Steinberg VST Workstation Halion Sonic Operation Manual

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HALion Sonic
Filter
The filter section offers setting s to adjust the tone color of 
the Expression.
Filter On
Use this to activate the filter. Expressions without filter use 
less CPU cycles. Therefore, you should only activate this if 
your sound really needs a filter. The controls of the section 
turn dark when deactivated.
Filter shape
You can select from 23 different filter shapes. By select -
ing the filter shape you determine which frequencies will 
b

e affected. The letters and numbers indicate the filter 
shape: For example, LP12 is  short for low-pass 12dB/oct.
You can select from the following filter shapes:
Filter shape Description
LP24 Low-pass filter with 24 dB/oct. Frequencies above the 
Cutoff wi

ll be attenuated.
LP18  Low-pass filter with 18 dB/oct. Frequencies above the 
Cutoff wi

ll be attenuated.
LP12 Low-pass filter with 12 dB/oct. Frequencies above the 
Cutoff wi

ll be attenuated.
LP6 Low-pass filter with 6 dB/oct. Frequencies above the 
Cutoff wi

ll be attenuated.
BP12 Band-pass filter with 12 dB/oct. Frequencies below and 
above

 the Cutoff will be attenuated.
BP24 Band-pass filter with 24 dB/oct. Frequencies below and 
above

 the Cutoff will be attenuated.
HP6+LP18 High-pass filter with 6 dB/oct . plus
  low-pass filter with 
18 dB/oct. (asymmetric band-pass filter). Frequencies 
below and above the Cutoff will be attenuated. The fre -
quencies above will fall off stronger.
HP6+LP12 High-pass filter with 6 dB/oct . plus
  low-pass filter with 
12 dB/oct. (asymmetric band-pass filter). Frequencies 
below and above the Cutoff will be attenuated. The fre -
quencies above will fall off stronger.
HP12+LP6 High-pass filter with 12 dB/oct. plu
 s low-pass filter with 
6 dB/oct. (asymmetric band-pass filter). Frequencies be -
low and above the Cutoff will be attenuated. The fre -
quencies below will fall off stronger.
HP18+LP6 High-pass filter with 18 dB/oct. plu
 s low-pass filter with 
6 dB/oct. (asymmetric band-pass filter). Frequencies be -
low and above the Cutoff will be attenuated. The fre -
quencies below will fall off stronger.
HP24 High-pass filter with 24 dB/oct. Frequencies below the 
Cutoff wi

ll be attenuated.
HP18 High-pass filter with 18 dB/oct. Frequencies below the 
Cutoff wi

ll be attenuated. HP12
High-pass filter with 12 dB/oct. Frequencies below the 
Cu

toff will be attenuated.
HP6 High-pass filter with 6 dB/oct. Frequencies below the 
Cu

toff will be attenuated.
BR12 Band-reject filter with 12 dB/oct. Frequencies around the 
Cu

toff will be attenuated.
BR24 Band-reject filter with 24 dB/oct. Frequencies around the 
Cu

toff will be attenuated.
BR12+LP6 Band-reject filter with 12 dB/oct. plus low-pass filter with 
6 

dB/oct. Frequencies around and above the Cutoff will 
be attenuated.
BR12+LP12 Band-reject filter with 12 dB/oct. plus low-pass filter with 
12

 dB/oct. Frequencies around and above the Cutoff will 
be attenuated.
BP12+BR12 Band-pass filter with 12 dB/oct. plus band-reject filter 
with 12 d

B/oct. Frequencies below, above and around 
the Cutoff will be attenuated.
HP6+BR12 High-pass filter with 6 dB/oct. plus band-reject filter with 
12

 dB/oct. Frequencies below and around the Cutoff will 
be attenuated.
HP12+BR12 High-pass filter with 12 dB/oct. plus band-reject filter 
wi

th 12 dB/oct. Frequencies below and around the Cut -
off will be attenuated.
AP All-pass filter with 18 dB/oct. Frequencies around the 
Cu

toff will be attenuated.
AP+LP6 All-pass filter with 18 dB/oct.  pl
 us low-pass filter with 6 
dB/oct. Frequencies around and above the Cutoff will be 
attenuated.
HP6+AP High-pass filter with 6 dB/oct plus all-pass filter with 18 
d

