STEINBERG HALion Sonic 2 Instruction Manual [fr]

Operation Manual Benutzerhandbuch Mode d’Emploi

オペレーションマニュアル

English

Matthias Klag, Michael Ruf Revision and quality control: Cristina Bachmann, Heiko Bischoff, Christina Kaboth, Insa Mingers,

Sabine Pfeifer, Benjamin Schütte 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. The software described by this document is subject to a License Agreement and may not be copied to other media except as specifically allowed in the License Agreement. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced, or otherwise transmitted or recorded, for any purpose, without prior written permission by Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. Registered licensees of the product described herein may print one copy of this document for their personal use.

All product and company names are ™ or ® trademarks of their respective holders. For more information, please visit www.steinberg.net/trademarks.

6 Installation and setup

6 Welcome 6 Key Command Conventions 7 How You Can Reach Us 7 Installation 9 Setting Up

11 Introduction

11 HALion Sonic Overview 12 About Programs, Layers, Multis, Macro

Pages, and Presets

15 Managing Your Sounds

15 Introduction 15 The Multi Program Rack 17 Managing Multis 19 Managing Files via the MediaBay 23 Setting Up a Multi Chain

25 Editing

25 Introduction 25 Editing Programs 29 Editing Layers 64 The FlexPhraser 69 User Phrases 73 Working with FlexPhraser Variations 74 Editing Drum and Loop Layers 82 Editing Instrument Layers 85 Expression Maps 87 Editing Insert Effects

88 Auron

88 Introduction 89 The Osc Page 90 The Mod Page 91 The Voice Page 93 The Filter Section 94 The Amp Section 94 The Arp Page

95 Trium

95 Introduction 96 The Osc Page 96 The Sub Page 98 The Amp Section 98 The Mod Page 99 The Arp Page

100 Voltage

100 Introduction 100 The Oscillator Section 101 The Filter Section 105 The Arp Page

106 Model C

106 Introduction 106 The Organ Page 108 The Rotary Page 108 The Amp Page 108 The FX Page

111 HALiotron

111 Introduction 111 The Main Page 112 The Filter Page

113 B-Box

113 Introduction 113 The Pattern Page 116 The Mix Page

120 World Instruments

120 Introduction 120 The Filter Section 121 The Amp Section 122 The Pitch/LFO/MW Sections 122 The Oriental Scale Section 123 The Arp Page

124 World Percussion

124 Introduction

128 MIDI Setup and Mixing

128 The MIDI Page 129 The Mix Page

131 Global Effects

131 Introduction 131 The Effects Page 133 Effects Reference 159 HALion 3 Legacy Effects

166 The Performance Section

166 Introduction 166 The Performance Controls 167 The Quick Controls 174 The Trigger Pads

177 Note Expression

177 Introduction

179 Global Functions and Settings

179 Introduction 179 The Plug-in Functions Section 182 The Options Page 187 The Controls in the Standalone Functions

Section

192 MIDI Controllers

192 Using MIDI Controllers

196 Index

Welcome

Installation and setup

Congratulations and thank you for purchasing Steinberg’s premier VST workstation, HALion Sonic 2.

What is HALion Sonic? Conveying the workstation concept into the world of virtual instruments with the benefits of VST like flexibility and performance is the main thought behind HALion Sonic and makes it the perfect companion in any studio, on stage, and at home. The unique combination of extraordinary multi-timbral sample playback and synthesis audio engines, the superior VST 3 technology and the stunning ease of use lets HALion Sonic stand out in the field of virtual instruments. The excellent filters and effects, the world-class content library, the intuitive interface concept – HALion Sonic is always at the heart of your production.

Many feature requests and wishes have found their way into the second iteration of HALion Sonic. FlexPhrases can now be recorded and exported to your DAW and the new user phrase editor lets you program your own phrases and arpeggios directly in HALion Sonic. The presets management and browsing have been improved, offering a more convenient access to the vast number of new sounds. With more than 1,000 new presets and plenty of new instruments, the content library got a massive upgrade. All new instruments like the Model-C organ or the new synth section with Trium, Auron, and Voltage are equipped with dedicated interface skins to make control even more intuitive. Whether it is the comprehensive world library or B-Box, the new drum machine with included step sequencer – HALion Sonic 2 brings plenty of inspiring sounds for all tastes and situations.

All of the new instruments, features, and functionalities are described in detail in this manual. Please do not forget to register at MySteinberg in order to gain access to online support offers and additional exclusive services. And check out the HALion Sonic community at our online forum for tips and other useful information.

We wish you a lot of musical inspiration working with your brand-new workstation!

Key Command Conventions

Many of the default key commands in HALion Sonic use modifier keys, some of which are different depending on the operating system. For example, the default key command for Undo is [Ctrl]-[Z] on Windows and [Command]-[Z] on Mac OS X systems.

When key commands with modifier keys are described in this manual, they are shown with the Windows modifier key first:

[Win modifier key]/[Mac modifier key]-[key] For example, [Ctrl]/[Command]-[Z] means “press [Ctrl] on Windows or [Command]

on Mac OS X systems, then press [Z]”. Similarly, [Alt]/[Option]-[X] means “press [Alt] on Windows or [Option] on Mac OS X

systems, then press [X]”. Please note that this manual often refers to right-clicking, for example, to open context

menus. If you are using a Mac with a single-button mouse, hold down [Ctrl] and click.

