Steinberg Halion 3 Manual
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Included Instruments World Percussion 151•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. Start Shifts the start of the loop in steps of 1/4 notes. The length of the loop is shortened accordingly. Length Allows you to shorten the length of the loop in steps of 1/4 notes. NOTE The control range of Start and Length varies with the original length of the loop. Tempo •If Sync is deactivated, the Tempo control sets the internal playback speed of the loop, in BPM. In addition, Tempo Scale gives you further control over the playback speed. •If Sync is activated, the Tempo control is inactive. Sync To synchronize the loop to the tempo of your host application, activate Sync. NOTE In the Restart modes Sync to Host and Follow Transport, synchronization to the host application is established automatically. In these modes, the Sync parameter cannot be edited. Play/Stop Starts/Stops playback of the phrase. Low Key Defines the lowest key on which the phrase is triggered. High Key Defines the highest key on which the phrase is triggered. Center Key Determines the MIDI note that is used as the central position for the Key Follow function.
Included Instruments World Percussion 152Pitch 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. 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. 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. Velocity Scale Raises or lowers the note-on velocities of the phrase. At a value of 100 %, the notes are played with their original velocity. Quantize Note Value This pop-up menu allows you to set up a quantization grid, in fractions of beats. You can also specify dotted and triplet values. This way, you can force the timing of the MIDI note events to play back only at the selected note value. Quantize Amount Defines how much of the quantization grid is applied. A value of 100 % means that the MIDI note events play back only at the specified Quantize note value. Smaller values move the notes only partially towards the next Quantize note value. At a value of 0 %, no quantization is applied. Filter Section Cutoff Controls the cutoff frequency of the filter. Resonance Emphasizes the frequencies around the cutoff. At higher settings, the filter self- oscillates, which results in a ringing tone.
Included Instruments Anima 153Envelope 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. Anima The Anima synth is a wavetable instrument using HALion Sonic’s wavteable synthesis which crossfades the waves smoothly in real time based on an integrated wavetable envelope. This envelope makes it very easy to control the playback of the wavetable, because no further modulation settings are required. All you have to do is set up the Speed parameter. The modulation matrix allows you to control the playback position of the oscillator using one of the integrated LFOs, the velocity, or the modulation wheel, for example. Anima provides two wavetable oscillators that can be used in parallel. Each oscillator features a multi-oscillator that allows you to create up to eight additional voices for each oscillator and then separately detune them and distribute them in the stereo panorama. The sub-oscillator comes with classic oscillator waves like sine, triangle, saw, square and two different pulses, and also features a noise generator. The noise generator delivers a
Included Instruments Anima 154large 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. The integrated arpeggiator and step sequencer allows you to play rhythmic patterns and/or add modulations to the synthesis parameters using the three available controller lanes. The oscillator is followed by a multi-mode filter that offers a large number of different filter shapes. The filter can be modulated by modulation sources like the keyboard, velocity, and LFO, but also by the controller lanes of the step sequencer, for example. Anima includes two monophonic LFOs that can be synchronized to the host tempo and allow you to modulate a large number of modulation destinations using the modulation matrix. In addition, a user-defined envelope can be assigned to destinations like Pitch, Pan, or Wavetable parameters in the modulation matrix. Anima contains six pages: Osc1, Osc2, Sub, Mod, Voice, and Arp. To show the settings for a page, click the corresponding page button. If a page button itself contains an On/Off button, which is the case for the Arp page button, for example, you can use this to activate/deactivate the corresponding element without having to open the page first. Oscillator Pages The Osc 1 and Osc 2 pages contain the settings for the two main oscillators. •To show the settings for oscillator 1 or oscillator 2, click the corresponding button. •To activate/deactivate an oscillator, click the On/Off button on the right of the corresponding page button. Select Wavetable This pop-up menu allows you to select one of the included wavetables for the wavetable oscillator. Show 3D Wavetable Map/2D Wave Toggles between displaying a single cycle of the current waveform and a topographic map of the entire wavetable. Retrigger Mode •If Free Phase is selected, the behavior of analog synthesizers is emulated. The oscillator is running freely and continuously.
