Steinberg Halion Sonic 2 Manual
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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. Release Date: May 16, 2013 © Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH, 2013. All rights reserved.
4 Table of Contents 6Installation and setup 6Welcome 6Key Command Conventions 7How You Can Reach Us 7Installation 9Setting Up 11Introduction 11HALion Sonic Overview 12About Programs, Layers, Multis, Macro Pages, and Presets 15Managing Your Sounds 15Introduction 15The Multi Program Rack 17Managing Multis 19Managing Files via the MediaBay 23Setting Up a Multi Chain 25Editing 25Introduction 25Editing Programs 29Editing Layers 64The FlexPhraser 69User Phrases 73Working with FlexPhraser Variations 74Editing Drum and Loop Layers 82Editing Instrument Layers 85Expression Maps 87Editing Insert Effects 88Auron 88Introduction 89The Osc Page 90The Mod Page 91The Voice Page 93The Filter Section 94The Amp Section 94The Arp Page 95Trium 95Introduction 96The Osc Page 96The Sub Page 98The Amp Section 98The Mod Page 99The Arp Page 100Voltage 100Introduction 100The Oscillator Section 101The Filter Section 105The Arp Page 106Model C 106Introduction 106The Organ Page 108The Rotary Page 108The Amp Page 108The FX Page 111HALiotron 111Introduction 111The Main Page 112The Filter Page 113B-Box 113Introduction 113The Pattern Page 116The Mix Page 120World Instruments 120Introduction 120The Filter Section 121The Amp Section 122The Pitch/LFO/MW Sections 122The Oriental Scale Section 123The Arp Page 124World Percussion 124Introduction 128MIDI Setup and Mixing 128The MIDI Page 129The Mix Page 131Global Effects 131Introduction 131The Effects Page 133Effects Reference 159HALion 3 Legacy Effects 166The Performance Section 166Introduction 166The Performance Controls 167The Quick Controls 174The Trigger Pads 177Note Expression 177Introduction
5 179Global Functions and Settings 179Introduction 179The Plug-in Functions Section 182The Options Page 187The Controls in the Standalone Functions Section 192MIDI Controllers 192Using MIDI Controllers 196Index
6 Installation and setup Welcome 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.
7 Installation and setupHow You Can Reach Us 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 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 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. ÖIf 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. !Please read the following section before installing HALion Sonic. !The USB-eLicenser is a separate product and is not included in the product package of HALion Sonic.
8 Installation and setupInstallation System Requirements Your computer must meet the following minimum requirements for the Windows and Mac versions of HALion Sonic: 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. 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. Mac OS XWindows 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 Windows 7/Windows 8* Intel or AMD dual-core processor Windows-compatible audio hardware** VST 3 or VST 2-compatible host applica- tion 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) Internet connection required for installation, activation, account setup, and personal/product registration. *Native 32-bit and 64-bit program version. **ASIO compatible audio hardware recommended for low-latency performance. !The HALion Sonic installer allows you to save the content files on a different hard drive than the program files.
9 Installation and setupSetting Up Register Your Software 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. 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.
10 Installation and setupSetting Up 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. 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.