Operation Manual

The Steinberg Documentation Team: Cristina Bachmann, Martina Becker, Heiko Bischoff, Lillie Harris, Christina
Kaboth, Insa Mingers, Matthias Obrecht, Sabine Pfeifer
Translation: Ability InterBusiness Solutions (AIBS), Moon Chen, Jérémie Dal Santo, Rosa Freitag, GiEmme
Solutions, Josep Llodra Grimalt, Vadim Kupriianov, Roland Münchow, Boris Rogowski, Sergey Tamarovsky
This document provides improved access for people who are blind or have low vision. Please note that due to thecomplexity and number of images in this document, it is not possible to include text descriptions of images.
The information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on
the part of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. The software described by this document is subject to a License
Agreement and may not be copied to other media except as specifically allowed in the License Agreement.
No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced, or otherwise transmitted or recorded, for any purpose,
without prior written permission by Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH. Registered licensees of the productdescribed herein may print one copy of this document for their personal use.
All product and company names are ™ or ® trademarks of their respective owners. For more information, please
visit www.steinberg.net/trademarks.
© Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH, 2023.
All rights reserved.
HALion Sonic_7.0.0_en-US_2023-02-16

Table of Contents
4
4
5
5
5
7

Introduction
Typographical Conventions
How To Contact Us
About the Documentation
Setting Up
Window Overview

9
9
9
9
10
11

Common Editing Methods
Knobs and Sliders
Buttons
Value Fields
Key Commands Dialog
Presets

13
13
16
16
17
18
24
27

Global Functions and Settings
Plug-in Functions Section
Plug-in Name and Steinberg Logo
Toolbar
Performance Controls
Quick Controls
Trigger Pads
Options Page

32
32
35
74

Editing Programs and Layers
Program Page Parameters
Layer Page Parameters
Insert Effects

75
75
76
79
80
80
81

FlexPhraser
Loading Phrases
FlexPhraser Parameters
Recording the MIDI Output of the FlexPhraser
Phrase Playback Types
Variations
User Phrases

86
86
86

Automation
Automation Page
Setting Up Automation

88
88
89
89
89
93

Managing Your Sounds
Programs, Layers, and Multi-Programs
Registering VST Sounds
Loading Programs and Layers
Slot Rack
Managing and Loading Files

112
112
113

MIDI Editing and Controllers
MIDI Page
MIDI Controllers

117
117
118

Mixing, Routing, and Effect Handling
Mix Page
AUX Effects

120
120
124
126
129
137

Effects Reference
Reverb Effects
Delay Effects
EQ Effects
Filter Effects
Distortion Effects

145
146
157
166
167

Pitch Shift Effects
Modulation Effects
Dynamics Effects
Spatial and Panner Effects
Legacy Effects

177
177

Note Expression
Note Expression Editor

179
179
179
181
181
183
183
184

Using the Standalone Version of the Plug-in
Preferences Settings
Preferences Dialog
Selecting the MIDI Input and the Audio Output
Scratch Pad
Loading a MIDI File
Saving a MIDI File
Master Volume

185

Index

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Introduction
This is the Operation Manual for Steinberg’s HALion Sonic. Here you will find detailed
information about all the features and functions in the application.

Typographical Conventions
In our documentation, we use structural and markup elements to present information according
to its purpose.

Structural Elements
Prerequisite
Describes any actions or conditions you must have fulfilled before starting aprocedure.
Procedure
Lists the steps that you must take to achieve a specific result.
Important
Informs you about serious issues; for example, issues that affect the system, theconnected hardware, or that risk data loss.
Note
Informs you about issues or other relevant information.
Tip
Adds further information or useful suggestions.
ExampleProvides you with an example.
ResultDescribes the result of the procedure.
After Completing This Task
Informs you about actions or tasks that you can perform after completing theprocedure.
Related Links
Lists related topics that you can find in this documentation.