B/oct. Frequencies around the Cutoff will be attenu -
ated.
Cutoff
Here you can adjust the Cutoff frequency of the filter. The 
control range is from 20 Hz  to 22.000 Hz. The effect de-
pends on the filter type you have selected.
Resonance
This parameter emphasizes the frequencies around the 
cutoff. The control range is  from 0% to 100%. For an 
electronic sound, increase the Resonance. At higher set -
tings of Resonance the filter will self-oscillate, which deliv-
ers a ringing tone.
Filter shape Description 
						

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HALion Sonic
Filter Env Modifiers
This section offers parameters to modify the filter enve-
lope of the Expression. You can offset the Attack, Decay, 
Sustain and Release of the filter envelope. In addition, you 
can also adjust the level velocity of the filter envelope.
Env Amnt
Env Amnt is short for Envelope Amount. Use this parame-
ter to adjust the Cutoff modulation from the Filter Enve-
lope. The control range is from -100% to +100%. Setting 
negative values inverts the direction of the modulation 
from the Filter Envelope.
Velocity
Use this parameter to adjust how velocity affects the level 
of the filter envelope. The level of the envelope depends 
on the setting of this parameter and how hard you hit a 
note: Positive values increase and negative values de
-
crease the level of the envelope the harder you hit a note. 
The control range is from -200% to +200%.
Attack
Use this to offset the Attack time of the filter envelope. The 
control range is from -100% to +100%. Positive values 
decrease and negative values increase the Attack time.
Decay
Use this to offset the Decay time of the filter envelope. The 
control range is from -100% to +100%. Positive values 
decrease and negative values increase the Decay time.
Sustain
Use this to offset the Sustain level of the filter envelope. 
The control range is from -100% to +100%. Positive val
-
ues increase and negative values decrease the Sustain 
level.
Release
Use this to offset the Release time of the filter envelope. 
The control range is from -100% to +100%. Positive val
-
ues decrease and negative values increase the Release 
time.
Amplifier
The Amplifier section gives you access to the level and 
pan settings of the Expression. With level you adjust the 
loudness of the Expression. With pan you specify the po
-
sition of the Expression in the stereo panorama.
Level
Here you can you can adjust the loudness of the layer. The 
control range is from –oo dB to +12 dB.
Pan
Here you can set the position of a sound in the stereo 
panorama. The control range is from hard left (-100%) to 
hard right (+100%).
Amplifier Env Modifiers
This section offers parameters to modify the amplifier en-
velope of the Expression. You can offset the Attack, De-
cay, Sustain and Release of the amplifier envelope. In 
addition, you can also adjust the level velocity of the ampli
-
fier envelope.
Velocity
Use this parameter to adjust how velocity affects the level 
of the amplifier envelope. The level of the envelope de
-
pends on the setting of this parameter and how hard you 
hit a note: Positive values increase and negative values 
decrease the level of the envelope the harder you hit a 
note. The control range is from -200% to +200%.
Attack
Use this to offset the Attack time of the amplifier envelope. 
The control range is from -100% to +100%. Positive val
-
ues decrease and negative values increase the Attack 
time.
Decay
Use this to offset the Decay time of the amplifier envelope. 
The control range is from -100% to +100%. Positive val
-
ues decrease and negative values increase the Decay 
time. 
						

