Steinberg VST Sampler HALION 4 Operation Manual

							101
Mapping Zones
Importing Samples Using Drag and Drop
To import a single sample to a specific key (or key range) 
in the Mapping editor, proceed as follows:
1.Drag a sample into the Mapping section or onto the 
keyboard. 
An outline representing the sample appears.
2.Without dropping the sample, move the mouse pointer 
up and down. 
The horizontal position of the mouse pointer determines the lowest key of 
the key range, and the vertical position of the mouse pointer determines 
the key zone range.
3.Drop the sample to insert it.
To import several samples this way, proceed as follows:
1.Select the samples that you want to import. 
2.Drag the samples to the key on the Mapping editor 
keyboard where you want the first selected sample to be 
placed.
3.Without dropping the samples, move the mouse up 
and down. 
The samples are mapped chromatically. Moving the mouse up or down 
resizes the key range for each zone.
4.Release the mouse button to insert the samples.
•If you move the mouse pointer to the bottom of the Map-
ping editor, the samples are distributed to different veloci-
ties rather than key ranges.
The first selected sample gets the highest velocity and the last selected 
the lowest velocity. 
•If you press [Ctrl]/[Command] and move the mouse 
pointer to the bottom of the mapping view, the samples 
are layered on the keys that you drop them on.
•If you press [Ctrl]/[Command] and point at a white key, 
the samples are mapped to the consecutive white keys 
only, and the key range cannot be extended.
Pointing to a black key maps the samples to black keys instead.
ÖIf you drag samples from a separate browser window, 
the selection order determines how the samples are 
mapped, with the first selected sample being mapped to 
the first key.
Mapping Zones
To set up or change the mapping of zones in the Mapping 
editor, proceed as follows:
1.In the Mapping editor or the Program Tree, select the 
zones for which you want to adjust the mapping.
2.On the context menu, open the Mapping submenu, 
and select one of the functions.
The following mapping functions are available:
OptionDescription
Root Key OnlyEach zone is mapped to its root key only.
Root Key Fill 
CenteredThe zones expand to the left and the right of the root key 
to fill empty spaces.
Root Key Fill UpThe zones expand upwards from the root key to fill 
empty spaces.
Root Key Fill 
DownThe zones expand downwards from the root key to fill 
empty spaces.
Layered on Root 
KeyThe zones are layered on the root key, equally spaced 
from the lowest to the highest velocity.
Layered on Key 
RangeZones that have exactly the same key range are layered 
equally spaced from the lowest to the highest velocity.
Chromatic from 
Last KeyStarting with the highlighted key of the Mapping editor 
keyboard, the zones are mapped chromatically to the 
white and black keys in ascending order. The root keys 
are set to match the corresponding key.
White Keys from 
Last Key Starting with the highlighted key of the Mapping editor 
keyboard, the zones are mapped to the white keys in as-cending order. The root keys are set to match the corre-sponding key.
Black Keys from 
Last KeyStarting with the highlighted key of the Mapping editor 
keyboard, the zones are mapped to the black keys in as-cending order. The root keys are set to match the corre-sponding key.
Layered on Last 
KeyOn the highlighted key of the Mapping editor keyboard, 
the zones are layered equally spaced from lowest to 
highest velocity. The root keys are set to match the high
-lighted key.
Stacked on Last 
Key At the highlighted key of the Mapping editor keyboard, 
the zones are stacked on each other. The root keys are 
set to match the highlighted key.
Key Text in 
Sample NameThe zones are mapped to the key that is extracted from 
the sample file name. The function searches for the 
name of the key in text form, e.g., C#3. The mapping 
and root key are set to that key.
Key Number in 
Sample NameThe zones are mapped to the MIDI note number that is 
extracted from the sample file name. The function 
searches for a number, e.g., 61. The mapping and root 
key are set to that key.
Velocity in Layer 
NameThe zones are mapped to the velocity range that is ex-tracted from the layer name. 
						

							102
Mapping Zones
ÖOnly values between 0 and 127 can be extracted as 
MIDI note numbers or velocity ranges. The smaller number 
is used as the lower limit and the higher number as the up
-
per limit, for example “Sample_Name_Range_90-127”.
