Steinberg HALion Symphonic Orchestra Operation Manual

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 Combinations: Playing unisono, the first and the second violin pro-
duce a bigger sound, becoming even darker when played in a dis-
tance of one octave. For a really big melody at a climax of the compo-
sition, you can also add the viola, yet another octave deeper. When 
violins play together with celli in octaves the tenor register of the celli 
dominates the sound.
Viola
 Transposing: No
 Range: C2 to E5
 Register: Four strings: C2, G2, D3, A3
 Agility: High...

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Cello
 Transposing: No
 Range: C1 to A4
 Register: Four strings: C1, G1, D2, A2
 Agility: Good
 Description: The cello plays in the tenor register and in the bass reg-
ister of the string section. It is pitched one octave below the viola and 
is used for bass as well as for melodic tasks. The tone of the cello is 
particularly warm and rich. The low C string is a little bit heavier than 
the G string; both have rich overtone structures. The D string is not as 
powerful as...

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 Combinations: The double bass is the perfect partner for any low 
range instrument of other sections: the tuba adds substance and sta-
bility; the bassoon adds precision and noblesse; the bass clarinet, like 
all single reed instruments, softens the sound while adding fullness. 
The combination of trombones and double bass with a distance of 
one octave is majestic and powerful. Horns add mellowness to the 
double bass. Very impressive is the combination of timpani...

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Chords
The construction of chords should follow the natural overtone struc-
ture of a single tone. This insight leads to the following suggestions:
 The spacing of intervals is wider in the bass and tenor registers, be-
coming narrower as it comes to the higher registers.
This means that trombones and bassoons tend to have a wider spacing, while flutes, 
oboes and clarinets are typical for narrow spacing.
 The single elements of a chord have different weights. The more...

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HALion Symphonic Orchestra
115 A C major chord
C-Major
Piccolo
2 Flutes
2 Oboes
2 Clarinets (Bb)
2 Bassoons
2 Horns (F)
2 Trumpets (Bb)
3 Trombones
Tuba
Timpani
Violins 1
Violins 2
Viola
Celli
Double bass 

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The next chord causes another emotion: darkness and menace. The 
chord is played piano in d-minor and orchestrated without oboes, trum-
pets and flutes to prevent high or cutting through frequencies. To evoke 
more anxiety extensions are added: the horns play a minor seventh and 
clarinets and violins add a major ninth. The strings have narrow spaces 
to emphasize the dissonance. Trombones, horns, bassoons and tuba 
are creating darkness while the gran cassa and the cymbals...

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Reconstructing a score with HALion 
Symphonic Orchestra
In the following example – the first thirty-eight bars of the first move-
ment of Franz Schuberts Symphony No.8, “The Unfinished”, composed 
in 1822 – you will recognize some of the essential points you read 
about in the first part.
For users of Steinberg Cubase SX, a demo project including all the re-
corded material from this example is available on the installation DVD, in 
the “Additional Content\Tutorial”...

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To record the transposing instruments into your sequencer via MIDI 
you have to transpose the incoming MIDI notes in the track properties 
of your host sequencer. The clarinet must be transposed three half-
tones deeper, the horns in D ten halftones, and the clarinos in E – we 
take the normal trumpets instead – eight halftones deeper. After these 
preparations everything will sound in harmony when you play what you 
read.
Transposing MIDI notes in the track Inspector of...

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The number of articulations available is similar to the other woodwind 
instruments and also to the horns and strings; they all need long le-
gato notes, crescendo/decrescendo and some short notes with a dis-
tinct attack. So the *-combi XSwitch KS programs are the right choice 
for these other instruments, too.
For cello, double bass and viola we need some extra pizzicato pro-
grams playing the bass motif from bar no. 9 to 26. For the trombones 
and for the...

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 After four bars the augmented theme goes through a harmonic sequence up-
wards becoming fuller in sound because the flute joins the woodwinds in bar 
26, contributing some silvery higher frequencies. The other reasons for the 
growing sound are oboe and clarinet playing in pairs, and the general cre-
scendo going through the whole orchestra.
 The forzato quarter notes in bar 28/29 and 36/37 were achieved by holding 
the key-switch for short staccato notes.
 To intensify...