Steinberg VST Workstation Halion Sonic Operation Manual

							41
HALion Sonic
The monophonic LFOs offer the following modes:
Option Description
Off  The LFO runs freely.
First Note The LFO restarts wh en a
  note is triggered and no other 
notes are held.
Each Note The LFO restarts each time a note is triggered.
LFO Envelopes
The following parameters are only available for the poly -
phonic LFOs, i.e. LFO1 and LFO2.
Delay
Delay determines the delay time between the moment you 
play a note and the moment  the LFO comes into effect. 
The control range is from 0 ms to 5000 ms.
Fade In
Fade In determines the amount of time for the LFO to fade 
in after the note has been triggered and the delay time has 
elapsed. The control range is from 0 ms to 5000 ms.
Hold
Hold determines the amount of time the LFO is running 
before the Fade Out is carried out. The control range is 
from 0 ms to 5000 ms.
Ö Use
 the Env modes “One Shot” or “Hold + Fade Out” 
to activate the Hold time. With all other Env modes, the 
Hold time is omitted and acts as Sustain.
Fade Out
Fade Out determines the amount of time for the LFO to 
fade out after the hold time has elapsed or a note has 
been released. The control range is from 0 ms to 5000 
ms.
ÖUse
 the Env mode “One Shot + Sustain” or “Sustain” 
to deactivate the Fade Out. This avoids changes of the 
modulation when the note has been released.
Graphical enve lope editing
You can adjust the times of the envelope with the graphi -
cal editor:
• The first node adjusts the 
 delay time. Drag the node to 
the left to decrease and to the right to increase the delay. •
The 
second node adjusts the Fade In time. Drag the 
node to the left to decrease and to the right to increase 
the time.
•The third 
node adjusts the Hold time. Drag the node to 
the left to decrease and to the right to increase the time.
•The fo
urth node adjusts the Fade Out time. Drag the 
node to the left to decrease and to the right to increase 
the time.
Env Invert
When activated, the behavior of the LFO envelope is in -
verted: The LFO modulation starts at its maximum level 
and d
 ecreases to zero in the time specified by Fade In. Af-
ter the Hold time has elapsed, or when releasing a key, the 
modulation increases 
 to its maximum level in the time 
specified by Fade Out.
Env mode
Here you can select how the LFO envelope reacts to your 
playing on the keyboard: The One Shot modes do not re -
act to note off events. In addition, you can select whether 
the Hold and Fade Out seg
 ments act as sustain or not.
OptionDescription
One Shot Select this mode to play the envelope from start to end in 
th

e time specified by Delay, Fade In, Hold, and Fade Out.
One Shot + 
Sus
 tain This mode is similar to One 
Shot: The Delay and Fade I n 
are always carried out when you play a note. The Hold 
and Fade Out are omitted. In stead, they act as sustain.
Hold + Fade Out When you play a note, the Delay and Fade In are carried 
out. The envelop

e fades out after the  time specified by 
Hold or when releasing the  note. Releasing the note dur-
ing the Fade In starts the Fa de
  Out from the current level.
Sustain + Fade 
Out When you play a note, the Delay and Fade In are carried 
out. The Hold

 acts as sustain.  The Fade Out is carried out 
when releasing the note. Releasing the note during the 
Fade In starts the Fade Out from the current level.
Sustain When you play a note, the Delay and Fade In are carried 
out. Both,

 the Hold and Fade  Out act as sustain. Releas -
ing a note during the Fade In  s
 ustains the current level. 
This avoids a change in modulation when the note has 
been released. 
						