How You Can Reach Us

Clicking the Steinberg logo in the top right corner of HALion Sonic opens a pop-up menu containing items for getting additional information and help:

• This menu contains links to various Steinberg web pages. Selecting a link

automatically launches your browser application and opens the page. On the web pages, you can find support and compatibility information, answers to

frequently asked questions, links for downloading new drivers, etc. This requires that you have a browser application installed on your computer and a working internet connection.

• When you choose the Help item, an online version of the documentation opens.

• You also find a menu item for the registration of your product.

For further information, see “Register Your Software” on page 9.

Installation

Please read the following section before installing HALion Sonic.

How You Can Reach Us

The USB-eLicenser

Many Steinberg products, including HALion Sonic, use the USB-eLicenser, a hardware copy protection device. HALion Sonic will not run without an eLicenser containing an activated license.

The USB-eLicenser is a separate product and is not included in the product package of HALion Sonic.

The USB-eLicenser is a USB device on which your Steinberg software licenses are stored. All hardware-protected Steinberg products use the same type of device, and you can store more than one license on one device. Also, licenses can (within certain limits) be transferred between USB-eLicensers. This is helpful if you want to sell a piece of software, for example.

The product package of HALion Sonic contains an activation code, which is found on the Essential Product License Information card within the product package. To make unlimited use of your version of HALion Sonic, you must manually download a license to an USB-eLicenser connected to your computer, and activate your permanent license using the activation code.

In the eLicenser Control Center you can activate new licenses and check which licenses are installed on your USB-eLicenser. After installation of HALion Sonic, the eLicenser Control Center can be opened via the Start menu on Windows systems or the Applications folder on a Mac.

Ö If you are using other copy-protected Steinberg products, you may want to transfer all

licenses for your applications to one USB-eLicenser, thus using up only one USB port of your computer. Please refer to the eLicenser Control Center Help for information on how to transfer licenses between USB-eLicensers.

Installation and setup

System Requirements

Your computer must meet the following minimum requirements for the Windows and Mac versions of HALion Sonic:

Mac OS X Windows

Mac OS X Version 10.7/10.8* Intel dual-core processor CoreAudio-compatible audio hardware VST 3 or AU-compatible host application for using HALion Sonic as a plug-in

Internet connection required for installation, activation, account setup, and

**ASIO compatible audio hardware recommended for low-latency performance.

Installation

Windows 7/Windows 8* Intel or AMD dual-core processor Windows-compatible audio hardware** VST 3 or VST 2-compatible host application for using HALion Sonic as a plug-in

4 GB RAM

17 GB of free hard-disk space

Display resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels recommended

DVD ROM dual-layer drive required for installation

USB port for USB-eLicenser (license management)

personal/product registration.

*Native 32-bit and 64-bit program version.

Installing HALion Sonic

HALion Sonic provides a large amount of content and is distributed on a set of two DVDs. Please have all DVDs ready for the installation.

The HALion Sonic installer allows you to save the content files on a different hard drive than the program files.

Proceed as follows:

1. Insert the first DVD into your DVD drive. An interactive Start Center appears. If it is does not open automatically or if you

have a Macintosh computer, you can manually open it by double-clicking the file

“HALion_Sonic_Start_Center.exe” (Windows) or “HALion Sonic Start Center.app” (

Mac).

2. Follow the instructions on screen to start the installation of HALion Sonic and browse through the additional options and information presented.

If you do not want to install HALion Sonic via the interactive Start Center, follow the instructions below:

Windows

1. Double-click the file called “Setup.exe”.

2. Follow the instructions on screen.

Macintosh

1. Double-click the file called “HALion Sonic.mpkg”.

2. Follow the instructions on screen.

Installation and setup

We encourage you to register your software! By doing so you are entitled to technical support and kept aware of updates and other news regarding HALion Sonic.

• To register HALion Sonic, click the Steinberg logo in the top right corner of the

control panel and select “Register HALion Sonic now!” from the pop-up menu. This option opens the registration page of the Steinberg web site in your web

browser. To register, follow the instructions on screen.

Setting Up

The following sections describe how to use HALion Sonic as a plug-in in different host applications, or as a standalone instrument.

Setting Up HALion Sonic as a VST Instrument in Cubase

We assume that you have correctly set up Cubase as well as your MIDI and audio hardware, and that Cubase receives MIDI data from your external MIDI keyboard. If you want to use HALion Sonic in another VST host application, please refer to the documentation of the corresponding application.

Cubase provides two ways of working with VST instruments: the VST Instruments window and instrument tracks.

Setting Up

Accessing HALion Sonic via the VST Instruments Window

Proceed as follows:

1. Open the Devices menu in Cubase and select the VST Instruments option. The VST Instruments window opens.

2. Click one of the empty slots to open the instrument pop-up menu, and select HALion Sonic.

You are asked whether you want to create an associated MIDI track connected to the VST instrument.

3. Click Create.

HALion Sonic is loaded and activated, and its control panel opens. A MIDI track called HALion Sonic is added to the track list. The output of this track is routed to HALion Sonic.

Accessing HALion Sonic via an Instrument Track

Proceed as follows:

1. On the Project menu, open the Add Track submenu, and select “Instrument”. The Add Instrument Track dialog opens.

2. On the instrument pop-up menu, select HALion Sonic.

3. Click OK to create the instrument track.

4. Click the Edit Instrument button in the Cubase Inspector to open the HALion

Sonic control panel.

HALion Sonic is now set up as a VST instrument in Cubase. For more details about the handling of VST instruments, see the Cubase Operation Manual.