Filling Gaps between Zones
Proceed as follows:
1.In the Mapping editor or Program Tree, select the 
zones that you want to adjust.
2.Right-click the zones, open the Fill Gaps submenu, 
and select one of the functions.
The following Fill Gaps functions are available:
Setting the Root Key
•To adjust the root keys of the selected zones without 
changing their key or velocity ranges, right-click one of the 
zones, open the “Set Root Key” submenu and select a 
function.
The following options are available:
Selecting Zones with the Mapping 
Editor Keyboard
You can select zones using the Mapping editor keyboard 
or an external MIDI keyboard. 
To select zones via the keyboard, activate the “Enable 
MIDI Mapping Selection Options” function on the toolbar 
and select one of the following options:
Velocity in 
Sample NameThe zones are mapped to the velocity range that is ex-tracted from the sample file name.
Velocity in 
Sample FolderThe zones are mapped to the velocity range that is ex-tracted from the name of the sample folder.
Ranges in 
Sample File The zones are mapped to the key and velocity ranges 
that are stored in the sample file’s header chunk. If the 
header chunk of the sample file contains no information, 
a message informs you that the samples could not be 
mapped.
OptionDescription
Pitch OnlyFills any gaps between the selected zones on the 
keyboard axis.
Velocity OnlyFills any gaps between the selected zones on the 
velocity axis.
Pitch & VelocityGaps on the keyboard axis are filled first. Then 
the remaining gaps on the velocity axis are filled.
Velocity & PitchGaps on the velocity axis are filled first. Then the 
remaining gaps on the keyboard axis are filled.
OptionDescription
Center of ZoneSets the root key to the center of the zone. If the 
zone has no center because it has an even number 
of keys, the root key is set to the key in the center 
that is closest to the previous root key.
Option Description
High Key of ZoneSets the root key to the High Key of the zone.
Low Key of Zone Sets the root key to the Low Key of the zone.
Key Text in Sample 
NameSets the root key to the key that is extracted from 
the sample file name. The function searches for the 
name of the key in text form.
Key Number in 
Sample NameSets the root key to the MIDI note number that is 
extracted from the sample file name. The function 
searches for a number.
Root Key in Sample 
FileSets the root key to the key that is stored in the 
header chunk of the sample file.
OptionDescription
Select Zones with 
the Mapping Editor 
KeyboardActivate this option to select zones by clicking on the 
Mapping editor keyboard.
Select Zones via 
MIDIActivate this option to select zones by playing on an 
external MIDI keyboard.
Select Zones 
depending on 
VelocityWhen this option is activated, the incoming velocity 
is taken into account. Only zones that match the in-coming velocity are selected.
Select Zones using 
a MIDI Controller 
to set the VelocityWhen this option is activated, the velocity from the 
keyboard is replaced by the controller values sent by 
the selected controller. Right-click the icon to select 
another controller or use the Learn function on the 
pop-up menu.
Select all Zones 
between the last 
two played notesAny zones between the last two triggered zones are 
selected.
You can extend the selection by playing a key and 
holding it. Any additional keys that you play add the 
corresponding zones to the selection.
If you play a chord, any zones between the lowest 
and the highest key are selected.
Option Description 
						

							12
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor 
						

							104
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor
Introduction
The Sample editor allows you to view and manipulate 
samples. In HALion, samples are associated with sample 
zones. When a sample zone is selected, the Sample edi
-
tor shows the selected sample. The Sample editor is di-
vided into different sections. The main space shows the 
waveform display and the lower section gives you access 
to all relevant sample parameters.
Overview
The Toolbar
The toolbar contains the tools to edit the sample and loop 
markers.
The Info Line
The info line shows information about the sample (length, 
sample rate and tempo, etc). Furthermore, you can set the 
locator position and the start, end, and length of the selec
-
tion.
The Overview Line
The overview line shows the whole sample. The section 
visible in the main waveform display is indicated by a rect
-
angle on the overview line and the current selection range 
is shown in orange.