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HALion Sonic
Step Modulator page
Synth and sample layers feature a polyphonic Step Modu-
lator for creating rhythmic control sequences. The Step 
Modulator can be freely assigned in the Modulation Matrix. 
The sequence can have up to 32 steps. By selecting a 
note value, the steps can be synchronized to the tempo of 
the host application or you can specify a frequency at 
which the sequence repeats. The Retrigger mode allows 
you to restart the sequence either with the First Note or 
Each Note. The sequence continues when this parameter 
is set to Off. You can define a slope for rising, falling or 
both edges of the steps. This way, you can use the Step 
Modulator as an LFO with freely definable shape.
To access the Step Modulator:
1.Go to the Edit page and select the synth or sample lay-
er you want to adjust.
2.In the upper section of the editor, click the StepMod 
page button.
Step Modulator presets
To the upper right of the lower section of the layer editor, 
you can load and save presets for the Step Modulator.
•To load a preset click on the preset loader and select 
the desired preset from the menu that pops up.
•To delete a preset from your system, click the trash bin 
button. Then you will be asked to confirm the deletion.
•To save a new preset, click the floppy disk button. A file 
dialog opens where you can name and save your preset 
file.
Editing steps
You can adjust the steps by using the mouse:
•To set the level of a step, click at the desired position in 
the graphical editor.
•To set the exact value you wish, drag the step up and 
down like a fader.
•To reset a step to a level of 0%, [Ctrl]-click the step.
•To reset all steps, [Shift]+[Ctrl]-click in the graphical 
editor.
•To adjust all steps at once, [Shift]-drag a step.
•To draw a ramp with steps, [Alt]-click and draw a line.
•To draw symmetric ramps, [Shift]+[Alt]-click and draw a 
line.
You can adjust the steps by using the computer keyboard:
•Use the Step text field, to select a certain step.
•To set the level of the selected step, enter the desired 
value in the level text field.
•To increment or decrement the selected step, use the 
up and down arrow keys respectively.
By default, the increment or decrement is in steps of 1%. Hold [Shift] to 
increment or decrement the selected step in steps of 1/10th %.
•While the graphical editor has the keyboard focus, you 
can use the left and right arrow keys to select the previous 
or next step.
Steps
Here you set the number of steps the sequence plays. The 
control range is from 2 to 32 steps. 
						

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HALion Sonic
Sync mode
By setting a note value, you can synchronize the steps to 
the tempo of the host application. Alternatively, you can 
specify a frequency at which the sequence repeats. If you 
can set a note value or a frequency depends on the option 
you select here:
Option Description
Off Select this to adjust the speed at which the sequence re -
peats in Hertz. Whether the sequence restarts or not 
wh
 en you play a note depends on the selected Retrigger 
mode.
Tempo + Retrig Select this to adjust the length  of the steps i
 n fractions of 
beats, i.e. 1/4, 1/8, etc. The speed of the modulation de -
pend on the number of steps, the note value and the 
temp
 o you set in your host application. By activating the T 
button, the note values be come triplet note values. 
Whether the sequence restarts or not when you play a 
note depends on the selected Retrigger mode.
Tempo + Beat Select this to adjust the length  of the steps i
 n fractions of 
beats, i.e. 1/4, 1/8, etc. The speed of the modulation de -
pend on the number of steps, the note value and the 
temp
 o you set in your host application. By activating the T 
button the note valu es become triplet note values. The 
sequence restarts with the transport of the host and lines 
up to the beats of the song. The Retrigger setting does 
not come into effect.
Frequency
When Sync mode is set to “Off”, this controls the speed 
at which the sequence repeats. The control range is from 
0.01 Hz to 30 Hz.
Note
When Sync mode is set to one of the tempo settings, this 
adjusts the length of the steps in fractions of beats. The 
following note values can be set: 1/256, 1/256T, 1/128, 
1/128T, 1/64, 1/64T, 1/32, 1/32T, 1/16, 1/16T, 1/8,  
1/8T, 1/4, 1/4T, 1/2, 1/2T and 1.
Triplets
By activating the T button, the note values you set with 
Note become triplets.
Retrigger mode
Here you can determine whether the sequence restarts or 
not when you play a note. The Retrigger mode is only 
available when Sync mode is  set to “Off” or “Tempo + Re-
trig”.
Option Description
Off  The sequence is not restarted. Instead, it resumes play -
back at the last position when you released the key.
First Note The sequence restarts when a note is triggered and no 
other