Installation and setup

Selecting Outputs

HALion Sonic loads with a stereo output configuration by default. However, you can use up to 15 additional outputs in Cubase. This allows you to route all 16 program slots to a dedicated Cubase Mixer channel.

To make these outputs available, proceed as follows:

1. Open the VST Instruments window.

2. Click the output button for the HALion Sonic instrument.

3. Activate the required outputs.

Cubase automatically creates a MIDI track for each additional output and adds a channel to its Mixer. You can now route HALion Sonic programs, layers, or drum instruments (slices) to these outputs for further signal processing within Cubase.

Using HALion Sonic in an AU Compatible Application

You can use HALion Sonic in an AU host application (e. g. Logic). The AU version of HALion Sonic is installed in your AU plug-ins folder and lets HALion Sonic work in an AU environment without any performance loss or incompatibilities.

For Logic Pro, proceed as follows:

1. Open the Track Mixer and select the instrument channel that you want to use.

2. Click in the I/O field, and open the AU Instruments submenu.

Setting Up

3. On the Steinberg submenu, open the HALion Sonic submenu and select one of the available channel configurations.

HALion Sonic is now loaded as an AU instrument.

HALion Sonic Standalone

HALion Sonic can be used as a standalone application, independently of any host application. In this case, you can connect HALion Sonic directly to your audio hardware. The controls specific to the standalone application are described in the section

“The Controls in the Standalone Functions Section” on page 187.

Installation and setup

HALion Sonic Overview

Performance

controllers

Plug-in functions

Standalone functions

Multi Program Rack

Toolbars

Trigger pads

Sphere

Edit display

Quick controls

Introduction

The HALion Sonic interface follows a fixed size single-window concept and is subdivided into several sections:

• The Multi Program Rack on the left.

See “The Multi Program Rack” on page 15.

• The Edit display with the Load, Edit, MIDI, Mix, Effects, Multi, and Options pages

on the right. See the chapter “Editing” on page 25.

• The Performance section with the trigger pads, quick controls, performance

controllers, and sphere control at the bottom of the application window. See “The Performance Section” on page 166.

• The Plug-in functions section at the top of the application window.

See “The Plug-in Functions Section” on page 179.

• The toolbars above the Edit display.

See “The Toolbars” on page 181.

• If you are using the standalone version of HALion Sonic, you will find a number of

specific functions in an extra section at the top of the application window. See “The Controls in the Standalone Functions Section” on page 187.

Player view

About Programs, Layers, Multis, Macro Pages, and Presets

HALion Sonic provides two view options: the full-size editor view and the smaller player view.

• Click the “p” button in the small toolbar below the Steinberg logo to switch to the

player view. In the player view, only the plug-in functions, trigger pads, Quick Controls, and the performance controllers are visible.

The button now reads “e” – clicking it restores the editor view.

Integrated in HALion Sonic is the MediaBay, a feature of many Steinberg products. The MediaBay allows you to find and manage all sounds quickly. The MediaBay are available on the Load page and in the Load dialogs for layers, programs and multis, see

“Managing Files via the MediaBay” on page 19.

When opening HALion Sonic for the first time, a program with several layers is already loaded. You can use a MIDI keyboard connected to your computer or the HALion Sonic on-screen keyboard to play a few notes, and explore the different pages of the Edit display.

About Programs, Layers, Multis, Macro Pages, and Presets

Programs

A HALion Sonic program is a complex instrument or sound that combines up to four so-called layers. Often, a program contains a single layer that already comes with all necessary components such as the synthesis part or insert effects. This is because a layer already is a complete sound structure on its own, see below. The program adds the possibility of combining different layers to build up even more complex sounds or to create combinations of sounds you want to load as a unit. A typical example would be a bass/piano split sound or a piano/string layer sound.

Because of the various layer types that come with HALion Sonic, these combinations can do a lot more. For example, think of combining a pulsating synthesizer sequence with a sliced loop completed by a bass on the lower keys and so on. Finally add some effects to individual layers or to the whole program and you will get a unique sound experience. You will find that the options are endless.

Multis

HALion Sonic 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. You can use multis, for example, to layer several programs or to create split sounds by setting several programs to the same MIDI input channel. However, the most common usage is to create sound sets with different instruments set to individual MIDI channels.

Introduction

Layers

About Programs, Layers, Multis, Macro Pages, and Presets

Programs are combinations of up to four layers. HALion Sonic provides five different layer types. You can choose between synth, sample, instrument, drums, and sliced loop layers. Each layer type is based on an individual sound architecture and has a dedicated editor.

Synth and Sample Layers

For synth and sample layers, you get access to a synthesizer editor with components such as a highly flexible filter section, powerful multi-stage envelopes, LFOs, a step modulator, and a modulation matrix. These layer types differ in their basic sound source. While a synth layer provides an oscillator section with three main oscillators, namely a sub oscillator, a noise generator, and a ring modulation stage, the sample layer loads a specific multi-sample instead.

Drum Layers

The drum layers load a multi-sampled drum set, where you can individually adjust the most important parameters for each drum instrument. Each drum instrument can be set to a specific pan position or an individual output, or it can be filtered, reversed, and so on.

Loop Layers

Loop layers load a sliced loop, which is a combination of a loop-specific MIDI phrase and the individual slices mapped across the keyboard. You can either play the original loop, a transposed version of it, or trigger single slices manually. Each slice can be modified with the same parameters as the drum instruments.

