Steinberg Halion 5 Manual

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Effects ReferenceHALion 3 Legacy Effects
Parametric EQ
Two-band parametric equalizer.
Enhancer
Psycho acoustic spectrum shaping.
Limiter
Hard level limiting.
Compressor
A simple compressor effect.
Multiband
Three-band compressor.
ParameterDescription
Gain 1/2Cut/boost amount for the two bands.
Freq 1/2Sets the center frequency for the two bands.
Width 1/2Sets the band width for the two bands (“Q”).
OutputOutput level trim.
ParameterDescription
High DepthHigh frequency boost, combined with mid cut.
High TuneHigh/mid tune.
Low DepthLow frequency boost.
Low TuneLow frequency tune.
ParameterDescription
OutputOutput level trim.
DriveInput signal drive.
AttackAttack time.
ReleaseRelease time.
ParameterDescription
OutputOutput level trim.
ThresholdCompression threshold.
RatioCompression amount.
AttackAttack time.
ReleaseRelease time.
ParameterDescription
DriveInput signal drive (increase for more density).
Lo/HiBalance of low and high frequency bands.
MidLevel of mid frequency band.
AttackAttack time.
ReleaseRelease time.
OutputOutput level trim. 
						

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Effects ReferenceHALion 3 Legacy Effects
Gate
Simple gate effect.
Distortion
Hard clipping distortion.
Overdrive
Softer distortion with a gradual onset.
Bit Reduction
Digital “Lo Fi” quality degradation.
ParameterDescription
ThresholdGate threshold.
RangeLevel reduction when gate closed.
AttackAttack time.
ReleaseRelease time.
OutputOutput level trim.
ParameterDescription
DriveDistortion amount.
BiasAdjusts the balance between even and odd harmonics, that is, 
the character of the distortion.
ToneDistortion tone.
OutputOutput level trim.
MixWet/dry mix.
ParameterDescription
DriveOverdrive amount.
BiasOverdrive character. Adjusts the balance between even and 
odd harmonics.
OutputOutput level trim.
MixWet/dry mix.
ParameterDescription
ModeSets whether the bit depth is fixed or depends on the signal 
level (Linear or Companding).
RateSimulated sample rate.
DepthSample bit depth.
Slew RateMaximum rate of change of output waveform, for a soft, wooly 
distortion.
MixWet/dry mix. 
						

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Effects ReferenceHALion 3 Legacy Effects
Amp Simulator
Amplifier modelling effect.
Modulate L/R
This effect features three modes of signal distortion, where one side of a stereo signal 
is used to modulate the other.
ParameterDescription
ModelType of amplifier model. Changes the tone character.
ModeMono/Stereo operation. Mono saves CPU, and in some cases 
sounds more solid.
DriveOverdrive amount.
FeedbackFeedback amount (result depends on input signal).
TrebleTreble boost – optionally in or out of phase for different tones.
MixWet/dry mix.
ParameterDescription
Mode- Ring Mod: Ring modulation.
- Env Mod: Signal level of right channel is modulated by level of 
left channel.
- Duck: Signal level of right channel is reduced when level of left 
channel increases.
ThruDefines which input signals are used as the dry signal for the 
Mix.
SmoothSmoothing of modulation.
DriveLevel trim.
MixWet/dry mix. 
						

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MIDI Modules Reference
Introduction
This chapter describes the available MIDI modules. For information on using and 
setting up MIDI Modules, see 
“Using MIDI Modules” on page 65.
The FlexPhraser
HALion features an arpeggio and phrase player: the so-called FlexPhraser. 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, for instance, to re-harmonize 
phrases by playing different chords.
FlexPhraser presets
In the top right of the FlexPhraser editor, you can load and save presets for the 
FlexPhraser. In addition to the selected phrase, these presets also contain the 
performance settings of the FlexPhraser, such as Tempo, Tempo Scale, Loop, Swing, 
etc.
ÖPresets can only be saved and loaded for phrases, not for sliced loops.
Loading Phrases for the FlexPhraser
The phrases are sorted into subfolders, according to the type of instrument. Each 
instrument subfolder contains phrases of different musical styles.
To load a phrase, proceed as follows:
1.At the top of the FlexPhraser, click in the Phrase field.
2.On the pop-up menu, open the submenu for the instrument, and select the phrase 
you want to load.
In general, you can apply any phrase to any type of instrument. However, a phrase for 
guitar might not be suitable for use with a piano, for example. 
						