You can move the rectangle in the overview line to view 
other sections of the sample. Click in the lower half of the 
rectangle and drag to the left or right to move it.
You can resize the rectangle by dragging its left or right 
border.
You can define a new viewing area by clicking in the upper 
half of the overview and dragging a rectangle with the 
mouse.
The Ruler
The Sample editor ruler is located between the overview 
line and the waveform display. It shows the timeline in the 
specified display format. 
•To select the format, click the arrow button to the right 
of the ruler and select an option from the pop-up menu.
You can choose to display hours, minutes, seconds, and milliseconds, or 
samples, or bars and beats.
The Waveform Display and the Level Scale
The waveform display shows the waveform image of the 
sample. To the left of the waveform display, a level scale is 
shown, indicating the amplitude of the audio.
•To select whether the level is shown as a percentage or 
in dB, click the level scale label (dB or %), and select an 
option from the pop-up menu.
•To display the half level axes, right-click in the Sample 
editor and select the corresponding option on the context 
menu. 
						

							105
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor
The Parameter Section
The parameter section contains sample and sample zone 
parameters. It has two tabs: Main and Loop.
The Main Tab
The Main tab contains the zone parameters, and the 
marker settings for Sample Start, Sample End, Start 
Range, as well as the parameters for the Release marker.
Playback Mode
The Playback Mode options are described in the section 
“Playback Mode” on page 80.
Fixed Pitch
This option is described in the section “Fixed Pitch” on 
page 81.
The Loop Tab
The Loop tab contains the loop settings, see “Creating 
Loops” on page 108.
General Operations
Zooming
•You can use the horizontal and vertical zoom sliders in 
the left lower corner of the editor to zoom in/out on the 
time and the level axis.
•You can press [G] and [H] to zoom in/out on the locator 
position.
•You can click and drag the ruler to zoom in/out on the 
position you have clicked.
•Three buttons to the right of the zoom slider allow you to 
zoom to specific markers or ranges: Zoom to Start, Zoom 
to End and Zoom to Full Range.
Depending on your work situation, these options refer to the sample, the 
selection, or a loop. Clicking several times increases the zoom level on 
the same marker position. 
•You can zoom by resizing the rectangle in the overview 
line.
•You can use the options on the Zoom submenu of the 
Sample editor context menu.
•You can toggle between full zoom and the previously 
set zoom level by clicking the A button in the lower right 
corner of the Sample editor.
View Range
When changing from one sample to another, you have 
several options how to set up the visible range for the 
newly selected sample zone.
The following options are available on the Sample editor 
context menu:
ÖIf the visible range cannot be set to the specified loop 
marker or range because the sample does not contain the 
required loop, it is set to the last stored settings for that 
zone. If no such settings are found, the full sample is dis
-
played.
OptionDescription
AutoFollows the visible view range of the previous sam-ple. This is the default setting.
LastEach zone stores the visible range individually. When 
you select a zone again, its view range is restored.
FullShows the full sample.
Sample StartShows the sample start marker with the current 
zoom factor.
Sample Start 
RangeShows the sample start range marker with the cur-rent zoom factor.
Sample EndShows the sample end marker with the current zoom 
factor.
Sustain LoopShows the sustain loop with the current zoom factor.
Sustain Loop StartShows the sustain loop start marker with the current 
zoom factor.
Sustain Loop EndShows the sustain loop end marker with the current 
zoom factor.
Release LoopShows the release loop with the current zoom factor.
Release Loop StartShows the release loop start marker with the current 
zoom factor.
Release Loop End Shows the release loop end marker with the current 
zoom factor. 
						

							106
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor
Auditioning Samples
You can play back the sample using the audition icon 
(Play Sample) on the toolbar. 
The following applies:
•If you have not made a selection, the whole sample is 
played back.
•If you have made a selection, this selection is played 
back.
•If the Edit Loop function is activated, playback contin-
ues repeatedly until you deactivate the audition function.
You can specify the playback start position by clicking in 
the timeline.