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HALion Sonic
Sustain
Use this to offset the Sustain level of the amplifier enve -
lope. The control range is from -100% to +100%. Positive 
values increase and negative values decrease the Sustain 
le

vel.
Release
Use this to offset the Release time of the amplifier enve -
lope. The control range is from -100% to +100%. Positive 
values decrease and negative
  values increase the Release 
time.
Expression Maps
Using Expression Maps
For more realistic performances, many instrument layers 
use key switches to switch between different Expressions, 
i.e. different articulations and  playing styles of the same in-
strument. These key switches are set to rather low keys to 
maximize 
 the playable range and they cannot be changed 
internally to ensure that performances played by Flex -
Phrasers always sound the same - FlexPhrasers expect 
the key switches 
 of certain Expressions on a specific MIDI 
note.
However, in some cases, you need to shift the key 
swi
 tches into the playable keyboard range to get access 
to them. In other cases, you might want to select the Ex -
pression using a MIDI controller. In both cases, you can 
use so-call
 ed Expression Maps to customize the internal 
setting for your own needs.
Selecting the Expressions
You can select which of the listed Expressions you want 
to use in your Expression Map. Expressions you do not ac -
tivate will not be included in your Expression Map.
To activate or deactivate an Expression:
• Click the 
button to the left  of the name of the Expres-
sion.
• Deactivated Expressi
 ons turn dark. Ö
So
me instruments layers co nsist of multiple Expres-
sions that are not switchable via a key switch. For exam -
ple, instrument noises typica lly 
 do not have a key switch 
assigned. In this case, you can still select the individual 
Expressions and edit them, however, you cannot apply any 
key switch functionality. The key switch option menu is 
therefore disabled.
Setting the mode
To define whether you want to use only the internal key 
switches, to remap them to other keys or to use a MIDI 
controller instead, open the options menu on the Expres-
sion list:
1. Go to 
the Edit page and select the layer you want to 
adjust.
2.Click 
the menu triangle on top of the Expression list.
3.Sel
ect the desired mode
Mode  Description
Key Switch Only the internal key switc he
 s can be used to switch to 
an Expression.
Remapped The original key switches can be remapped to different 
ke

ys.
MIDI Controller A MIDI controller can be used to remotely switch be -
tween the internal key switches.
.
Ö N
o matter which condition you select, the internal key 
switch assignments still work in parallel. This is mostly im -
portant for FlexPhrases that make use of the key switches. 
The

 last key switch that is received always has priority.
Key Switch mode
The Key Switch mode uses the internal key switch assign -
ments. The key switches are displayed in the list.
Remapped mode
The Remapped mode allows you to transpose the fixed, 
internal key switch assignments into the playable range of 
your MIDI keyboard. Each Expression displays the MIDI 
note of the internal key switch and a MIDI note for re-as -
signing the key switch next to its name. The MIDI note of 
the internal 
 key switch is for indication only and cannot be 
edited. 
						

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HALion Sonic
To transpose the internal key switches:
1.Set the mode to Key Switch.
2.Enter the MIDI note you want the expression to be re-
assigned to.
ÖThe MIDI notes you use for key switches do not trigger 
samples anymore. They trigger the internal key switch in
-
stead. Therefore, you cannot use them for normal playing 
anymore.
MIDI Controller mode
The MIDI Controller mode allows you to define a MIDI 
controller that remotely switches between the internal key 
switches. The defined MIDI controller switches only be
-
tween the active expressions.
To assign a MIDI controller:
1.Set the mode to MIDI Controller.
2.Open the menu again and select “Lear CC”.
3.Turn on the desired Hardware controller.
FlexPhraser
Each program features up to five arpeggio and phrase 
players so-called FlexPhrasers. There is one FlexPhraser 
for each layer and one for the program. While the program 
FlexPhrasers always work with phrases, the layer Flex
-
Phrasers functionality changes with the layer type.
•For synth, sample, instrument or drum layers, a Flex-
Phraser can playback anything from basic synth arpeggios 
over dynamic drum phrases to realistic accompaniment 
phrases for guitar, bass, piano, etc. You can select from 
over 1400 phrases that suit a wide range of musical in
-
struments and styles. Depending on the selected phrase, 
the FlexPhraser uses your live playing to modify the phrase 
in real-time. This allows you, for instance, to increase the 
complexity of a drum pattern by playing one to four keys, 
or to re-harmonize phrases by playing different chords.
•In the case of loop layers, the FlexPhraser triggers the 
slices of the loop with their original timing and order. You 
can trigger a transposed version of the loop, playing 
higher or lower in pitch. In addition, you can vary the order 
with a random function and export the slice sequence to 
your host sequencer via drag and drop.
ÖWhen working with loops you can play the individual 
slices and the entire loop. For this purpose the key range 
is divided into two halves. The lower half triggers the loop; 
the upper half can be used to play single slices. This dif
-
ferent functionality is indicated by keys shaded in green 
for the loop keys and normal black/white keys for the 
Slices. Keys that do not trigger anything appear in grey.
FlexPhraser page
To edit the program FlexPhraser:
1.Go to the Edit page.
2.From the upper of the Edit page, select program.
3.Go to the lower section of the Edit page and click the 
FlexP button.
4.Depending on the type of layer, the look and parame-
ter set of the FlexPhraser varies slightly.
To edit a layer FlexPhraser:
1.Go to the Edit page.
2.From the upper of the Edit page, select the desired 
layer (L1, L2, L3 or L4).
3.Go to the lower section of the Edit page and click the 
FlexP button.
4.Depending on the type of layer, instrument or loop, the 
look and parameter set of the FlexPhraser varies slightly.
FlexPhraser presets
To the upper right, you can load and save presets for the 
FlexPhraser. In addition to the selected phrase, these pre
-
sets also contain the performance settings of the Flex-
Phraser, such as Tempo, Tempo Scale, Loop, Swing, etc.
•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. 
						

