Steinberg Halion 5 Manual

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Managing Your SoundsThe Slot Rack
Sorting Modes
By default, slots are arranged freely. New slots are set to the next available index 
number.
•To change the sorting mode, click the Sort Slots button on the left side of the Slot 
Rack toolbar, and choose a mode:
Slot Controls
Depending on the selected slot display size you get access to additional slot controls.
Level
The level fader controls the output level of a program. The parameter has an influence 
on all outputs used by layers and zones inside the program.
Pan
Pan controls the stereo position of a program. The parameter has an influence on all 
outputs used by layers and zones inside the program.
ÖThe Pan control is disabled if the slot bus has a surround configuration.
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.
MIDI Port and Channel
Here you can specify on which MIDI port and channel the slot receives MIDI 
messages.
MIDI Activity Indicator
A green bar next to the slot number and symbol indicates incoming MIDI data.
Polyphony
Here, you can specify how many notes can be triggered simultaneously.
ÖThe number of resulting voices can be much higher if one note triggers several zones 
at the same time.
Output
The output selector lets you define to which output bus the slot sends its signal.
ÖThis setting does not affect any output routing that has been set up for individual 
layers or zones inside the program.
Level Meter
The level meter indicates the signal level of the slot output bus.
ÖLayers and zones inside the program that are routed to individual outputs do not show 
any meter activity.
ModeDescription
Custom SortingDefault mode.
Sort Slots by MIDI Port and 
ChannelSlots are sorted by their MIDI channels. No reordering is 
possible. New slots are set to MIDI channel A1.
Sort Slots by IndexSlots are sorted by their index-number. No reordering is 
possible. New slots are set to the next available index-number. 
						

							22
Managing Your SoundsManaging Multis
The Relationship between Slot and Program Table
The Program Table provides a list of all programs that are loaded into slots, as well as 
programs that are not yet loaded but can be addressed by a program change.
When a program is loaded into a slot, it is also inserted in a free place in the Program 
Table.
When replacing a program in a slot, the table updates accordingly. If multiple slots 
have used the same program, all slots are updated with the new program.
Managing Multis
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 as a plug-in 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.
When using HALion 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.
Loading Multis
•Open the MediaBay and double-click a multi, or drag and drop a multi onto the 
multi slot.
•Alternatively, click the “Load Multi-Program” button in the multi slot to open the 
“Load Multi-Program” dialog, select a multi and click on OK.
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 and removes effects from the slot busses. 
However, AUX and Master effects are not removed.
ÖRemoving the programs from the slots does not remove them from the Program Table.
Save 
Multi-Program
Remove Multi-Program
Load Multi-ProgramExport Multi-Program as VST Sound
Export Multi-Program as 
VST3 Preset with Samples 
						

							23
Managing Your SoundsManaging Multis
Saving Multis
To save multis, 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.
Clearing the Plug-In Instance
To reset the entire HALion instance to an empty state, right-click the Multi Loader and 
select “Clear Plug-in Instance” from the context menu.
Saving a Multi as Default
To specify a default multi to be loaded with each new HALion instance, use the “Save 
as Default” command on the context menu for the Multi loader.
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. 
						

							24
Managing Your SoundsManaging Files via the MediaBay
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 28.
Exporting Multis as VST3 Presets with Samples
You can export multi-programs with samples to transfer a complete multi to another 
computer. Programs that use samples from VST Sound containers cannot be exported.
To export a multi with samples, proceed as follows:
1.Click the “Export Multi-Program as VST3 Preset with Samples” button next to the 
multi slot.
2.Enter the name of the multi, and click OK.
The multi is written to the specified location. Additionally, a folder named after the 
preset that contains all samples is created.
Exporting Multis as VST Sound Files
You can produce your own HALion VST Sound files, containing all plug-in settings, 
programs, and samples.
1.Click the “Export Multi-Program as VST Sound” button next to the multi slot.
2.Enter the required information (marked with an asterisk) and provide additional 
data (optional).
3.Enter the path or click the browse button to specify a file name and folder.
4.Click OK.
You cannot include samples that originate from protected VST Sound files.
Managing Files via the MediaBay
The MediaBay gives access to the HALion presets, such as multis, programs, and 
layers.
The 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. 
						

							25
Managing Your SoundsManaging Files via the MediaBay
Loading Programs into Slots
To load a program into one of the slots of the Slot Rack, you have the following 
possibilities:
•Select the slot into which you want to load the program and double-click the 
program in the results list.
•Drag a program from the results list to an empty space in the Slot Rack to create a 
new slot. If you drag it to an existing slot, the current program is replaced.
•Right-click the program and select “Load Program into selected Slot” from the 
context menu.
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 to open the context menu, and select Delete.
Factory presets cannot be deleted.
Importing Folders or ISO Image Files
•To import the content of entire folders or ISO image files into the MediaBay, use 
the “Batch Import” command on the location tree context menu.
Applying Filters
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 
attribute from the submenu.
Instrument Set Filter
Use the “Select Content Set” pop-up menu to search a certain content set only. By 
default, the search is performed in any of the installed content sets. 
						