Using the Edit Loop Function
You can play back a looped selection when the Edit Loop 
icon is activated on the toolbar. This allows you to check 
the crossfade section of a long loop without having to wait 
until the loop has finished, for example.
Using the Play Tool
If you click somewhere in the waveform display with the 
Play tool and keep the mouse button pressed, the sample 
is played back from the position at which you clicked until 
you release the mouse button.
Scrubbing
The Scrub tool allows you to locate positions in the audio 
by playing back, forwards or backwards, at any speed:
1.Select the Scrub tool.
2.Click in the waveform display and keep the mouse 
button pressed.
3.Drag to the left or right.
The audio is played back. The speed and pitch of the playback depends 
on how fast you move the mouse.
Selecting an Output for the Sample Editor
The Sample editor plays back the raw samples without 
processing the synthesis structure. Therefore, its output is 
not automatically the same as the output of the zone that 
uses the sample. 
On the Output pop-up menu at the right of the title bar, 
you can specify to which plug-in output the Sample editor 
sends its signals.
The level slider next to the output selector allows you to 
specify the level of the Sample editor output.
ÖKeep in mind that samples are often normalized and 
therefore are played back with a much higher level than if 
triggered via a MIDI key.
Markers
You can use a set of different markers to specify important 
positions in a sample.
The following markers are available:
!If you are working with surround samples, make sure 
that the Sample editor is routed to the surround out
-
put bus. Otherwise, you are not able to hear all chan-
nels.
MarkerFunction
Sample StartDefines where the sample starts to play when a 
zone is triggered. Audio before this marker is 
skipped.
Sample EndDefines where the sample stops playing. Audio af-ter that marker is ignored.
Sustain Loop StartDefines where the sustain loop starts.
Sustain Loop EndDefines where the sustain loop ends. When this 
marker is reached, playback jumps back to the 
sustain loop start.
Release Loop StartDefines where the release loop starts. 
						

							107
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor
Selections
Making Selections
To make a selection in the Sample editor, click and drag 
with the Range Selection tool.
•If Snap to Zero Crossing is activated on the toolbar, the 
start and end of the selection are always placed at zero 
crossings.
•You can resize the selection by dragging its left and 
right border or by [Shift]-clicking.
•The current selection is indicated on the info line. 
Here, you can change these values numerically.
Defining Sample Start and End from a Selection
•Make a selection, right-click in the Sample editor, open 
the Selection submenu, and select “Set Sample Start/End 
to selection”.
Creating New Zones from Selections
•Make a selection, right-click in the Sample editor, open 
the Selection submenu, and select “Create Zone from Se
-
lection”.
The new zone is inserted below the source zone.
Snapping
Snap to Markers
When the Snap option is activated, you can snap the se-
lection start and end points and markers to other markers.
Snap to Zero Crossing
When this option is activated, markers and selection start 
and end points are only placed at zero crossings (posi
-
tions in the audio where the amplitude is zero). This helps 
you avoid pops and clicks that are caused by sudden am
-
plitude changes.
Auto-Scroll
When this option is activated, the waveform display is 
scrolled during playback, keeping the playback cursor vis
-
ible in the editor.
Read Root Key and Tuning from File
This context menu option allows you to set the root key 
and tuning to the values that are saved in the sample file, if 
available.
•Right-click in the Sample editor, open the Sample sub-
menu, and select “Read Root Key and Tuning from File”.
The current zone settings are overwritten by the sample file settings.
This option is only available if the corresponding informa-
tion is available in the sample file.
Show File in Explorer
•Right-click in the Sample editor, open the Sample sub-
menu, and select “Show in Explorer” (Win) or “Show in 
Finder” (Mac).
Release Loop EndDefines where the release loop ends. When this 
marker is reached, playback jumps back to the re-lease loop start.
ReleaseThis marker defines the position at which playback 
starts when a note-off message is received. This 
allows for a realistic release note-off behavior with
-out the necessity of using extra release samples. 
To avoid unwanted clicks when jumping to the re-lease marker, you can set a crossfade time and 
curvature in the parameter section.