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.

Presets

You can save and load all types of sounds as presets, i. e., there can be multi, program, and layer presets.

Content Files and Folder Structure

HALion Sonic is supplied with a huge amount of ready-to-use sound content. This content, made up of hundreds of multis, programs, and layers, is write-protected. This means that you can edit files while they are loaded in HALion Sonic, but you cannot overwrite the factory content files themselves to make your changes permanent.

To save any edits to the factory content, you must save the files under a new name and to a predefined location. These files have the name extension “.vstpreset”, and are referred to as “user content”. You can categorize and search for them in the same way as with the factory content.

The user content is saved in a predefined folder structure on your hard disk (the exact path depends on your operating system), but you can create subfolders within this structure, to facilitate moving or exchanging content (see

User-Defined Multis” on page 18).

“Creating Subfolders for

Introduction

VST Sound Instrument Sets and Macro Pages

VST Sound Instrument Sets from Steinberg provide additional content for VST instruments based on the HALion technology. They come with their own Edit pages, called Macro pages, that feature a customized look and a collection of controls that match the functions of the VST Sound Instrument Set. When you edit a program or layer of a certain VST Sound Instrument Set, the accompanying Macro page opens. For details on the functions and controls of a particular Macro page, please read the documentation that comes with the corresponding VST Sound Instrument Set.

Missing Content

There may be situations in which a content file becomes unavailable. The reason can be a closed encrypted partition or a detached removable hard drive, for example. In these cases, you will be prompted that a specific VST Sound Library cannot be found.

To access the content again, proceed as follows:

1. Click Ignore.

2. Quit HALion Sonic.

3. Reattach the removable hard drive or reopen the encrypted partition.

About Programs, Layers, Multis, Macro Pages, and Presets

HALion Sonic is loaded, containing the content that could be found.

4. Launch HALion Sonic.

If content files are missing for another reason (e. g. if you moved them onto another hard drive after installation, or if you have added a hard drive, thereby “shifting” the partitions), proceed as follows:

1. In the window with the message regarding the missing VST Sound Library, click Locate.

file dialog opens, allowing you to choose a different file location.

2. Browse to the directory where the content is located.

3. Select the file and click Open.

All content files in this location become available.

• Click Remove if you do not want HALion Sonic to search for a particular file in the

future.

Ö You can activate the “Do not ask again” option if you want to ignore or remove all

missing files at once.

Introduction

Load Program

Mute slot

Solo slot

MIDI activity

indicator

This chapter describes the basic functions of the Multi Program Rack and how to manage sounds with it. Furthermore, the Load page with the MediaBay is explained, and how to set up a multi chain via the Multi page.

The Multi Program Rack

Managing Your Sounds

The Multi Program Rack provides 16 slots, so that you can load up to 16 programs simultaneously. This is where you load programs, and create and manage your multi programs.

The Multi Program Rack is linked to the various pages of the Edit display: When the Edit page is open and you click individual slots in the Multi Program Rack, you can see the settings for each loaded program (see parameters such as level, pan, MIDI channel, etc. can be found on the MIDI and Mix pages (see

There are several ways to load programs and layers into the Multi Program Rack:

• You can load programs and layers directly via the Multi Program Rack (see

“Managing Programs via the Slot Context Menu” on page 16).

• On the Load page, you can use the HALion Sonic MediaBay to load programs and

layers (see

• You can use the program slot in the plug-in functions section to load a program

(see

Loading Programs

Programs and layers can be dragged from the following locations to the Multi Program Rack:

- MediaBay of HALion, HALion Sonic or a Steinberg DAW

- Explorer (Win) or Finder (Mac)

Alternatively you can use the “Load Program” button at the right of the slot to load a new program. The following applies:

Ö Programs containing lots of sample data may take some time to load.

“Editing” on page 25). Additional slot

“The MIDI Page” on page 128 and “The Mix Page” on page 129).

“Managing Files via the MediaBay” on page 19).

“The Plug-in Functions Section” on page 179).

Ö When you click in an empty slot, the Load Program window is automatically opened.

Replacing Programs

You can replace the program in a slot by dragging another program or layer onto this slot.

Loading Layers into Slots

If you load a layer into a slot, HALion Sonic creates a new program.

Managing Programs via the Slot Context Menu

The slot context menu provides additional functions for managing programs. The following options are available:

Option Description

Load Programs This option opens the “Load Program” dialog. Double-click a

program or layer to load it into this slot.

Save Program This option saves the program. Please note that factory content

cannot be overwritten. Instead, the “Save Program” dialog is opened and you can save the edited program under a new name.

Save Program As… This option opens the “Save Program” dialog where you can

save the edited program under a new name.

Save All Programs… This option opens the “Save Programs” dialog where you can

save all programs as VST preset. Remove Program Select this option to remove the program from the slot. Init Program Select this option to load the Init program. This contains a neutral

synth layer. Revert to Last Saved

Program Cut Program Select this option to copy the program and remove it from the

Copy Program Select this option to copy the program without removing it. Paste Program Select this option to paste the copied program into the slot. If the

Rename Program Select this option to enter a new name. Reset Slot Select this option to reset the slot to the default values. Reset All Slots Select this option to reset all slots to the default values.

Select this option to discard any changes made to the program

in the slot.

slot.

slot already contains a program, it is replaced.

The Multi Program Rack

Ö You can also cut, copy, and paste programs from one instance of HALion Sonic to

another.