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HALion Sonic
• To save a new preset, click the floppy disk button. A file 
dialog opens where you can name and save your preset 
file.
Ö Presets ca
 n only be saved and loaded for phrases not 
for sliced loops.
FlexPhraser with phrases
Programs as well as synth,  sample, instrument or drum 
layers provide a FlexPhraser that comes with the following 
features:
Active
Click the Active button at the upper left to switch the 
phrase on and off.
Loading FlexPhrases
The FlexPhrases are sorted by the type of instrument in 
several subfolders. Each instrument subfolder contains 
phrases of different musical styles.
To load a phrase:
1. Go to the top of 
 the FlexPhraser and click the Phrase 
drop-down menu.
2. Go to the submenu 
 of the desired instrument.
3. Select the 
 FlexPhrase you wish to load.
In general, you can apply any phrase to any type of instru -
ment. However, please keep in mind that a FlexPhrase for 
g

uitar might not sound as good when used with a piano 
and vice versa.
Ö Some FlexPhrase
 s make extensive use of key switches 
to switch between multiple playing styles of an instrument 
while playing. These phrases work best with the corre -
sponding instrument layers. They can be found in the 
“
 Expression” subfolder of the phrases menu.
Loop
This option defines whether the phrase is played once or 
continuously in a loop. When activated, the phrase plays 
in a loop.
Hold
With Hold you can prevent the phrase to stop or change 
when the keys are released. In addition, the Gated mode 
plays silently in the background when you release the 
keys, and resumes playback at the current position when 
you press the keys again.
You can select one of the following options:
Option  Description
Off The phrase changes immediately when releasing a key. 
Th

e phrase stops immediately when releasing all keys.
On The phrase plays to end even when the keys are re -
leased. When the Loop option  is 
 activated, the phrase 
plays continuously in a cycle.
Gated The phrase starts playback with the first key being 
p

layed. It plays silently in  the background even when the 
keys are released, and resume playback at the current 
position when you press any of the keys again. This way, 
you can gate the playback of the phrase.
Trigger mode
The Trigger mode defines when the FlexPhraser scans for 
new keys you play on the keyboard.
You can select one of the following options:
Option Description
Immediately The FlexPhraser scans for new keys all the time. The 
p

hrase changes accordingly to your playing immediately.
Next Beat The FlexPhraser scans for new keys upon new beats. The 
p

hrase changes accordingly to your playing on each new 
beat.
Next Measure The FlexPhraser scans for new keys upon new measures. 
The phra

se changes accordin gly to your playing on each 
new measure.
Restart mode
Depending on the selected Restart mode and your play -
ing, you can restart the playback from the beginning of the 
phrase.
You can select one of the following options:
Option  Description
Off The phrase runs continuously and will not restart upon 
chord or no

te changes.
New Chord Select this to restart the  phr
 ase on new chords. How-
ever, the phrase will not rest art upon leg ato played notes, 
for example, if you play ad ditional notes to a chord you 
are holding already. 
						