Sample Start RangeDefines the attack phase of a sample, which can 
be used for the modulation of the sample start, see 
“Sample Start Range” on page 81
Marker Function 
						

							108
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor
Editing Samples in an External Editor
HALion allows you to specify an external Sample editor 
application that can be used to perform destructive offline 
editing on a sample. You can specify the location of this 
application in the Edit section of the Options editor, see 
“External Wave Editor” on page 44.
Note that not all sample editors provide the same func-
tionality and that certain features, like transferring the sam-
ple loop markers, are not always possible. To get the best 
results, use Steinberg’s WaveLab.
•To load the current sample in an external editor, right-
click in the Sample editor, open the Sample submenu, and 
select “Load into External Editor”.
The external sample editor is launched and the sample is transferred.
ÖThe menu entry is only available if you specified an ex-
ternal editor in the Options editor.
To ensure a safe and consistent workflow, HALion creates 
a copy of the sample and writes it to a temporary folder. 
This folder can be specified in the Options editor. If none 
is specified, the temporary folder of the operating system 
is used.
Changes in the external editor are made to the copy of the 
sample. When you save the sample in the external editor, 
HALion recognizes that the temporary file has changed 
and asks if you want to update the sample.
When writing the sample to the temporary folder, HALion 
also includes information about loop settings. These can 
be modified in the external editor, too. When replacing the 
sample afterwards, the new loop settings are transferred 
back as well.
ÖSample start/end and release markers cannot be 
transferred to an external editor.
If a sample is referenced by several zones, transformations 
of the audio signal are audible for all zones.
ÖWhen you remove a zone or a program that contains a 
zone referring to a sample that is still opened in an external 
editor, you are asked to close the file in the external editor. 
This enables HALion to delete the temporary file, which is 
no longer needed.
Channel View Options
The Sample editor allows you to display either all chan-
nels, a specific channel, or the sum of all channels. The 
corresponding options are located to the left of the wave
-
form display. If no selection is made here, all channels are 
displayed.
ÖFor stereo samples the surround channel selectors are 
not available.
Creating Loops
In the Sample editor, you can specify two independent 
loops, one for the sustain and one for the release phase. 
To set up the sustain and the release loop, you can set the 
start and end positions manually and/or use the functions 
to automatically detect the positions. For a smooth loop 
you need to find positions at which the loop end can be 
continued naturally at the loop start.
The loop settings can be edited using the toolbar options 
and the handles in the waveform display, but they are also 
available as numerical values on the Loop tab in the pa
-
rameters section.
Setting Up a Loop
If the loops are not activated in the zone parameters, no 
loop markers are shown in the waveform display. When 
selecting a loop type in the parameters section, the corre
-
sponding markers are shown. By activating the Edit Loop 
function on the Sample editor toolbar, the loop type is set 
and the loop markers are set to the sample start/end 
range or the selection, if available.
Show Channel Sum
Show Right Channel
Show LFE Channel
Show Rear Right Channel
Show Rear Left Channel
Show Center Channel
Show Left Channel 
						

							109
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor
Selecting a Loop Type
By selecting an option from the Loop pop-up menu on the 
Loop tab in the parameters section, you define the loop 
type. The following options are available:
Moving Start and End Markers
The loop start and end markers can be set to suitable po-
sitions by dragging the marker handles. 
In edit mode, you can also press [Shift] and drag the audio 
before or after the loop end marker to adjust the end or 
start position (respectively).
Detecting Loop Start and End Automatically
The loop detection functions search for loop marker posi-
tions taking into account similarities within the sample. You 
can specify the size of the sample portion that has to match 
before a loop is accepted. Furthermore, you can define the 
quality that suggested loop markers should match.
To automatically detect a loop, proceed as follows:
1.Activate the “Edit Loop” button on the Sample editor 
toolbar.
2.Use the “Find Previous Loop Start/End” or “Find Next 
Loop Start/End” buttons on the toolbar to detect suitable 
marker positions.
The loop markers are set accordingly.
The following settings on the Sample editor toolbar also 
influence the marker detection features:
Using Edit Mode
Edit mode is useful to fine-tune and adjust a loop. The 
waveform is updated to reflect the result of your loop 
settings.