Renaming Programs

You can rename a program via the context menu.

Ö To make the program with its new name available in the MediaBay, you must save it.

Slot Controls

MIDI Activity Indicator

The slot number not only serves as a label but also indicates incoming MIDI data by lighting up.

Solo

Activate the Solo button of a slot in order to hear only the corresponding program. Several slots can be soloed at the same time.

Mute

Activate the Mute button to turn off playback of the program.

Managing Your Sounds

Managing Multis

Save Multi-Program Remove Multi-Program

Load Multi-Program

Multis can load multiple sounds or programs and combine them. You can use multis, for example, to layer several programs or to create split sounds by setting several programs to the same MIDI input channel. However, the most common usage is to create sound sets with different instruments set to individual MIDI channels.

A multi-program contains all plug-in parameters. When using HALion Sonic as a plugin in Cubase or Nuendo, these multis are listed in the Preset Management pop-up menu of the host application. You can drag multis and programs from the Cubase or Nuendo MediaBay to a slot in HALion Sonic.

When using HALion Sonic as a plug-in in a different host application, you can use either the preset functionality from the host application, or the multi management features provided by HALion Sonic.

Loading Multis

Managing Multis

• Open the Load page to show the MediaBay and double-click a multi, or drag and

drop a multi onto the multi slot.

• Click the “Load Multi-Program” button in the multi slot to open the “Load Multi-

Program” dialog, and double-click a multi or select it and click OK.

Loading Multis in a Host Application

When using HALion Sonic as a plug-in in Cubase or Nuendo, you will find the multis listed on the Preset Management pop-up menu of the host application. You can drag multis and programs from the Cubase or Nuendo MediaBay to a slot in HALion Sonic.

When using HALion Sonic as a plug-in in a different host application, you can use either the host’s preset functionality, or the multi management features provided by HALion Sonic.

Removing Multis

• To remove all programs of the current multi, click the “Remove All Programs”

button on the toolbar of the Slot Rack. This also resets all slot parameters. However, AUX and Master effects are not

removed.

Clearing the Plug-in Instance

To reset the entire HALion Sonic instance to an empty state, right-click the Multi Loader and select “Clear Plug-in Instance” from the context menu.

Managing Your Sounds

Saving Multis

Managing Multis

To save a multi, proceed as follows:

1. Click the “Save Multi-Program” button.

2. Enter the name of the multi.

3. Assign any attributes you require and click OK.

If the entered name already exists, the “Make Unique Name” option adds a number suffix to the name of the new multi.

If you enter a name that already exists in this location, a dialog opens asking you if you want to overwrite the existing file. If not, click Cancel to modify the name before saving, or click “Make Unique Name” to add a number suffix (-01,-02, …) to the new multi’s name.

Saving a Multi as Default

To specify a default multi to be loaded with each new HALion Sonic instance, rightclick the Multi Loader and select “Save as Default” from the context menu.

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.

They allow you to navigate to the previous or next browse location, or browse the containing folder.

Editing Attributes

In the “New Preset Tags” section on the right of the “Save Multi-Program” dialog you can edit the attribute values that are assigned to the preset.

1. To edit an attribute, click on a value field, and enter the new name or value.

2. Click OK to save the preset.

For further information about attributes, see “Editing Preset Attributes” on page 22.

Managing Your Sounds

Managing Files via the MediaBay

On the Load page in the Edit display, you will find the MediaBay. It gives you access to all HALion Sonic presets such as multis, programs, and layers.

Managing Files via the MediaBay

The Load page with the integrated MediaBay is divided into two sections. In the top section you can define which kind of sounds you want to look for. The lower section presents the corresponding results list. You can drag the divider at the top of the results list to adjust the size of the two sections.

Loading Programs Into Slots

To load a program into one of the slots of the Multi Program 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.

• Drag the program from the results list and drop it to a slot.

• Right-click the program and select “Load Program into selected Slot” from the

context menu.

Ö When you reopen the Load Program window via a slot that already has a program

loaded into it, the Category and Sub Category filters will automatically be set to match those of the current program. This makes it easy to exchange sounds with similar ones, without having to readjust the search filter settings. Of course, you can still modify your search or reset it completely to see all available programs.

Importing Presets

You can import existing program presets from any file location using the Explorer (Win) or Finder (Mac). To import presets, proceed as follows:

1. Select the preset in the Explorer/Finder.

2. Drag it to the MediaBay.

The imported presets are copied to your user folder.

Deleting Presets

• To delete a user preset, right-click it and select “Delete”.

Factory presets cannot be deleted.

Managing Your Sounds

Applying Filters

Multi

Program

Layer

Category Filter

You can filter the results list based on up to four filter criteria using the configurable attribute columns.

Standard attributes are Category, Sub Category, Style, and Character. By clicking on specific values in the columns, you define the filter. Only the files that match the selected values are displayed in the results list. Select more values from other columns to refine the filter.

• To select different filter criteria, click the column header, and select a different

Instrument Set Filter

To select a particular instrument set for your search, proceed as follows:

1. Click in the Instrument Set field at the top of the MediaBay section to open the

Managing Files via the MediaBay

attribute from the submenu.

Instrument Set selector. All installed instrument sets are listed.

2. Select an instrument set.

• To search sounds across all installed instrument sets, select “All Instrument Sets”.

Using the Results List

The results list shows all files that have been found according to the category filter.