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MIDI Modules ReferenceThe FlexPhraser
Phrase Playback Types
HALion features a huge amount of phrase types organized in categorized submenus 
such as Classic Arp, Synth Seq, Chord Seq, Bass, and so on. Each folder can contain 
several submenus containing phrases categorized according to functional 
descriptions or musical styles.
The Construction Sets submenu contains phrases especially made for HALion’s 
instrument layers. These phrases use key switches to switch between different 
playing styles, to increase the realism of your performance.
The phrases that can be found in the various other categories use a number of 
different playback types to allow phrase-specific user interaction while playing:
Mute
Activate the Mute button to silence the phrase temporarily. The phrase still plays in the 
background. When you deactivate Mute, playback resumes immediately.
KS Off (Key Switches off)
Construction Set phrases that make use of key switches and noises (fret noises for 
guitar phrases, for example) usually work only with programs for the same type of 
instrument. Programs without key switches and noises play back such events as 
normal notes that do not fit to the rest of the phrase. To avoid the playback of key 
switches and noises, activate the KS Off option.
ÖAs this option filters out any note events that do not transpose with your playing, drum 
phrases do not work when this option is activated.
Loop
When this option is activated, the phrase plays in a loop.
Hold
Here, you can make the following settings:
OptionDescription
Playback of a drum 
patternPressing any note triggers the same rhythm pattern.
Playback only of the 
played notesThe phrase is played back using only the played note and its 
octave notes.
Playback of a 
programmed 
sequence according 
to the played chordWhen you press only one note, the phrase is played back using the 
programmed sequence — which means that notes other than the 
ones you play are triggered. 
When you are adding notes to those already held, the sequence 
changes accordingly — for example, the phrase plays back 
according to the chord you play.
Option Description
OffThe phrase changes immediately when releasing a key. The phrase stops 
immediately when releasing all keys.
OnThe phrase plays to the end even when the keys are released. When the 
Loop option is activated, the phrase plays continuously in a cycle.
GatedThe phrase starts playback with the first key being played. It plays silently 
in the background even when the keys are released, and resumes 
playback at the current position when you press any of the keys again. This 
way, you can gate the playback of the phrase. 
						

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MIDI Modules ReferenceThe FlexPhraser
Trigger Mode
The Trigger Mode defines when the FlexPhraser scans for new keys you play on the 
keyboard.
The following options are available:
Restart Mode
Here, you can make the following settings:
Key Mode
This option defines if the order of the notes, as played on the keyboard, affects the 
playback of the phrase.
The following options are available:
OptionDescription
ImmediatelyThe FlexPhraser scans for new keys all the time. The phrase 
changes immediately in reaction to your playing.
Next BeatThe FlexPhraser scans for new keys at every new beat. The phrase 
changes in reaction to your playing on each new beat.
Next MeasureThe FlexPhraser scans for new keys at the start of new measures. 
The phrase changes in reaction to your playing on each new 
measure.
OptionDescription
OffThe phrase runs continuously and does not restart at chord or note 
changes.
New ChordSelect this to restart the phrase on new chords. However, the 
phrase does not restart upon notes that are played legato, for 
example, if you play additional notes to a chord you are holding 
already.
New NoteSelect this to restart the phrase with each new note you play. Here, 
the phrase does restart also upon notes that are played legato.
Sync to HostSelect this to align the phrase with the beats and measures of your 
host application. The phrase aligns to the beats and measures each 
time you start the transport.
OptionDescription
SortThe notes play in the order of the selected pattern. The chronological 
order is without influence.
As PlayedThe notes play in the chronological order as you played them on the 
keyboard.
DirectThe phrase itself does not create any note events, but controller 
events only. You hear the notes you play plus any controller events 
of the phrase, such as pitchbend, volume, pan, etc. Not all phrases 
contain controller data. Consult the documentation of the phrase to 
see if it does. 
						

