone sets the root key to the center of the zone. If the zone has no center because it has an even number of keys, the root key is set to the key in the center that is closest to the previous root key. • High Key of Zone sets the root key to the High Key of the zone. • Low Key of Zone sets the root key to the Low Key of the zone. • Key Text in Sample Name sets the root key to the key that is extracted from the sample file name.
Program Tree Editing Programs, Zones and Layers Color Scheme The color of the icons for program, layers, and zones offer additional information. • Light gray – Light gray is the standard color for zones. For sample zones, this color means all samples were found and loaded without problems. • Red – If an icon is red, samples could not be found, for example, because a removable hard drive is not connected.
Program Tree Importing Samples Saving Programs and Layers as VST Presets • To save a program as VST preset, click the Save button on the toolbar, or use the Save Program command on the Load/Save submenu of the context menu. In the dialog, specify a name and click OK. • To save a specific layer, right-click it and select Load/Save > Save Layer As. In the dialog, specify a name and click OK. Importing Samples You can manually select samples to import or you can import complete folders containing samples.
Program Tree Importing Samples Level Adjusts the playback level. Play Plays back the focused sample or MIDI file. Stop Stops playback. The play locator jumps back to the start of the file. Pause Pauses playback. Click again to continue. Auto Play Automatically starts playback of the focused sample or MIDI file. Loop Playback If this button is activated, the focused sample or MIDI file is played back repeatedly. Play Position Displays the playback position within the focused sample or MIDI file.
Program Tree Importing Samples Root Key Only Each sample is mapped to its root key only. Root Key Fill Centered The samples are mapped to their root key. The zones expand to the left and right from the root key to fill empty spaces. Root Key Fill Up The samples are mapped to their root key. The zones expand to the right to fill empty spaces. Root Key Fill Down The samples are mapped to their root key. The zones expand to the left to fill empty spaces.
Program Tree Importing Samples NOTE Only values between 0 and 127 can be extracted as MIDI note numbers. From Sample Name Pattern The root key is extracted from the sample file name, according to the specified name pattern. Fixed The root key is set to a fixed key, specified in the field to the right. NOTE If no root key information is found, the fixed root key is used.
Program Tree Importing Samples NOTE Every character is taken into account, including spaces. Name Patterns Depending on the mapping settings, the information for root key, key range, and velocity range is retrieved differently for file and folder names. Usually, names of sample files follow a certain naming scheme, for example, Sample_C3_Key_59-61_Vel_80-100.
Program Tree Replacing Samples Read From Sample File The file header of a sample can contain information on the tuning, the gain, the loop, and start and end of the sample. On import, this information is retrieved as well. To deactivate the reading of this information during import, deactivate the corresponding options in the Read from Sample File section. Zone Template In this section, you can specify which zone template to use.
Program Tree Exporting Samples 6. • Root Key Number from Sample Name extracts the root key from the sample file name. This function searches for the root key as a MIDI note number. • Keep Zone Root Key uses the root key of the zone. This option is only available when replacing a single sample. Click OK. Exporting Samples NOTE Samples that are loaded from HSB files or protected VST sound files cannot be exported. PROCEDURE 1.
Program Tree Exporting Samples Export Samples Dialog File Location Sample Path Allows you to use variables to define the path where the samples are saved. • $(SampleFolder) creates a folder that has the same name as the folder in which the original samples were saved. • $(LayerStructure) creates folders following the structure of the selected program or layer. • $(Layer) creates a folder with the name of the layer. • $(Program) creates a folder with the name of the program.
Program Tree Exporting Samples • $(Zone) uses the name of the zone. • $(Layer) uses the name of the layer. • $(Program) uses the name of the program. • $(KeyLow) uses the MIDI note number of the lower limit of the key range. • $(KeyHigh) uses the MIDI note number of the upper limit of the key range. • $(KeyLowText) uses the name of the note of the lower limit of the key range. • $(KeyHighText) uses the name of the note of the upper limit of the key range.
Program Tree Exporting Samples Sample Rate Allows you to specify the sample rate of the samples. NOTE Do not change the sample rate of looped samples, because this can cause audible artifacts. Bit Depth Allows you to specify the bit depth of the samples. Channels Allows you to specify the channels for the sample. Header Options You can include zone settings when saving the samples. When you import these samples back into HALion, they automatically get these settings.
Program Tree Exporting Programs and Layers with Samples NOTE • Merging the loop crossfade is best suited for Continuous and Alternate Loop mode, where the sample portion after the loop end is not played. Otherwise, the exported sample might not continue seamlessly after the merge. If you want to merge the loop crossfades for samples that have with Until Release or Alternate Until Release mode, you must use release markers and set the up so that the loop end is not crossed.
Program Tree Exporting Programs and Layers with Samples 3. Specify the path in the Preset Path field. User presets are always saved in the user presets folder. In this field, you can specify or create a subfolder in which to save the preset. 4. Specify the location for the exported samples in the Sample Path field. You can open the pop-up menu and use variables or click the button to the right of the field and navigate to the folder where you want to save the exported samples.
Program Tree Exporting Programs and Layers with Samples Export Preset with Samples Dialog File Location Preset File The file name of the preset. Preset Path The path where the preset is saved. Sample Path Allows you to use variables to define the path where the samples are saved. • $(SampleFolder) creates a folder that has the same name as the folder in which the original samples were saved. • $(LayerStructure) creates folders following the structure of the selected program or layer.
Program Tree Exporting Programs and Layers with Samples • $(Time) creates a folder with the name of the current system time in the format hhmm. Sample Name Allows you to use variables to define how the exported samples are named. • $(Sample) uses the original file name of the sample. • $(SampleFolder) uses the name of the folder of the original samples. • $(Zone) uses the name of the zone. • $(Layer) uses the name of the layer. • $(Program) uses the name of the program.
Program Tree Exporting Programs and Layers with Samples NOTE Some systems have problems with file names longer than 32 characters. Therefore, it is best to use file names that do not exceed this number. File Format Type You can export the samples as Wave or AIFF files. Sample Rate Allows you to specify the sample rate of the samples. NOTE Do not change the sample rate of looped samples, because this can cause audible artifacts. Bit Depth Allows you to specify the bit depth of the samples.
Program Tree Exporting Programs and Layers with Samples Fade In/Out If this option is activated, the fade curves specified in the Sample Editor are applied to the samples during export. Loop Crossfade If this option is activated, the loop crossfade is merged into the new sample. For the new sample, the crossfade time is reset to 0. This allows you to slightly reduce the playback performance, because the crossfade does not need to be calculated in real time.
Program Tree Exporting Programs and Layers as HALion Sonic SE Layer Presets RELATED LINKS Export Samples Dialog on page 235 Exporting Programs and Layers as HALion Sonic SE Layer Presets By exporting programs or layers as HALion Sonic SE Layer presets, you can make sure that they can be loaded correctly by HALion Sonic or HALion Sonic SE.
Program Tree Importing Sliced Loops NOTE HALion can directly play back REX1 audio files. For REX2 files, HALion first extracts a WAV file and saves it in the same folder as the REX file. Importing Sliced Audio Events from Cubase You can import sliced audio events from Cubase using drag and drop. When you drop a sliced audio event in the Program Tree, HALion recognizes that the event contains positional information for the different slices.
Program Tree Importing Sliced Loops • Depth adjusts how much the playing order of the slices is shuffled. Lower this value to keep the playing order of slices on the main beats. Raise this value to vary the playing order of slices on the offbeats as well. • Click the Trigger button to trigger a new shuffle. Note that this changes the pattern number. • The Pattern parameter allows you to use a specific random pattern, by entering its pattern number in the value field.
Program Tree Importing Sliced Loops Trigger Mode Determines at which moment the arpeggiator scans for new notes that you play on the keyboard. • If Immediately is selected, the arpeggiator scans for new notes all the time. The phrase changes immediately in reaction to your playing. • If Next Beat is selected, the arpeggiator scans for new notes at every new beat. The phrase changes in reaction to your playing on each new beat.
Program Tree Selections in the Program Tree Swing Shifts the timing of notes on even-numbered beats. This way, the phrase gets a swing feeling. Negative values shift the timing backward, and the notes are played earlier. Positive values shift the timing forward, and the notes are played later. Gate Scale Allows you to shorten or lengthen the notes of the phrase. At a value of 100 %, the notes play with their original gate length. NOTE Gate Scale has no effect on samples that are played in One Shot mode.
Program Tree Navigating in the Program Tree • To select a range of elements, use Shift or Ctrl/Cmd. • To select all zones within a layer, double-click one of the zones. • To select all elements of a layer, double-click the layer. Navigating in the Program Tree If the Program Tree has the window focus, you can use the arrow keys for navigating between the elements. • If a single entry is selected, use the up and down arrow keys to select the previous or next entry.
Program Tree Setting Up the Program in the Program Tree • To change the sorting, open the context menu, select Sorting Options and select an option. Changing the Sorting Order Manually If the column sorting is not activated for a column, you can change the order of elements, for example, of imported samples, manually using drag and drop. Transferring the Current Sorting to the Manual Sorting If sorting by column is activated, you can transfer this sorting order to the manual sorting order of the zones.
Program Tree Renaming Elements Renaming Elements If you create a new element in the Program Tree, it gets a generic name. You can change this name in the following ways: • Select an element, click it a second time, and enter a new name. • Select an element, press F2 (Win) or Return (Mac), and enter a new name. Search and Rename Dialog You can perform a search and rename operation on selected or all elements in the Program Tree.
Program Tree Renaming Elements 3. Enter the word or phrase that you want to search for. You can enter the entire word or phrase you are searching for, or you can use wildcards. 4. Set up the search options to refine your search. You can specify the search direction or only search the selected elements, for example. 5. Enter the text to replace the found words or phrases. You can also use text variables. 6. Click the Find button to go to the next matching element in the Program Tree.
Program Tree Renaming Elements Key High Number $(KeyHigh) The MIDI note number of the upper limit of the key range. Key Low Text $(KeyLowText) The note name of the lower limit of the key range. Key High Text $(KeyHighText) The note name of the upper limit of the key range. Velocity Low $(VelLow) The number of the lower limit of the velocity range. Velocity High $(VelHigh) The number of the upper limit of the velocity range. Root Key Number $(RootKey) The MIDI note number of the root key.
Sample Recorder The Sample Recorder allows for live sampling in HALion. You can sample the sounds of another plug-in and map them to the keyboard, reduce CPU load by creating one sample from an audio event that contains fades, processing, etc., or quickly create sounds from events in your sequencer projects and edit them further in HALion, for example. NOTE The Sample Recorder is available once for a HALion instance. Waveform Display During recording, the sample display shows the waveform.
Sample Recorder The ruler above the display can be switched between Beats, Seconds, and Samples. Input Monitoring The Sample Recorder can play back the input signal. The input monitoring controls are located on the right below the waveform display. Activate Enable Input Monitoring to hear the signal at the input of the Sample Recorder and specify the routing and the level for monitoring. This is useful if you have routed an audio track from the DAW to HALion’s side-chain input.
Sample Recorder Input Gain Adjusts the input level for the recording. Sample Mode Determines whether you can make a single recording or record multiple samples. • In Single mode, you can only record one sample. • In Auto-Next mode, you can record multiple samples in a row. This is particularly useful when working with the Audio Threshold, MIDI NoteOn, and MIDI Note-Off modes.
Sample Recorder • If Fill Down is selected, the mapping of the sample zones is extended downwards until the next sample zone is reached. Pre/Post Record Allows you to start the recording slightly ahead or let it continue for a bit after the recording stop trigger is received. This way, you can capture transients or reverb tails that are slightly lower than the set threshold, or perform fine-adjustments of the start and end regions of the sample at a later stage, for example.
Sample Recorder If Trigger – Start is not set to MIDI Note-On, recording stops when a MIDI note-off event is received on the specified port. • If MIDI Note-On is selected, recording stops when a MIDI note-on event is received on the specified channel and port. NOTE Any note that is sent on the specified channel and port stops the recording. • Fixed Duration allows you to specify the duration for the recording, either as absolute recording time or as recording time in beats, in sync to the project tempo.
Sample Recorder Record Folder Allows you to specify the destination folder for the recorded sample files. If the Project button is activated, you can define a subfolder or path inside the project folder. Naming Scheme Allows you to set up a naming scheme for the recorded samples. The file name can be a combination of a text and a selection of predefined elements. • You can enter the text for the file name in the text field.
Sample Recorder Recording From an Audio Track With Multiple Drum Sounds If you activate Auto Trim, the sample start and end markers are automatically set to positions directly before the start and after the end of the audio. EXAMPLE Recording With an Audio Threshold and Pre/Post Record Set Auto Trim to Off, specify an audio threshold for both the start and the stop trigger for the recording, and activate and set up Pre/Post Record.
Sample Recorder Recording the Output of Another Plug-In 10. In the Steinberg DAW, play back the audio track. As soon as the audio signal exceeds the Start threshold, the first sample recording starts. When the audio level falls below the Stop threshold, recording ends and the sample zone is created. The Sample Recorder automatically reverts to its recordenabled state and starts recording again as soon as the signal exceeds the threshold.
Sample Recorder Recording Samples in the Standalone Version and the HALion track, so that you can trigger both tracks at the same time and then play the notes on your keyboard. RESULT HALion creates a sample zone for each MIDI note that is played. Recording Samples in the Standalone Version In the standalone version of HALion, you can create samples by recording the audio input of the plug-in. PROCEDURE 1.
Included Instruments HALion comes with a factory library containing powerful instruments. For each instrument, an intuitive macro page is available, offering a rich palette of presets. Auron The Auron synth uses granular synthesis with up to 8 grain streams to produce oscillator waveforms. With the integrated arpeggiator and step sequencer, you can create anything from sequencer lines to stepped chords.
Included Instruments Auron You can select samples on the sample selector that is opened by clicking the little triangle in the upper left of the page. Osc Page On this page, you can make settings for the grain oscillator. Position You can set the playback position of the grains manually. For example, at a setting of 50 %, the playback position is in the middle of the sample. The playback position is updated with every new grain.
Included Instruments Auron Width Narrows the stereo width of the grain oscillator. It is applied after the grain oscillator and does not affect the stereo width of the actual sample. At a setting of 0 %, the output of the grain oscillator is monophonic. Auto Gain Allows you to automatically adjust the level of grains using quieter sample parts. This way, you get a more homogeneous signal and you can use a quiet part of a sample as source. Grains Allows you to specify the number of grains, from 1 to 8.
Included Instruments Auron Freq Controls the frequency of the modulation, that is, the speed of the LFO. Sync If Sync is activated, the frequency is set in fractions of beats. Position Controls the modulation depth of the grain position modulation. Formant Controls the modulation depth of the grain formant modulation. Duration Controls the modulation depth of the grain duration modulation. Cutoff Controls the modulation depth of the filter cutoff modulation.
Included Instruments Auron Voice Page Polyphony If Mono mode is deactivated, you can use this parameter to specify how many notes can be played simultaneously. Octave Adjusts the pitch in octave steps. Coarse Adjusts the pitch in semitone steps. Fine Allows you to fine-tune the pitch in cent steps. Fixed Pitch Activate this option if you do not want the sample to be transposed over the keyboard.