View Filters

The toolbar of the results list has three filter buttons to define which preset types are displayed. Presets can be multis, programs, and layers. To show a preset, activate the corresponding icon. In the results list, the corresponding icon is shown to the left of the preset name.

Columns

The columns of the results list show all the attribute values for the presets that match the filters that you set up in the top section.

You can reorder the columns in the results list by dragging the table headers to another position. Furthermore, you can use the column headers to change the sorting of the list entries. The triangle in the column header shows the sorting direction.

Setting Up the Result Columns

You can select which attribute columns are displayed, by clicking the “Set up Result Columns” button on the toolbar of the results list. The attributes that you choose are added at the right of the list.

Managing Your Sounds

Managing Files via the MediaBay

Rating Filter

You can limit the results list to presets that have a certain rating. The rating slider allows you to define the minimum rating.

Text Search

In the text search field on the results list toolbar you can enter text contained in the name or any of the attributes of a preset that you are looking for. The results list updates immediately and the Category search section above shows all categories that contain presets matching the text search.

Resetting the Result Filter

• To reset the text-based result filter, click the Reset button to the left of the search

field.

Content Filter

The content filter buttons allow you to define whether you want to see all presets, only the factory presets, or only your user presets.

The Results Counter

The number of presets that match the filter criteria is displayed at the far right of the results list toolbar.

Using the Context Menu of the Results List

The context menu of the results list offers additional options for managing the selected presets. The following options are available for factory and user presets:

Options Description

Load Program into selected Slots/ Load Multi-Program

Select All This selects all presets in the results list. Select None This cancels any selection.

This loads the highlighted preset.

The following options are available for user presets only:

Options Description

Copy This copies the selected presets to the clipboard. This way,

you can paste them at a different location using the file

browser of your OS. Rename This opens a dialog for renaming the highlighted preset. Delete This moves the selected presets to the trash bin of your

operating system.

Managing Your Sounds

Options Description

Show in Explorer/ Reveal in Finder

Set or remove Write Protection

Programs from the HALion Sonic factory content are write-protected and cannot be deleted or renamed.

Editing Preset Attributes

Each preset can be described using a predefined set of attributes. These attributes can be set directly in the results list or in the section “New Preset Attributes” of the Save dialog.

1. 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.

Ö Attribute values are written directly into the corresponding preset files. However, this

is not possible for write protected factory content. In this case, the data is saved within HALion Sonic’s MediaBay database.

Managing Files via the MediaBay

This shows the preset in the file browser of your operating

system.

This sets or removes the write protection for the selected

presets.

Attributes

Attribute values can be set directly in the results list or the Save dialog. The following table shows how to edit the various attribute values:

Attribute type Attribute Editing method

Media

Name Display only. Rating Drag to set the rating. Comment Click to select, double-click to edit. Content Summary Click to select, double-click to edit. Write Protection Display only, use context menu to set

protection. Library Name Click to select, double-click to edit. Library Manufacturer Click to select, double-click to edit. Author Click to select, double-click to edit.

Musical

Category Click to select. Sub Category Click to select. Style Click to select. Sub Style Click to select. Character Click to open an editor dialog. Tempo Click to select, double-click to edit. Bars & Beats Click to select, double-click to edit. Signature Click to select, double-click to edit. Key Click to select. GM Sound Click to select.

Managing Your Sounds

Setting the Character Values

Character attribute values can be set via a dedicated editor. This editor provides a list of values that describe the character of a sound.

Setting Up a Multi Chain

HALion Sonic comes with a special multi chain feature which allows you to set up a list of 128 multis. This is done on the Multi page of the Edit display.

Setting Up a Multi Chain

The list of multis in your chain is displayed on the right. When you select a multi in this list, its name is displayed in the field above the list, and the corresponding programs are displayed in the list on the left.

You can step through the multis manually or via MIDI control changes. This feature is particularly useful when performing live on stage. It allows you to set up a list of sounds that follows the order of their appearance during your performance, for example.

• To load an existing multi chain, use the preset controls in the top right corner of the

Multi page.

To set up a multi chain, proceed as follows:

1. Open the Multi page, and in the list on the right, click the down arrow button of a list entry to open the Load Multi-Program dialog.

2. Select a multi and click OK.

3. Repeat the same procedure for all multis that you want to be part of the list.

Managing Your Sounds

Setting Up a Multi Chain

You can now step through the list by clicking the left (Load Previous Multi) and right (Load Next Multi) arrow buttons, or select a particular list entry with the mouse to load the corresponding multi. In addition, you can also assign arbitrary MIDI controllers to remotely control the Previous and Next buttons with a hardware controller (see

“Assigning MIDI Controllers to the Previous/Next Buttons” on page 24).

Changing the Order of the Chain

You can rearrange the order of the chain by dragging an entry to a new position in the list.

Clearing the Chain

To remove all entries from the multi chain list, proceed as follows:

1. Click the down arrow button in the name display.

2. Select “Clear Multi Chain”.

Removing a Multi From the Chain

To remove a single multi from the multi chain list, proceed as follows:

1. Click the down arrow button in the name display.

2. Select “Remove Selected Multi”.

Assigning MIDI Controllers to the Previous/Next Buttons

For switching through the multi chain, you can also use MIDI controllers, such as a knob, a fader or the modulation wheel. To enable this function, you have to assign the controller first.

1. Right-click the Load Previous Multi or the Load Next Multi button.

2. From the context menu, select “Learn CC”.

3. On your hardware controller, use a control of your choice.

Repeat the steps above for the other button.