 notes are already held.
Each Note The sequence restarts each time a note is triggered.
Slope
Depending on the setting you select here, the Step Mod -
ulator jumps from step to step or ramps between the 
steps. You
  can define a slope for rising, falling or all edges 
of the steps. The setting “None” produces hard steps. 
Use Slope Amount to set the time it takes to ramp from 
one step to the other.
Option Description
None Hard Steps.
Rising Only rising edges are ramped.
Falling Only falling edges are ramped.
All All edges are ramped.
Slope Amount
When Slope is set to “Rising”, “Falling” or “All”, this de-
termines the time it takes to  ramp
  from one step to the 
other. The control range is from 0% to 100%. The higher 
the setting, the smoother the transitions between steps.
Step
Use this to select a certain step. The control range is from 
step 1 to 32. The level text field updates accordingly.
Level
This shows the level of the currently selected step. The 
control range is from -100% to +100%.
To adjust the level in quantized steps of 1/12th, activate 
Snap. 
						

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HALion Sonic
Snap
When Snap is activated, the level of each step can only be 
adjusted in quantized steps of 1/12th. The control range 
is from -12/12 to 12/12. This feature, for example, can be 
used to produce modulations in steps of semitones.
Producing modulations in steps of semitones
To produce modulations in steps of semitones:
1.Activate Snap on the Step Modulator.
2.In the Modulation Matrix, assign the Step Modulator to 
Pitch.
3.Set Depth to +12.
Now, the levels of the steps represent intervals in semitones.
4.Finally, go back to the Step Modulator and adjust each 
step to the desired interval.
Mod Matrix page
The Mod Matrix page of synth and sample layers gives you 
access to additional modulations of the layer. The concept 
of controlling one parameter by another is called modula
-
tion. HALion Sonic offers many fixed assigned modula-
tions such as the amplitude and filter envelopes, or pitch 
key follow.
To assign additional modulations, use the Modulation Ma-
trix. Assigning modulations means to interconnect modu-
lation sources such as LFOs and envelopes, with 
modulation destinations like Pitch, Cutoff, Amplitude, etc. 
The Modulation Matrix offers you up to 32 freely assign
-
able modulations, each with a source, a modifier and a 
destination with adjustable depth. All modulation sources 
and destinations can be assigned multiple times. The po
-
larity of each source can be switched between unipolar 
and bipolar behavior. A selectable modifier and user-de
-
finable curves and ranges give you further control over the 
modulation.
To access the Modulation Matrix:
1.Go to the Edit page and select the synth or sample lay-
er you want to adjust.
2.In the lower section of the editor, click the Matrix page 
button.
The Modulation Matrix is divided into two sections sepa-
rated by the vertical scroll bar. The section to the left dis-
plays the Modulation Rows. Here, you can assign 
modulation sources to destinations and adjust the modu
-
lation depth. In the section to the right, you find settings 
for the Curve and Range editor to make further adjust
-
ments for the currently selected modulation source.
Using the Modulation Rows
The Modulation Rows allow you to interconnect modula-
tion sources with modulation destinations and to adjust 
the modulation depth.
•The parameters for setting up a modulation can be ac-
cessed via 32 rows. Each row identifies by a number 
which is displayed to the left of the row. Use the scroll bar 
in the middle to access rows that are currently not visible.
•You can select modulation sources by using the Source 
drop-down menu at the upper left of each row.
•The Modifier drop-down menu to the lower left of each 
row allows you to select a second modulation source that 
controls the intensity of the first source or a modifier that 
alters the modulation signal of the first source.
•To switch the polarity of a source between unipolar and 
bipolar behavior, click the button to the right of the re
-
spective source. Modifiers do not have a polarity. There-
fore, the polarity option is hidden when you select a 
modifier.
•Additional parameters of the selected modifier are dis-
played in the section to the right. Use the controls to ad-
just the modifier. To adjust the settings of a different 
modifier, click the button to the left of the modifier you 
want to edit.
•To select the modulation destination, use the drop-
down menu to the right of a row. 
						