Included Instruments Auron one note and quickly and repeatedly pressing and releasing another note, for example. Trigger Mode Defines the trigger behavior for new notes. • Normal triggers a new note when the previous note gets stolen. The sample and the envelope of the new note are triggered from the start. To minimize discontinuities, use the Fade Out parameter of the zone. • Resume does not always trigger a new note.
Included Instruments Auron • HP24, 18, 12, and 6 are high-pass filters with 24, 18, 12, and 6 dB/oct. Frequencies below the cutoff are attenuated. • BR12 and BR24 are band-reject filters with 12 and 24 dB/oct. Frequencies around the cutoff are attenuated. • BR12+LP6 and BR12+LP12 are combinations of a band-reject filter with 12 dB/oct and a low-pass filter with 6 and 12 dB/oct, respectively. Frequencies around and above the cutoff are attenuated.
Included Instruments Auron Filter Envelope Section Attack Controls the attack time of the filter envelope. Decay Controls the decay time of the filter envelope. Sustain Controls the sustain level of the filter envelope. Release Controls the release time of the filter envelope. Amplifier Section Level Controls the overall volume of the sound. Velocity Controls the level modulation from velocity. At 0, all notes are played with the same level.
Included Instruments Trium Arp Page This page contains the same parameters as the FlexPhraser. RELATED LINKS FlexPhraser on page 483 Trium Trium was designed to create modern and rich sounds. It comes with 3 oscillators, a sub oscillator, a ring modulator, and a noise generator. With the integrated arpeggiator and step sequencer, you can create anything from sequencer lines to stepped chords. The oscillators are followed by a multi-mode filter that offers a large number of different filter shapes.
Included Instruments Trium Osc Page The Osc page contains the parameters for the three main oscillators. • To activate an oscillator, click its On/Off button. OSC 1/2/3 Type The oscillator type defines the basic sound character of the oscillator. This popup menu lists the waveforms (sine, triangle, saw, or square), followed by the algorithm (PWM, Sync, CM, or XOR). The combination of waveform and algorithm controls the sound of the oscillator.
Included Instruments Trium NOTE This parameter is only available for oscillator types that allow waveform modulation. Tuning These parameters allow you to adjust the pitch in octave, semitone, and cent steps. Multi Oscillator Number, Detune, and Spread Each of the main oscillators offers these multi-oscillator functions. They allow you to create a richer sound by producing up to eight oscillators simultaneously. • Number determines the number of oscillators that play back simultaneously.
Included Instruments Trium Type The wave shape of the sub oscillator. You can choose between Sine, Triangle, Saw, Square, Pulse Wide, and Pulse Narrow. Level Adjusts the output level of the sub oscillator. Ring Modulator Ring modulation produces sums and differences between the frequencies of two signals. Ring Modulation Source 1/Ring Modulation Source 2 Determines the sources to be ring modulated. You can select OSC 1 or Sub as Source 1, and OSC 2 or OSC 3 as Source 2.
Included Instruments Trium Glide Allows you to bend the pitch between notes that follow each other. You achieve the best results in Mono mode. Glide Time Sets the glide time, that is, the time it takes to bend the pitch from one note to the next. Fingered Activate this parameter to glide the pitch only between notes that are played legato. Mono Activates monophonic playback.
Included Instruments Trium NOTE If Resume or Legato are selected, you might hear an unnatural attack, depending on the sample. To avoid this, activate Use Start Range on the Glide tab in the Voice Control section for the zone. Mod Page The Mod page contains the LFO settings in the upper section and the mod wheel, or vibrato, settings in the lower section. LFO Settings Sync If Sync is activated, the frequency is set in fractions of beats.
Included Instruments Trium Cutoff Controls the influence of the mod wheel on the filter cutoff. Osc1/2/3 Wave These parameters control the influence of the mod wheel on the waveform of the three main oscillators. NOTE These controls are only available if the selected oscillator type supports waveform modulation. Filter Section Filter Shape • LP24, 18, 12, and 6 are low-pass filters with 24, 18, 12, and 6 dB/oct. Frequencies above the cutoff are attenuated.
Included Instruments Trium Cutoff Controls the cutoff frequency of the filter. Resonance Sets the filter resonance. Distortion Adds distortion to the signal. The following distortion types are available: • Tube adds warm, tube-like distortion. • Hard Clip adds bright, transistor-like distortion. • Bit Reduction adds digital distortion by means of quantization noise. • Rate Reduction adds digital distortion by means of aliasing.
Included Instruments Voltage Velocity Controls the level modulation from velocity. At 0, all notes are played with the same level. Amplifier Envelope Section Attack Controls the attack time of the amplifier envelope. Decay Controls the decay time of the amplifier envelope. Sustain Controls the sustain level of the amplifier envelope. Release Controls the release time of the amplifier envelope. Arp Page This page contains the same parameters as the FlexPhraser.
Included Instruments Voltage the integrated arpeggiator and step sequencer, you can create anything from sequencer lines to stepped chords. The two oscillators and the noise generator are followed by a 24 dB low-pass filter. The filter can be modulated using modulation sources like the keyboard, velocity, and LFO, but also by the controller lanes of the step sequencer, for example. Voltage includes 2 LFOs for pitch, PWM, and filter modulations.
Included Instruments Voltage Noise Type The sound color of the noise. You can choose between standard and band-pass filtered (BPF) versions of white and pink noise. Level Controls the level of the noise generator. Filter Section Cutoff Controls the cutoff frequency of the filter. Resonance Emphasizes the frequencies around the cutoff. At higher settings, the filter selfoscillates, which results in a ringing tone. Distortion Adds tube-like distortion to the signal.
Included Instruments Voltage Velocity Controls the level modulation from velocity. At 0, all notes are played with the same level. Voice Section Octave Adjusts the pitch in octave steps. Pitchbend Up/Pitchbend Down Determines the range for the modulation that is applied when you move the pitchbend wheel. Glide Allows you to bend the pitch between notes that follow each other. You achieve the best results in Mono mode.
Included Instruments Voltage If the new note plays in a different zone, the sample and the envelope of the new note are triggered from the start. • Legato does not always trigger a new note. If the new note stays within the same zone, the envelope keeps running. The pitch of the zone is set to the new note. If the new note plays in a different zone, the sample and the envelope of the new note are triggered from the start. • Resume Keeps Zone does not trigger a new note upon note stealing.
Included Instruments Voltage Mod Wheel Section Vib Freq Controls the frequency of the second LFO that is used for pitch modulation (vibrato). Cutoff Controls the influence of the mod wheel on the filter cutoff. Vib Depth Controls the depth of the pitch modulation (vibrato). Distortion Controls the influence of the mod wheel on the filter distortion. Filter Envelope Section Attack Controls the attack time of the filter envelope. Decay Controls the decay time of the filter envelope.
Included Instruments Model C Amp Envelope Section Attack Controls the attack time of the amplifier envelope. Decay Controls the decay time of the amplifier envelope. Sustain Controls the sustain level of the amplifier envelope. Release Controls the release time of the amplifier envelope. Arp Page This page contains the same parameters as the FlexPhraser.
Included Instruments Model C such as phaser, delay, and reverb, and also offers a ring modulator which allows to add nonharmonic tones. Model C contains four pages: Organ, Rotary, Amp, and FX. • To open a page, click the corresponding button in the top section of the window. Organ Page Drawbars The main drawbars on the left adjust the levels of the individual tonewheels. The three drawbars on the right adjust the levels of the tonewheels that are used for percussion.
Included Instruments Model C Vibrato Click the pedal button to activate the integrated vibrato effect. If it is activated, you can select a type using the control on the right. Rotary/Amp The organ signal is sent in parallel to the rotary speaker and to the internal amp. This control allows you to specify how the signal is distributed between these two destinations. • If you turn the control all the way to the left, the signal is sent only to the rotary speaker.
Included Instruments Model C Rotary Page The settings on this page only have an effect on the sound when signals are sent to the rotary effect using the Rotary/Amp dial on the Organ page. The Rotary effect on this page has the same parameters as the included Rotary effect, except for Input and Color. RELATED LINKS Rotary on page 452 Amp Page The settings on this page only have an effect on the sound if signals are sent to the amp using the Rotary/Amp dial on the Organ page.
Included Instruments Model C FX Page Ring Modulator On/Off Activates/Deactivates the ring modulator effect. LFO Freq Sets the frequency of the LFO for modulating the frequency of the sine oscillator. LFO Depth Sets the intensity of the LFO modulation of the sine oscillator frequency. Sine Freq Sets the frequency of the sine oscillator. Mix Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal.
Included Instruments Model C On/Off Activates/Deactivates the Phaser effect. Rate Sets the frequency of the phase modulation in Hertz. Depth Sets the intensity of the phase modulation. Feedback Adds resonances to the effect. Higher settings produce a more pronounced effect. Mix Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal. Delay On/Off Activates/Deactivates the Delay effect.
Included Instruments HALiotron Reverb On/Off Activates/Deactivates the Reverb effect. Reverb Type Use this dial to switch between the available reverb types: Spring, Plate, and Hall. Time Allows you to set the reverb time in seconds. Predelay Controls how much time passes before the reverb is applied. This allows you to simulate larger spaces by increasing the time it takes for first reflections to reach the listener. Mix Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal.
Included Instruments HALiotron Main Page Loop On/Off Set this to On if you want the notes to be played using looped versions of the underlying samples and to Off if you want the notes to stop when the tape reaches its end. Volume Adjusts the main volume of the sound. Speed Adjusts the speed of the tape playback. If this is set to Slow, the samples are played back an octave lower. Cutoff Adjusts the cutoff frequency of the built-in low-pass filter. Pitch Adjusts the tuning of the sound.
Included Instruments HALiotron Pitchbend Up/Pitchbend Down Determines the range for the modulation that is applied when you move the pitchbend wheel. Coarse Tune Adjusts the sound in semitone steps. This allows you to play intervals with multiple layered HALiotron sounds. Filter Page Resonance Adjusts the resonance of the low-pass filter. Velocity Sets the influence of the velocity on the level of the sound. Env Amount Adjusts the influence of the filter envelope on the cutoff frequency.
Included Instruments B-Box B-Box B-Box provides you with a veritable drum computer inside HALion. It comes with 13 instrument lanes that can make use of up to 128 different sounds. You can set up your drum patterns, create variations, and modify each drum sound using a low-pass filter and several distortion modes. B-Box contains three pages: Pattern, Mix, and Aux. • To open a page, click the corresponding button in the top section of the window.
Included Instruments B-Box • To mute or solo individual lanes, click the corresponding Mute and Solo buttons. • To set up the velocity for a step, click it and drag up or down or use the mouse wheel. A step can be set to low, medium, or high velocity. To change the velocity of all steps in a lane at the same time, hold down Shift and use the mouse. NOTE This function inserts drum steps for every step field on the lane and sets it to the same velocity.
Included Instruments B-Box Resonance Adjusts the filter resonance for the instrument. Distortion Type Sets the distortion type. You can choose between Tube, Hard Clip, Bit Reduction, and Rate Reduction. Distortion Sets the amount of distortion for the instrument. Level Sets the level of the instrument. Playing Back the Pattern • To play back the pattern, use the play button at the top of the window. An indicator below the step number shows which step is playing.
Included Instruments B-Box Mix Page On the Mix page, you can add effects to the patterns. Level Adjusts the level of the instrument. Pan Adjusts the panorama position of the instrument. Delay Determines how much of the signal is sent to the delay effect. Reverb Determines how much of the signal is sent to the reverb effect. Output Here, you can select one of the available plug-in outputs. AUX Page On the Aux page, you can make global settings for B-Box and the included effects.
Included Instruments B-Box Performance Section Loop If this option is activated, the pattern plays back in a loop. Hold • If this parameter is set to Off, the pattern changes immediately when a key is released. The pattern stops immediately when all keys are released. • If the parameter is set to On, the pattern plays to the end even when the keys are released. If the Loop option is activated, the pattern plays continuously in a cycle.
Included Instruments B-Box • Sync to Host – Aligns playback with the beats and measures of your host application. Playback is synchronized every time you start the transport. • Follow Transport – Playback starts and stops automatically together with the transport controls in your host application. Input Mode Keys that trigger the pattern are shown in green on the HALion keyboard. Keys that are assigned to an instrument sound are shown as regular black and white keys.
Included Instruments World Instruments Velocity Scale Allows you to raise or lower the note-on velocities of the pattern. At a value of 100 %, the notes play with their original velocity. Delay and Reverb Section The delay and reverb effect have the same parameters as the Multi Delay and Reverb effects. Delay Adjusts the general amount of delay. Reverb Adjusts the general amount of reverb. Master Adjusts the overall volume of B-Box.
Included Instruments World Instruments Filter Section Filter Shape • LP24, 18, 12, and 6 are low-pass filters with 24, 18, 12, and 6 dB/oct. Frequencies above the cutoff are attenuated. • BP12 and BP24 are band-pass filters with 12 and 24 dB/oct. Frequencies below and above the cutoff are attenuated. • HP6+LP18 and HP6+LP12 are combinations of a high-pass filter with 6 dB/ oct and a low-pass filter with 18 and 12 dB/oct, respectively (asymmetric band-pass filter).
Included Instruments World Instruments Filter Envelope Attack Controls the attack time of the filter envelope. Decay Controls the decay time of the filter envelope. Sustain Controls the sustain level of the filter envelope. Release Controls the release time of the filter envelope. Amp Section Key Delay Delays playback of the notes. This parameter can be used when working with multiple programs or layers.
Included Instruments World Instruments Pitchbend Up/Pitchbend Down Determines the range for the modulation that is applied when you move the pitchbend wheel. LFO Section Freq Controls the frequency of the modulation, that is, the speed of the LFO. Sync If Sync is activated, the frequency is set in fractions of beats. Pitch Controls the modulation depth of the pitch modulation. Cutoff Controls the modulation depth of the filter cutoff modulation.
Included Instruments World Percussion Arp Page This page contains the same parameters as the FlexPhraser. RELATED LINKS FlexPhraser on page 483 World Percussion World Percussion delivers a great variety of ethnic percussion instruments and associated MIDI phrases. The instruments can be globally fine-tuned with filter and amp settings which in turn can make use of envelope settings. The built-in MIDI player allows you to use the included MIDI phrases or to import your own MIDI phrases.
Included Instruments World Percussion On/Off button Activates/Deactivates the MIDI player part of World Percussion. Variation buttons You can configure up to eight different variations of your sounds and switch between them with the variation buttons. NOTE To avoid switching variations in the middle of a beat or measure, use the trigger modes Next Beat or Next Measure. Loading Phrases To load a phrase, click in the Phrase field and select a phrase from the selector.
Included Instruments World Percussion • First Note – The loop restarts when a note is triggered and no other notes are already held. • Each Note – The loop restarts each time a note is triggered. • Sync to Host – Select this to align the loop with the beats and measures of your host application. The loop aligns to the beats and measures each time you start the transport. • Follow Transport – Playback starts and stops automatically together with the transport controls in your host application.
Included Instruments World Percussion Pitch Activate this option to set the pitch of the drum sounds according to the center key. Performance Section Tempo Scale Defines the rate at which notes are triggered, that is, the speed at which the phrase is running. In addition to the Tempo parameter, this gives you further control over the playback speed. You can specify a value in fractions of beats. You can also set dotted and triplet note values.
