Steinberg HALion Sonic SE Owner's Guide

Matthias Klag, Michael Ruf Revision and quality control: Cristina Bachmann, Heiko Bischoff, Marion Bröer, Sabine Pfeifer, Heike Schilling 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 publica tion 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.

Steinberg, HALion, VST, and ASIO are registered trademarks of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. Windows 7, Windows Vista and DirectX are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries. Macintosh, Mac, and Mac OS are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Pentium and Intel Core are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. All other product and company names are ™ or ® trademarks of their respective holders.

5 Introduction

6 HALion Sonic SE overview 7 About programs, layers, multis, Macro pages,

and presets

8 Managing sounds

9 Introduction 9 The Multi Program Rack

11 Editing programs

12 Editing programs on the Macro page

14 MIDI Setup and Mixing

15 The MIDI page 16 The Mix page

17 Global effects

18 Introduction 18 The Effects page 19 Effects reference 31 HALion 3 legacy effects

36 The Performance section

37 Introduction 37 The performance controls 37 The Quick controls 38 The trigger pads

40 Global functions and settings

41 Introduction 41 The plug-in functions section 43 The Options page

47 MIDI controllers

48 Using MIDI controllers

51 Index

Table of Contents

Introduction

HALion Sonic SE overview

Performance

controllers

Plug-in functions

Multi Program Rack

Toolbars

Trigger pads

Sphere

Edit display

Quick controls

The HALion Sonic SE interface follows a fixed size singlewindow concept and is subdivided into several sections:

• The Multi Program Rack on the left.

See “The Multi Program Rack” on page 9.

• The Edit display with the Edit, MIDI, Mix, Effects and Options pages on the right.

See the chapter “Editing programs” on page 11.

• 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 36.

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

See “The plug-in functions section” on page 41.

• The toolbars above the Edit display.

See “The toolbars” on page 43.

HALion Sonic SE 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 Con trols, and the performance controllers are visible.

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

Player view

Introduction

About programs, layers, multis, Macro pages, and presets

Programs

A HALion Sonic SE 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.

Multis

HALion Sonic SE 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.

Presets

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

Content files and folder structure

HALion Sonic SE is supplied with a huge amount of readyto-use sound content. This content, made up of hundreds of programs, is write-protected. This means that you can edit files while they are loaded in HALion Sonic SE, 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).

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 collec tion 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.

Instrument track vs. instrument rack

HALion Sonic SE can either be used on an instrument track or loaded into the VST Instruments rack. In both cases HALion Sonic SE allows you to load up to 16 pro grams simultaneously. However, there is a major difference. Since instrument tracks do not support plug-ins with multiple outputs, all 16 slots are internally routed to HALion Sonic SE’s main output. By setting multiple pro gram slots to the same MIDI channel, you can easily create split and layer sounds that can be used on an instrument track.

Loading programs

Because of its multitimbral architecture, HALion Sonic SE not only allows you to load (and save) presets for the plugin instance itself (using the standard procedures in Cu base) but also for each slot of the Multi Program Rack

“Loading programs into slots” on page 9.)

(see

Introduction

Managing sounds

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.

Slot functions in the Multi Program Rack

Via the slots of the Multi Program Rack you can load and manage your programs. Furthermore, you can mute or solo single programs, etc.

The Multi Program Rack

The Multi Program Rack provides 16 slots, so that you can load up to 16 programs simultaneously.

The Multi Program Rack is linked to 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

11). Additional slot parameters such as level, pan, MIDI

channel, etc. can be found on the MIDI and Mix pages (see “The MIDI page” on page 15 and “The Mix page” on

page 16).

There are two ways to load programs into the Multi Program Rack:

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

“Slot functions in the Multi Program Rack” on

page 9).

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

tion” on page 41).

“Editing programs” on page

“The plug-in functions sec-

Loading programs into slots

To load a program into a program slot, proceed as follows:

1. Click the Load Program button to the right of the slot or select the Load Program option from the slot context menu.

A window opens, showing the available programs.

2. Select a program.

The program is loaded.

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

Managing programs via the slot context menu

To open the context menu, right-click the corresponding slot.

The following options are available:

Option Description

Load Program This option opens the Load Program dialog. Select a

Save Program This option saves the current program under the

Save Program As…

Remove Program Select this option to remove the program from this

Revert to last saved Program

Cut Program Select this option to copy the program and then re-

Copy Program Select this option to copy the program without re-

Paste Program Select this option to paste a previously copied pro-

program or layer and click OK to load it into this slot.

same name. Note that factory content cannot be overwritten. When you edit factory content, selecting this option opens the Save Program dialog where you can save the edited program under a new name.

This option opens the Save Program dialog where you can save the current program under a new name.

slot. Select this option to discard any changes made to

the program in this slot.

move it from the slot.

moving it.

gram into the slot. Any program previously loaded in this slot is replaced.

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

Managing sounds

Editing the name of a program

To edit the name of a program directly in the Multi Program Rack, proceed as follows:

1. Double-click the program name.

2. Enter a new name.

3. Press [Enter].

Ö You must save the program with its new name to make it available for loading.

Switching between slots

You can use the up and down arrow keys of your computer keyboard to select a slot. This allows you to move from one program’s settings to another quickly.

MIDI activity indicator

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

Soloing slots

Activate the Solo button of a slot in order to hear only the respective program. Note that several slots can be soloed at the same time.