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HALion Sonic
•Use the horizontal fader below the destination to adjust 
the modulation depth. Usually, the modulation depth ad
-
justs in percent (-100% to +100%). If you select Pitch as 
modulation destination, the modulation depth adjusts in 
semitones (-60 to +60 semitones).
•Click the bypass button in front of the depth control to 
switch the modulation temporarily off.
Unipolar vs. bipolar sources
The polarity of a modulation source specifies the value 
range it produces.
•Unipolar sources produce positive values only. The 
sources modulate between 0 and +1.
•Bipolar sources produce negative and positive values. 
The sources modulate between -1 and +1.
By default, some sources are unipolar and others are bi-
polar. However, you can change the polarity of a modula-
tion source any time you want.
•To change the polarity of a source, click the button to 
the right of the respective source.
Using the Curve and Range editor
You can set up a curve and range per modulation source.
•The Curve and Range editor displays the settings of the 
currently selected source marked by an orange frame in 
the according Modulation Row. To adjust the settings of a 
different source, click the button to the left of the source 
you want to edit.
•The Curve editor allows you to change the characteris-
tic of a modulation. The displayed curve is superimposed 
on the modulation source.
This way, you can change the modulation, for example, from linear to ex-
ponential or logarithmic behavior.
•By setting the minimum and maximum values, the mod-
ulation stays within the specified range only. In addition, 
you can specify an Offset and a Range for the modulation.
For example, with an Offset and Range of +50% only the second half of 
the displayed curve will be superimposed on the modulation.
•The Curve editor offers different presets which you can 
select from the drop-down menu above the curve. To 
setup your own curve, select the Custom preset from the 
drop-down menu.
•You can edit the curve graphically with the mouse when 
the Custom preset is selected: Double-click in the editor 
to insert a new node. Double-click on a node to delete it. 
Drag the nodes to the desired positions to adjust the ba
-
sic shape of the curve. Drag the lines between the nodes 
up or down to change the curvature.
Setting up a modulation
To set up a modulation:
1.Select the synth or sample layer you want to adjust.
2.Go to the Modulation Matrix.
3.In one of the Modulation Rows, select a modulation 
source and destination, such as LFO1 as source and 
Pitch as destination.
4.Use the horizontal fader below the destination to ad-
just the modulation depth.
5.Play a few notes to hear the modulation.
6.You can select a modifier or change the polarity of the 
source.
For example, from the modifier drop-down menu, select Pitch Bend as 
the second source and set its polarity to unipolar.
7.Play a few notes to hear the modulation and use the 
Pitch Bend wheel from the example.
8.Finally, use the Curve and Range editor to limit the 
modulation range or to adjust the characteristic of the 
modulation. 
						

							46
HALion Sonic
Modulation Sources
The modulation sources are available from the Source and 
Modifier drop-down menus. HALion Sonic offers you the 
following modulation sources:
Option Description
LFO1 The first LFO of the layer which produces cyclic modula -
tion signals. LFO1 is bipolar.
LFO2 The second LFO of the layer which produces cyclic mod -
ulation signals. LFO2 is bipolar.
Amp Env The Amp Envelope of  the
  layer. The shape of the enve -
lope equals the modulation signal. The Amp Env is unipo -
lar.
Filter Env The Filter Envelope of the  l
 ayer. The shape of the enve -
lope equals the modulation signal. The Filter Env is unipo -
lar.
Pitch Env The Pitch Envelope  of
  the layer. The shape of the enve -
lope equals the modulation signal. The Pitch Env is bipo -
lar.
User Env The User Envelope of the layer. The shape of the enve -
lope equals the modulation signal. The User Env is bipo -
lar.
Step Mod The Step Modulator of the la y
 er. This produces cyclic, 
rhythmically stepped modulation signals. The Step Mod -
ulator is bipolar.
Glide The Glide signal of the source. Glide is unipolar.
Key Exp This produces an exponential modulation signal derived 
f

rom the MIDI note number. Exponential means this 
source works with destinations such as Pitch or Cutoff. 
Key Exp is bipolar.
Key Lin This produces a linear modulation signal derived from the 
M