Included Instruments Anima Envelope Amount Controls the cutoff modulation from the filter envelope. Cutoff Velocity Controls the cutoff modulation from velocity. Decay Controls the decay time of the filter envelope. Amp Section Level Controls the overall volume of the sound. Velocity Controls the level modulation from velocity. At 0, all notes are played with the same level. Decay Controls the decay time of the amplifier envelope.
Included Instruments Anima large number of different noise types. These range from classic noises like white and pink noise over drum attacks and rhythmical noises to specifically filtered colored noises and unique circuit noises, recorded from various electronic devices. This powerful collection of noises can be used to add inharmonic frequencies to create atmospheric sound or add transients for rich and percussive attacks, for example.
Included Instruments Anima • If Random Phase is selected, the start phase is randomly set to a different value each time that you trigger a note. In contrast to Free Phase, there is no continuity in the phase of the waveform. • If Fixed Phase is selected, the oscillator runs with a fixed start phase that can be specified between 0 and 360 degrees. Octave Adjusts the pitch in octave steps. Coarse Adjusts the pitch in semitone steps. Fine Adjusts the pitch in cent steps.
Included Instruments Anima • Alt: The wavetable plays in an alternate loop, that is, the loop is alternately played forward and backward. The first direction depends on the Playback Direction setting. Speed Determines the rate at which the envelope plays through the wavetables. At +100 %, the envelope plays back at its original speed. A value of +50 % corresponds to half the original speed, and +200 % to twice the original speed, for example. This parameter is unipolar.
Included Instruments Anima On/Off Activates/Deactivates the formant settings. Formant Allows you to shift the formants of the entire wavetable by a fixed value. Key Follow Allows you to shift the formants depending on the played note. • A value of 100 % means that the formant frequency moves with the played note. • A value of 0 % means that the formants kept the same for all notes. You can invert the behavior of the formant shift by setting Key Follow to negative values.
Included Instruments Anima Sub Oscillator Section Type The wave shape of the sub oscillator. You can choose between Sine, Triangle, Saw, Square, Pulse Wide, and Pulse Narrow. Retrigger Mode • If Free Phase is selected, the behavior of analog synthesizers is emulated. The oscillator is running freely and continuously. • If Random Phase is selected, the start phase is randomly set to a different value each time that you trigger a note.
Included Instruments Anima If Follow Pitch is deactivated, the duration is independent of the zone pitch and determined by the Duration settings. Loop Activate this button to play the noise sample in a loop. If this button is not activated, the sample is played once. Speed Adjusts the playback speed of the noise sample. A setting of 800.0 % equals an increase of three octaves in pitch. Speed Key Follow Allows you to adjust the speed modulation by MIDI note number.
Included Instruments Anima This modifier is used to scale the output of the modulation source. 3. Optional: Specify whether you want the Source and Modifier parameters to be unipolar or bipolar. 4. Set the modulation intensity with the Depth parameter. 5. Click in the modulation Destination field and select the parameter that you want to modulate.
Included Instruments Anima Arp Controller 1–3 The 3 controllers available on this submenu correspond to the three controller lanes on the Arp page. Bus 1–8 Modulations that are sent to one of the eight busses can be reused as sources. This way, you can combine several modulations to produce more complex signals. Quick Control 1–8 The quick controls can be used as modulation signal. Unipolar vs. Bipolar Sources The polarity of a modulation source specifies the value range that it produces.
Included Instruments Anima WT 1/2 Level Modulates the Level parameter of the corresponding wavetable oscillator. WT 1/2 Pan Modulates the Pan parameter of the corresponding wavetable oscillator. WT 1/2 Multi Detune Modulates the multi-oscillator Detune parameter of the corresponding wavetable oscillator. WT 1/2 Multi Pan Modulates the multi-oscillator Pan parameter of the corresponding wavetable oscillator.
Included Instruments Anima Amp Env Attack Modulates the attack time of the amplitude envelope. This modulation destination cannot be modulated continuously. The time is updated only when the segment starts. Amp Env Decay Modulates the decay time of the amplitude envelope. This modulation destination cannot be modulated continuously. The time is updated only when the segment starts. Amp Env Sustain Modulates the sustain level of the amplitude envelope.
Included Instruments Anima Env 3 Attack Level Modulates the attack level of the user-definable envelope 3, that is, the level of the second envelope node. This modulation destination cannot be modulated continuously. The level is updated only when the segment starts. Env 3 Decay Modulates the decay time of the user-definable envelope 3. This modulation destination cannot be modulated continuously. The time is updated only when the segment starts.
Included Instruments Anima Retrigger This option is only available in Mono mode. If Retrigger is activated, a note that was stolen by another note is retriggered if you still hold the stolen note when you release the new one. This way, you can play trills by holding one note and quickly and repeatedly pressing and releasing another note, for example. Trigger Mode Defines the trigger behavior for new notes. • Normal triggers a new note when the previous note gets stolen.
Included Instruments Anima negative values to lower the pitch the higher you play. At a setting of +100 %, the pitch follows the played note exactly. Distribution Allows you to specify how unison voices are spread in pitch. Changing the unison voice distribution will create different modulations between the unison voices. • If this is set to 0, the distribution is linear, that is, all voices have an equal distance in their pitch offset.
Included Instruments Anima • BR12 and BR24 are band-reject filters with 12 and 24 dB/oct. Frequencies around the cutoff are attenuated. • BR12+LP6 and BR12+LP12 are combinations of a band-reject filter with 12 dB/oct and a low-pass filter with 6 and 12 dB/oct, respectively. Frequencies around and above the cutoff are attenuated. • BP12+BR12 is a band-pass filter with 12 dB/oct plus a band-reject filter with 12 dB/oct. Frequencies below, above, and around the cutoff are attenuated.
Included Instruments Anima Filter Envelope On the left on the Env F/A tab, you can set up the filter envelope. Attack Controls the attack time of the filter envelope. Decay Controls the decay time of the filter envelope. Sustain Controls the sustain level of the filter envelope. Release Controls the release time of the filter envelope. Amplifier and Amplifier Envelope On the right of the Env F/A tab, you can make settings for the amplifier and the amplifier envelope.
Included Instruments Anima Decay Controls the decay time of the amplifier envelope. Sustain Controls the sustain level of the amplifier envelope. Release Controls the release time of the amplifier envelope. Env3 Section The Env3 section provides an additional envelope that can be routed freely in the modulation matrix. This envelope is bipolar, therefore, it is particularly suited to modulate destinations like pan or pitch, for example.
Included Instruments Anima • Triangle is similar to Sine. Shape continuously changes the triangle waveform to a trapezoid. • Saw produces a ramp cycle. Shape continuously changes the waveform from ramp down to triangle to ramp up. • Pulse produces stepped modulation, where the modulation switches abruptly between two values. Shape continuously changes the ratio between the high and low state of the waveform. If Shape is set to 50 %, a square wave is produced. • Ramp is similar to the Saw waveform.
Included Instruments Skylab Arp Page This page contains the same parameters as the FlexPhraser. RELATED LINKS FlexPhraser on page 483 Skylab The Skylab synth is an instrument that produces a wide range of sounds that are perfectly suited to create cinematic or ambient soundtracks. It comes with a large number of multisamples that provide a variety of evolving pads and soundscapes as well as typical orchestral sounds like strings, brass, and choirs, allowing you to create huge and epic sounds.
Included Instruments Skylab Skylab contains four pages: Osc, Mod, Voice, and Arp. To show the settings for a page, click the corresponding page button. The button for the Arp page also contains an On/Off button for the arpeggiator. Osc Page On this page, you can specify whether you want to use a sample or a grain oscillator and make settings for the oscillator. Sample Mode In Sample Mode, you can load different multi-samples. These samples are played back normally.
Included Instruments Skylab Position You can set the playback position of the grains manually. For example, at a setting of 50 %, the playback position is in the middle of the sample. The playback position is updated with every new grain. Random Position Selects a random playback position within a specific range around the current position. At a setting of 100 %, the playback position jumps to a random position between the start and the end of the sample.
Included Instruments Skylab Auto Gain Allows you to automatically adjust the level of grains using quieter sample parts. This way, you get a more homogeneous signal and you can use a quiet part of a sample as source. Grains Allows you to specify the number of grains, from 1 to 8. For example, with a setting of 4, you get 4 grains per period of the grain duration. To hear the effect of this setting, you have to play a new note. Fixed Pitch Plays the sample at a fixed pitch.
Included Instruments Skylab 5. Click in the modulation Destination field and select the parameter that you want to modulate. Modulation Matrix Parameters Modulation Sources and Modulation Modifiers The following options are available as modulation sources and as modulation modifiers. LFO A/B The LFOs A and B produce cyclic modulation signals. Amp Envelope The amplifier envelope. The shape of the envelope determines the modulation signal. Filter Envelope The filter envelope.
Included Instruments Skylab Bus 1–8 Modulations that are sent to one of the eight busses can be reused as sources. This way, you can combine several modulations to produce more complex signals. Quick Control 1–8 The quick controls can be used as modulation signal. Unipolar vs. Bipolar Sources The polarity of a modulation source specifies the value range that it produces. Unipolar sources modulate between 0 and +1. Bipolar sources modulate between -1 and +1.
Included Instruments Skylab Grain Duration Modulates the grain duration, that is, the frequency at which the grains repeat. The maximum modulation range at a modulation depth of 100 % is -5 to +5 octaves. Grain Pitch Modulates the pitch of a grain. The modulation is not continuous, but it is updated at the start of a new grain. For continuous pitch modulation, use Pitch instead of Grain Pitch as destination and make sure that Follow Zone Pitch is activated in the grain oscillator.
Included Instruments Skylab Filter Env Sustain Modulates the sustain level of the filter envelope. This modulation destination cannot be modulated continuously. The level is updated only when the segment starts. Filter Env Release Modulates the release time of the filter envelope. This modulation destination cannot be modulated continuously. The time is updated only when the segment starts.
Included Instruments Skylab Voice Page Voice Section Polyphony If Mono mode is deactivated, you can use this parameter to specify how many notes can be played simultaneously. Mono Activates monophonic playback. Retrigger This option is only available in Mono mode. If Retrigger is activated, a note that was stolen by another note is retriggered if you still hold the stolen note when you release the new one.
Included Instruments Skylab • Legato Keeps Zone does not trigger a new note upon note stealing. The envelope keeps running and the pitch of the zone is set to the new note, even if the new note plays in a different zone. Glide Section Glide Allows you to bend the pitch between notes that follow each other. You achieve the best results in Mono mode. Fingered Activate this parameter to glide the pitch only between notes that are played legato.
Included Instruments Skylab • HP6+LP18 and HP6+LP12 are combinations of a high-pass filter with 6 dB/ oct and a low-pass filter with 18 and 12 dB/oct, respectively (asymmetric band-pass filter). Frequencies below and above the cutoff are attenuated. Attenuation is more pronounced for the frequencies above the cutoff. • HP12+LP6 and HP18+LP6 are combinations of a high-pass filter with 12 and 18 dB/oct and a low-pass filter with 6 dB/oct (asymmetric band-pass filter).
Included Instruments Skylab Cutoff Velocity Controls the cutoff modulation from velocity. Cutoff Key Follow Adjusts the cutoff modulation using the note number. Increase this parameter to raise the cutoff with higher notes. At 100 %, the cutoff follows the played pitch exactly. Filter Envelope On the left on the Env F/A tab, you can set up the filter envelope. Attack Controls the attack time of the filter envelope. Decay Controls the decay time of the filter envelope.
Included Instruments Skylab Velocity Controls the level modulation from velocity. At 0, all notes are played with the same level. Amplifier Envelope Parameters Attack Controls the attack time of the amplifier envelope. Decay Controls the decay time of the amplifier envelope. Sustain Controls the sustain level of the amplifier envelope. Release Controls the release time of the amplifier envelope. Env3 Section The faders below the envelope display set the following parameters: • L0 sets the start level.
Included Instruments Skylab LFO Section In the LFO section, you can make settings for LFO A and LFO B. LFO Waveform and Shape • Sine produces smooth modulation, suitable for vibrato or tremolo. Shape adds additional harmonics to the waveform. • Triangle is similar to Sine. Shape continuously changes the triangle waveform to a trapezoid. • Saw produces a ramp cycle. Shape continuously changes the waveform from ramp down to triangle to ramp up.
Included Instruments Raven Arp Page This page contains the same parameters as the FlexPhraser. RELATED LINKS FlexPhraser on page 483 Raven Raven provides the sound of a classical Italian concert grand with six velocity layers and adjustable sustain resonances. Its Tone control allows you to adapt the tonal range from very soft romantic to more intense colors. In addition, you can modify the character of the note-off behavior by adding a dedicated note-off layer.
Included Instruments Eagle • If you turn the knob to the left, the number of hard velocity layers that are used in the sound is reduced, that is, the sound becomes softer. • If you turn the knob to the right, the number of soft velocity layers that are used is reduced, that is, the sound becomes harder. NOTE The Tone control is independent from the influence that the velocity has on the level of the piano.
Included Instruments Eagle soft romantic to more intense colors. In addition, you can modify the character of the note-off behavior by adding a dedicated note-off layer. Tone Eagle comes with 12 different velocity layers. The Tone control allows you to specify how these layers are used. • If the Tone control is in middle position, different input velocities trigger all 12 layers.
Included Instruments Hot Brass If this option is activated, the sustain resonance layers are played when the sustain pedal is held and notes are played. You can adjust the level of the resonance layer with the dial on the right. NOTE The piano also allows for repedaling, which means that the sustain resonances will also be blended in when the sustain pedal is pressed again shortly after notes have been played. If you do not want to use the sustain resonance layers, deactivate this option to save CPU power.
Included Instruments Hot Brass Main Page The Main page allows you to select the sample for Hot Brass and to make basic pitch settings. Select Samples Allows you to choose from a range of included samples. Hot Brass provides three differently mixed sections and a pure saxophone section. You can add additional authenticity to your play using the included falls, growls, doits, shakes, and staccato articulations. Coarse Adjusts the pitch in semitone steps. Fine Allows you to fine-tune the pitch in cent steps.
Included Instruments Hot Brass Creating Modulations You create modulations by selecting a source, a modifier, and a destination from the pop-up menus in the modulation matrix. PROCEDURE 1. Click the modulation Source field and select the modulation source. 2. Optional: Click in the modulation Modifier field and select the parameter that you want to use to modify the modulation. This modifier is used to scale the output of the modulation source. 3.
Included Instruments Hot Brass Modulation Wheel The position of the modulation wheel can be used as modulation signal. Aftertouch Aftertouch can be used as modulation signal. Some MIDI keyboards cannot send aftertouch messages. However, most sequencer software is able to produce such messages. Arp Controller 1–3 The 3 controllers available on this submenu correspond to the three controller lanes on the Arp page. Bus 1–8 Modulations that are sent to one of the eight busses can be reused as sources.
Included Instruments Hot Brass Volume Modulates the gain. The volume modulation multiplies with the level. Pan Modulates the position of the sound in the panorama. Amp Env Attack Modulates the attack time of the amplitude envelope. This modulation destination cannot be modulated continuously. The time is updated only when the segment starts. Amp Env Decay Modulates the decay time of the amplitude envelope. This modulation destination cannot be modulated continuously.