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MIDI Modules ReferenceThe FlexPhraser
Vel Mode
This option specifies how the velocity of the notes you play affects the notes of the 
phrase.
The following options are available:
Sync
To synchronize the phrase to the tempo of your host application, activate Sync.
ÖIn addition, you can set the Restart mode to “Sync to Host”. This aligns the phrase 
with the beats and measures of your host application.
Tempo
When Sync is deactivated, use the Tempo control to set the internal playback speed 
of the FlexPhraser. The playback speed of the phrase is specified in Beats per Minute 
(BPM). In addition, Tempo Scale gives you further control over the playback speed. 
The Tempo control is not available when Sync is activated.
Tempo Scale
This parameter defines the rate at which notes are triggered, in other words, the 
speed at which the phrase is running. You can specify a value in fractions of beats. 
You can also set dotted and triplet note values. 
When the Tempo parameter is 1/16 and you set this value to 1/8, for example, the 
speed is cut to half. When you set it to 1/32, the speed is doubled. Other values 
increase or decrease the speed accordingly.
Swing
Use this parameter to shift 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
This parameter allows you to shorten or lengthen the notes of the phrase. At a value of 
100
 %, the notes play with their original gate length.
Vel Scale
This parameter allows you to raise or lower the note-on velocities of the phrase. At a 
value of 100
 %, the notes are played with their original velocity.
Octaves
This setting extends the phrase playback to include higher or lower octaves. Positive 
settings extend the playback to higher and negative settings to lower octaves. For 
example, a value of +1 first plays the phrase in the octave range you originally played. 
Then, it repeats the phrase one octave higher.
OptionDescription
OriginalThe notes of the phrase play with the velocity saved with the phrase.
As PlayedThe notes of the phrase play with the velocity you are playing on the 
keyboard.
Original + 
As
 Played
The phrase velocity is determined by the combination of the velocity 
saved with the phrase and the velocity of your playing. 
						

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MIDI Modules ReferenceThe FlexPhraser
Play Range
You can use the Play Range parameters to determine which keys and velocities 
trigger the phrase playback.
Low Key
This defines the lowest key that triggers the phrase.
High Key
This defines the highest key that triggers the phrase.
Low Vel
This defines the lowest velocity that triggers the phrase. 
High Vel
This defines the highest velocity that triggers the phrase. 
Working with FlexPhraser Variations
For each FlexPhraser module that you add, you can set up up to 8 different variations 
of phrases. You can switch between them with the variation buttons at the top right of 
the FlexPhraser. You can also remote-control the Variation buttons using HALion‘s 
trigger pads. This also gives you the possibility to switch between variations by 
playing the trigger keys assigned to the trigger pads.
ÖTo avoid that the variation switches in the middle of a beat or measure, use the trigger 
modes “Next Beat” or “Next Measure”.
Creating Variations
You can create variations either by starting from scratch or by copying an existing one.
To start from scratch, proceed as follows:
1.Click one of the 8 variation buttons at the top right of the FlexPhraser.
2.Assign a phrase and edit the FlexPhraser settings.
The variation is saved and can be recalled by clicking the Variation button.
To copy an existing variation, proceed as follows:
1.Right-click the variation button for the variation that you want to copy and select 
“Copy FlexPhraser Variation”.
2.Right-click the variation button to which you want to paste the variation and select 
“Paste FlexPhraser Variation”.
ÖThe parameters Loop, Sync, Hold, Trigger Mode, Restart Mode, Key Mode, Vel Mode, 
Low/High Key, and Low/High Vel are not part of the variations. You set them up only 
once for each inserted FlexPhraser module.
Switching Variations with the Trigger Pads
You can switch between variations using the trigger pads (see “Switching between 
FlexPhraser Variations” on page 260). 
						