IDI note number. Linear means a certain value will be 
added per octave, for example, 1000 Hz/Oct. Key Lin is 
unipolar.
Note On Vel Note on velocity (how fast you hit a key) can be used as a 
mod

ulation signal. Note On Vel is unipolar.
Note On Vel
Squared The squared version of the N
ote O
 n Vel. Squared means 
you need to press the key harder to produce higher mod -
ulation values.
Note Off Vel Note off velocity (how fast you released a key) can be 
us

ed as a modulation signal. Note Off Vel is unipolar. 
While most of the MIDI keyboards cannot send note off 
velocity messages, your sequencer software will in most 
cases be able to produce such messages.
Pitch Bend The position of the pitch bend wheel can be used as a 
modulati

on signal. Pitch Bend is bipolar.
Mod Wheel The position of the modulation wheel can be used as a 
mod

ulation signal. Mod Wheel is unipolar. Aftertouch
Aftertouch (how hard you press a key down after you hit 
i

t) can be used as a modulation signal. Aftertouch is uni -
polar. Some MIDI keyboards cannot send aftertouch 
m
 essages. However, your sequencer software will in 
most cases be able to produce such messages.
MIDI Ctrl Any of the 120 available MIDI controllers can be used as 
a 

modulation signal. You can select the desired MIDI 
controller from the respective submenu.
Quick Ctrl One of the quick controls of  the Program or l
 ayers that 
the Program contains can be used as a modulation sig -
nal. You can select the quick control from the respective 
s

ubmenu. Depending on the complexity of your Program, 
such as how much layers it has, the submenu lists more 
or less quick controls you can select.
Mod Module Select this to assign monophonic modulation sources 
from 

MIDI Modules of the Program or layers. You can se -
lect the monophonic modulation source from the respec -
tive submenu. Depending on the complexity of your 
P
 rogram, the submenu lists more or less MIDI Modules 
you can select. If the Program contains no MIDI Modules 
at all, the submenu will be empty.
Noise Produces a random modulation signal. Noise is bipolar.
Output The audio output of the layer can be used as a modula -
tion signal. Output is bipolar.
Bus 1-16 Modulations that have been sent to one of the sixteen 
b

usses can be used as sources again. This way, you can 
combine several modulations to produce more complex 
signals. Select the according mo dulation bus to assign it 
as source. 
Option Description 
						