Included Instruments Hot Brass Env 3 Attack Modulates the attack time of the user-definable envelope 3. This modulation destination cannot be modulated continuously. The time is updated only when the segment starts. Env 3 Attack Level Modulates the attack level of the user-definable envelope 3, that is, the level of the second envelope node. This modulation destination cannot be modulated continuously. The level is updated only when the segment starts.
Included Instruments Hot Brass Mono Activates monophonic playback. Retrigger This option is only available in Mono mode. If Retrigger is activated, a note that was stolen by another note is retriggered if you still hold the stolen note when you release the new one. This way, you can play trills by holding one note and quickly and repeatedly pressing and releasing another note, for example. Trigger Mode Defines the trigger behavior for new notes.
Included Instruments Hot Brass Filter Section Filter On/Off Activates/Deactivates the filter. Filter Shape • LP24, 18, 12, and 6 are low-pass filters with 24, 18, 12, and 6 dB/oct. Frequencies above the cutoff are attenuated. • BP12 and BP24 are band-pass filters with 12 and 24 dB/oct. Frequencies below and above the cutoff are attenuated.
Included Instruments Hot Brass Resonance Emphasizes the frequencies around the cutoff. At higher settings, the filter selfoscillates, which results in a ringing tone. Distortion Adds distortion to the signal. The following distortion types are available: • Tube adds warm, tube-like distortion. • Hard Clip adds bright, transistor-like distortion. • Bit Reduction adds digital distortion by means of quantization noise. • Rate Reduction adds digital distortion by means of aliasing.
Included Instruments Hot Brass Amplifier and Amplifier Envelope On the right of the Env F/A tab, you can make settings for the amplifier and the amplifier envelope. Amplifier Parameters Level Controls the overall volume of the sound. Velocity Controls the level modulation from velocity. At 0, all notes are played with the same level. Amplifier Envelope Parameters Attack Controls the attack time of the amplifier envelope. Decay Controls the decay time of the amplifier envelope.
Included Instruments Hot Brass • S sets the sustain level. • R sets the release time. • L4 sets the end level. • Vel determines how much the envelope intensity depends on the velocity. If this fader is set to 0, the envelope is fully applied. Higher values reduce the intensity for lower velocities. LFO Section In the LFO section, you can make settings for LFO A and LFO B. LFO Waveform and Shape • Sine produces smooth modulation, suitable for vibrato or tremolo.
Included Instruments Studio Strings Rnd (Random Phase) If this button is activated, each note starts with a randomized start phase. NOTE The Phase control cannot be used if Rnd is activated. Arp Page This page contains the same parameters as the FlexPhraser. RELATED LINKS FlexPhraser on page 483 Studio Strings Studio Strings delivers a broad range of string sounds and articulations comprising solo strings, small chamber, and full orchestra sections.
Included Instruments Studio Strings Arp page, you can play typical phrases with a single note on your keyboard. Studio Strings contains four pages: Main, Mod, Voice, and Arp. To show the settings for a page, click the corresponding page button. The button for the Arp page also contains an On/Off button for the arpeggiator. Main Page The Main page allows you to select the sample for Studio Strings and to make basic pitch settings. Select Samples Allows you to choose from a range of included samples.
Included Instruments Studio Strings The modulation matrix offers you up to 16 freely assignable modulations, each with a source, a modifier, and a destination with adjustable depth. The polarity of each source and each modifier can be switched between unipolar and bipolar. Creating Modulations You create modulations by selecting a source, a modifier, and a destination from the pop-up menus in the modulation matrix. PROCEDURE 1. Click the modulation Source field and select the modulation source. 2.
Included Instruments Studio Strings Pitchbend The position of the pitchbend wheel can be used as modulation signal. Modulation Wheel The position of the modulation wheel can be used as modulation signal. Aftertouch Aftertouch can be used as modulation signal. Some MIDI keyboards cannot send aftertouch messages. However, most sequencer software is able to produce such messages. Arp Controller 1–3 The 3 controllers available on this submenu correspond to the three controller lanes on the Arp page.
Included Instruments Studio Strings Level This modulation adds to the level setting. It can be used to create level offsets using the mod wheel, for example. Volume Modulates the gain. The volume modulation multiplies with the level. Pan Modulates the position of the sound in the panorama. Amp Env Attack Modulates the attack time of the amplitude envelope. This modulation destination cannot be modulated continuously. The time is updated only when the segment starts.
Included Instruments Studio Strings Env 3 Start Level Modulates the start level of the user-definable envelope 3, that is, the level of the first envelope node. This modulation destination cannot be modulated continuously. The level is updated only when the segment starts. Env 3 Attack Modulates the attack time of the user-definable envelope 3. This modulation destination cannot be modulated continuously. The time is updated only when the segment starts.
Included Instruments Studio Strings Voice Page Polyphony If Mono mode is deactivated, you can use this parameter to specify how many notes can be played simultaneously. Mono Activates monophonic playback. Retrigger This option is only available in Mono mode. If Retrigger is activated, a note that was stolen by another note is retriggered if you still hold the stolen note when you release the new one.
Included Instruments Studio Strings Glide Allows you to bend the pitch between notes that follow each other. You achieve the best results in Mono mode. Fingered Activate this parameter to glide the pitch only between notes that are played legato. Glide Time Sets the glide time, that is, the time it takes to bend the pitch from one note to the next. Start Range Activate Start Range to use a shorter sample attack for notes that are played legato in Mono mode.
Included Instruments Studio Strings • HP12+LP6 and HP18+LP6 are combinations of a high-pass filter with 12 and 18 dB/oct and a low-pass filter with 6 dB/oct (asymmetric band-pass filter). Frequencies below and above the cutoff are attenuated. Attenuation is more pronounced for the frequencies below the cutoff. • HP24, 18, 12, and 6 are high-pass filters with 24, 18, 12, and 6 dB/oct. Frequencies below the cutoff are attenuated. • BR12 and BR24 are band-reject filters with 12 and 24 dB/oct.
Included Instruments Studio Strings Cutoff Key Follow Adjusts the cutoff modulation using the note number. Increase this parameter to raise the cutoff with higher notes. At 100 %, the cutoff follows the played pitch exactly. Filter Envelope On the left on the Env F/A tab, you can set up the filter envelope. Attack Controls the attack time of the filter envelope. Decay Controls the decay time of the filter envelope. Sustain Controls the sustain level of the filter envelope.
Included Instruments Studio Strings Amplifier Envelope Parameters Attack Controls the attack time of the amplifier envelope. Decay Controls the decay time of the amplifier envelope. Sustain Controls the sustain level of the amplifier envelope. Release Controls the release time of the amplifier envelope. Arp Page This page contains the same parameters as the FlexPhraser.
Parameter List The Parameter List gives you a detailed overview of the parameters of the element that is selected in the Program Tree. For example, if you select an effect in the Program Tree, only the parameters of that effect are shown. The Parameter List is also useful to get additional information about parameters, which is needed if you want to address parameters from a script, for example. • By default, the Parameter List shows the Parameter and Value columns.
Parameter List Parameter Displays the names of the parameters. Parameters that belong to a specific section are grouped in folders, for example, the LFOs or the envelopes of a zone. Value Displays the values of the parameters. ID (Dec) Shows the parameter ID as decimal value. ID (Hex) Shows the parameter ID as hexadecimal value. Type Shows the value type, that is, Integer, Float, String, Bool, or Data. Unit Shows the unit of the parameter, that is, %, Hz, dB, deg, cent, spl (sample), ms, BPM, etc.
Macro Pages HALion allows you to build your own sample and synthesizer instruments and to customize them using the integrated LUA script engine. In the Macro Page Designer, you can create your own user interface for these instruments. The Macro Page Designer allows you to create everything from small user interfaces for custom script modules to complete instrument editors with several pages and a wide range of controls, such as knobs, buttons, sliders, text, labels, menus, etc.
Macro Pages Getting Started Resources Most controls require resources like bitmaps or fonts to display something on the screen. These resources are organized in the Resources Tree. Libraries Libraries are identical to macro pages, except that they do not include a functional user interface. Instead, libraries contain a collection of templates and their resources. Using the Resource/Library Browser, you can drag templates from a library onto a macro page.
Macro Pages Getting Started PROCEDURE 1. In the File Explorer/Mac OS Finder or the Resource/Library Browser, navigate to the .bmp or .png bitmap file that you want to use and drag it onto the canvas in the Macro Page Editor. A new image control is added to the GUI Tree and the bitmap resource is added to the Resources Tree. This resource is used by the image control on your page. 2. Optional: Adjust the position or size of the image, either in the Properties section or directly on the canvas.
Macro Pages Macro Page Designer Saving the Macro Page To save your macro page, click Save Macro Page/Library, specify a name and a location, and click Save. NOTE Macro pages can be created for programs, layers, and LUA script MIDI modules. They are not available for smaller HALion elements, such as effects or zones, for example. Macro Page Designer The Macro Page Designer is where you create and edit macro pages.
Macro Pages Macro Page Designer Create New Macro Page/Library What happens when you click this button depends on which element is selected in the Program Tree. If a program or layer is selected, you can choose between Create Macro Page and Create HALion Sonic Macro Page. • Create Macro Page allows you to create a macro page that does not have any limitation in size.
Macro Pages Macro Page Designer Copy Copies the selected element to the clipboard. Paste Pastes the element from the clipboard at the current position. NOTE You can copy and paste elements between macro pages. All related resources are automatically copied as well. Create New Element Click this button to add a new element. Which elements can be added depends on whether you are in the GUI Tree, the Templates Tree, or the Resources Tree. Delete Element Click this button to delete the selected element.
Macro Pages Macro Page Designer GUI Tree The GUI Tree shows the hierarchical structure of a macro page with all its controls and templates. You can set up and structure the macro page by adding and removing elements, grouping them, etc. If you select an element in the GUI Tree, the element is highlighted on the canvas and you can make adjustments for it in the Properties section. For a better overview, the different element types use different icons.
Macro Pages Macro Page Designer Delete Deletes the selected element. Duplicate Duplicates the selected element. Copy Copies the selected element to the clipboard. Reload All Resources Allows you to reload all resources. This can be necessary if you changed a bitmap resource in an external image application, for example, and you want to see the updated image on the macro page. Without reloading the resources, your changes are only visible when you load the program the next time.
Macro Pages Macro Page Designer Animation Allows you to display animations or graphical option menus. Image Allows you to add bitmaps in the formats .png and .bmp. Knob Allows you to create potentiometers by using a bitmap or a section with frames. These frames will be played as an animation when turning the knob. Label Allows you to display text for knobs, text fields, or sections. This text is defined once and cannot be edited on the macro page. To insert editable text, use the Text element instead.
Macro Pages Macro Page Designer Template Allows you to add an instance of a template to the GUI Tree. Template List Allows you to add a list that can contain multiple instances of a referenced template. Stack A stack allows you to create pages or sections on a macro page between which you can switch. Each child of a stack is shown exclusively, depending on the value of the stack. For example, you can control stacks using radio switches, by providing one switch per stack view.
Macro Pages Macro Page Designer Managing the GUI Tree Elements The structure of the GUI Tree has an influence on the order in which overlapping elements are layered on the canvas. Elements that are children of another element are drawn on top of their parent. Elements that are on the same hierarchy level are drawn bottom to top, that is, the highest element in the tree is drawn topmost on the canvas. • To move an element, drag it to another position.
Macro Pages Macro Page Designer Resources Tree The Resources Tree shows the resources that are available within a macro page. You can add or remove resources in the tree and organize them into folders. This allows you to structure your macro page, in order to keep an overview over your files. NOTE The Resources Tree shows all resources that were added to the macro page. The number of resources in the tree can differ greatly from the number of resources that are actually used.
Macro Pages Macro Page Designer bitmap file and the number of frames that the bitmap consists of. For single images, the frame count is 1. If the bitmap contains a knob animation, for example, the number of frames must be set. When you add a bitmap, HALion evaluates it to find out if the image is in fact an animation and of how many frames it is composed. The number of frames is then set automatically.
Macro Pages Macro Page Designer RESULT You can now use the new bitmap file just as any other bitmap resource. Resource Editor If the Resources Tree is selected, the canvas shows the Resource Editor. The Resource Editor shows the selected bitmap, section, or a preview of the selected font. It allows you to create new sections from bitmaps or to modify existing sections. Toolbar Select Tool Activate this tool if you want to define sections from a bitmap.
Macro Pages Macro Page Designer If this button is activated, you can modify the section rectangle. To update the section, deactivate the button again. Show Ruler Shows/Hides the horizontal and vertical rulers. Zoom Factor Indicates the current zoom factor. Selection Size Indicates the size of the current selection. Mouse Position Indicates the current mouse position.
Macro Pages Macro Page Designer The section is added to the tree and the editor automatically switches to the new section resource. 4. Move the rectangle so that it encompasses the region that you want to use in the new section. 5. Repeat the last two steps to create all the necessary sections. 6. Deactivate Edit Section. Modifying an Existing Section If a section is not quite accurate or does not contain the content that you wanted it to show, you can modify it. 1. Select the section in the tree.
Macro Pages Macro Page Designer Group Selection Allows you to group multiple selected elements. Create Opens a submenu containing the elements that can be added. Select a menu entry to add the element to the Resources Tree. Multi-Frame Bitmap Allows you to create a multi-frame bitmap. Remove Unused Resources Removes the unused resources from the Resources Tree. This is useful to clean up your macro page.
Macro Pages Macro Page Designer You can drop controls, templates, and resources directly onto the canvas to add them to your macro page. Toolbar The canvas toolbar is available for the GUI Tree and the Templates Tree. The Resource Editor has its own toolbar. Move Tool If this tool is selected, you can move and resize controls on the canvas. Zoom Tool If this tool is selected, you can zoom in on a specific area by clicking in the center of it. Click multiple times to increase the zoom level.
Macro Pages Editing and Assembling Elements Grid Width Sets the width of the grid, in pixels. Enable Coarse Step If Enable Coarse Step is activated, you can position elements on the canvas grid using a larger step width. Coarse Step Width Sets the coarse step width, in pixels. Show Pixel Grid Shows a grid that represents the actual pixels. This grid is only displayed for high zoom levels, starting with 600 %. Show Guide Lines Activate this option to show/hide guide lines on the canvas.
Macro Pages Editing and Assembling Elements If you use templates and a modification is necessary, you only have to change the template to apply the changes to all controls that use the template. Furthermore, templates can be saved in libraries, which means that you can build your own control template library and use controls from there in your projects.
Macro Pages Editing and Assembling Elements RESULT You can now use your template on the macro page. Creating Templates From Groups or Selections In the GUI Tree, you can create templates from a group or a selection. This is useful if you want to use this specific combination of elements as one entity on your macro pages. PROCEDURE 1. In the GUI Tree toolbar, click Create New Element and add a Text and a Knob element. 2.
Macro Pages Editing and Assembling Elements NOTE You can add default values for exported parameters by typing in a string or a value, even though the Export Property button is activated. As long as this string or value is not overwritten in the template instance, it remains active. For an example, look at the exported label parameters of the library controls. You will see that they are all set to Label.
Macro Pages Editing and Assembling Elements 2. Drag the template from the Resource/Library Browser to the canvas or to a group on the canvas. The destination lights up to indicate where the control will be placed. Editing Templates To edit a template, click Edit Element on the toolbar or select Edit on the context menu. This opens the GUI Tree for the template, that is, only the template content is shown. You can edit templates in the same way as other macro page elements.