MarkupBold text indicates the name of a menu, option, function, dialog, window, and so on.
EXAMPLEIn the header of the plug-in panel, click the Preset Management button next to the preset namefield, and select Load Preset.

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Introduction
How To Contact Us
If bold text is separated by a greater-than symbol, this indicates a sequence of different menus
to open.
File names and folder paths are shown in a different font.
EXAMPLE
example_file.txt

Key Commands
Many of the default key commands, also known as keyboard shortcuts, use modifier keys, someof which are specific to each operating system.
Whenever key commands with modifier keys are described in this manual, the Windows modifier
key is indicated first, followed by the macOS modifier key and the key.
EXAMPLE
Ctrl/Cmd - Z means: press Ctrl on Windows or Cmd on macOS, then press Z .

How To Contact Us
Click the Steinberg logo in the top right corner of the control panel to open a pop-up menu which
includes information on how to contact us and to receive help.
●

This menu contains links to various Steinberg web pages. Select a link to open thecorresponding page. On the web pages, you can find support and compatibility information,
answers to frequently asked questions, links for downloading new drivers, etc.

About the Documentation
The documentation is available online and can be downloaded in PDF format from http://
www.steinberg.help.
●

To visit steinberg.help, enter steinberg.help in the address bar of your web browser or open
HALion Sonic, click the Steinberg logo in the top right corner and select HALion Sonic Help.

Setting Up
You can use HALion Sonic as a plug-in for a number of host applications. Depending on the hostapplication, you might have to make additional settings, or you might be restricted to a reduced
parameter set, number of outputs, etc.
NOTE
HALion Sonic can also be used as a standalone application.

Selecting Outputs
By default, HALion Sonic loads with a stereo output configuration. However, you can use up to
15 additional outputs in the Steinberg DAW. This allows you to route all 16 program slots to a
dedicated channel in the MixConsole.

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Introduction
Setting Up

PROCEDURE
1.

To make the outputs available in the VST instrument, open the VST Instruments window.

2.

Click the Activate Outputs button for the instrument.

3.

Activate the outputs that you want to use.

RESULTThe Steinberg DAW automatically adds an output channel for each additional output to the
MixConsole. You can now route programs or layers to these outputs for further signal
processing within the DAW.

Using the Instrument in an AU-Compatible Application
The AU version of HALion Sonic is installed in your AU plug-ins folder and enables you to use
HALion Sonic in an AU environment without any performance loss or incompatibilities.
For example, to load HALion Sonic as an AU instrument in Logic Pro, proceed as follows:
PROCEDURE
1.

Open the Track Mixer, and select the instrument channel that you want to use.

2.

Click in the I/O field, and select AU Instruments > Steinberg > HALion Sonic.

3.

Select one of the available channel configurations.

Using the Instrument in an AAX-Compatible Application
The AAX version of HALion Sonic is installed in your AAX plug-ins folder and makes HALion Sonic
available as an AAX instrument in ProTools.

PROCEDURE
1.

To use HALion Sonic as a stereo multichannel plug-in, open the Track menu, and selectNew > Stereo > Instrument Track.

2.

On the instrument track, click Inserts, and select HALion Sonic from the multichannel
plug-in > Instrument submenus.

Using the Instrument as a Standalone Application
HALion Sonic can be used as a standalone application, independently of any host application. In
this case, you can connect the instrument directly to your audio hardware.
RELATED LINKS
Using the Standalone Version of the Plug-in on page 179

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Introduction
Window Overview

Window Overview
The HALion Sonic window is divided into several sections.

1

In the standalone version of HALion Sonic, you find a number of additional functions in an
extra section at the top of the application window.

2

If you use the plug-in in a host application, you find the plug-in functions section at the topof the window.

3

Below the functions section on the left, the multi-program loader and the Slot Rack arelocated.

4

On the right, you can find the toolbar above the edit display.