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HALion Sonic
Key mode
This option defines if the order of the notes, as you played 
them chronically on the keyboa rd, affects the playback of 
the phrase.
You can select one of the following options:
Option Description
Sort The notes play in the order  of
  the selected pattern. The 
chronological order does not have an influence.
As Played The notes play in the chronological order as you played 
them on the keyboa

rd.
Direct The phrase itself does not output any note events.
  In-
stead, it outputs controller events only. You hear the 
note
s you play plus any controller events of the phrase, 
such as pitch bend, volume, pan, etc. Not all phrases 
contain controller data. Please consult the documenta -
tion of the phrase  to s
 ee if it does.
Vel mode
This option specifies if the velocity of the notes you play 
affects the notes of the phrase or not.
You can select one of the following options:
OptionDescription
Original The notes of the phra se
  play with the velocity as speci -
fied by the original seq uen ce data of the phrase.
As Played The notes of the ph rase
  play with the velocity you are 
playing on the keyboard.
Original + As 
Pl
 ayed The velocity of the sequence da
ta of the phra se is scaled 
by the velocity you are playing on the keyboard.
Sync
To synchronize the phrase to t he tempo of your host appli-
cation, activate Sync. The Tempo control is disabled when 
Sync is
  activated.
Ö In addition, you 
 can set the Restart mode to “Sync to 
Host” (see below for details). This aligns the phrase with 
the beats and measures of your host application.
Tempo
When Sync is deactivated, use the Tempo control to set 
the internal playback speed of the FlexPhraser. The play -
back speed of the phrase is specified in Beats per Minute 
(BPM). In addition,
  Tempo Scale gives you further control 
over the playback speed. The Tempo control is inactive 
when Sync is activated.
Tempo Scale
This parameter defines the rate at which notes will be 
triggered, in other words, the speed at which the phrase 
is running. A value of 1/16 corresponds to the original 
speed as specified under Tempo. Setting the value, for ex -
ample, to 1/8 cuts the speed to half. Setting it to 1/32 
do

ubles it.
 Other values increase  or decrease the speed 
accordingly.
The control range is 1/64, 1/32, 
1/32D , 1/16, 1/16T,   
1/16D, 1/8, 1/8T, 1/8D, 1/4, 1/4T, 1/4D, 1/2, 1/2T, 1/2D, 
1/1T, 3/4 and 4/4.
Swing
Use this parameter to shift the timing of notes on even 
numbered beats. This way, the phrase gets a swing feel -
ing. The control range is from -100% to +100%. Negative 
values shift 
 the timing backward, and the notes will be 
played earlier. Positive values shift the timing forward, and 
the notes will be played later.
Gate Scale
This parameter allows you to shorten or lengthen the 
notes of the phrase. At a va lue of 100% the notes play 
with their original gate length.
Vel Scale
This parameter allows you to raise or lower the note on ve -
locities of the phrase. At a value of 100% the notes will be 
pl

ayed with their original velocity.
Octaves
This setting extends the phrase playback to higher or 
lower octaves. The control range is from -3 to +3 octaves. 
Positive settings extend the playback to higher and nega -
tive settings to lower octaves.  For examp
 le, a value of +1 
first plays the phrase in the octave range you originally 
played. Then, it repeats the phrase one octave higher.
New Note Select this to restart the phra se  with each new note you 
play. Here, the phrase will restart also upon legato played 
notes.
Sync to Host Select this to align the phra s
 e with the beats and mea -
sures of your host application. The phrase aligns to the 
b eats and measures each time you start the transport.
Option Description 
						

