Steinberg VST Sampler HALION 4 Operation Manual

							111
Editing Samples in the Sample Editor
Using the Loop Submenu
The Loop submenu on the context menu contains the fol-
lowing options:
CommandDescription
Copy Sustain Loop to 
Release LoopCopies the start/end marker positions of the sus-tain loop to the release loop.
Copy Release Loop 
to Sustain LoopCopies the start/end marker positions of the re-lease loop to the sustain loop.
Copy Loop A to B Copies the settings of loop A to loop B.
Copy Loop B to ACopies the settings of loop B to loop A.
Set Sustain Loop to 
Sample Start/EndSets the loop start and end marker positions to 
those of the sample start and end marker. This is 
useful for drum loops, for example.
Set Sample Start/End 
to Sustain LoopSets the sample start and end marker positions to 
those of the sample loop start and end markers. 
This can be used to create sliced loops from lon
-ger sample files. 
						

							13
MIDI Editing and Controllers 
						

							113
MIDI Editing and Controllers
The MIDI Editor
The MIDI editor provides access to the MIDI slot parame-
ters of HALion. This includes MIDI channel, Key and Ve-
locity range, and Transpose and Polyphony settings. 
Furthermore, you can specify MIDI controllers to be fil
-
tered. To switch between velocity range, key range and 
controller filter, use the buttons above the range controls.
Parameters
Channel
The slot receives MIDI signals on the MIDI port and chan-
nel specified here. You can set multiple slots to the same 
MIDI channel and trigger them simultaneously with the 
same note events.
Poly (Polyphony)
The Polyphony setting is used to specify how many notes 
can be played at the same time. Since programs can con
-
tain various layers, the resulting number of voices (stereo 
samples, synth voices etc.) can be much higher than the 
value specified here.
Transpose
Here you can shift the incoming MIDI notes by ±64 semi-
tones before they are sent to the loaded program.
Key Range (Low Key, High Key)
Each slot can be limited to a certain key range. Set the 
range with the Low Key and High Key values or by drag
-
ging the keyboard range control at its ends. When you 
click and drag towards the middle of the keyboard, both 
values are moved at the same time. As an additional op
-
tion, you can use the MIDI input to set the range. Simply 
click in a value field and play the note.
To set the key range, proceed as follows:
1.At the top of the MIDI editor, click the Key button.
2.In the slot, set the key range with the keyboard range 
controls and/or Low Key/High Key value fields.
Velocity Range (Low Vel, High Vel)
Each slot can be limited to a velocity range. Set the range 
with the Low Vel and High Vel values or by dragging the 
graphical velocity range control at its ends. When you 
click and drag towards the middle of the velocity range 
control, both values are moved at the same time.
To adjust the velocity range, proceed as follows:
1.At the top of the MIDI editor, click the Vel button.
2.In the slot, set the velocity range with the velocity 
range control and/or Low Vel/High Vel value fields.
Controller Filter
You can filter out the most commonly used MIDI control-
lers for each slot separately. For example, when you set up 
a keyboard split with bass and piano playing on the same 
MIDI channel, both sounds will receive the same MIDI 
controllers. However, you usually do not want the bass to 
receive the sustain pedal. To avoid that all sounds on the 
same MIDI channel receive the same MIDI controllers, use 
the controller filter. 
To filter out the most commonly used MIDI controllers, 
proceed as follows:
1.At the top of the MIDI editor, click the Ctrl button.
2.In the slot, click the button of the MIDI controller you 
want to filter out.
The following MIDI controllers and messages can be filtered out: 
Sustain #64, Foot Controller #4, Foot Switches #65-69, Control 
Change, Pitchbend, Modulation Wheel #1, and Aftertouch. 
						