5

The edit display on the right contains the Edit, MIDI, Mix, Effects, Multi, and Options
pages.

6

At the bottom of the panel, the performance section is located. It contains the trigger pads,
the quick controls, and the performance controls.

7

With the Show/Hide Load Panel button on the toolbar, you can expand the window to show
the Load Panel on the right.

Player View/Editor View
You can switch between two views for the plug-in window: the full-size editor view and thesmaller, configurable player view.
●

Click the Switch between Editor and Player button on the toolbar to switch between player
view and editor view.
In editor view, the button shows a p to indicate that you can use it to switch to the player
view. In player view, the button shows an e.

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Introduction
Window Overview
In player view, the slot rack is not shown. If multiple programs are loaded in the slot rack, you
can switch between them using the Select Slot menu at the top of the window.

Player View Configuration Options
To specify the sections that you want to be displayed in player view, click the Display
Options button next to the e button.

●

If Auto Configuration is activated, the editor shows the sections specified by the
manufacturer.

●

If Auto Configuration is deactivated, you can specify whether you want to add thetrigger pads, quick controls, and keyboard section to the player view.

NOTE
If a program does not have a macro page, the standard editor is shown.

RELATED LINKS
Trigger Pads on page 24
Quick Controls on page 18
Performance Controls on page 17

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Common Editing Methods
Some common controls and concepts exist throughout the program. For example, presets canbe used in several different sections and contexts, but their handling is always the same.

Knobs and Sliders
Knobs and sliders can be unidirectional or bidirectional. Unidirectional values, for example, levelvalues, start at a minimum value and go up to the maximum. Bidirectional controls start from the
middle position and go to the left for negative and to the right for positive values.
Most of the editing methods are the same for knobs and sliders.
●Move the mouse over a knob or its parameter name to show the current parameter value.
You can adjust the value with the mouse wheel or enter a new value manually.

●

To adjust a value, click a knob or a slider and drag up and down, or use the mouse wheel.
If you press Alt/Opt when clicking a knob, a small slider appears, allowing you to set theparameter.

●

To make fine adjustments, press Shift , and move the knob or use the mouse wheel.

●

To restore the default value for a parameter, press Ctrl/Cmd , and click on the control.

Buttons
HALion Sonic contains two different types of buttons: On/Off buttons and push buttons.

On/Off Buttons
These buttons have two states: on and off. If you move the mouse over an On/Off button, itchanges its appearance to show that you can click it.

Push Buttons
Push buttons trigger an action and then go back to their inactive state. These buttons open
menus or file dialogs.

Value Fields
You can enter or edit values in the available value fields using your keyboard or mouse. To enter
key ranges or the root key, for example, you can use an external MIDI keyboard.
To set a value, you have the following possibilities:●

Double-click in a value field, enter a new value, and press Return .
If the entered value exceeds the parameter range, it is automatically set to the maximum or
the minimum value, respectively.

●

Click in the value field, and drag up or down.

●

Position the mouse over a value field, and use the mouse wheel.

●

Click the up/down triangles next to the field.

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Common Editing Methods
Key Commands Dialog●

To set the parameter to its default value, Ctrl/Cmd -click the value field.

●

To use a fader to adjust the value, Alt/Opt -click a value field.

●

To enter musical values, such as key ranges or the root key, with your MIDI keyboard,
double-click the value field, press a key on your MIDI keyboard, and press Return .

●To navigate to the next parameter, press Tab . To jump backwards to the previous
parameter, press Shift - Tab .
If no parameter is selected inside the focused view, pressing Tab always jumps to the firstparameter.

Key Commands Dialog
The Key Commands dialog allows you to view and edit key commands for the main menus andfunctions in HALion Sonic.
To open the Key Commands dialog, open the Options page, and click the Key Commands
button in the Edit section.
The commands are arranged in a hierarchical folder structure on the left. When you open
a category folder, the items and functions are displayed with their currently assigned key
commands.