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HALion Sonic
Play Range
You can use the Play Range parameters to determine 
which keys and velocities trigger the phrase playback.
Low Key
This defines the lowest key on which the phrase is trig -
gered. The range extends from C-2 to G8.
High Key
This defines the highest key on which the phrase is trig -
gered. The range extends from C-2 to G8.
Low Vel
This defines the lowest velocity on which the phrase is 
triggered. The range extends from 0 to 127.
High Vel
This defines the highest velocity on which the phrase is 
triggered. The range extends from 0 to 127.
FlexPhraser for loop layers
When using loop layers, the FlexPhraser offers the follow -
ing features:
Loop
This option defines whether the loop sequence is played 
once or continuously in cycles. When activated, the loop 
sequence plays in cycles.
Hold
With Hold you can prevent the loop to stop or change 
when the keys are released. In addition, the Gated mode 
plays silently in the background when you release the 
keys, and resumes playback at the current position when 
you press the keys again. You can select one of the following options:
Option
Description
Off The loop stops immediately when releasing a key.
On The loop plays to end even when the keys are released. 
When 

the Loop option is activated, the loop plays contin -
uously in cycles.
Gated The loop starts playback with the fi
 rst key being played. It 
plays silently in the background even when the keys are 
released, and resume playback at the current position 
when you press any of the keys again. This way, you can 
gate the playback of the loop.
Trigger mode
The Trigger mode defines when the FlexPhraser scans for 
new keys you play on the keyboard.
You can select one of the following options:
Option Description
Immediately The FlexPhraser scans for new keys all the time. The loop 
c

hanges accordingly to your playing immediately.
Next Beat The FlexPhraser scans for new keys upon new beats. The 
l

oop changes accordingly to your play on each new beat.
Next Measure The FlexPhraser scans for new keys upon new measures. 
Th

e loop changes accordingly to your play on each new 
measure.
Restart mode
Depending on the selected Restart mode and your play, 
you can restart the playback from the beginning of the 
loop.
You can select one of the following options:
Option Description
Off The loop runs continuously an d will
  not restart upon note 
changes.
First Note The loop restarts w hen
  a note is triggered and no other 
notes are already held.
Each Note The loop restarts each ti me a note is
  triggered.
Sync to Host Select this to align the loop  wi
 th the beats and measures 
of your host application. The loop aligns to the beats and 
measures each time you start the transport.
Sync
To synchronize the loop to the tempo of your host applica -
tion, activate Sync. The Tempo control is disabled when 
Sync is 
 activated. 
						