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MIDI Editing and Controllers
Showing Empty Slots
By default the MIDI editor only shows slots that are cur-
rently in use by programs.
To show also all empty slots, activate the “Show Empty 
Slots” option in the title bar.
Using MIDI Controllers
HALion allows you to assign almost any parameter to a 
MIDI controller. However, you can only assign one param
-
eter of a single zone, layer, effect control, etc. at a time. If 
you want to use the same MIDI controller for several 
zones, layers, etc. you have to assign it several times.
A more convenient way to control a zone parameter like 
the cutoff frequency for all zones, for example is to assign 
a quick control to that parameter and then assign the MIDI 
controller to that quick control. Not only can you now con
-
trol all zones simultaneously, but this way you can also 
preserve different cutoff settings per zone and just control 
the offset added by the quick control.
By default, some of the most common parameters like slot 
volume, pan, as well as the quick controls of each slot are 
already pre-assigned. The slot AUX FX send modules 1-4 
are also pre-assigned and become directly controllable as 
soon as you load one of the AUX FX send modules on a 
slot insert effect.
You can customize the factory MIDI controller mapping by 
assigning your own MIDI controllers using the Learn func
-
tion.
Assigning MIDI Controllers
1.Right-click the control you want to remote-control.
2.Select “Learn CC” from the menu.
3.On your MIDI keyboard or controller, use the knob, 
fader, or button.
The next time you right-click the control, the menu shows the assigned 
MIDI controller.
ÖYou can assign the same MIDI controller several times 
to different parameters. However, you cannot assign dif
-
ferent MIDI controllers to the same parameter.
•To remove a MIDI controller assignment, right-click the 
corresponding control, and select “Forget CC”.
Setting the Parameter Range
You can set the minimum and maximum values for the pa-
rameter separately for each assignment.
•To set the minimum value for the parameter, set the 
value, right-click the control, and select “Set Minimum”.
•To set the maximum value for the parameter, set the 
value, right-click the control, and select “Set Maximum”.
Assigning MIDI Controllers to 
AUX
 FX
You can assign the parameters of the AUX FX to MIDI 
controllers as well. Unlike the slots, the AUX FX do not 
have a MIDI port and channel of their own. Instead, when 
learning, they listen to any incoming MIDI controller mes
-
sage, regardless of the MIDI channel. When they are as-
signed, they keep the specified MIDI channel.
•To assign a MIDI controller, load the effect, right-click 
the parameter, and assign the controller as described 
above.
•If you unload or replace the effect, the MIDI controller 
assignment of this effect is lost.
Saving a MIDI Controller Mapping 
as Default
After customizing the factory MIDI controller assignments, 
you can save them as default.
•Open the Options editor and click “Save as Default” in 
the MIDI controller section.
Now, each time you load a new instance of the plug-in, your customized 
MIDI controller mapping is available as default.
Ö“Save as Default” does not include any of the MIDI 
controller assignments of the AUX FX.
ÖThe current MIDI controller mapping is also saved with 
each project. This way, you can transfer your settings to 
other systems. The project also includes the MIDI control
-
ler assignments of the AUX FX. 
						

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MIDI Editing and Controllers
Restoring the Factory MIDI Controller 
Assignment
To restore the factory MIDI controller assignments, open 
the Options editor, and in the MIDI controller section, click 
“Reset to Factory”.
Automation and Factory MIDI 
Controller Assignments
The following parameters show the controller numbers 
and names of the default factory MIDI controller assign
-
ment.
ÖThe assigned MIDI controller numbers are the same 
for all 64 slots. However, the MIDI controllers listen only to 
the MIDI channels of the corresponding slot.
*Only available if the corresponding AUX Send effect is 
loaded.
ÖYou can use MIDI controllers inside the modulation 
matrix of a synth or sample layer, for example, to control 
the cutoff.
CC 121 Support
HALion can be controlled with the AI knob of Steinberg’s 
CC121 MIDI controller unit.
To change a parameter value, proceed as follows:
1.Move the mouse pointer over the control you want to 
change.
2.Turn the AI knob to set the value.
ÖThe AI knob only works on parameters that are auto-
matable. This means, for example, that you cannot use the 
AI knob to change the parameters of the Options editor.
ParameterController numberName
Volume#07Volume
Pan#10Pan
Mute--
Solo--
Send FX 1*#91Effect 1 Depth
Send FX 2*#92Effect 2 Depth
Send FX 3*#93Effect 3 Depth
Send FX 4*#94Effect 4 Depth
Program  QC 1#74Brightness
Program  QC 2#71Harmonic Content
Program  QC 3#73Attack Time
Program  QC 4#72Release Time
Program  QC 5#75Sound Controller #6
Program  QC 6#76Sound Controller #7
Program  QC 7#77Sound Controller #8
Program  QC 8#78Sound Controller #9 
						