							47
HALion Sonic
Modulation Destinations
Depending on the selected type of layer, the available 
modulation destinations varies. HALion Sonic offers you 
the following modulation destinations:
OptionDescription
PitchModulates the pitch of the layer. For example, assign one 
of the LFOs to create a vibrato effect. When Pitch is se-lected, the modulation depth adjusts in semitones (-60 to 
+60).
CutoffModulates the filter cutoff of the layer. For example, as-sign the Step Modulator to create rhythmic patterns in 
the spectral timbre.
ResonanceModulates the filter resonance of the layer. Resonance 
changes the character of the filter. For example, assign 
velocity to resonance to accent the filter the harder you 
hit a note.
PanModulates the position of the layer in the panorama. For 
example, assign the User Envelope to move the layer 
freely around.
LevelThis modulation adds to the level setting of the layer. It is 
ideal for effects such as tremolo.
Gain 1Gain 1 modulates the volume of the layer. The gain mod-ulation multiplies with the volume of the layer. It is ideal 
for cross-fades between layers.
Gain 2Basically the same as Gain 1. Gain 1 and 2 are multiplied 
with each other. This way, you can build more complex 
modulations. For example, use Gain 1 for cross-fading 
between layers and Gain 2 for fading them in or out.
LFO1 FreqModulates the speed of LFO1. For example, assign After-touch to control the speed of a vibrato effect while you 
play.
LFO1 ShapeModulates the waveform of LFO1. For example, assign 
Key Exp to vary the waveform with the playing position on 
the keyboard.
LFO2 FreqSame as LFO1 Freq, but for LFO2.
LFO2 ShapeSame as LFO1 Shape, but for LFO2.
Step Mod FreqModulates the speed of the Step Modulator. For exam-ple, assign an LFO to increase or decrease the speed cy-clically.
Step Mod SlopeModulates the shape of the edges of the Step Modulator 
(the Slope parameter has to be active). For example, as-sign the modulation wheel to blend from hard to smooth 
edges.
Amp Env AttackModulates the time of the Amplitude Envelope Attack 
(the first segment of the envelope). The attack time can-not be modulated continuously. The time updates only 
when the segment starts.
Amp Env DecayModulates the time of the Amplitude Envelope Decay (all 
segments after the Attack and before the Sustain). The 
decay time cannot be modulated continuously. The time 
updates only when the segment starts.
Amp Env SustainModulates the level of the Amplitude Envelope Sustain. 
The sustain level cannot be modulated continuously. The 
level updates only when the segment starts.
Amp Env  ReleaseModulates the time of the Amplitude Envelope Release 
(all segments after the Sustain). The release time cannot 
be modulated continuously. The time updates only when 
the segment starts.
Filter Env AttackModulates the time of the Filter Envelope Attack (the first 
segment of the envelope). The attack time cannot be 
modulated continuously. The time updates only when the 
segment starts.
Filter Env DecayModulates the time of the Filter Envelope Decay (all seg-ments after the Attack and before the Sustain). The de-cay time cannot be modulated continuously. The time 
updates only when the segment starts.
Filter Env  SustainModulates the level of the Filter Envelope Sustain. The 
sustain level cannot be modulated continuously. The level 
updates only when the segment starts.
Filter Env  ReleaseModulates the time of the Filter Envelope Release (all 
segments after the Sustain). The release time cannot be 
modulated continuously. The time updates only when the 
segment starts.
Pitch Env AttackModulates the time of the Pitch Envelope Attack (the first 
segment of the envelope). The attack time cannot be 
modulated continuously. The time updates only when the 
segment starts.
Pitch Env DecayModulates the time of the Pitch Envelope Decay (all seg-ments after the Attack and before the Sustain). The de-cay time cannot be modulated continuously. The time 
updates only when the segment starts.
Pitch Env Sus-tainModulates the level of the Pitch Envelope Sustain. The 
sustain level cannot be modulated continuously. The level 
updates only when the segment starts.
Pitch Env  ReleaseModulates the time of the Pitch Envelope Release (all 
segments after the Sustain). The release time cannot be 
modulated continuously. The time updates only when the 
segment starts.
User Env AttackModulates the time of the User Envelope Attack (the first 
segment of the envelope). The attack time cannot be 
modulated continuously. The time updates only when the 
segment starts.
User Env DecayModulates the time of the User Envelope Decay (all seg-ments after the Attack and before the Sustain). The de-cay time cannot be modulated continuously. The time 
updates only when the segment starts.
User Env SustainModulates the level of the User Envelope Sustain. The 
sustain level cannot be modulated continuously. The level 
updates only when the segment starts.
Option Description 
						

							48
HALion Sonic
The following destinations are  only available for synth lay-
ers:
Option Description
Osc1 Pitch Modulates the pitch of oscillator 1. For example, assign 
one 

of the LFOs to detune the oscillator cyclically.
Osc1 Waveform Modulates the shape and charac ter of 
 oscillator 1. For 
example, assign one of the envelopes to change the 
character of the os cillator over time.
Osc1 Level Modulates the volume of oscilla tor 1.
  For example, assign 
the modulation wheel to fade the oscillator in and out 
while you play.
Osc2 Pitch Same as Osc1 Pitch, but for oscillator 2.
Osc2 Waveform Same as Osc1 Waveform, but for oscillator 2.
Osc2 Level Same as Osc1 Level, but for oscillator 2.
Osc3 Pitch Same as Osc1 Pitch, but for oscillator 3.
Osc3 Waveform Same as Osc1 Waveform, but for oscillator 3.
Osc3 Level Same as Osc1 Level, but for oscillator 3.
Sub Osc Level Modulates the volume of the sub oscillator. For example, 
assi