							58
HALion Sonic
ÖIn addition, you can set the Restart mode to “Sync to 
Host” (see below for details). This aligns the loop with the 
beats and measures of your host application.
Tempo
When Sync is deactivated, use the Tempo control to set 
the internal playback speed of the loop. The playback 
speed of the loop is specified in Beats per Minute (BPM). 
In addition, Tempo Scale gives you further control over the 
playback speed. The Tempo control is inactive when Sync 
is activated.
Tempo Scale
This parameter defines the rate at which notes will be trig-
gered, in other words, the speed at which the loop is run-
ning. A value of 1/16 corresponds to the original speed as 
specified under Tempo. Setting the value, for example, to 
1/8 cuts the speed to half. Setting it to 1/32 doubles it. 
Other values increase or decrease the speed accordingly. 
The control range is 1/64, 1/32, 1/32T, 1/16T, 1/16,1/8T, 
1/16D, 1/8, 1/4T, 1/4, 1/2T, 1/4D, 1/2, 1/1T, 1/2D, 3/4 
and 4/4.
Swing
Use this parameter to shift the timing of notes on even 
numbered beats. This way, the loop gets a swing feeling. 
The control range is from -100% to +100%. Negative val
-
ues shift the timing backward and the notes will be played 
earlier. Positive values shift the timing forward and the 
notes will be played later.
Start
This allows you to shift the start of the loop in steps of 1/4 
notes. The length of the loop is shortened accordingly.
Length
This parameter allows you to shorten the length of the 
loop in steps of 1/4 notes.
ÖThe control range of Start and Length varies with the 
original length of the loop.
Gate Scale
This parameter allows you to shorten the notes that play-
back the slices. The control range is from 0% to 100%. At 
a value of 100% the slices play with their original gate 
length.
Quantize Note Value
This allows you to setup a quantization grid. You can force 
the timing of the slices to playback only at the note value 
you select here. You can set the note value to 1/64, 1/32, 
1/32 T, 1/16 T, 1/16, 1/8 T, 1/16 D, 1/8, 1/4 T, 1/4, 1/2T, 
1/4 D, 1/2, 1/1 T, 1/2 D, 1/1.
Quantize Amount
This parameter defines how much of the quantization grid 
is applied. A value of 100% means the slices playback 
only at the Quantize Note Value you specified. Smaller val
-
ues move the notes only partially towards the next Quan-
tize Note Value. With a value of 0% no quantization is 
applied at all.
Key Follow
Here you can adjust the pitch modulation from note num-
ber. The range is from -200% to +200%. Set this param-
eter to positive values to raise the pitch with notes above 
the Center Key. Use negative values to lower the pitch 
with notes above the Center Key. At +100% the pitch fol
-
lows exactly the played note.
ÖThe Key Follow is limited to the keys that trigger the 
entire loop. It does not affect the keys that play the single 
slices.
Center Key
This parameter sets the note around where the Key Follow 
pivots. It ranges from C-2 to G8.
Random
To shuffle the playing order of the slices randomly, acti-
vate the Random button. To play the slices with their orig-
inal order, deactivate the Random button.
ÖThe overall timing does not vary through this. Only the 
playing order of the slices varies through this, for example, 
slice 3 plays instead of slice 1, etc.
Depth
Here you adjust how much the playing order of the slices 
will be shuffled. Lower this value to keep the playing order 
of slices on the main beats. Raise this value to vary the 
playing order of slices on the main beats as well. 
						

							59
HALion Sonic
Trigger
Click this to shuffle the playing order again. Please note 
that the Pattern number changes with this.
Pattern
To predictably recall a certain random pattern, you can en -
ter the Pattern number. If you recall a loop with a certain 
Dept
 h and Pattern, it always sounds the same.
Exporting the loop sequence
The FlexPhraser of loop layers allows you to export the 
loop sequence as a MIDI part for your host sequencer.
To export the loop sequence:
1.Drag the 
 icon that looks lik e a MIDI socket to the proj -
ect window of you host sequencer.
2. Drop 
the MIDI part on an existing MIDI Track or on an 
empty space, which creates a new MIDI Track.
3.Assign 
the MIDI Track to the respective slot in HALion 
Sonic.
FlexPhraser Phrases
Phrase playback types
HALion Sonic features a huge amount of phrase types or -
ganized in categorized folders such as Classic Arp, Synth 
Seq

, Chord Seq, Bass and so on. Each folder can contain 
several category subfolders representing functional de -
scriptions or musical styles.
The “Expression” folder contains phrases especially made 
for HALion Sonic’s instrument  layers.

 These phrases use 
key switches to switch between different playing styles to 
increase the realism of your performance.
The phrases that can be found in the various other cate -
gories use a number of different playback types to allow 
p
 hrase specific user interaction while playing. These phrases use one of the following playback types.
Option
Description
Playback of a 
dr
 um pattern Pressing any note(s) triggers the same rhythm pattern.
Playback only of 
the pl
 ayed notes The phrase is played back us
in g only the played note and 
its octave notes.
Playback of a 
pr
 ogrammed se -
quence accord -
ing to the played 
chor
 d Pressing only one note, the phrase is played back using 
th

