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Steinberg Halion Sonic 2 Manual

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    							Operation Manual
    Benutzerhandbuch
    Mode d’Emploi
    ¦Ö蔳ãïÚÇážç 
    						
    							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. 
    						
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