Included Instruments Anima 155•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. This allows you to fine-tune the oscillator sound. 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. Main Tab 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. Loop Mode •Off: If Playback Direction is set to a positive value, the wavetable plays from the position cursor to the end. If Playback Direction is set to a negative value, the wavetable plays from the position cursor to the start. •On: Depending on the Playback Direction setting, the wavetable plays forward or backward in a loop.
Included Instruments Anima 156•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. Position Determines where the envelope starts. Playback Direction Allows you to set the playback speed in smaller increments. Furthermore, this parameter determines the playback direction. •If you enter negative values, you reverse playback, that is, the playback position moves backward through the wavetable. Random Position Adds a random value to the current position when you play a note. For example, if you want the position to vary between 25.0 % and 75.0 %, set Position to 25.0 % and Random Position to 50.0 %. Random Direction Adds a negative or positive random value to the current direction when you play a note. For example, if you want the direction to vary between -100 % and +100 %, set Direction to 0.0 % and Random Direction to 100.0 %. If you want the direction to vary within the full positive range, set Direction to 50 % and Random Direction to 50 %, for example. Form Tab Formants are harmonics within the spectrum of a note which are pronounced and help to define the character of an instrument. The positions of the formants in the spectrum mainly depend on the construction of an instrument, such as the body of a guitar, the form of the vocal tract in a human body, the filter settings for electronic instruments, etc. These conditions lead to specific frequency ranges that are emphasized regardless of the pitch of the note. Playing back samples or wavetables with a different pitch than the original is usually done by increasing or decreasing the playback speed. This leads to the well known monster or Mickey Mouse effect, because all harmonics are also affected, that is, the characteristic formants are shifted. To avoid this, you can activate the Formant option.
Included Instruments Anima 157On/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. Multi Tab The multi-oscillator function allows you to trigger multiple voices simultaneously with each note that you play. If you activate Multi, the following parameters become available: •Number determines the number of oscillators that play back simultaneously. You can also set fractions of numbers. For example, with 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. Sub Page The Sub page contains the settings for the sub oscillator and the noise oscillator.
Included Instruments Anima 158Sub 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. 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. Level Adjusts the output level of the sub 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. Noise Oscillator Section The noise oscillator 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 Type This pop-up menu offers you a choice of classic noises, attack transients, soundscapes, and ambience noise samples. Level Adjusts the output level of the Noise section. Sync Activate Sync to synchronize the speed of the noise oscillator to the host tempo. This is particularly useful for rhythmic noises that are based on a tempo of 120 BPM. Pan Determines the position of the noise in the stereo panorama. At a setting of -100 %, the sound is panned hard left, and at +100 %, it is panned hard right. Follow Pitch If Follow Pitch is activated, zone pitch settings like Octave, Coarse, and Fine, as well as modulations like Glide, Pitchbend, or other pitch modulations, affect the duration length. A higher sample pitch leads to a shorter duration.
Included Instruments Anima 159If 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. At a setting of +100 %, the speed doubles per octave. 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. Mod Page The Mod page contains the modulation matrix. 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.Optional: Click in the modulation Modifier field and select the parameter that you want to use to modify the modulation.
Included Instruments Anima 160This 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. 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. The shape of the envelope determines the modulation signal. Env 3 A freely assignable envelope. It is suited for pan or pitch modulation, for example. Key Follow This produces an exponential modulation signal derived from the MIDI note number. Exponential means this source works with destinations such as Pitch or Cutoff. Note-on Velocity Note-on velocity can be used as modulation signal. Note-on Vel Squared The squared version of Note-on Velocity. The harder you press the key, the higher the modulation values. 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.