							14
Mixing and Routing 
						

							117
Mixing and Routing
The Audio Bus Architecture
The audio signals of zones, layers, programs, and slots are 
managed via audio busses. The HALion slots always have 
one dedicated bus while programs can have one or more 
audio busses that mix the audio signals from the layers 
and zones they contain. Layers do not have to have an au
-
dio bus. However, you can optionally create audio busses 
for layers at any time, for example to create a submix of the 
zones they contain. You can load insert effects on any of 
these audio busses, for example to process the audio of a 
single layer or a whole program. In addition, AUX busses 
allow you to use send effects with zones, layers, programs, 
and slots. Send effects can be shared between zones, lay
-
ers, programs, and slots, which saves processing power. 
Zones do not have an audio bus of their own. Instead, they 
have outputs that are routed automatically to the next 
available audio bus. Any of the zones, audio busses, and 
AUX busses can be assigned freely to one of the stereo 
outputs or the surround output of the plug-in. For example, 
a zone output can be routed directly to an output bus, 
omitting any audio busses and their effects in between.
The Default Audio Signal Flow
Typically, programs are loaded into a slot. Each slot is di-
rectly connected to an output bus. The audio busses from 
the program send their signals to the audio bus of the slot. 
A program can contain anything from a single zone to a 
couple of zones, or one or more layers. Layers can contain 
other layers, which contain zones. The zones output is 
mixed to the audio busses of the next higher level layers or 
directly to the program.
ÖTo save processing power, audio busses for layers 
and programs are optional. If a layer has no audio bus, the 
zones in the layer are automatically routed to the next 
higher audio bus.
Audio Busses
Audio busses can be compared to channels in a mixer but 
with much more flexibility when it comes to mixing and 
routing possibilities. By definition, each slot has at least 
one audio bus that mixes the audio signals from the layers 
and zones they contain. Layers do not have an audio bus 
by default, but you can create audio busses for layers.
Apart from the routing and mixing possibilities, audio bus-
ses allow you to load insert effects for processing audio 
on that bus. Depending on how you set up the audio bus
-
ses, you can load insert effects on single layers, the whole 
program or the slot. For example, you can process only the 
strings of a piano and strings layer sound with a chorus ef
-
fect, and keep the piano unprocessed. You load insert ef-
fects into the effect slots of the channels in the Mixer.
In addition, audio busses allow you to route audio via 
sends to an AUX bus. This way, you can set up send ef
-
fects, which can be shared among the layers, programs, 
and slots. You assign sends directly in the zones or with 
the effect slots of the channels displayed in the mixer. The 
sends have an adjustable level, allowing you to control the 
amount of the effect that is loaded on the AUX bus.
AUX Busses
You need an AUX bus to route individual audio signals 
from zones or audio busses to AUX effects. HALion pro
-
vides four of these AUX busses. To set up an AUX effect, 
load an insert effect into one of the effect slots of the AUX 
bus. To hear the effect, raise the send level of a zone, 
route the output of a zone or your audio bus to the AUX 
bus, or set up a send in the effect rack of your audio bus.
The send levels control the amount of the effect that is 
loaded into the AUX bus. You can set up sends for each 
zone and audio bus separately.
By default, the output of an AUX bus is routed to the mas-
ter output bus, but you can reassign its output to other 
output busses.
Zones
By definition, the outputs of zones are routed to the first 
audio bus of the next higher layer or the program. You can 
reassign the outputs of the zones to any master output.
Layers
To save processing power, audio busses for layers are 
optional. You can create them at any time in the Program 
Tree. By default, audio busses of layers route to the first 
audio bus of the next higher layer or the program. You can 
reassign the outputs of the audio busses of the layers to 
any master output. 
						