e programmed sequence — which means that notes 
other than the ones you play  are triggered. Adding notes 
to those already held, changes the sequence accordingly 
— for example, the phrase plays back according to the 
chord you play.
Drum and loop layers
Drum and loop layers share the same set of controls. In 
the Key Map to the lower of the editor, you see the drum 
instruments or loop slices the layer contains, and how they 
map across the keyboard. In the upper section, you find 
the Pitch, Filter, Amplifier and Output settings of the cur -
rently selected drum instrument or loop slice. The lower 
section also 
 gives you access to the FlexPhraser, the 
monophonic LFO and the layer quick control editor.
Using the Key Map
The Key Map indicates how the drum instruments or loop 
slices map across the keyboard.
To access the Key Map:
1. Go to 
the Edit page and select the drum or loop layer 
you want to adjust.
2.Go to 
the lower of the drum or loop editor and click 
the Key Map page button.
When using the Key Map, the following applies:
•Keys w
ith a drum instrument or loop slice assigned dis -
play in normal white and black.
• The names of the 
 drum instruments or loop slices dis -
play vertically above the keys. 
						

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HALion Sonic
•Keys with nothing assigned are disabled and are dis-
played in grey.
•In case of a loop layer, the pitched part of the keyboard 
is displayed in orange.
•Hidden parts of the keyboard can be accessed with the 
scroll bar to the lower of the keyboard.
•Clicking a key plays and selects the respective drum in-
strument or loop slice.
ÖThe Key Map is used for indication and selection only. 
The mapping of the drum instruments and loop slices can
-
not be changed.
Editing drum instruments or loop slices
To edit a drum instrument or loop slice, you must select it 
first. You can select drum instruments or loop slices with 
the Key Map or your MIDI keyboard.
Selecting with the Key Map
To select a drum instrument or loop slice with the Key 
Map:
1.Go to the Edit page and select the drum or loop layer 
you want to adjust.
2.Go to the lower of the drum or loop editor and open 
the Key Map.
3.On the keyboard to the lower of the Key Map, click the 
key of the drum instrument or loop slice you want to ad
-
just.
4.The drum instrument or loop slice is selected and the 
parameters at the upper will be updated respectively.
Multi selection editing
To edit multiple drum instruments or slices at the same 
time, you can use the multi selection functionality of the 
Key Map:
•Select one Key, press [Shift] and then select a second 
key to select all keys in between.
•Press [Ctrl] and then click keys to add or remove them 
from the current selection.
•Press [Ctrl] and start dragging the mouse over the de-
sired keys to do a lasso selection.
•Press Shift + Ctrl and then drag the mouse over the de-
sired keys to add additional keys per lasso selection to the 
current selection.
As soon as you start selecting multiple slices or drum in-
struments, changes may occur on certain settings. In such 
cases, the changes are indicated on the respective con
-
trols. Combo boxes get a red tinted background, value 
fields display their values in red, switches turn red (or half 
red if the focused Slice/instrument is set to off) and knobs 
show a red corona indicating the range in which values 
are set. Changing a parameter sets all selected loop 
slices or drum instruments to the same value and the red 
indication for that control disappears.
Selecting with the MIDI keyboard
To select a drum instrument or loop slice with your MIDI 
keyboard:
1.Go to the Edit page and select the drum or loop layer 
you want to adjust.
2.In the title bar of the upper section, click the button to 
the right to activate “Select via MIDI”. The function is acti
-
vated when the button is lit.
3.On your MIDI keyboard, press the key that plays the 
drum instrument or loop slice you want to adjust.
4.The drum instrument or loop slice is selected and the 
parameters at the upper will be updated accordingly.
ÖBy default all parameter changes are only applied to 
the currently selected drum instrument or loop slice. Click 
the “Sel” button in the upper title bar to switch to the “All” 
mode if you want to apply changes to all drum instruments 
or loop slices. You can also play multiple keys at a time to 
create a multi selection.
Accessing Pitch, Filter and Amp parameters
To access the Pitch, Filter and Amp parameters of a drum 
instrument or loop slice:
1.Go to the Edit page and select the drum or loop layer 
you want to adjust.
2.Go to the lower section, open the Key Map and select 
the drum instrument or loop slice you want to edit. Alter
-
natively, use your MIDI keyboard to select the drum instru-
ment or loop slice.