●

To set up a key command, select the function in the list, and enter the key command in the
Key column. If this key command is already used for another function, a warning message isshown.

●

To delete a key command, select the function in the list, and click the Remove Key
Commandbutton.

●To reset a key command to its default, select the function in the list, and click the Reset Key
Command button.

●

To search for a specific function, enter its name or part of the name in the search field at the
top of the dialog.
While you type, the list is updated to show only the matching functions.

●

To reset all key commands to their default settings, click Reset All at the bottom of the
dialog.

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Common Editing Methods
Presets

Presets
HALion Sonic offers two types of presets: section/module presets and VST presets. Section andmodule presets store and recall the setup of a specific component on the HALion Sonic panel.
VST presets contain all information necessary to restore the complete state of the plug-in.
During setup, the factory presets are installed in a dedicated folder, and a user folder is createdfor your own presets. The handling of presets is the same throughout the program.
NOTE
Factory presets are write-protected, but may be overwritten when a software update is executed.
Presets in your user folder are never changed by the software update.

Handling Section and Module Presets
Many modules and editors come with a range of presets and allow you to save your settings asuser presets.

CHOICES●To save a preset, click Save.

NOTE
You cannot overwrite factory presets. If you want to save changes made to a factory preset,
save the preset under a new name or in a new location.
●

To load a preset, click the arrow icon, and select a preset from the list.

●

To step through the available presets, click Previous Preset●

To delete a preset, click Delete/Next Preset, if available.

.

NOTE
You cannot delete factory presets.

Handling VST Presets
VST presets are used wherever you can load programs, multi-programs, or layers in HALion
Sonic, that is, in the program header, the multi slot section, the Slot Rack, etc.
VST presets have the file name extension .vstpreset.
CHOICES●To load a preset, do one of the following:●

In the plug-in header, click Preset Management to the right of the preset name field,
select Load Preset, and select a preset.

●

In the multi slot section, click Load Multi-Program, and select a preset.

●

In the Slot Rack, click the Load Program button for a slot, and select a preset.

●

Drag a VST preset from the MediaBay or the file browser onto a slot in the Slot Rack.
If the slot already contains a program, this program is replaced.

●

To save a preset, do one of the following:

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Common Editing Methods
Presets●

In the plug-in header, click Preset Management to the right of the preset name field,
select Save Preset, make your settings in the save dialog, and click OK.

●

In the multi slot section, click Save Multi-Program, make your settings in the dialog,
and click OK.

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Global Functions and Settings
In the plug-in functions section, on the toolbar, and on the Options page, you can find global
functions and settings for HALion Sonic.

Plug-in Functions Section
The plug-in functions section at the top of the window gives you access to global functions that
affect both the currently loaded programs and the general working of the plug-in.
The plug-in functions section contains the multi slot section, the program slot section, the master
section, and the performance displays.

Program Slot Section
This section contains a copy of the slot that is selected in the Slot Rack, as well as the main
parameters of the program.

Program Icon

The program icon indicates the sound category to which the program belongs. It
depends on the category and subcategory tags that are specified for a program in theMediaBay.
Slot Number
The number of the active slot. You can switch to another slot by clicking the slot
number and selecting an entry from the list.
NOTE
Only slots that contain programs are available on the list.
Mute
Deactivates playback of the program.
Solo
Solos the corresponding program. Several slots can be soloed at the same time.
MIDI Activity Indicator
The MIDI symbol starts blinking when incoming MIDI data is detected.

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Global Functions and Settings
Plug-in Functions Section
Load Previous Program/Load Next Program

Loads the previous/next program.
The list of programs depends on the MediaBay filter that is active for the slot. For
example, if you set the filter to show only bass sounds and double-click a sound toload it, you can use the Load Previous Program/Load Next Program buttons to step
through the filtered list of bass sounds for the slot.
Load Program

Click the Load Program icon to the right of the slot to open the Load Panel. In theMediaBay, double-click a program to load it.
Level

Adjusts the output level of the slot.
Pan
Adjusts the position of the slot in the stereo panorama.
OutputAllows you to define the output destination of the slot signal.
Polyphony

Sets the number of keys that can be played simultaneously.
NOTE
One key can trigger several layers. On the performance meter, you can see how many
voices are triggered by your playing.