							26
Managing Your SoundsManaging Files via the MediaBay
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.
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.
MultiProgramLayer 
						

							27
Managing Your SoundsManaging Files via the MediaBay
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:
The following options are available for user presets only:
Showing the Program Structure
You can also look inside multis, programs, and layers. This enables you to only load 
specific components, for example.
Proceed as follows:
1.Activate the “Show Program Structure” button on the results list toolbar.
An additional window pane opens, showing the content of the selected multi, 
program, or layer.
2.Navigate through the tree structure and select the subitem you want to use, for 
example, a program within a multi, a single layer of a program, or a single zone. 
ÖYou cannot open protected layers. These are shown with a lock icon.
OptionsDescription
Load Program into 
selected Slots/
Load Multi-Program
This loads the highlighted preset.
Select AllThis selects all presets in the results list.
Select NoneThis cancels any selection.
OptionsDescription
CopyThis copies the selected presets to the clipboard. This way, 
you can paste them at a different location using the file 
browser of your OS.
RenameThis opens a dialog for renaming the highlighted preset.
DeleteThis moves the selected presets to the trash bin of your 
operating system.
Show in Explorer/ Reveal in 
FinderThis shows the preset in the file browser of your operating 
system.
Set or remove Write 
ProtectionThis sets or removes the write protection for the selected 
presets.
!Programs from the HALion factory content are write-protected and cannot be deleted 
or renamed. 
						

							28
Managing Your SoundsManaging Files via the MediaBay
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.
ÖAttribute 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’s MediaBay database.
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 typeAttributeEditing method
Media
NameDisplay only.
RatingDrag to set the rating.
CommentClick to select, double-click to edit.
Content SummaryClick to select, double-click to edit.
Write ProtectionDisplay only, use context menu to set 
protection.
Library NameClick to select, double-click to edit.
Library ManufacturerClick to select, double-click to edit.
AuthorClick to select, double-click to edit.
Musical
CategoryClick to select.
Sub CategoryClick to select.
StyleClick to select.
Sub StyleClick to select.
CharacterClick to open an editor dialog.
TempoClick to select, double-click to edit.
Bars & BeatsClick to select, double-click to edit.
SignatureClick to select, double-click to edit.
KeyClick to select.
GM SoundClick to select. 
						

							29
Managing Your SoundsContent Files and Folder Structure
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.
Content Files and Folder Structure
HALion has a large amount of ready-to-use sound content, made up of hundreds of 
multis, programs, and layers. This content is write-protected. You can edit files while 
they are loaded in HALion, but you cannot overwrite the factory content files themselves.
To save edits to the factory content, save the files under a new name. These files have 
the name extension “.vstpreset” and are referred to as “user content”. They can be 
searched and categorized in the same way as factory content.
User content is saved in a predefined folder structure on your hard disk. You can 
create subfolders within this structure, to facilitate moving or exchanging content (see 
“Creating Subfolders for User-Defined Multis” on page 23).
Loading HALion 3 Programs
HALion allows you to load HALion 3 presets either from HSB container files or from 
FXP/FXB files. To be able to load presets from HALion 3 HSB files, they have to be 
registered in the MediaBay.
Registering HSB Files
1.Click the Import button on the right of the Category Filter toolbar, and select 
“Register HSB/VST Sound Files”.
2.Navigate to the HSB/VST files, select them, and click OK.
The MediaBay now has access to the presets.
•Alternatively, HSB/VST files can be registered by dragging them from the 
Windows Explorer or Mac OS Finder into the HALion MediaBay.
Registering VST Sound Files
Programs that are contained in VST Sound files can only be seen and accessed by 
the MediaBay if the corresponding VST Sound file has been registered. HALion’s 
factory content is located in a directory that is automatically scanned when HALion is 
loaded. However, it is possible to add further VST Sound files that are not located in 
that directory.
To register a VST Sound File, proceed as follows:
1.Click the Import button on the right of the Category filter toolbar.
2.Select “Register HSB/VST Sound Files“. 
						

							30
Managing Your SoundsWorking with General MIDI Files
3.Navigate to the VST Sound file, select it, and click OK.
The MediaBay now has access to the presets.
Loading FXP/FXB Files
To load FXP/FXB files there are two possibilities:
•Drag and drop the FXP/FXB files from the Windows Explorer or the Mac OS 
Finder onto the Slot Rack.
•Drag and drop the FXP/FXB files to the Slot Rack/Multi Loader.
HALion converts the FXP/FXB files into HALion programs/multi-programs.
Importing FXP/FXB Files
To import multiple FXP/FXB files without loading them in HALion, proceed as follows:
1.Click the Import button to the right of the Category Filter and select “Import 
HALion FXP/FXB Files”.
2.Navigate to the folder that contains the FXP/FXB file.
3.Select the file you want to import and click OK.
The presets are converted and saved as VST presets in the user preset folder.
ÖAlternatively, import multiple FXP/FXB files by dragging them from the Windows 
Explorer or Mac OS Finder into the MediaBay.
Working with General MIDI Files
HALion can play back files in the General MIDI format. For this, the following 
preparations must be made:
1.Load a GM multi from the MediaBay.
The first 16 slots are prepared with send effects for Chorus and Reverb.
2.Open the Options editor, navigate to MIDI Controller, and activate “Receive 
Program Changes” and “Receive RPNs 0/1/2”.
3.Load the GM file that you want to use.
HALion loads the necessary programs and adjusts chorus and reverb levels.