							259
MIDI Modules ReferenceThe Trigger Pads
The Trigger Pads
You can use the trigger pads to trigger single notes or whole chords and to switch 
between FlexPhraser variations. Many of the programs that come with HALion make 
use of the trigger pads:
•Blue pads have single notes or whole chords assigned.
•The line above the pad turns orange when the pad switches between FlexPhraser 
variations.
•To trigger a pad with your mouse, click the corresponding pad.
Assigning Trigger Notes to Pads
You can assign a MIDI note to a pad and trigger the pad by playing this note.
To define the note, you have the following options:
•Right-click a pad, open the “Assign Trigger Note” submenu, and from the further 
submenus, select the octave, and note that you want to assign.
•Open the context menu for a pad, select “Learn Trigger Note”, and play the note 
on your MIDI keyboard (or click a key on the internal keyboard).
The name of the assigned trigger note is displayed in the top left corner of the pad.
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”.
Using Default Trigger Note Settings
By default, the assigned trigger notes are stored with each program to allow for 
maximum flexibility. However, you may want to keep a fixed set of trigger notes to 
reflect an existing hardware setup.
To be able to use default trigger note settings, you have to save them first:
•To specify a global set of trigger notes, set the trigger notes for all pads, right-click 
a pad, and from the context menu, select “Save Trigger Notes as Default”.
Now you can activate the “Use Default Trigger Notes” option:
•Right-click a pad and select “Use Default Trigger Notes”.
Changing programs or multi-programs does not change the trigger notes 
anymore.
When you deactivate this option, the last set of trigger notes remains active. To return 
to the trigger notes that were saved with the program, reload the program.
Naming a Pad
To indicate the functionality of a pad, you can enter a name. Proceed as follows:
1.Right-click the pad, and on the context menu, select “Rename Pad”.
2.Enter the name.
3.Press [Enter] to confirm the name. 
						

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MIDI Modules ReferenceThe Trigger Pads
Triggering Chords or Single Notes
To trigger a chord or a single note with a pad, you first need to define the chord or 
note:
1.Right-click a pad.
2.On the context menu, select “Snapshot Chord”.
The pad starts blinking to indicate that it is in Learn mode.
3.Play a chord or a single note.
The keys belonging to the chord are highlighted on the internal keyboard.
4.To accept the chord or note, click the pad that is blinking.
The pad turns blue to indicate that a chord or note is assigned.
Triggering the pad now plays the chord or note.
•You can also drag chord events from the chord track of your Steinberg DAW onto 
a trigger pad. This will transfer the corresponding MIDI notes to the pad.
If you drag a chord event onto the Performance keyboard first, the corresponding 
chord is played back. This is useful to verify whether you selected the correct 
chord. For further information, see the Operation Manual of the DAW.
ÖTo use the pads for switching between expressions, select “Snapshot Chord” on the 
context menu and play the corresponding key switch.
ÖIf you define a chord that also contains a key switch, you can trigger the chord with a 
specific instrument expression.
ÖIf you add keys to a chord that also work as trigger notes, they trigger the underlying 
MIDI note instead of the trigger note.
•To clear the chord or note from a pad, right-click the trigger pad and select “Clear 
Chord”.
Switching between FlexPhraser Variations
You can use the trigger pads to switch between FlexPhraser variations. For more 
information, see 
“Working with FlexPhraser Variations” on page 258. 
Proceed as follows:
1.Right-click the trigger pad you want to use for switching to the selected 
FlexPhraser variations.
2.On the menu, select “Snapshot FlexPhrasers”.
The line above the pad turns orange to indicate that a FlexPhraser snapshot is 
assigned.
3.When you trigger the pad, it switches to the variations that were selected when 
you made the snapshot. 
Instead of storing the variation settings themselves, the trigger pad stores only which 
variations were selected when you made the snapshot. This allows you to change 
settings of variations even after you made the snapshot.
When layers are replaced or added, you need to take the FlexPhraser snapshot again.
•To clear the FlexPhraser snapshot, right-click the trigger pad and select “Clear 
FlexPhrasers”.
Using 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.