gn the modulation wheel  to fade-in the oscillator 
while you play.
Ring Mod Level Modulates the volume of the ring modulation effect. For 
examp

le, assign the modulation wheel to fade-in the ring 
modulation while you play.
Noise Gen Level Modulates the volume of the noise generator. For exam -
ple, assign the modulation wheel to fade-in the noise 
g
 enerator while you play.
Modulation Modifiers
The modulation modifiers are  available from the Modifier 
drop-down menu. The additional parameters of modifiers 
are displayed in the section to the right. HALion Sonic of -
fers you the following modifiers:
Sample & Hold
The Sample & Hold modifier takes a sample of the modu -
lation source whenever it receives a trigger signal. It holds 
the sample
 d value until it gets a new trigger. This way, you 
can quantize a continuous modulation signal. The Sample 
& Hold offers different options you can select from the 
submenu:
Option Description
Trigger on   
Note-On Select this to trigger the Sample & Hold manually: Each 
ti

me you hit a note, the Sample & Hold takes a sample.
Trigger on LFO1 Select this for periodic triggering of the Sample & Hold: 
Th

e Sample & Hold takes a sample each time the wave -
form of LFO1 exceeds the zero crossing in upward direc -
tion.
Trigger on LFO2 Select this for periodic triggering of the Sample & Hold: 
Th

e Sample & Hold takes a sample each time the wave -
form of LFO2 exceeds the zero crossing in upward direc -
tion.
Trigger on Mod -
ulation Wheel Select this to trigger the Sample & Hold manually: The 
S

ample & Hold takes a sample  each time the modulation 
wheel crosses the mid.
Trigger on   
Sustain Select this to trigger the Sample & Hold manually: Each 
ti

me you press the Sustain Pedal, the Sample & Hold 
takes a sample.
Mod Matrix presets
To the upper right, you can load and save presets for the 
Mod Matrix.
• To load a 
 preset, click on the preset loader and select 
the desired preset from the menu that pops up.
• To 
delete a preset from your  system, click the trash bin 
button. You will be asked to confirm the deletion.
• To save a 
 new preset, click the floppy disk button. A file 
dialog opens where you can name and save your preset 
file.
User Env  
Release Modulates the time of the User Envelope Release (all 
seg
ments after the Sustain) . The release time cannot be 
modulated continuously. The time updates only when the 
segment starts.
Bus 1-16 You can send any modulation to one of the sixteen bus -
ses, for example, to produce more complex modulation 
si

gnals. Select the bus you want to send the signals to as 
a destination. To use the modulation that was sent to a 
bus, assign the according bus as a modulation source.
Option Description 
						