You can use either the same MIDI controller for both Load Previous Multi and Load Next Multi, or one controller for Previous and another controller for Next.

The following applies:

• When the same MIDI controller is assigned to both buttons, the Load Next Multi

command is triggered by the transition from the center position to the upper range of the control, and the Load Previous Multi command by the transition from the center position to the lower range of the control.

• When you are using two different MIDI controllers, any transition from the lower to

the upper range of the respective control will trigger the Load Previous Multi command or the Load Next Multi command.

• To remove an assigned MIDI controller, right-click the button and select “Forget

CC”.

Switchching Multis Using Control Change Messages

If “Multi Mode” is selected on the Program Change pop-up menu on the Options page, you can use Program Change messages to switch between the multis.

Managing Your Sounds

Introduction

All editing of programs and layers is done via the Edit page of the Edit display. The Edit display is a multipurpose display that shows various editor views depending on the selected page and slot. Seven different editors can be opened with the “Show page” buttons above the Edit display. These pages are the Load (see

via the MediaBay” on page 19), Edit (see below), MIDI (see “The MIDI Page” on page

128), Mix (see “The Mix Page” on page 129), Effects (see “Global Effects” on page

131), Multi (see “Setting Up a Multi Chain” on page 23) and the Options page (see

“The Options Page” on page 182).

Editing Programs

The Edit page is where you edit your program, load different layers for a program, and edit the layers. A program contains up to four layers which can all be mapped to different velocity and key ranges. Each of the layers can use a dedicated FlexPhraser and can be routed freely to one of the 16 plug-in outputs. HALion Sonic also provides four insert effects per layer and allows you to use up to four sends to feed the four auxiliary busses.

To edit a program, proceed as follows:

Editing

“Managing Files

1. Select the program you want to edit in the Multi Program Rack.

2. Click Edit to open the Edit page.

3. Click the Program button at the top of the Edit page.

The Program subpage is shown on the Edit page.

The Program page is divided into two sections. The section at the top is used to load and save layers, and to set up the mix parameters such as level, pan and FX sends. The bottom section is used to display layer ranges, program FlexPhraser editors, quick control assignments or Note Expression parameters.

The Program Page

The top section of the Program page serves for loading and setting up up to four layers for a program. It contains the following parameters:

The On button is used to turn layers on or off. When switched off, layers do not use any processing power. They are still loaded but do not receive MIDI anymore.

Mute

Activate the Mute button to silence a layer. The layer remains loaded and continues to be processed. Therefore, it can be unmuted smoothly at any time.

Solo

Activate the Solo button in order to hear only the corresponding layer. You can also activate multiple Solo buttons.

Ö At the top right of the Edit display, next to the name of the currently loaded program or

layer, additional global Mute and Solo buttons are available. With the Program page opened, the buttons refer to the program. With one of the Layer pages opened, use these to mute or solo the selected layer without switching to the Program page.

Editing Programs

FlexPhraser

This button activates the FlexPhraser of a layer. You find the FlexPhraser editor on the corresponding layer editor page.

Ö This button is only available for layers that support the FlexPhraser functionality.

Layer Slots

Here you can load up to four layers for a program. The loading of the layers corresponds to the loading of programs into the slots of the Multi Program Rack, see

“Loading Programs” on page 15. You can rename a layer in the same way as a

program. Furthermore, the layers slots provide a layer context menu with the following options:

Option Description

Load Layer This option opens the Load Layer dialog. Select a layer and click

OK to load it into this slot.

Save Layer This option saves the layer in this slot with the current settings,

under the same name. For write-protected content, the Save Layer dialog opens, in which you can save the edited layer under a new name.

Save Layer As… This option opens the Save Layer dialog in which you can save the

edited layer under a new name. Remove Layer Select this option to remove the layer from this slot. Init Layer Select this option to load a neutral synth layer. Copy Layer This option copies the layer that is loaded into the slot. Paste Layer This option pastes the copied layer into the current slot.

Level

Here you can adjust the loudness of the layer.

Pan

Here you can set the position of the layer in the stereo panorama.

Editing

FX1–4 Send Levels

These four sliders adjust the send levels for the global AUX FX busses for each layer separately.

Output

Here you can select the output for each layer separately. If you do not want the signal to be sent to the output that is specified for the program, you can select the Main output or one of the 15 individual plug-in outputs instead.

The FlexPhraser Subpage

For detailed information about the FlexPhraser functions, see “The FlexPhraser” on

page 64.

The Ranges Subpage

The layer Ranges subpage contains the following parameters:

Editing Programs

Poly

This setting is used to specify how many notes can be played at the same time.

Ö Unlike all the rest of the parameters of the Program page, the Polyphony setting is part

of the layer settings and therefore restored when you load a layer. When a layer is defined as monophonic sound, the setting has no effect.

Octave

You can shift the octave of a layer by ±4 octaves.

Coarse (Tune)

You can shift a layer by ±12 semitones.

Fine (Tune)

You can detune a layer by ±100 cents.

Key Range (Low Key, High Key)

Each layer can be limited to a certain key range. You can set the range with the Low Key and High Key values or by dragging the keyboard range control at its ends. When you click and drag towards the middle of the keyboard, both values are moved at the same time. As an additional option, you can use the MIDI input to set the range. Simply click in the value field and play the note.

To set the key range:

1. On the Ranges subpage, click the Key button.

The key range options are shown on the subpage.

2. On the layer that you want to use, set the key range with the keyboard range

controls and/or Low Key/High Key value fields.

