Steinberg VST Sampler HALion 3 Operation Manual

							HALionHALion overview 4 – 41
The Keyboard
The keyboard logically spans the entire range that you can assign 
samples to, from C-2 to G8. It is used to quickly audition samples by 
clicking a key to which a sample is assigned. A blue dot indicates the 
key where you last clicked.
•Use the scrollbar below the keyboard to scroll up or down the keyboard 
range.
•You can use the +/- buttons to the right of the scrollbar to zoom the 
visible range of the keyboard.
This function also affects the visible size of the key zones in the Keyzone page view.
•You can audition samples with varying velocity values using the mouse.
The further down on a key you click, the higher the velocity value, and vice versa. For 
more information on velocity, see page 51.
•The keyboard can indicate for each key whether it has a sample 
mapped to it or not by displaying a brown or blue colored strip at the 
top of the key.
The length of the strip, i.e. the number of keys it touches, indicates the key zone range 
for a particular sample. The color of the strip alternates for each new key zone mapped 
across the keyboard, allowing you to see the start and end of each key zone. This dis-
play mode is activated by default but can be deactivated in the Options page view.
Click here for maximum 
velocity.Click here for minimum 
velocity.    
						

							HALion4 – 42 HALion overview
•Right-click (Win)/[Ctrl]-click (Mac) on a key to open a little info view 
displaying pitch and (depending where on the key you click) velocity 
information. The names of any samples mapped to this key are also 
displayed.
•When you [Ctrl]-click (Win)/[Command]-click (Mac) a key on the key-
board and keep the mouse button pressed, HALion will play this key 
and all following keys, with the same velocity, for as long as you press 
the mouse button. This serves as a test function for your sample map-
ping.
When you also hold down the [Alt]-key on your computer keyboard when you click, 
each sample will be played ten times, with increasing velocities (between 1 and 127).
The Playback indicators/Channel selector buttons
• The Playback indicators show MIDI activity for each of the 16 instrument slots, 
lighting up when a sample is played back on the respective slot. 
• They can also be used to select Programs assigned to slots 1 to 16 by click-
ing on the corresponding indicator.
• The number above the playback indicator lights up to indicate the MIDI chan-
nel used for the current slot.
The parameter display
The window area to the right of the Playback indicators displays the 
parameter name and value for the parameter knob or button you point 
on with the mouse. This is for information only, values cannot be ed-
ited in the display.   
						

							HALionHALion overview 4 – 43
The Program selector pop-up
This pop-up allows you to select one of the 128 Programs (presets) in 
the Program Bank. To rename a Program, click in the name field and 
type in a new name.
The Program category pop-ups
These two pop-ups, located to the left of the Program pop-up, allow 
you to assign the currently selected Program to a category and a sub-
category (not available in the Macro page view). Program categories 
are described on page 166.
The Sample selector/numeric edit fields
The sample selector allows you to select one sample in the current 
Program and always displays the currently “View selected” sample 
(see page 67). The fields to the right can be used to set the keyzone 
range (LO/HI KEY), the velocity range (LO/HI VEL) and the root key 
(not available in the Macro page view). The different parameters and 
how you can edit them is explained in the chapter “Editing in the 
Keyzone page view”.     
						

							HALion4 – 44 HALion overview
Master Tune/Volume settings/Voice number indicator
This allows you to set tune and volume globally for HALion. You can 
tune up/down 200 Cents, and set the master volume from silence up 
to +6 dB. The Voices field dynamically displays the number of voices 
currently used.  
						

							5
Editing in the Macro page view 
						

							HALion5 – 46 Editing in the Macro page view
Introduction
The Macro page view represents HALion’s basic operational mode. 
Here you adjust the basic parameters like filter and envelope settings 
and apply these settings to a Program as a whole. All parameters in 
the Macro page view affect all samples in the current Program. The 
parameters in the Macro page view are the same as in the other page 
views, but some (like the envelopes) are more basic. Also, the other 
page views contain parameters not found in the Macro page view.
The Macro page view parameters are described on the following 
pages.  
						