							49
HALion Sonic
Inserts page
HALion Sonic offers you up to four insert effects for each 
of the four layers and for the program itself. The insert ef
-
fects you assign to a layer affect only that layer. The insert 
effects you assign to the program affect all four layers to
-
gether. Typically, you assign effects like EQ or Distortion 
to the separate layers, but effects like Delay or Reverb to 
the whole program.
To access the Inserts page:
1.Go to the Edit page.
2.In the upper section of the editor, click the Inserts 
page button.
Using the insert slots
Each layer and the program has four slots for assigning in-
sert effects. The handling is the same for all slots:
•To assign an insert effect, click the slot and select the 
desired effect from the menu.
•To remove an insert effect, click the slot and select “No 
Effect” from the menu. The effect with its current settings 
will be removed.
•The on/off button above the slot deactivates the effect 
without removing it. This way, you can switch the effect off 
without losing its settings. The effect is active, when the 
button is lit.
•The button next to the on/off button above the slot by-
passes the effect. The bypass is active when the button is 
lit.
•To edit an insert effect, click the “e” button of the slot 
that holds the effect you want to edit. You can edit only 
one effect at a time. The “e” button stays lit to indicate 
which effect you edit. The parameters of the respective in
-
sert effect will be displayed in the lower section.
ÖThe Mix parameter of an effect inserted into an AUX 
bus is set to 50% by default.
Moving effects
To move effects from one slot to another on one bus, or 
from one bus to another:
1.Drag the effect by its label (FX1, FX2, FX3, FX4) and 
move it over to the desired slot.
2.An orange rectangle indicates where the effect will be 
inserted.
3.Drop it to insert the effect and replace the currently 
loaded effect.
Effects can also be moved in between two effect slots to 
either insert them or to change their order:
1.Drag the effect by its label (FX1, FX2, FX3, FX4) and 
move it close to the border of the two effects.
2.An orange line indicates where the effect will be in-
serted.
3.Drop it to place the effect in between the two adjacent 
effects.
Copying effects from one slot to another
To copy an effect from one slot to another:
1.[Alt]-Drag the effect by its label (FX1, FX2, FX3, FX4) 
over the insert slot you want to copy it to.
2.An orange rectangle indicates the slot where the ef-
fect will be inserted.
3.Drop it to replace the current effect with a copy of the 
new effect.
Effect can also be moved in between two other effects:
1.[Alt]-Drag the effect by its label (FX1, FX2, FX3, FX4) 
close to the border of the two effects.
2.An orange line indicates where the effect will be in-
serted.
3.Drop it to place a copy of the effect in between the 
two adjacent effects. 
						

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HALion Sonic
Adjusting the levels
To the right of the insert slots you find faders for adjusting 
the output levels of the program and layers.
To adjust the output level:
•Drag the fader of the program or layer you wish to ad-
just.
•Alternatively, enter a value in the text field below the 
fader.
ÖBy changing the levels here, levels in the respective 
parameters on the Program page will be reflected as well.
Instrument layer
For easy editing, instrument layers have fewer controls. In 
the list to the top left, you will see the Expressions the in
-
strument layer contains. Typically, an Expression is a cer-
tain playing style of the instrument. In some cases, it can 
also be a part of the sound that can be turned on or off, for 
instance, to add realism or to maximize the performance. 
To the right and below, you will find the Pitch, Filter and 
Amplifier settings of the currently selected Expression.
To load an Expression:
•Click the “On” switch to load an Expression. This option 
allows you to reduce the amount of RAM usage by turning 
off Expressions that are not need. You cannot switch to an 
Expression that has not been loaded before.
To edit an Expression:
1.Select the Expression you want to edit in the list to the 
left.
2.To the right and below, adjust the parameters as de-
sired. Only the selected Expression will be modified.
To mute an Expression:
•Click the Mute button in the list to the left. The Expres-
sion will not play back while this is active.
•Click the button again to make the Expression audible 
again.
ÖYou can activate “Select Expression via MIDI” in the 
Expression list if you want the editor to follow incoming 
MIDI key switches or MIDI controller values.
Pitch
This section gives you access to the tuning of the Expres-
sion. With the Octave, Coarse and Fine parameters, you 
can adjust the tuning in steps of octaves, semitones and 
cents. In addition, you can also set the amount of pitch 
bend.
Octave
Here you can adjust the pitch in octave steps. The control 
range is from -5 to +5 octaves.
Coarse
Here you can adjust the pitch in semitone steps. The con-
trol range is from -12 to +12 semitones.
Fine
This parameter tunes the pitch in hundredths of a semi-
tone (cents). The control range is from -100 to +100 
cents.
Pitch Bend Up
Here you can set the range of the pitch modulation when 
moving the pitch bend wheel up. The control range is from 
-48 to +24 semitones.
Pitch Bend Down
Here you can set the range of the pitch modulation when 
moving the pitch bend wheel down. The control range is 
from -48 to +24 semitones.