Editing

Editing Programs

Velocity Range (Low Vel, High Vel)

Each layer can be limited to a certain velocity range. You can set the range with the Low Vel and High Vel values or by dragging the graphical velocity range control at its ends. When you click and drag towards the middle of the velocity range control, both values are moved at the same time.

To adjust the velocity range, proceed as follows:

1. On the Ranges subpage, click the Vel button.

The velocity range options are shown on the subpage.

2. On the layer that you want to use, set the velocity range with the velocity range

control and/or Low Vel/High Vel value fields.

Controller Filter

You can separately filter out the most commonly used MIDI controllers for each layer. For example, when you set up a program with a keyboard split, e. both layers receive the same MIDI controllers. However, you usually do not want the bass to receive the sustain pedal. To avoid that all layers in the program receive the same MIDI controllers, use the controller filter.

To filter out the most commonly used MIDI controllers:

1. On the Ranges subpage, click the Ctrl button.

2. On the layer that you want to use, click the button for the MIDI controller that you

want to filter out. The following MIDI controllers and messages can be filtered out: Sustain #64,

Foot Controller #4, Foot Switches #65–69, Pitchbend, Modulation Wheel #1 and Aftertouch.

The Quick Controls Subpage

Here you can make settings for the quick controls in the performance section of the HALion Sonic window. For more information, see

The NoteExp Subpage

Note Expression is Steinberg’s key technology for creating realistic instrument performances. For more information, see

g., a bass and a pad,

“The Quick Controls” on page 167.

“Note Expression” on page 177.

Editing

Editing Layers

A program contains up to four layers. Each layer can be edited separately. The available parameters vary depending on the type of the selected layer (sample, synth, drum, loop, or instrument layer).

To edit a layer, proceed as follows:

1. In the Multi Program Rack, select the program that contains the layer you want to

edit.

Editing Layers

2. Click Edit to open the Edit page.

3. Select the Layer Page button of the layer you want to edit, i. e., Layer 1, Layer 2,

Layer 3, or Layer 4.

Depending on the layer type, the corresponding editor (synth, sample, instrument, drum or loop editor) opens.

Accessing the Parameters of Layers

The layer editor is divided into two sections, displaying the different parameters of the layer.

To access the parameters of a layer, proceed as follows:

1. Select the layer you want to edit.

2. Click the page button for the parameter (such as Pitch, Filter, Amp, etc.) that you

want to access. The corresponding subpage opens.

The Voice Subpage

The Voice subpage of the synth and sample layers gives you access to voice settings of the layer which allows you to control the various Polyphony parameters, Trigger and Voice modes. You can also configure the Unison feature and set the Glide parameter. In addition, there is a Key On Delay control to delay the notes you play.

Editing

Editing Layers

The Voice subpage contains the following parameters:

Mono

Here you can switch between monophonic and polyphonic playback:

• Activate Mono to switch to monophonic playback. Usually, this allows a more

natural sounding performance for solo instruments.

• Deactivate Mono to play polyphonically with the number of notes specified by the

Polyphony setting.

Retrigger

This option is only available if Mono is activated. It allows the retriggering of a stolen note. When Mono and Retrigger are activated, a note that has been stolen by another will be retriggered if you still hold the stolen note while you release the new one. For example, with Mono and Retrigger activated, you can play trills by holding one note and pressing/releasing another note repeatedly very fast.

Polyphony

Use this parameter to set an upper limit for the number of notes you can play in Poly mode. You can set Polyphony between 2 and 128 notes.

Ö If the program has a smaller value for polyphony than the contained layers, the

maximum number of notes you can play will be limited by the setting of the program.

Key Poly

With this parameter you can set an upper limit for the number of notes you can play per key. The last played notes have priority over the previously played notes of the same key. Poly mode needs to be active to make this parameter effective.

Ö Key Polyphony works within the limits of the Polyphony setting. The lower of the two

settings is given priority.

Low Amp

When notes are stolen due to a Key Poly limitation, the oldest note is removed first by default. By activating Low Amp the note with the lowest amplitude will be removed instead.

Min Low Notes

Here you can specify a number of low notes that are prioritized. For example, set the value to four if you want to preserve always the four lowest notes. The note stealing will then affect notes from the fifth note on. Make sure that the polyphony of the program is high enough for your specific Min Low Notes setting and allows to play additional higher notes.

Trigger Mode

To avoid discontinuities during playback of envelopes and samples, you can select one of three different characteristics for triggering notes:

Trigger Mode Description

Normal This mode triggers a new note when stealing the previous note,

which includes the envelopes being triggered from the start. A sample of a sample zone will also be triggered from the start.

Resume This mode does not trigger a completely new note: If the new note

stays within the same sample zone, the envelopes retrigger but resume at the level of the stolen note and the pitch of the zone will be set to the new note. If the new note plays in a different zone, the new note will play from the start including any envelopes and samples.

Editing

+ 790 hidden pages

STEINBERG HALion Sonic 2 Instruction Manual [fr]

English

Table of Contents

Welcome

Installation and setup

Key Command Conventions

How You Can Reach Us

Installation

Setting Up

HALion Sonic Overview

Introduction

About Programs, Layers, Multis, Macro Pages, and Presets

Introduction

The Multi Program Rack

Managing Your Sounds

Managing Multis

Managing Files via the MediaBay

Setting Up a Multi Chain

Introduction

Editing Programs

Editing

Editing Layers