Multi Slot Section
In the multi slot section on the left, you can load and save multi-programs, manage the default
multi-program, and clear the entire plug-in instance.

Load Multi-Program
Opens a window that allows you to load multi-programs.

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Global Functions and Settings
Plug-in Functions Section
Save Multi-Program
Opens a window that allows you to save your settings as a multi-program.

Context Menu
Clear Plug-in InstanceResets the entire plug-in instance to an empty state.
Load Default
Loads the default multi preset.
Save as Default
Allows you to save the current multi as the default multi preset.
This includes the loaded programs, the active page, the current size and position of theplug-in window, etc.
Restore Factory Default
Restores the factory default multi preset.
NOTE
The default preset that can be set in the Cubase plug-in header overrides the default multi preset
in HALion Sonic. To use the HALion Sonic multi preset instead, right-click the preset field in theplugin-header, and select Remove Default Preset .

Master Section
The master section can be used to set the volume and for the tuning of the plug-in.

Master Volume
Adjusts the overall volume of the plug-in.
Master Tune
You can set the Master Tune slider from 415.3 Hz to 466.2 Hz, which equals -100 centsto +100 cents.

Performance Displays
The meters and text displays indicate the system load of the plug-in.

CPUThis meter shows the processor load during playback. The more voices you play, thehigher the processor load. If the overload indicator lights up, reduce the Max Voices
setting on the Options page.
Disk
This meter shows the hard disk transfer load during the streaming of samples or whenloading presets. If the overload indicator lights up, the hard disk is not supplying data

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Global Functions and Settings
Plug-in Name and Steinberg Logo
fast enough. In such a case, open the Options page and adjust the Disk vs. RAM slider
towards RAM or decrease the Max Voices setting.
PolyphonyThis display indicates the number of samples that are currently played back, to help
you trace performance problems. For example, if you have to reduce the Max Voices
setting on the Options page, you can verify your settings by monitoring the number ofsamples that are currently playing.
MemoryThis display indicates the overall amount of RAM that is currently used by the plugin and the loaded programs. The number refers to the streaming buffer and thepreloaded samples. The MEM display helps you trace performance problems. For
example, if you need to free up memory for other applications, you can adjust the
Disk vs. RAM slider on the Options page toward Disk. You can verify your settings bymonitoring the MEM display.

Plug-in Name and Steinberg Logo
To obtain information regarding the version and build number of the plug-in, click the plug-in
logo. This opens the About box. To close the About box, click it, or press Esc on your computer
keyboard.
If you click the Steinberg logo in the top right corner of the plug-in interface, a pop-up menu
opens. Select one of the options to navigate to Steinberg web pages containing information on
software updates, troubleshooting, etc.

Toolbar
The toolbar contains useful global functions.

Global insert, AUX, and FlexPhraser buttons
Use these buttons to switch off all insert effects, AUX effects, and FlexPhrasers for thewhole plug-in at once. You can use this to compare sounds with and without effects or
to use a preset without the FlexPhrasers, for example.
Lock button
If this button is activated, loading another program or layer does not overwrite thecurrent FlexPhraser and trigger pad settings.
Script Error Indicator/Reset
Lights up if errors occur in a Lua script used by the program. You can click the button
to reload and initialize the script. However, if the problems persist, you must repair the
script.
MIDI Reset
Click this button to stop playback and reset all MIDI controllers to their default values.
Undo/Redo
To undo or redo a single operation, click the Undo or Redo buttons. To undo or redo
multiple operations, click the arrow next to the button to open the history, and selectthe step to which you want to return.