Macro Pages Editing and Assembling Elements Once a location is defined, you can select it from the Select Locations pop-up menu. • To delete a browse location, click Delete Location on the toolbar, select the location that you want to delete, and click Yes. Adding Elements You can either add elements directly to the canvas, or you can add them to the GUI Tree, the Templates Tree, or the Resources Tree first.
Macro Pages Editing and Assembling Elements • To adjust the height or width of an element, drag its borders. To adjust the width in finer increments, hold down Shift while dragging. To scale height and width with a fixed ratio, point at the border of an element so that the cursor becomes a double arrow, click and hold the mouse, hold down Ctrl/ Cmd-Shift and drag. Copying Elements You can copy elements in the following ways: • Hold down Alt and drag it to another position.
Macro Pages Editing and Assembling Elements NOTE Attaching the top and bottom borders resizes the child object vertically. If the child object provides a Scale option, such as images and sections do, for example, the shown content is scaled. Setting the Attach Ratio Each Attach option features an additional Ratio parameter that defines the effective change of the corresponding edge in relation to the edge of the template in which the child is used.
Macro Pages Editing and Assembling Elements 7. Attach the left edge of the fourth text field with a ratio of 3/4. 8. Attach the right edge with a ratio of 4/4. Scaling Elements You can scale bitmap resources to make them fit on your macro page. PROCEDURE 1. In the Resources Tree, select the resource. 2. In the Properties section, select a Scale Mode for the image. 3. • Select Stretch to stretch or compress the image to fill the new space.
Macro Pages Editing and Assembling Elements AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASK You can now create variables that allow you to switch between the pages. RELATED LINKS Switching Between Two Pages Using a Single Switch on page 396 Bitmaps Used In Controls Most of the controls use bitmap resources for their graphical representation. The number of required bitmap resources depends on the control and its configuration.
Macro Pages Editing and Assembling Elements UI Parameters and Variables Not all macro page controls need to be connected to engine or script module parameters. Sometimes, you need so-called UI parameters to perform functions on your macro page, for example, to switch between pages or to activate specific editing features. To be able to connect macro page controls with UI parameters, you must first add variables and then define them in the Properties section.
Macro Pages Editing and Assembling Elements Adding UI Variables Before you can use variables, you must add them to your macro page. PROCEDURE 1. In the GUI Tree, either select the macro page or the template, depending on where you want to use the variable. 2. Right-click and select Create > Variables. This creates the folder in which all variables are saved. NOTE If you use a large number of variables, it might be necessary to organize them by creating further subfolders.
Macro Pages Editing and Assembling Elements Switching Between Multiple Pages Using Radio Buttons If you have more than two pages on your macro page, you can use radio buttons to switch between the pages, rather than an on/off switch. PREREQUISITE You have created a Stack element that contains four groups, one for each page. You have added a Variables folder to the macro page. PROCEDURE 1. In the GUI Tree, right-click the Variables folder and select Create > Integer. 2. Name the variable pages. 3.
Macro Pages Editing and Assembling Elements 7. 8. 9. 10. In the GUI Tree, create a Popup List variable for the macro page and name it aboutbox. In the Properties section for the variable, enter About in the first line. This connects the variable to the About template. Add a switch to the macro page by dragging it from the Resource/Library Browser to the GUI Tree. Click Edit Element on the toolbar, select the switch element, and set the Mode to exclusive.
Macro Pages Editing and Assembling Elements Edit Scope The edit scope allows you to specify for a group or template on the macro page which module, effect, layer, etc., will be affected by it. The scope is defined with the path to this object. You can either enter the path to the object manually in the Scope value field in the Properties section, or you can drag one of the parameters of the object from the Parameter List onto the Scope value field.
Macro Pages Editing and Assembling Elements • • • • • Zone for zones Bus for busses Layer for layers for all effects with this name for all MIDI modules of this type, that is, all FlexPhrasers, MIDI Player modules, etc.
Macro Pages Libraries 12. Copy the same path information to the second entry line and change LayerA to LayerB. The variable switches between two path strings. Now, you need a control that switches between these two strings. 13. Add a menu control to the macro page. You can also use other controls like knobs or radio switches to change the scope. 14. 15. 16. In the Value property of the menu, enter @LayerSelect.
Macro Pages Connecting Macro Page Controls to HALion Parameters Icons for Libraries and Macro Pages For macro pages, the Resource/Library Browser shows a preview picture of the macro page. If you want to get such a preview picture for your library files, you can define a small and basic macro page inside the library by adding some of the most representative elements to the canvas and then saving the library.
Macro Pages Collaborating on Macro Pages Removing a Connection If you connected a control to the wrong parameter or if you modified the macro page and want to set up a different connection for a control, you can delete the connection of a control. PROCEDURE 1. Open the GUI Tree. 2. Do one of the following: • In the Properties section, navigate to the macro control and delete its value entry. • Right-click a control and select Disconnect from Parameter .
Macro Pages Saving Macro Pages NOTE To perform both these cleanup operations at the same time, use the Templates Tree context menu command Remove All Unused Templates And Resources. IMPORTANT These cleanup functions can be performed without any risk if all templates and resources are directly linked to the macro page. However, there are certain limits.
Library Creator HALion’s Library Creator allows you to create your own instrument libraries. These libraries are built as VST Sound container files that contain all the necessary components, such as presets, samples, macro pages, MIDI modules, scripts, and sub presets. A library can be created as a single VST Sound container or as a combination of containers and can easily be distributed between computers using Steinberg’s Library Manager.
Library Creator Libraries If you want to create a library for all users, you must export your program as a HALion Sonic SE layer preset. You can find the corresponding command on the Program Tree context menu. Prerequisites Here is an exemplary list of main steps that you would usually perform to finalize the content before creating a library. 1. You have sampled all the required sounds and noises. 2. You have cut and processed all the samples. 3. You have mapped the samples to the keyboard. 4.
Library Creator Libraries • You have saved the preset under the name Init Precious Guitar and you have set up all the necessary tags, such as Category, Sub Category, Author, Character, etc. NOTE Do not specify the Library Name and Manufacturer attributes at this point, because when building the VST Sound container, these tags are overwritten by the attributes that are defined for the library. • You have created all the required presets for the library.
Library Creator Libraries NOTE You can always modify presets and the macro page and build the container afterwards again. The Library Creator always takes the files as they are in the moment of the build process. Verifying Your Libraries After creating a library, the next step is to check whether it is functional. A quick and easy way to check the library is to temporarily mount the container for testing.
Library Creator Library Creator Editor scripts. All these files are included in the VST Sound container that contains the preset files. However, the files are not shown in the Structure section. NOTE Usually, a library only contains one VST Sound container with presets. If you distribute presets over several preset VST Sound containers, the macro page and script resources are automatically added to each container.
Library Creator Library Creator Editor You can only edit one library per HALion instance. RELATED LINKS Window Handling on page 13 Toolbar The main toolbar provides the most important functions. Create Library Allows you to create a new library. Load Library Allows you to load a library. Save Library Saves the current library. Revert to Last Saved Library Reloads the last version that was saved. This will discard all changes that have been made.
Library Creator Library Creator Editor Undo/Redo The Library Creator provides an independent undo/redo stack with a history. Only the changes in the library file can be undone/redone, other HALion editing actions are not affected. Properties In this section, you can name the library, add icons and further information. All text fields with an * are mandatory. MediaBay Icon Click this field to select the icon that you want to be shown in the MediaBay of the Steinberg DAW. The image must be a .
Library Creator Library Creator Editor Family Allows you to specify for which plug-in you want to build your library. • HALion: These presets cannot be loaded in HALion Sonic and HALion Sonic SE. • HALion Sonic: These presets can be loaded in HALion Sonic and HALion, but not in HALion Sonic SE. • HALion Sonic SE: These presets can be loaded in HALion, HALion Sonic, and HALion Sonic SE.
Library Creator Library Creator Editor final wavetables. In this case, you can remove the information about the used samples in the wavetable editor by activating this option. VST Sound Containers This list contains all the VST Sound containers that are part of the library, either because you are building the containers or because they are required as an external dependency by the presets that you are delivering with the library.
Library Creator Library Creator Editor NOTE To avoid that two VST Sound container files with the same name built by two different people get into conflict, each container has an internal unique identifier, which is created automatically by the Library Creator. However, it is recommended to use a naming scheme for VST Sound containers that makes them easy to identify. This can be a combination of numbers, abbreviations for your company, and the library name, for example.
Library Creator Library Creator Editor NOTE If compression is used, the final size can differ from this value, depending on the sample content. The final size of the container is also influenced by the amount of additional files, such as presets, sub presets, page resources, etc. Structure This section displays the internal file structure of the selected VST Sound container. You can add and remove various folders to organize the elements that you want to be part of the container.
Library Creator Library Creator Editor NOTE The folder structure must correspond to the settings that you made for the subpreset selector on your macro page. Otherwise, the subpresets cannot be found. MIDI Module Folder If you have created Lua script modules and saved them as MIDI modules to make them available in the MIDI Module selector, you can add them to your library, too. Add a MIDI Module Folder and place the modules in there.
Library Creator Library Creator Editor NOTE You can also use Automatically Add Required Files in the editor for the Lua Script MIDI module. However, this only works if VST presets and scripts are put into the same VST Sound container. Scripts can also be added to a completely different VST Sound container, for example, if you want to create a dedicated library for your scripts. In this case, you must specify the search path for the Lua “require” function: package.
Library Creator Unassigned VST Sound Containers Remove Removes the selected folders or files. Unassigned Section This section is divided into two tabs: Samples and VST Sound. When dropping preset files into a VST Sound container, the Samples list is filled with all samples that are required. Then, you can decide which VST Sound container you want them to be part of. In the most simple case, your library only consists of a single VST Sound container.
Library Creator Unassigned VST Sound Containers VST Sound list. This allows you to change the structure of your library if you do not want to reference external content. The following scenarios can help make the decision easier. If your presets contain layers or samples • using HALion/HALion Sonic content, like for example Auron, HALiotron or Voltage, this means that you reduce the number of potential customers to HALion and HALion Sonic users.
Library Creator Consistency Check • Replace All: Replaces the text for all search results. • Case Sensitive: Activate this option to make the search case sensitive. • Search in all Attributes: Activate this option if you want to search for text in all attribute columns. Otherwise, only the name column is searched. Show Issues Click here to open a list of issues that have been detected in the added presets during a consistency check. Click the button to redo the consistency check.
Library Manager HALion’s Library Manager allows you to register and to manage libraries that have been created with HALion 6 and newer. It also displays all libraries that were created earlier and therefore were installed with a classic installer. The Library Manager is installed on your computer as a standalone application and can be run independently from HALion, HALion Sonic, and HALion Sonic SE.
Library Manager Library Manager Editor • The libraries in the Managed list were created with HALion 6 and newer and can be moved between hard disks or deleted. • The libraries on the Installed list were installed using an installer. These libraries cannot be moved or deleted, to avoid interference with the original installers.
Library Manager Library Manager Editor 2. In the dialog, navigate to the new location and click OK. Removing Libraries You can remove a library if it is no longer needed. PROCEDURE 1. Navigate to the library in the list and click Remove. 2. Do one of the following: • To delete the library from your hard disk, select Move to Trash. • To unregister the library while keeping the corresponding VST Sound container, select Unregister. NOTE • Libraries can have dependencies to other libraries.
Effects Reference Introduction HALion comes with a collection of high-quality studio effects. Many of the insert effects can also be used in surround configurations, that means, they process all channels. However, the legacy HALion 3 effects, Stereo Pan, Chorus, Flanger, Rotary, Vibrato, and Multi Delay only process the front left and right channels. Reverb Effects REVerence REVerence is a convolution tool that allows you to apply room characteristics (reverb) to the audio.
Effects Reference Reverb Effects Time Controls the reverb time. At a setting of 100 %, the impulse response is applied with its original length. Size Scales the size of the simulated room. At a setting of 100 %, the impulse response is applied as recorded in the original room. Level Adjusts the level of the impulse response. Equalizer Activates the built-in three-band equalizer. ER/Tail Split Sets the split point between the early reflections and the reverb tail.
Effects Reference Reverb Effects Early Reflections Here, you select an early reflections pattern. The early reflections pattern contains the most important delays that deliver the key information for the spatial impression of the room. Show Early Reflections Page/Show Chorusing Page With these two buttons below the Early Reflections pop-up menu, you can choose whether to display the early reflections settings or the chorusing settings in the lower left part of the effect panel.
Effects Reference Reverb Effects Size Adjusts the length of the early reflections pattern. At a setting of 100 %, the pattern is applied with its original length and the room sounds the most natural. At settings below 100 %, the early reflections pattern is compressed and the room is perceived smaller. ER Low Cut Attenuates the low frequencies of the early reflections. The higher this value, the fewer low frequencies are present in the early reflections.
Effects Reference Delay Effects Chorusing Rate Specifies the frequency of the pitch modulation. Chorusing Depth Sets the intensity of the pitch modulation. Delay Effects Multi Delay This effect produces delays, with adjustable time, feedback, and filters. Mode • Stereo has two independent delay lines, one for the left and one for the right audio channel, each with a feedback path of its own.
Effects Reference EQ Effects Feedback Sets the overall amount of feedback for the left and right delay. Feedback means that the output of the delay is fed back to its input. At a setting of 0 %, you hear one echo. At a setting of 100 %, the echoes repeat endlessly. Feedback L/R Offsets the amount of feedback of the left or right delay from the overall feedback. A factor of 1 means that the amount of feedback corresponds to the overall feedback. A factor of 0.
Effects Reference EQ Effects Gain Sets the amount of cut or boost for the corresponding band. Freq Sets the frequency that is cut or boosted with the Gain parameter. Q (Quality) Adjusts the bandwidth of the mid-range peak filters from wide to narrow. By increasing the Q value on the low and high shelving filters, you can add a dip to their shape. • To adjust the parameters Gain and Freq simultaneously, drag the points in the EQ curve display.
Effects Reference Filter Effects DJ-EQ This plug-in is an easy-to-use 3-band parametric equalizer that resembles the EQs found on typical DJ mixers. This plug-in is designed for quick sound fixes. Low Freq/Mid Freq/High Freq Set the amount of boost or attenuation for the low, mid, and high bands. You can also click and drag in the display to change these values. Low Cut/Mid Cut/ High Cut Cut the low, mid, and high bands. Reset Output Peak Level Resets the peak level that is displayed in the output meter.
Effects Reference Filter Effects band-pass filter). Frequencies below and above the cutoff are attenuated. Attenuation is more pronounced for the frequencies above the cutoff. • HP12+LP6 and HP18+LP6 are combinations of a high-pass filter with 12 and 18 dB/oct and a low-pass filter with 6 dB/oct (asymmetric band-pass filter). Frequencies below and above the cutoff are attenuated. Attenuation is more pronounced for the frequencies below the cutoff.
Effects Reference Filter Effects Distortion Adds distortion to the signal. The effect depends on the selected distortion type. At higher settings, it creates a very intense distortion effect. NOTE This parameter is not available if Distortion Type is set to Off. Output Adjusts the gain after the filter and distortion. This parameter only affects the wet signal. Mix Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal. LFO Section LFO Waveform and Shape Waveform selects the basic type of waveform.