							HALionEditing in the Macro page view 5 – 47
The Filter section (DCF)
❐It is worth mentioning that the filter is described as one entity. In the 
Macro page view this is true – there is only one filter (per channel) that 
will affect all samples in the Program assigned to the channel. But by us-
ing the Sound page view, each sample can have its own filter settings. 
The same applies to other parameters described in this chapter. Thus, 
with HALion you have access to any number of filters/envelopes etc. 
A filter removes certain frequencies from an audio signal. The filter in 
HALion offers five basic filter modes as well as a selection of alterna-
tive filters developed by Waldorf, the renowned German synth manu-
facturers.
The Filter section contains the following parameters: 
Filter Type
Clicking the “Filter Type” field opens a pop-up menu where you can 
select one of the following filter types:
Low Pass (24dB/12dB)
Low pass filters let low frequencies pass and cut out the high frequen-
cies. This is the most commonly used filter type in synthesizers and sam-
plers. The low pass filter in HALion can be set to either 24 dB/octave or 
12 dB/octave roll-off slope. A 24 dB roll-off slope dampens the frequen-
cies above the cutoff frequency more than a 12 dB roll-off slope.  
						

							HALion5 – 48 Editing in the Macro page view
High Pass
A high pass filter is the opposite of a low pass filter, cutting out the 
lower frequencies and letting the high frequencies pass. It has a 
12 dB/octave roll-off slope.
Band Pass
A band pass filter cuts both high and low frequencies, while midrange 
frequencies are not affected. Each slope in this filter type has a 12 dB/
octave roll-off.
Notch
A notch filter can be described as having the opposite effect of a 
band pass filter. It cuts off frequencies in a midrange band, letting the 
frequencies below and above through. This filter type also has a 
12 dB/octave roll-off slope.
Waldorf
These special filter modes cover the same basic range of filter types; 
12/24 dB LP and HP, as well as band pass and notch, but offer a dif-
ferent character.
Filter Cutoff
The cutoff frequency is the setting that determines where in the fre-
quency material it should start cutting. If the cutoff frequency in a low 
pass filter is set to a very low value, only the lowest frequencies will 
pass through. If you raise the cutoff all the way up, all frequencies will 
be let through.
❐The filter cutoff may also be affected by the Filter Envelope Amount 
setting (see page 49) and the Filter Velocity setting (see page 109). 
						

							HALionEditing in the Macro page view 5 – 49
Filter Resonance 
For low pass filters, raising the filter resonance value will emphasize the 
frequencies around the set filter frequency. This produces a sharper fil-
ter cutoff sweep, but a thinner overall sound. The higher the filter reso-
nance value, the more resonant the sound becomes until it produces a 
whistling or ringing sound. When you use the band pass or notch filter, 
the resonance setting adjusts the width of the band. When you raise 
the resonance, the band where frequencies are let through (band pass), 
or cut (notch) will become narrower.
Filter Envelope amount 
This parameter determines how much the filter cutoff should be affected 
by the filter envelope (see below). Raising this value creates more dras-
tic results. The Envelope Amount parameter, the filter envelope and the 
set filter frequency are related.
Both positive and negative percentage amounts can be set. If negative 
amounts are set, the way the envelope affects the cutoff will be inverted. 
For example, if a positive value causes the Decay parameter to lower 
the filter cutoff, a negative corresponding value will instead raise it.
The Envelope sections
The Filter Envelope (DCF) and the Amplifier Envelope (DCA).
An envelope determines a chronological sequence for changes that 
can affect the pitch, timbre or level of a signal. This sequence is trig-
gered by notes that are either played on the MIDI keyboard or sent 
from a sequencer track.   
						

							HALion5 – 50 Editing in the Macro page view
In the Macro page view, HALion has two envelope generators with fa-
ders for Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release (ADSR) for every channel. 
The DCF creates the filter envelope which controls the filter cutoff pa-
rameter. The DCA (Digitally Controlled Amplifier) affects the volume of 
the Program.
The Amplifier section (DCA)
This section controls the volume of the Program. It contains the fol-
lowing parameters:
Amplifier Amount
This parameter determines how much the volume should be affected 
by Envelope 2 (see above). Normally this is set to 100%. If this is set 
to 0%, no sound will be produced.
Amplifier Volume
This parameter can be used to boost the sample’s level to a maximum 
of 6 dB.
Parameter Description
Attack Controls the time it takes for the signal to reach its highest level.
Decay Controls the time it takes the signal to decay to the sustain level.
Sustain Controls the signal level after the Decay phase, while the key is still 
held down on the MIDI keyboard.
Release Controls the signal after a key is released.