Muting slots

Activate the Mute button to turn off playback of this program. The program remains loaded and can therefore be turned on again smoothly.

Removing loaded programs

To remove all currently loaded programs at the same time:

• At the top of the Multi Program Rack, click the trash button to the right of the section’s name.

Ö Removing programs in this way does not reset any parameters that are independent of programs, e. g. effect or slot settings.

Managing sounds

Editing programs

Editing programs on the Macro page

The HALion Sonic SE factory content features a Macro page for each layer in a program. This page allows you to adjust the most important parameters. It is divided into the following sections: Voice/Pitch, Filter and Amplifier.

• To access the Macro page, click the Edit button. Ö If a program consists of multiple layers, you can ac-

cess the different layer pages by clicking one of the layer buttons (L1, L2, L3, L4) in the page’s title bar.

Pitchbend Up

Here you can set the range of the pitch modulation when moving the pitchbend wheel up. The control range is from

-48 to +24 semitones.

Pitchbend Down

Here you can set the range of the pitch modulation when moving the pitchbend wheel down. The control range is from -48 to +24 semitones.

Polyphony

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

Mono Mode

When activating Mono mode, you can only play one note at a time, and the Polyphony control is not available.

The Filter section

The Filter section allows you to adjust the filter settings. The parameters are designed to work as offsets, i. e. they allow you to raise or lower the actual values.

Ö This section only becomes active when a layer uses a filter.

The Voice/Pitch section

This section gives you access to the tuning parameters.

Octave

Here you can adjust the tuning in octaves (-4 to +4).

Coarse

Here you can adjust the tuning in semitones (-12 to +12).

Fine

Here you can adjust the fine tuning (-100 to +100 cents).

Editing programs

Cutoff

The Cutoff parameter adjusts the timbre of the layer. The control range is from 0

Resonance

The Resonance parameter emphasizes the frequencies around the cutoff frequency. The control range is from

% to +100 %.

-100

Attack

Increases or decreases the attack time of the filter envelope.

% to +100 %

Release

∞

Increases or decreases the release time of the filter envelope.

The Amplifier section

The Amplifier section gives you access to the level and pan settings. Furthermore you can adjust the attack and release times of the amplifier envelopes individually.

Level

The Level parameter adjusts the loudness of the layer. The control range is from -

Pan

The Pan parameter sets the position of the layer in the stereo panorama. The control range is from L100 to R100.

Attack

Use this to offset the attack time of the amplifier envelope. The control range is from -100 % to +100 %. Positive values decrease and negative values increase the attack time.

to +12 dB.

Decay

Use this to offset the decay time of the amplifier envelope. The control range is from -100

% to +100 %. Positive val-

ues decrease and negative values increase the decay time.

Editing programs

MIDI Setup and Mixing

The MIDI page

The MIDI page gives you access to the MIDI parameters of HALion Sonic SE. This comprises the MIDI channel, Key and Velocity ranges as well as Transpose and Polyphony settings. To switch between velocity and key range, use the Key/Vel switches above the range controls.

MIDI page parameters

Channel

Here you can specify on which MIDI channel a slot should “listen”. You can set multiple slots to the same MIDI chan nel and trigger them simultaneously with the same note events.

Poly (Polyphony)

This setting is used to specify how many notes can be played at the same time. Since programs can contain up to four layers, the resulting number of voices (stereo samples, synth voices etc.) can be much higher than the value specified here.

Transpose

Here you can shift the incoming MIDI notes by ±64 semitones before they are sent to the loaded program.

Key range (Low Key, High Key)

Each slot 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 desired value field and play the note.

To set the key range, proceed as follows:

1. At the top of the MIDI page, click the Key button.

2. In the desired slot, set the key range with the keyboard

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

Velocity range (Low Vel, High Vel)

Each slot can be limited to a 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 veloc ity range control, both values are moved at the same time.

To adjust the velocity range, proceed as follows:

1. At the top of the MIDI page, click the Vel button.

2. In the desired slot, set the velocity range with the ve-

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

Controller filter

You can filter out the most commonly used MIDI controllers for each slot separately. For example, when you set up a keyboard split with bass and piano playing on the same MIDI channel, both sounds will receive the same MIDI controllers. However, you usually do not want the bass to receive the sustain pedal. To avoid that all sounds on the same MIDI channel receive the same MIDI controllers, use the controller filter.

To filter out the most commonly used MIDI controllers, proceed as follows:

1. At the top of the MIDI page, click the Ctrl button.

2. In the desired slot, click the button of the MIDI control-

ler 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.

MIDI Setup and Mixing

The Mix page

The Mix page gives you access to the audio parameters of HALion Sonic SE. This comprises the level and pan settings, as well as the AUX effect sends and the output selector. To monitor the output levels, each slot also features a level meter.

Mix page parameters

On/Off

This switch allows you to turn the MIDI input of the slot on and off. In contrast to the Mute function that only mutes the audio output of the slot but keeps on processing the sound in the background, this switch interrupts the MIDI communication with the slot and prevents sounds from being processed.

Output

This parameter defines to which of the 16 plug-in outputs the slot is routed. All slots are routed to the Main output by default.

Level

This parameter allows you to set the output level of the slot.

Pan

This parameter allows you to set the position in the stereo panorama.

Meter

The meter indicates the slot output level.

FX1-4 Send Levels

Here you can specify the amount of signal sent to the four auxiliary busses which host up to four effects each.

MIDI Setup and Mixing

+ 36 hidden pages