Effects Reference Filter Effects Depth Determines the output level of the LFO modulation signal. Cutoff Determines the modulation intensity of the LFO on the filter cutoff. Morph Determines the modulation intensity of the LFO on the filter morph. Envelope Follower Section The Envelope Follower traces the input signal with an adjustable attack and release time and delivers a modulation signal representing the level envelope of the signal.
Effects Reference Filter Effects Depth Determines the output level of the pedal modulation signal. Cutoff Determines the modulation intensity of the pedal on the filter cutoff. Morph Determines the modulation intensity of the pedal on the filter morph. Morph Filter Morph Filter allows you to mix low-pass and high-pass filter effects, allowing for creative morphings between two filters. You can specify the filter shapes independently for filter shape A and B.
Effects Reference Filter Effects For example, the vowel “ah” (as in father) sung by a male singer has three characteristic formants: F1 = 570 Hz, F2 = 840 Hz, and F3 = 2410 Hz. The Resonator effect allows you to induce such formant regions to a sound by using three filters that are connected in parallel. You can specify the positions and levels of the formant regions by adjusting the Cutoff, Resonance, and Gain parameters of the filters.
Effects Reference Filter Effects Cutoff Spread Spreads the cutoff frequencies between the channels of the effect. For example, if the effect is used in stereo, positive Cutoff Spread values shift the cutoff down on the left channel and up on the right channel. Filter Tab Cutoff Adjusts the cutoff frequency of the filter, that is, the center frequency of the formant region. Resonance Adjusts the resonance of the filter. The resonance determines how much the formant region is emphasized.
Effects Reference Filter Effects • Saw produces a ramp cycle. Shape continuously changes the waveform from ramp down to triangle to ramp up. • Pulse produces stepped modulation, where the modulation switches abruptly between two values. Shape continuously changes the ratio between the high and low state of the waveform. If Shape is set to 50 %, a square wave is produced. • Ramp is similar to the Saw waveform. Shape increasingly puts silence before the sawtooth ramp up begins.
Effects Reference Distortion Effects Gain Low/Gain High These parameters determine the gain of the filter for the low and high pedal positions. Slope Here, you can choose between two filter slope values: 6 dB or 12 dB. Distortion Effects Amplifier This effect emulates the sound of an amplifier with speakers. There are different amplifiers and speaker models you can combine. Amp Model Determines the type of amplifier. The sound character of the overdrive changes with the amplifier.
Effects Reference Distortion Effects High Damp Attenuates the high frequencies of the speakers. Channel Mode Defines which output channels of the amplifier deliver a distorted signal. You can set it to L (Left), R (Right) or L/R (Both). When set to L or R, the other channel provides a clean signal. Output Controls the output level of the amplifier. Distortion This effect offers the whole range of distortion, from low fidelity, digital distortion to high fidelity, analog sounding distortion.
Effects Reference Distortion Effects VST Amp This effect emulates the sound of an amplifier with speakers. There are different amplifiers and speaker models you can combine. Amp Model Specifies the amplifier type. The sound character of the overdrive changes with the amplifier. To bypass the amp modeling, select No Amplifier. Speaker Model Specifies the speaker model type. Each model colors the sound uniquely. To bypass the speaker modeling, select No Cabinet. Drive Adjusts the amount of overdrive.
Effects Reference Distortion Effects • L (Left) only distorts the left input channel. The right channel remains clean and unprocessed. • R (Right) only distorts the right input channel. The left channel remains clean and unprocessed. • L+R (Left + Right) sums the two input channels into a mono signal which is then distorted. • Stereo distorts the two input channels independently.
Effects Reference Pitch Shift Effects High Filter Here, you can attenuate the high frequency range. This high-cut filter works with a slope of 24 dB/octave. Output Determines the level of the output signal. Tube Saturator This effect enriches the sound by adding the characteristic harmonics of a saturated tube to the audio signal. Oversampling Increases the accuracy of the effect by oversampling. NOTE If this parameter is activated, the effect requires more processing power.
Effects Reference Modulation Effects Octave 1 Determines the level of the signal that is produced an octave below the original voice. Octave 2 Determines the level of the signal that is produced an octave above the original voice. Modulation Effects Chorus Chorus thickens and broadens the sound by means of pitch modulation. Rate Determines the frequency of the pitch modulation, in Hertz. Sync Activate this to set the Rate value in fractions of beats. Depth Sets the intensity of the pitch modulation.
Effects Reference Modulation Effects Sync Activate this to set the Rate value in fractions of beats. Depth Sets the intensity of the pitch modulation. Phase Widens the sound image of the effect from mono to stereo. This parameter also changes the characteristic of the Cross FB parameter. Shape Adjusts the characteristics of the modulation. You hear this best when Feedback is activated. At a setting of 0 %, the sound sweeps linearly up and down.
Effects Reference Modulation Effects Sync Activate this to set the Rate value in fractions of beats. Depth Sets the intensity of the pitch modulation. Phase Widens the sound image of the effect from mono to stereo. This parameter also changes the characteristic of the Cross FB parameter. Shape Adjusts the characteristics of the modulation. You hear this best when Feedback is activated. At a setting of 0 %, the sound sweeps linearly up and down.
Effects Reference Modulation Effects Phaser The Phaser effect thickens and broadens the sound by means of phase modulation. Rate Specifies the frequency of the phase modulation. Sync Activate this to set the Rate value in fractions of beats. Depth Sets the intensity of the phase modulation. Shift Shifts the phase modulation upwards to higher frequencies of the spectrum. Phase Widens the sound image of the effect from mono to stereo. Feedback Adds resonances to the effect.
Effects Reference Modulation Effects Depth Sets the intensity of the amplitude modulation. Phase Widens the sound image of the effect from mono to stereo. Output Sets the output level of the effect. Ring Modulator The Ring Modulator provides a sine oscillator that is multiplied with the input signal. This creates metallic, or bell-like, frequencies. The integrated LFO modulates the frequency of the sine oscillator to vary the created frequencies over time.
Effects Reference Modulation Effects LFO Freq Use this to specify the frequency of the LFO for modulating the frequency of the sine oscillator. Sync Activate this to set the LFO Freq value in fractions of beats. LFO Depth Sets the intensity of the LFO modulation of the sine oscillator frequency. Frequency Determines the frequency of the sine oscillator. Mix Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal.
Effects Reference Modulation Effects Unlike pitch shifters, where the frequencies are shifted by a factor, and where the harmonic relations are kept, a frequency shifter alters the harmonic relations. Therefore, a larger frequency shift usually results in a disharmonic sound. Furthermore, a frequency shifter alters the frequencies by adding an offset, while a pitch shifter multiplies the frequencies by a factor. The frequency shifter alters lower frequencies more than higher frequencies.
Effects Reference Modulation Effects • Triangle is similar in character to Sine. The waveform periodically ramps up and down. Shape continuously changes the triangle waveform to a trapezoid. • Saw produces a ramp cycle. Shape continuously changes the waveform from ramp down to triangle to ramp up. • Pulse produces stepped modulation, where the modulation switches abruptly between two values. Shape continuously changes the ratio between the high and low state of the waveform.
Effects Reference Modulation Effects NOTE The maximum frequency shift via modulation from LFO or the Envelope Follower is determined by the parameters Modulation Range Coarse and Modulation Range Fine. Mix Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal. Rotary The Rotary effect emulates the sound of a vintage rotary speaker including amplifier, horn, drum, and cabinet. By emitting the sound via a rotating horn and drum, the rotary speaker produces a Doppler effect that thickens the sound.
Effects Reference Modulation Effects Slow Adjusts the slow speed of the horn and drum together. Fast Adjusts the fast speed of the horn and drum together. Accel Adjusts the acceleration time for raising and lowering the rotation speed of the horn and drum. Horn Mic Angle This adjusts the stereo spread of the horn microphones. At a setting of 0°, the sound image is monophonic. At a setting of 180°, the sound image is fully stereo. Drum Mic Angle This adjusts the stereo spread of the drum microphones.
Effects Reference Modulation Effects Type Here, you can select the classic chorus and vibrato settings. This control is only available if the effect is set to Classic mode. Custom Mode Activate this to adjust the chorus and vibrato settings freely with the Rate, Depth, and Vibr/Chor controls. Rate Sets the frequency of the pitch modulation. Depth Sets the intensity of the pitch modulation. Vibr/Chor Controls the mix between the vibrato and the chorus signal. At 100 %, you only hear the chorus effect.
Effects Reference Dynamics Effects High Cut Applies a high-cut filter to the signal. Only frequencies below the set frequency are sent to the effect. FX Level Allows you to adapt the effect signal level to compensate for level reductions caused by the low-cut and high-cut filters. Mix Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal.
Effects Reference Dynamics Effects Ratio Sets the amount of gain reduction for sounds that are louder than the threshold. The higher the ratio, the more the output is lowered. For example, if the ratio is set to 2:1 and the amplitude of the sound is 4 dB above the threshold, the output is lowered by 2 dB. If the amplitude is 8 dB above the threshold, the output is lowered by 4 dB. Soft Knee If this button is deactivated, signals above the threshold are compressed instantly according to the set ratio.
Effects Reference Dynamics Effects only and at 100 %, RMS sensing only. Peak means that the Compressor directly senses the peak level of the sound. RMS means that the Compressor senses the average power of the sound. Peak sensing responds faster than RMS sensing. Typically, Peak sensing is used for transient and RMS sensing for sustained sounds. Live If this button is activated, the look-ahead feature of the effect is disengaged.
Effects Reference Dynamics Effects Release (10 to 1000 ms or Auto mode) Sets the time after which the gain returns to its original level. If the Auto button is activated, the plug-in automatically finds the best release setting for the audio material. Output (-48 to 24 dB) Sets the output gain. Tube Compressor This versatile compressor with integrated tube-simulation allows you to achieve smooth and warm compression effects. The GR meter shows the amount of gain reduction.
Effects Reference Dynamics Effects Mix Adjusts the mix between dry signal and wet signal preserving the transients of the input signal. Side-Chain Activates the internal side-chain filter. The input signal can then be shaped according to the filter parameters. Internal side-chaining is useful for tailoring how the gate operates. Monitor Allows you to monitor the filtered signal.
Effects Reference Dynamics Effects Auto Activate this to set the release time automatically. The Limiter analyzes the input sound continuously to find the optimal setting. Brickwall Limiter Brickwall Limiter ensures that the output level never exceeds a set limit. Due to its fast attack time, Brickwall Limiter can reduce even short audio level peaks without creating audible artifacts. However, this plug-in creates a latency of 1 ms.
Effects Reference Dynamics Effects Maximizer This plug-in raises the loudness of audio material without the risk of clipping. Optimize Determines the loudness of the signal. Output Sets the maximum output level. Soft Clip If this button is activated, Maximizer starts limiting or clipping the signal softly. At the same time, harmonics are generated, adding a warm, tube-like characteristic to the audio material.
Effects Reference Dynamics Effects Soft Knee If this button is deactivated, signals above the threshold are compressed instantly according to the set ratio. When Soft Knee is activated, the onset of the expansion is more gradual, producing a less drastic result. Attack Determines how fast the Expander reduces the gain when the sound falls below the set threshold. The longer the attack time, the longer it takes to reduce the gain.
Effects Reference Dynamics Effects Threshold Determines the level that activates the gate. Signal levels above the set threshold trigger the gate to open, and signal levels below the set threshold close the gate. Filter Activates the internal side-chain filter. If this button is activated, the input sound is filtered before it is analyzed. The gate opens only if the filtered sound exceeds the set threshold. When the Filter button is deactivated, the filter controls are not available.
Effects Reference Dynamics Effects Auto Activate this to set the Release time automatically. The Gate analyzes the input sound continuously to find the optimal setting. Peak/RMS Determines whether the input signal is analyzed according to peak or RMS values (or a mixture of both). At a setting of 0 %, the Gate uses Peak sensing only and at 100 %, RMS sensing only. Peak means that the Gate directly senses the peak level of the sound. RMS means that the Gate senses the average power of the sound.
Effects Reference Spatial and Panner Effects Spatial and Panner Effects Stereo Pan This effect allows you to set the stereo position and width of the signal. Input Swap Swaps the stereo channels. Pan Sets the pan position of the signal. The panning is available for mono and stereo input signals. Width Adjusts the stereo width of the signal from stereo to mono. Stereo Enhancer This plug-in expands the stereo width of (stereo) audio material. It cannot be used with mono files.
Effects Reference Surround Effects Surround Effects Surround Panner The Surround Panner allows you to position a signal in a two-dimensional surround field. You can either pan the left/right and the front/rear position independently using the corresponding knobs or use the positioning handle in the pan area to control both positions at the same time. To move a sound source, click anywhere in the pan area and drag. To position the handle at a specific position, click at this position.
Effects Reference Tools Effects Orbit Center Rotates the complete signal around the center of the surround field. Radius Changes the distance of the signal from the orbit center. By default, the radius is set to 100 %, but you can lower it to get closer to the center or increase it to orbit on a larger circle. Center Distributes part or all of the signal to the left and right front speakers. This can be used to widen the center signal.
Effects Reference Legacy Effects Legacy Effects HALion 3 Legacy Effects In addition to the standard effects, a number of effects from HALion 3 is also provided. These effects can be selected from the Legacy submenu of the effects menu. Hall Reverb A simple reverb with adjustable pre-delay and damping. PreDelay Delays the wet signal to simulate larger acoustic spaces or to create a slap-back effect. Time Length of reverb tail. Damp Progressive damping of high frequencies. Low EQ Low-cut EQ.
Effects Reference Legacy Effects Time Length of reverb tail. It also allows you to change the sound from dense early reflections to a trashy, grainy 80’s-type reverb. Low EQ Low-cut EQ. High EQ High-cut EQ. Mix Wet/dry mix. Delay A simple mono-in/stereo-out delay. Time Delay time. Sync If Sync is activated, you can set the delay time in fractions of beats. Feedback Controls the number of delay repeats. Balance Ratio of left delay time to right delay time. Damp High-cut filter to soften delay repeats.
Effects Reference Legacy Effects Damp High-cut filter to soften delay repeats. Long Delay This effect provides the same parameter set as the Delay effect, except that longer delays of up to four seconds can be set. Tape Delay Simulation of a vintage 4-head analog tape delay. Time Delay time. Sync If Sync is activated, you can set the delay time in fractions of beats. Feedback Controls the number of delay repeats. Vintage Amount of vintage color and tape flutter. Mix Wet/dry mix.
Effects Reference Legacy Effects Depth The amount of pitch modulation. PreDelay The initial delay, to vary the tightness of the chorused voices in relation to the dry signal. Mix Wet/dry mix. Ensemble Chorus with a more complex modulation waveform for a lively thickening effect. Rate The modulation rate. Depth The amount of pitch modulation. Shimmer Creates a more complex modulation effect. Width Stereo width adjustment. Mix Wet/dry mix. Flanger A classic flanger effect. Rate Sweep rate.
Effects Reference Legacy Effects Rate Sweep rate. Depth Sweep depth. Feedback Feedback amount. Increase for a more pronounced effect. Stereo Offset between left and right modulation. Center Sets the center frequency around which the modulation occurs. Mix Wet/dry mix. Pan & Tremolo Autopan and Tremolo effect as used in vintage electric pianos. Rate Sweep rate. Phase Relative phase of left and right channel amplitude modulation, to vary from tremolo to autopan.