							118
Mixing and Routing
Programs
By default, the audio busses of programs are routed to the 
audio bus of the slot holding the program. You can create 
additional audio busses, for example to create more indi
-
vidual outputs. You can reassign the outputs of the audio 
busses of the program to any master output.
Slots
A slot outputs its audio busses directly to the master out-
puts of the plug-in. Each slot has one audio bus. You can 
reassign the outputs of the audio busses of the slots to 
any plug-in output bus.
Editing Audio Busses
Creating Audio Busses
To create an audio bus and a corresponding Mixer chan-
nel, proceed as follows:
1.In the Program Tree, select the program or layer to 
which you want to add a bus.
2.Click the “Create New Bus” icon on the toolbar.
Changing the Output Assignment of an Audio Bus
To change the output assignment of an audio bus, open 
the Mixer and click “Show Depending Bus Channels”. In 
the Program Tree, select a layer, program, or slot with one 
or more audio busses. All relevant channels are shown in 
the Mixer. Additional audio busses are displayed at the 
right of the first audio bus. In the Mixer, click on the output 
of the audio bus that you want to edit and select an output 
from the pop-up menu.
ÖThe output busses of the plug-in can be activated in 
the host sequencer or the Preferences dialog of the 
standalone version.
Changing the Output Assignment of an AUX Bus
1.In the Mixer, click the “Show AUX busses” button on 
the toolbar.
2.Click on the output selector of the AUX bus you want 
to edit and select an output bus from the pop-up menu.
Changing the Output Assignments of Zones
1.Select the zones in the Program Tree.
2.Open the Sound editor, scroll to the Amplifier section 
and open the AUX tab.
3.From the Output pop-up menu, select a plug-in output 
or AUX bus.
ÖIn addition, you can use the send level knobs of the 
zones to route individual audio signals to insert effects on 
AUX busses.
Automatic Bus Width Adaptation
HALion is constantly monitoring the width of all busses in 
the signal path and adapts to the required width automat
-
ically. This may be the case when adding a surround sam-
ple zone to a layer that only contains stereo samples so 
far. In this case, the layer bus and all following busses are 
set to surround to allow a correct routing. The stereo sam
-
ple will still be routed correctly to channel one and two.
Another way to change the bus width in the middle of the 
signal path is to add a surround panner to one of the insert 
effect slots of a stereo bus. In this case, the output of the 
bus changes from stereo to surround and forces following 
busses to do the same.
ÖAUX busses change their bus width, too, if they re-
ceive signals from surround sources.
Output busses cannot change their bus width automati-
cally, because they are usually connected to a hardware 
device. Therefore, the routing to the plug-in output busses 
has to be changed manually. Make sure that surround 
slots are routed to the surround output and stereo busses 
to one of the stereo outputs.
In case your routing is not set up correctly, the corre-
sponding channels show a red warning icon to indicate 
that the width of two or more busses does not fit and you 
loose audio channels.
ÖIn some cases it might be necessary to connect sur-
round busses to stereo outputs. To avoid losing any of the 
audio channels, you can add the Downmix effect to one of 
the inserts. This reduces the bus width to stereo. 
						

							119
Mixing and Routing
Automatic Output Connection
HALion allows you to select outputs in many places. You 
can find output selectors in zones, layer busses, AUX bus
-
ses, and slots. Each output can be freely named and the 
output selectors reflect these names.
Different programs on different slots may contain output 
configurations that are not available, because busses with 
the required names are not present in a HALion multi.
In case that connections cannot be established due to dif-
ferent names, a dialog opens showing all pending busses. 
For each missing bus you can select another bus to be 
used instead.
Pending busses can also occur when loading layers into 
programs. In case a layer does not find the required bus
-
ses, the same dialog opens and you can select another 
bus.
ÖIf an assigned output bus is deactivated in the host, 
HALion shows a red warning icon on the output channel 
and the Mixer channels that are connected to it. Neverthe
-
less, you will still be able to hear the signal, because all 
signals are deviated to the master bus in the background. 
However, all output selectors remain on their current set
-
ting and you can reestablish the connections later, by ac-
tivating the outputs in your host.
Output Configurations in Different Hosts
Apple Logic 9
In general, HALion provides 32 stereo and one surround 
output connecting with the host application or a hardware 
device in standalone. In most applications all of them are 
available. However, Logic 9 only allows for 16 outputs for 
a single plug-in. When opening an instance of HALion, 
you can choose one of four output configurations: 
 