•To activate edit mode, activate the Edit Loop icon (“e”) 
on the Sample editor toolbar.
•To select which loop (sustain or release) you want to 
see and adjust in edit mode, click the “Sustain/Release 
Loop” icon (S/R) on the toolbar.
When the icon is green, you are editing the sustain loop. For the release 
loop, the icon is red.
OptionDescription
No LoopThe sample is played without loops. You can also 
use this option to remove existing loop markers.
ContinuousThe loop is played continuously until the end of the 
amplitude envelope.
OnceThe loop is repeated once.
Until Release 
(sustain loops only)The loop is repeated until you release the key on the 
keyboard.
OptionDescription
Loop TransitionThis option allows you to search for rather short loops 
(t = transition) or longer loops (T = Timbre).It can be useful to search for longer loops if the sam-ple contains longer sound progressions or beats that 
need to be included. That way you can prevent that 
the resulting loop becomes static. 
When set to Timbre, HALion also suggests loop 
marker positions that might not be optimal regarding 
the local transition, but reflect best the tonal progres
-sion of the sound. In this case, you can use the cross-fade function to smooth out the loop.
ThresholdHALion internally detects a large number of possible 
loop marker positions that are more or less well suited 
for the loop. These positions are ranked internally ac
-cording to quality. The Threshold control allows you to 
specify the ranking level a marker must have so that it 
can be used. With the highest setting, only few suit
-able positions are suggested.
Loop ScoreEach detected loop marker is evaluated and attributed 
a rating, or score, that provides additional information 
about how well loop start and end match.
Note that this value is only updated when using the 
loop find functions. 
						

							110
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor
To better see how loop start and end are correlating, a 
part of the waveform is displayed in blue on top of the 
loop. This part is taken from an area around the loop start 
(+/- the loop length) and then shifted to the loop end. The 
better both waveforms correspond, the smoother the loop 
will sound.
Setting Up Loop Crossfades
To create smooth loops, you can use crossfades. To set 
up a loop crossfade, proceed as follows:
1.Activate the “e” button on the Sample editor toolbar to 
enter edit mode.
Crossfade handles are displayed on the waveform.
2.Click the “Sustain/Release Loop” icon (S/R) on the 
toolbar to select whether you want to edit the sustain or 
the release loop.
3.Drag the crossfade handles with the mouse, or specify 
the crossfade range numerically in the parameter section.
To see the effect of the crossfade, you can activate the 
“Show Resulting Loop Crossfade” option on the toolbar. 
When this is activated, the resulting waveform is dis
-
played in red.
Adjusting the Crossfade Curve
You can specify a linear curve, an equal power curve, or 
anything in between. 
•Drag the middle of the fade curve up or down, or adjust 
the Curve value in the parameters section.
Adjusting the Tuning
Using the Tuning option on the Loop tab in the parameters 
section, you can set the tuning of the loop. This is useful to 
adjust the frequency of the loop.
Using Loopsets A and B
In the Loopset section on the Loop tab in the parameters 
section, you can set up two different sets of loops for the 
same sample. This is useful to compare different versions 
of the same loop, for example.
Additional Loop Options
The following operations can be performed using options 
from the Sample editor context menu.
Creating Loops from Selections
You can use a selection range as the basis for a loop. Pro-
ceed as follows: 
1.Activate the “Play Selection Looped” icon on the 
Sample editor toolbar.
2.Click the “Play Sample” icon on the toolbar.
3.Adjust the selection until you are satisfied with the 
loop.
4.Right-click in the Sample editor, open the Selection 
submenu, and select “Set Sustain Loop to selection” or 
“Set Release Loop to selection”.
Reading Loop Information from Sample Files
The “Read Loop from File” option allows you to set loop 
markers to the values that are saved in the sample file.
•Right-click in the Sample editor, open the Sample sub-
menu, and select “Read Loop from File”.
The current zone settings are overwritten by the sample file settings.
ÖThis option is only available if the corresponding infor-
mation is available in the sample file.