Effects Reference Legacy Effects Width Overall width adjustment. Low/Mid/High Width adjustment for the low, mid, and high frequencies. Output Output level trim. Rotary Speaker Simulation of a rotary speaker cabinet with high and low rotors. Rate Master speed control: Stop, Slow, Fast. Dirt Amount of overdrive. LoHi Crossover frequency between low and high rotors. Width Stereo width. Tone Adjusts the tone of the overdriven signal. Low/High Speed Speed of the high and low rotors.
Effects Reference Legacy Effects Mode • Auto Wah: Envelope controlled wah effect. • Pedal Wah: No modulation. The Pedal parameter sets the frequency. • Mod Wah: LFO modulation. The Rate parameter controls the modulation rate. Resonance Sets the amount of filter resonance. Tracking Adjusts the envelope tracking speed in Auto mode, and the envelope rate modulation in Mod mode. Mix Wet/dry mix. TalkBox Modulated vowel formant filter. Rate LFO modulation rate. Depth LFO modulation depth.
Effects Reference Legacy Effects Treble High frequency cut/boost. Parametric EQ Two-band parametric equalizer. Gain 1/2 Cut/boost amount for the two bands. Freq 1/2 Sets the center frequency for the two bands. Width 1/2 Sets the bandwidth for the two bands (Q). Output Output level trim. Enhancer Psycho acoustic spectrum shaping. High Depth High frequency boost, combined with mid cut. High Tune High/mid tune. Low Depth Low frequency boost. Low Tune Low frequency tune. Limiter Hard level limiting.
Effects Reference Legacy Effects Compressor A simple compressor effect. Threshold Compression threshold. Ratio Compression amount. Attack Attack time. Release Release time. Output Output level trim. Multiband Three-band compressor. Drive Input signal drive (increase for more density). Lo/Hi Balance of low and high frequency bands. Mid Level of mid frequency band. Attack Attack time. Release Release time. Output Output level trim. Gate Simple gate effect. Threshold Gate threshold.
Effects Reference Legacy Effects Attack Attack time. Release Release time. Output Output level trim. Distortion Hard clipping distortion. Drive Distortion amount. Bias Adjusts the balance between even and odd harmonics, that is, the character of the distortion. Tone Distortion tone. Out Output level trim. Mix Wet/dry mix. Overdrive Softer distortion with a gradual onset. Drive Overdrive amount. Bias Overdrive character. Adjusts the balance between even and odd harmonics. Out Output level trim.
Effects Reference Legacy Effects Mode Determines whether the bit depth is fixed (Linear) or depends on the signal level (Companding). Rate Simulated sample rate. Depth Sample bit depth. Slew Rate Maximum rate of change of output waveform, for a soft, wooly distortion. Mix Wet/dry mix. Amp Simulator Amplifier modeling effect. Model The type of amplifier model. This changes the tone character. Mode Mono/Stereo operation. Mono saves CPU, and in some cases sounds more solid. Drive Overdrive amount.
Effects Reference Legacy Effects Thru Defines which input signals are used as the dry signal for the Mix. Smooth Smoothing of modulation. Drive Level trim. Mix Wet/dry mix.
MIDI Modules Reference The MIDI modules in HALion range from standard arpeggiator modules to more dedicated modules that trigger specific events or deliver specific modulation signals. MIDI modules can be used to control articulations of sampled instruments, for example. They process the stream of MIDI events within a program. In addition, they can produce monophonic modulation signals, which can be used as sources in the modulation matrix.
MIDI Modules Reference Common Functions MIDI Modules Editor In the MIDI Modules Editor, you can edit the parameters of the MIDI modules. The editor shows the MIDI modules that are selected in the Program Tree. Which modules are affected is specified with the buttons at the top of the editor. Show MIDI Modules Contained in the Corresponding Layer If this button is activated, the MIDI modules that are used in the current layer are displayed.
MIDI Modules Reference Common Functions SEL/ALL button Allows you to select whether the editing is applied to all or to the selected MIDI modules. RELATED LINKS Absolute and Relative Editing on page 93 Changing the Order of the MIDI Modules MIDI modules are processed in the order in which they are displayed in the Program Tree, from top to bottom. PROCEDURE • To change the order of the MIDI modules, drag them to new positions in the Program Tree. The routing between the MIDI modules changes accordingly.
MIDI Modules Reference FlexPhraser NOTE Deleted modules cannot be retrieved. They are erased from disk. RELATED LINKS Lua Script on page 533 FlexPhraser The FlexPhraser is an arpeggio and phrase player. You can select from a great variety of phrases that suit a wide range of musical instruments and styles. Depending on the selected phrase, the FlexPhraser uses your live playing to modify the phrase in real-time. This allows you to re-harmonize phrases by playing different chords, for example.
MIDI Modules Reference FlexPhraser FlexPhraser Parameters Act Activates the FlexPhraser. User Activates the user phrase and the user phrase editor. Phrase Allows you to select a phrase. KSOff (Key Switches Off) Construction set phrases that make use of key switches and noises, such as fret noises for guitar phrases, for example, usually work only with programs for the same type of instrument.
MIDI Modules Reference FlexPhraser NOTE In addition, you can set Restart Mode to Sync to Host. This aligns the phrase with the beats and measures of your host application. Mute Mutes the FlexPhraser. The phrase still plays in the background. If you deactivate Mute, playback resumes immediately. Hold Allows you to prevent the phrase from stopping or changing when the keys are released. • If Off is selected, the phrase changes as soon as you release a key.
MIDI Modules Reference FlexPhraser Key Mode Defines whether the order in which the notes are played on the keyboard affects the playback of the phrase. • If Sort is selected, the notes are played in the order of the selected pattern. The chronological order does not have any influence. • If As Played is selected, the notes are played in the order in which you play them on the keyboard. • If Direct is selected, the phrase creates controller events instead of notes.
MIDI Modules Reference FlexPhraser NOTE Fetch is not available if the Vel Controller pop-up menu is set to Velocity. Tempo If Sync is deactivated, you can use the Tempo control to set the internal playback speed of the FlexPhraser. The playback speed of the phrase is specified in BPM. If Sync is activated, the Tempo parameter is not available. Tempo Scale Defines the rate at which notes are triggered, that is, the speed at which the phrase is running.
MIDI Modules Reference FlexPhraser Recording the MIDI Output of the FlexPhraser The phrases played by the FlexPhraser depend on the notes that are played and can therefore not be exported directly. However, it is possible to generate exportable phrases by recording the MIDI output of the FlexPhraser. PROCEDURE 1. Click Record FlexPhraser MIDI Output. The arrow in the Drag MIDI field starts blinking to indicate record mode. 2. Play some notes. 3.
MIDI Modules Reference FlexPhraser Creating FlexPhraser Variations PROCEDURE 1. Click one of the variation buttons at the top right of the FlexPhraser. 2. You can either start from scratch or base the new variation on an existing variation. • To start from scratch, assign a phrase and edit the FlexPhraser settings. • To use an existing variation as base, use the context menu commands Copy FlexPhraser Variation and Paste FlexPhraser Variation.
MIDI Modules Reference FlexPhraser • If Step is selected, the last note that is received triggers a monophonic sequence. • If Chord is selected, the notes are triggered as chords. • If Up is selected, the notes are arpeggiated in ascending order. • If Down is selected, the notes are arpeggiated in descending order. • If Up/Down 1 is selected, the notes are arpeggiated first in ascending, then in descending order.
MIDI Modules Reference FlexPhraser • The settings 1 - 8 play the corresponding keys from the note list. Which key is played depends on the Key Mode setting. For example, if Key Mode is set to Sort, the setting 1 plays the lowest key. • L (Last) always plays the last key from the note buffer. Depending on the Key Mode, this is the highest note or the last note in the note buffer. • A (All) plays all keys from the note buffer as a chord.
MIDI Modules Reference FlexPhraser Controller Curve To show a controller curve, click one of the controller buttons on the left. MIDI Controller Allows you to select the MIDI controller that you want to use. Editing User Phrases You can make detailed settings for the user phrase in the editor for the user phrases. To set up the phrase, activate the Vel button to the left of the step display.
MIDI Modules Reference FlexPhraser • To adjust the velocity of all steps relatively, Shift-click and drag. • To draw a ramp with steps, hold down Alt and draw a line. • To draw symmetric ramps at the beginning and the end of the sequence, hold down Shift-Alt and draw a line. • To transpose a step, click in the field below it and enter the number of semitones for the transposition. NOTE You can only transpose steps if Show Transpose Values is activated.
MIDI Modules Reference Trigger Pads Adjusting the Phrase • To shift the rhythm of the phrase, click Shift Phrase Right or Shift Phrase Left . If you shift the rhythm of the phrase to the left, the first step is moved to the end. If you shift the phrase to the right, the last step is moved to the beginning. • To reverse the phrase, click Reverse Phrase . • To duplicate short phrases, click Duplicate Phrase . NOTE The maximum number of steps is 32.
MIDI Modules Reference Trigger Pads On the internal keyboard, keys that serve as trigger notes are shown in blue. These keys do not play sounds, but trigger the corresponding pads instead. • To remove a trigger note from a pad, right-click the pad and select Forget Trigger Note. Assigning Chords or Notes to Trigger Pads PROCEDURE 1. Right-click a pad and select Snapshot Chord. The pad starts blinking. 2.
MIDI Modules Reference Trigger Pads Assigning Key Switches to Trigger Pads To use the pads for switching between expressions, assign them to the corresponding key switches. PROCEDURE • Right-click a pad, select Snapshot Chord, and play the key switch. Removing Chords or Notes from Trigger Pads PROCEDURE • Right-click the trigger pad and select Clear Chord. Switching between Variations You can switch between variations using the trigger pads.
MIDI Modules Reference MIDI Player 2. Enter the new name and press Enter. Combining Multiple Trigger Pads Modules You can use multiple Trigger Pads modules inside a layer, in a serial connection. This allows you to memorize and trigger more than eight chords, for example. However, it is not possible to memorize more than eight FlexPhraser snapshots. Only the last Trigger Pads module can be used to switch between FlexPhraser snapshots.
MIDI Modules Reference MIDI Player Playing Back MIDI Phrases • Click the play button next to the Phrase field to play back the MIDI phrase. Click again to stop playback. MIDI Player Parameters Active Activates the MIDI Player. Phrase Allows you to select a phrase. Play/Stop Allows you to play back the phrase. MIDI Export Field Allows you to export the phrase using drag and drop. Variation buttons Allow you to load up to eight MIDI files. Loop If this is activated, the MIDI file plays back in a loop.
MIDI Modules Reference MIDI Player • If this is set to Immediately, the phrase changes as soon as you switch to another variation. • If this is set to Next Beat, the phrase changes on the first new beat after you switch to another variation. • If this is set to Next Measure, the phrase changes on the first new measure after you switch to another variation. Restart Mode Determines when the phrase is restarted.
MIDI Modules Reference MIDI Player Center Key Determines the MIDI note that is used as the central position for the Transpose function. Sync Synchronizes the phrase to the tempo of your host application. NOTE In addition, you can set Restart Mode to Sync to Host. This aligns the phrase with the beats and measures of your host application. Tempo If Sync is deactivated, you can use the Tempo control to set the internal playback speed of the MIDI Player.
MIDI Modules Reference MIDI Player Key Range The Low Key and High Key parameters determine the key range that is used to trigger phrase playback. Velocity Range The Low Vel and High Vel parameters determine the velocity range that is used to trigger phrase playback. Variations For each module, you can set up eight different variations of phrases. You can switch between them with the variation buttons at the top right.
MIDI Modules Reference Drum Player Drum Player The Drum Player module allows for classic drum beat programming with up to 64 steps playing on up to 16 tracks. Each track can play a different sound. You can set up eight different patterns using the variation buttons and use the Trigger Pads to switch between variations. Presets Drum Player presets contain the selected MIDI phrases, as well as the performance settings of the Drum Player, such as Tempo, Tempo Scale, Loop, Swing, etc.
MIDI Modules Reference Drum Player Drum Player Parameters Active Activates the Drum Player. Pattern Allows you to select a pattern for the Drum Player. Save and Delete The Save and Delete buttons to the right of the Pattern field allow you to save and delete patterns. Play/Stop Allows you to play back the pattern. Click again to stop playback. MIDI Export Allows you to export the phrase using drag and drop. Variation buttons Allow you to create eight variations of your phrase.
MIDI Modules Reference Drum Player For example, if you change the Tempo Scale setting from 1/16 to 1/8, the speed is cut in half. If you set it to 1/32, the speed is doubled. Other values increase or decrease the speed accordingly. Hold Allows you to prevent the phrase from stopping or changing when the keys are released. • If Off is selected, the phrase changes as soon as you release a key. The phrase stops immediately when you release all keys.
MIDI Modules Reference Drum Player • Trigger triggers the note that is defined with the Out Note parameter. Playback uses the sound of the track. Keys that are not assigned to any In Note play back the pattern. • Mute mutes the track for as long as the corresponding In Note key is held. Release the key to unmute the track again. Keys that are not assigned to any In Note play back the pattern. Length Determines the length of the pattern, that is, the number of steps. The maximum number of steps is 64.
MIDI Modules Reference Drum Player Variations For each module, you can set up eight different variations of phrases. You can switch between them with the variation buttons at the top right. You can remote-control the variation buttons using the trigger pads, which gives you the possibility to switch between variations by playing the trigger keys that are assigned to the trigger pads.
MIDI Modules Reference Drum Player Lock button • To deactivate automatic page switching, activate the Lock the page buttons. button below If the Lock button is activated, you can still use the playback indicator to the right of the page buttons to see which page is currently playing. Pattern functions buttons The function buttons below the page buttons allow you to edit entire patterns. • Click Clear Pattern • Click Reverse Pattern to delete all pattern steps in the editor. to reverse the pattern.
MIDI Modules Reference Mono Envelope • To set the velocity for a step, click the step and drag up or down, or use the mouse wheel. You can set each step to low, medium, or high velocity. • To change the velocity of all steps in a lane, hold down Shift and use the mouse. • To remove a step, click it. • To remove all steps in a pattern, click Clear Pattern.
MIDI Modules Reference Mono Envelope Sync Allows you to synchronize the envelopes to the tempo of your host application. Fill Allows you to add multiple envelope nodes after the selected nodes. Fixed • If Fixed is activated and you move selected nodes on the time axis, only the selected nodes are moved. • If Fixed is deactivated, all nodes that follow the edited nodes are also moved. Env Node Displays the focused envelope node. Time Specifies the period of time between two nodes.
MIDI Modules Reference Mono LFO Level Velocity Curve You can select a curve to specify how the incoming velocity translates to the level of the envelope. The characteristic of each curve is displayed by a small icon. Time Velocity (Vel>Time) Adjusts the influence of velocity on the phases of the envelope. Positive values decrease the length of the phases for higher velocity values. Negative values increase the length of the phases for higher velocity values.
MIDI Modules Reference Mono LFO In this context, monophonic means that these LFOs are only calculated once and feed multiple voices at the same time. A pitch modulation controlled by the modulation wheel is a typical example where one LFO controls the vibrato for all voices. Monophonic LFOs appear as sources in the modulation matrix of the zones contained in a layer or program. • To bypass the LFO, click the Bypass button in the title bar. NOTE This deactivates all LFOs.