Stereo, 5.1-Surround, Multi-Output (1x5.1, 15xStereo), 
Multi-Output (16xStereo).
Ableton
Ableton Live 8 does not support surround busses.
Sonar 9
Sonar 9 allows to activate all outputs either in mono or 
stereo. For mono, you get 64 channels for the 32 HALion 
stereo channels plus six channels for the surround bus. If 
the stereo outputs are activated, Sonar uses 32 stereo 
channels plus three stereo channels for the surround bus.
The HALion Mixer
The HALion Mixer editor manages all busses that are avail-
able in a HALion instance. These are the 32 stereo output 
busses plus one surround bus, the 64 slot busses, the 4 
AUX busses and a dynamic number of program and layer 
busses depending on the actual program architecture.
Each bus can be controlled using a dedicated mixer chan-
nel, featuring functions like level, pan, mute, solo, and up 
to eight insert/send effects.
The Mixer editor provides a toolbar that allows you to 
specify which type of busses you want to see at a given 
time.
The Toolbar Options
Displaying Different Mixer Channels
To define which mixer channels to display, click one of the 
show buttons.
OptionDescription
SlotShows all slot channels.
AUXShows the AUX channels.
OutputShows all output channels.
Child bussesShows all the busses that can be found inside the 
selected program or layer hierarchy.
Depending bussesShows all busses that are in use for the selected 
program or layer (including AUX busses).
Slot Output Depending bussesAUX Child busses 
						

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Mixing and Routing
Expanding and Collapsing all Mixer Channels
•To expand all mixer channels at once, click the right ar-
row button.
Expanded mixer channels provide direct access to the insert/send 
effects.
•To collapse all mixer channels at once, click the left ar-
row button.
Collapsed mixer channels only show the most important controls like 
level, pan, solo, mute, and a level meter.
Showing Empty Slot Channels
If set to “Show Slot Bus Channels”, the Mixer editor only 
shows channels that are currently in use by programs 
loaded into the corresponding slots. To show all empty slot 
channels as well, activate the “Show Empty Slots” button.
ÖThis button is also available in the Slot Rack and the 
MIDI editor.
Hiding Deactivated Output Channels
If set to “Show Output Bus Channels”, the Mixer editor 
shows all output busses. Deactivated outputs are grayed 
out. To gain a better overview about which channels are 
currently used, activate the “Hide Inactive Outputs” button.
The Mixer Channel Strip Controls
All busses have a similar mixer channel, with a few excep-
tions. For example, the output busses do not have an out-
put pop-up menu. The various types of channels are using 
different label colors:
Mute
Mutes the bus.
Solo
Mutes all other busses and lets you hear the solo bus only. 
You can put several channels into solo mode to hear all of 
them.
Level
The level fader allows to adjust the volume of the bus. All 
busses allow an amplification of +12
 dB.
Pan
By default in the stereo panorama all stereo mixer chan-
nels provide a stereo panner that allows to define the po-
sition. When working with surround busses, the stereo 
pan is disabled, but you can use a surround panner to pan 
the stereo signals in the surround field. This can be 
achieved by adding a Surround Panner to one of the insert 
slots. The mixer channel shows a small version of the Sur
-
round Panner, which can be used to remote-control the 
inserted surround panner. Additionally, the Surround Pan
-
ner provides a level fader for the LFE channel.
ÖFor more detailed editing, use the Sound editor of the 
Surround Panner.
Meter
The meters of a mixer channel show the output level of the 
bus. Depending on the number of audio channels of the 
bus, the number of meters is adapted accordingly. Stereo 
busses have two channel meters, surround channels six.
Peak Level
The peak level meter indicates the highest level on the bus 
in dB. To reset, click the peak level.
Channel Label
By default, the channel label shows the name of the bus. 
Double-click the label to enter a name.ChannelColor
SlotYellow
ProgramBlue
LayerGray
OutputRed
AUXGreen
Channel Color