MIDI Modules Reference Mono Step Modulator • Select Tempo + Retrig to adjust the speed of the modulation in fractions of beats. You can also set dotted and triplet note values. The restart behavior of the LFO depends on the Retrigger setting. • Select Tempo + Beat to adjust the speed of the modulation in fractions of beats. You can also set dotted and triplet note values. The LFO restarts with the transport of the host and aligns with the beats of the project.
MIDI Modules Reference Mono Step Modulator NOTE The Mono Step Modulator was created using HALion’s scripting features. You can open this script from the step modulator, as an example of how to realize such a module. Mono Step Modulator Parameters Steps Sets the number of steps in the sequence. The maximum number of steps is 32. Sync Mode • If Off is selected, you can adjust the speed at which the sequence repeats. Whether the sequence restarts when you play a note depends on the Retrigger mode.
MIDI Modules Reference True Pedaling Slope Determines whether the step modulator jumps from step to step or creates ramps between the steps. • No Slope produces hard steps. • Slope on Rising Edges creates ramps only for rising edges. • Slope on Falling Edges creates ramps only for falling edges. • Slope on All Edges creates ramps for all edges. Amount If Slope is set to Rising, Falling, or All, this parameter determines the time of the ramp between two steps.
MIDI Modules Reference True Pedaling Fade In Curve Sets the curvature of the fade in. Use negative values for an outward shaped curve and positive values for an inward shaped curve. Fade Out Time Specifies the fade out time of the modulation signal, when you lift the sustain pedal. Fade Out Curve Sets the curvature of the fade out. Use positive values for an outward shaped curve and negative values for an inward shaped curve.
MIDI Modules Reference MegaTrig MegaTrig The MegaTrig module allows you to control playing styles and articulations and to trigger release samples and instrument noises. By setting up conditions, you can determine which zone is triggered. For each condition, you can specify an event and range. RELATED LINKS Handling Section and Module Presets on page 21 Setting Up Conditions PROCEDURE 1. In the Program Tree, insert the MegaTrig module at the position where you want to apply the playback rules.
MIDI Modules Reference MegaTrig Setting Up the Expression Manually Instead of using the AND/OR menus and NOT buttons, you can enter the expression manually. This way, you can also influence the execution order of the expression. PROCEDURE 1. Click the edit button next to the Expression field. 2. Enter the conditions and logical operations, for example A AND B OR C. 3. Instead of AND, OR, and NOT, you can also type &, |and !.
MIDI Modules Reference MegaTrig Range Shows the range for the condition. Max The highest value for a true condition. Use the arrow buttons, the value field, or the range fader to adjust the maximum value of the range. Expression Displays how the logical operators and conditions are executed. Click the edit button to edit the expression manually. Put in parentheses to influence the execution order. Trigger Options New Notes If the expression is true, only new notes trigger the zones.
MIDI Modules Reference MegaTrig Decay Time Depending on the time you set here, the velocity of the note-off sample is reduced the longer you hold a key. Decay Curve Sets the curvature of the note-off velocity decay. Use positive values for an outward shaped curve and negative values for an inward shaped curve. Without changing the overall decay time, an outward shaped curve reduces the note-off velocity faster and an inward shaped curve reduces it slower.
MIDI Modules Reference MegaTrig Sustain Off The condition is true if the sustain pedal is released. Key Switch The condition is true if a key in the specified key range is pressed. Multiple key switch assignments across different layers of the program work like radio buttons, that is, only one key switch assignment can be active at a time. By default, the key switch assignment with the lowest key is true.
MIDI Modules Reference MegaTrig Interval The condition is true if the interval between successively played notes is within the specified range. Note Count The condition is true if the number of played notes is within the specified range. Lowest Note The Range control specifies the order of the notes in a chord from low to high. The condition is true if the played notes match the specified range.
MIDI Modules Reference Layer Alternate Layer Alternate You can use this module to switch between different layers automatically. This is useful for alternating between the up and down bows of a string instrument or the left and right hand of drum strokes, for example. RELATED LINKS Handling Section and Module Presets on page 21 Alternating between Layers PROCEDURE 1. In the Program Tree, insert the Layer Alternate module above the layers between which you want to switch. 2.
MIDI Modules Reference Layer Alternate Using Key Switches Key switches allow you to switch to a particular layer, regardless of the current position in the alternation list. You can specify a key switch for each layer in the alternation list. As soon as the corresponding note is played, the alternation list jumps to the new layer. The alternation then continues from that position.
MIDI Modules Reference Key Switch Alternate You can also use the On/Off button to the left of the value fields to activate/ deactivate the alternation sequence. Reset Specifies the key that resets the alternation sequence. Auto Reset Allows you to reset the layer alternation automatically after a specific time. Previous Specifies the key that switches to the previous entry in the list. Next Specifies the key that switches to the next entry in the list. Grace Time Sets the minimum time between two steps.
MIDI Modules Reference Key Switch Alternate 3. Select an alternation mode, make sure that Enable is activated, and start playback. NOTE Depending on the selected Alternation Mode, the triggered key switches alternate in the order in which they are listed or randomly. RESULT Playback alternates between the different key switches. The key switch that is triggered is highlighted. Key Switch Alternate Parameters Available Key Switches Shows the available key switches.
MIDI Modules Reference Key Switch Remote You can also use the On/Off button to the left of the value fields to activate/ deactivate the alternation sequence. Reset Specifies the key that resets the alternation sequence. Auto Reset Allows you to reset the key switch alternation automatically after a specific time. Previous Specifies the key that switches to the previous entry in the list. Next Specifies the key that switches to the next entry in the list. Grace Time Sets the minimum time between two steps.
MIDI Modules Reference MIDI Randomizer Key Switch Mode Allows you to determine whether the key switches are used as they were set up in the MegaTrig modules, remapped to other keys, or whether you want to use a MIDI controller instead. NOTE Regardless of the selected mode, the original key switch assignments still work. The last key switch that is received always has priority. • If Key Switch is selected, the original key switch assignments are used to switch to an expression.
MIDI Modules Reference MIDI Randomizer RELATED LINKS Handling Section and Module Presets on page 21 MIDI Randomizer Parameters Input Section In the Input section on the left, you can make the following settings: Low Key/High Key These values define which incoming notes are used to create random notes. Low Vel/High Vel These values define the velocity range that is used to create random notes. Output Section In the Output section to the right, there are two rows of settings.
MIDI Modules Reference CC Mapper CC Mapper This MIDI module allows you to map MIDI controllers to other MIDI controllers before they are passed on to the following layers and zones. You can also use it to transform incoming values using curves. MIDI controllers, aftertouch, and pitchbend can be mapped freely to all MIDI controllers, aftertouch, pitchbend, and the eight global controllers, that is, Contr. A to Contr. H.
MIDI Modules Reference Velocity Curve Curve Types You can use one of the available curve types, or create your own custom curves. Custom curves To set up your own curve, select the Custom preset. • To insert a node, double-click in the editor. • To delete a node, double-click it. • To adjust the shape of the curve, drag the nodes. • To change the curvature, drag the lines between the nodes up or down. Min/Max The minimum and maximum values define the range for the output of the function.
MIDI Modules Reference Tuning Scale Velocity Curve Parameters Curve display In the Curve display section to the left, you can use one of ten preconfigured curve types, or create a custom curve. To select a curve type, click on one of the buttons to the right of the curve display. Custom curve To set up your own curve, select the Custom preset. • To insert a node, double-click in the editor. • To delete a node, double-click it. • To adjust the shape of the curve, drag the nodes.
MIDI Modules Reference Tuning Scale Presets The most commonly used scale in western music is the equal tempered scale, where adjacent notes have an equal distance of 100 cents. Other well-known traditional tuning scales are the well-tempered scale or the Kirnberger scale, for example. You can find examples of these scales in the presets that come with HALion. Scala Files You can import tuning scales in the popular Scala file format via the scale preset pop-up menu.
MIDI Modules Reference Lua Script Lua Script The Lua Script module allows you to create and manage your own scripts. In the following sections, the basic concepts and procedures are described. For more detailed information on all parameters, editing possibilities, advanced features, etc., refer to the online documentation that can be found under http://developer.steinberg.help. Internal Editor vs. External Editor The Lua Script MIDI module comes with an internal, plain text editor.
MIDI Modules Reference Lua Script Save Script Scripts that are created with the internal editor can be saved to disk. After saving the script to disk, it is referenced by the Lua Script module. New Script Clears the current script module. This command removes any internal or referenced script. Edit Script Opens the script editor. • If an external editor is specified in the Options Editor, this editor is used. • If no external editor is specified, the internal editor is used.
MIDI Modules Reference Lua Script Copy Messages to Clipboard Copies the output messages to the clipboard. This allows you to copy larger output messages to an external editor that offers a text search, for example. NOTE This also includes any older messages that are not visible anymore. Clear Message Display Clears the output messages. Library Path Lua's require function allows you to load and run your own libraries. In the Library Path field, you specify where require searches for libraries.
MIDI Modules Reference Lua Script PROCEDURE 1. In the editor for the Lua Script midi module, click Edit Script. 2. In the text editor, enter your script and click OK. Setting Up an External Editor HALion includes a basic text editor for scripts. If you want to use advanced features and code highlighting, you can set up and use an external editor. You set up the external script editor in the Scripting section of the Options Editor.
Key Commands Reference Below, the default key commands are listed according to category.
Key Commands Reference Option Key Command Move Low Velocity Up Ctrl/Cmd-Up Arrow Move Right Shift-Right Arrow Move Up Shift-Up Arrow Mute M Paste Ctrl/Cmd-V Redo Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-Z Rename F2 Replace Samples Ctrl/Cmd-R Select All Ctrl/Cmd-A Select None Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-A Select Tree Ctrl/Cmd-T Show All Ctrl/Cmd-Shift-U Show Selected Ctrl/Cmd-U Solo S Undo Ctrl/Cmd-Z Global Category Option Key Command Down X Enable Mapping Selection Options Ctrl/Cmd-M Import Samples Ctrl/Cm
Key Commands Reference Media Category Option Key Command Open Return or L Navigate Category Option Key Command Bottom End (Windows only) Down Down Arrow Left Left Arrow Less Ctrl/Cmd-Num - More Ctrl/Cmd-Num+ Right Right Arrow Toggle Selection Ctrl/Cmd-Space Top Home (Windows only) Up Up Arrow Zoom Category Option Key Command Zoom In H Zoom Out G 539
Note Expression Steinberg’s Note Expression technology was developed for creating realistic instrument performances. Note Expression allows you to create automated modulations for each note. HALion supports Note Expression for volume, pan, and tuning. If you use a Steinberg DAW that supports Note Expression, you can automate the Note Expression parameters for any program in HALion per note.
Note Expression Note Expression Editor Name If you assign a Note Expression controller for the first time, it gets the name of the modulation destination that it is assigned to. Any further assignments do not change the name. You can specify a name manually by entering it in the Name field. Bypass Note Expression Controller To deactivate the effect of the controller, click the Bypass Note Expression Controller button.
Using the Standalone Version of the Plug-In If you use HALion as a standalone application, an additional section is available at the top of the control panel. Here, you can define key commands, set up audio and MIDI interface routings, adjust the master volume, and access the integrated MIDI scratch pad, which allows you to record your musical ideas without having to start a MIDI sequencer application. It can also be used to play multitrack arrangements that trigger the different programs.
Using the Standalone Version of the Plug-In Preferences Dialog Outputs Page You can use the Audio Output Ports pop-up menus to assign different audio outputs. HALion supports 64 channels: two Master channels (left and right), 31 additional left and right stereo channels, and one 5.1 surround channel. You can assign different audio outputs for each channel. • To map an output to a channel, select it from the pop-up menu.
Using the Standalone Version of the Plug-In Selecting the MIDI Input and the Audio Output Sample Rate Below the latency values, the sample rate for the connected audio hardware is displayed. Audio Priority Determines which of the HALion processes gets priority when accessing processor resources on your computer. • In Normal mode, non-audio processes and audio playback get roughly equal priorities. • In Boost mode, audio precedes MIDI in priority.
Using the Standalone Version of the Plug-In Scratch Pad The transport section provides buttons for play, stop, record, and loop. The display shows the song position, the tempo, and the time signature of the MIDI file. In addition, there is a metronome that you can use for recording and practicing. The scratch pad can play back multi-track MIDI files sending notes on all 16 MIDI channels. It also sends MIDI program change messages when a MIDI file is loaded.
Using the Standalone Version of the Plug-In Loading a MIDI File Tempo Value Determines the tempo of the MIDI file. Adjust Tempo If the Tempo Track option is selected, this parameter is available, allowing you to scale the playback relatively to the original tempo of the MIDI file. Time Signature Determines the time signature. You can enter the new signature as fractions of beats. Recording Your Performance PROCEDURE 1. 2. Click the record symbol below the Record button to select a record mode.
Using the Standalone Version of the Plug-In Saving a MIDI File 3. Click Open to load the MIDI file. MIDI Channel Filter If a multitrack MIDI file is loaded, you can play back all MIDI events or only the events of a specific MIDI channel. • To specify which events to play back, click the MIDI Channel Filter field to the right of the info icon and select an option from the pop-up menu. Saving a MIDI File PROCEDURE 1. Click the Save MIDI File button below the transport buttons. 2.
Index A Expander 461 Flanger 444 Frequency Shifter 449 Gate 462 Graphic EQ 430 Limiter 459 Maximizer 461 MorphFilter 435 Multi Delay 428 Octaver 443 Phaser 447 Resonator 435 Reverb 425 REVerence 424 Ring Modulator 448 Rotary 452 Step Flanger 445 Stereo Pan 465 StereoEnhancer 465 Studio EQ 429 Surround Panner 466 Tape Saturator 442 Tremolo 447 Tube Compressor 458 Tube Saturator 443 Using 211 Vibrato 453 Vintage Compressor 457 Vintage Ensemble 454 VST Amp 441 WahWah 438 Effects Page 211 Envelopes Selecting
Index HALiotron About 291 Hot Brass About 343 Changing the Order 482 Drum Player 502 Editor 481 FlexPhraser 483 Inserting 480 Key Switch Alternate 524 Key Switch Remote 526 Layer Alternate 522 MegaTrig 516 MIDI Player 497 MIDI Randomizer 527 Mono Envelope 508 Mono LFO 510 Mono Step Modulator 512 Trigger Pads 494 True Pedaling 514 Tuning Scale 531 Velocity Curve 530 Missing Samples Finding 49 Mixing 204 Model C About 285 Modulation Effects 444 Modulation Matrix About 137 Mono Step Modulator About 512 Multi
Index Programs About 46 Loading 48 Trium About 271 V Q Value Ranges Adjusting 18 Voltage About 279 Quick Control Assignments 30 Quick Controls 27 Bypassing 34 Managing 31 W R Wavetable Creating 186 Wavetable Editor 173 2D Wave 174 3D Map 174 About 174 Replacing Samples 188 Wavetable Synthesis 173 Wavetable Zones Editing in the Wavetable Editor 173 World Instruments About 300 World Percussion About 304 Raven About 340 Recording Samples 254 REL button 93 RelativeEditing 93 Reverb Effects 424 S Samp