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Global Functions and Settings
Performance Controls
Show/Hide Load Panel
Opens the Load panel on the right side of the window.
Editor/PlayerThis button switches between two views: the full-size editor view (e) and the compact
player view (p).

Performance Controls
The performance controls are located in the lower part of the window.

Wheel Controls
To the left of the internal keyboard, the pitchbend wheel and the modulation wheel are located.
The modulation wheel is hardwired to MIDI controller #1, which is normally used as a source inthe modulation matrix, but can be used as a quick control as well.

Keyboard
The virtual 88-note keyboard can be used to trigger MIDI notes. By clicking the keys at different
vertical positions you can control the note-on velocity. Furthermore, the keyboard displays keys
that are not used to trigger notes but act as key switches. The Shift Keyboard buttons to theleft and right of the keyboard shift the keyboard range by octaves. This allows you to display key
switches that are located on lower keys, for example.
The following color scheme is used for the keys:●

Keys to which a key switch is assigned are shown in yellow.

●

Keys to which a remapped key switch is assigned are shown in beige.

●

Keys that are assigned to a trigger pad are shown in blue.

●

Keys to which a loop trigger note is assigned are shown in green.

Sphere Control
The sphere is a two-dimensional control. It allows you to adjust two parameters simultaneously,
by dragging the mouse horizontally (Sphere H) and vertically (Sphere V). Typically, twoparameters that belong together are assigned to the sphere, such as cutoff and resonance.
If parameters are assigned to Sphere H and Sphere V, triangles for indicating the horizontal andvertical axis are available.
You can reset the sphere to the center position using the corresponding options on the context
menu.
●

If Center Horizontal and/or Center Vertical are activated, the sphere returns to thecorresponding center position as soon as you release the mouse button.

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Global Functions and Settings
Quick Controls

Quick Controls
Quick controls allow you to remote-control any parameter inside the program.

Quick controls can be set up for programs and for layers. For the layer quick controls to beavailable, Show Layer Quick Controls must be activated on the Options page. If a layer has noquick controls, the quick controls of the program are used.

●To switch between the quick controls of the program and the layers, use the buttons to theleft of the potentiometer controls.

For each program and layer, eight quick controls are available. Furthermore, Sphere H,
Sphere V, and the modulation wheel can also serve as quick controls.
To hear a sound without quick control assignments, you can bypass them temporarily by using
the Bypass button to the right of the quick controls. This turns off the quick control assignmentsof the program.
The quick controls can be accessed via the Quick Control Assignments editor.
RELATED LINKS
Quick Control Assignments Editor on page 21

Value Tooltips
Parameters that are assigned to a quick control can show a value tooltip. This value tooltip
indicates the resulting parameter value and the name of the assigned quick control.

This is useful, because if you use quick controls, the following situations can happen:●

The actual value of a parameter and the value that is displayed in its value field differ.

●

A button on the user interface is deactivated, but the corresponding parameter is active.

For example, this can happen if the quick control introduces an offset or if a button is controlled
by a quick control.
●

To activate/deactivate value tooltips, click Value Tooltips in the Edit section of the Options
page.

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Global Functions and Settings
Quick Controls
RELATED LINKS
Edit Section on page 29

Accessing Quick Controls
PROCEDURE
1.

Select the program that you want to edit in the Slot Rack.

2.

Use the buttons to the left of the quick controls to select whether you want to access thequick controls for the program or for one of the layers.
The quick controls change to the settings of the program or the selected layer.

Assigning Quick Controls
PROCEDURE
1.

In the editor for a program, a layer, or an insert effect, right-click the control to which you
want to assign a quick control.
NOTE

2.

●

Parameters of a layer can only be assigned to the quick controls of this layer.

●

If you want to assign the parameters of a layer to the quick controls of a program, youmust first assign the parameter to a quick control of the layer, and then assign the quick
control of the layer to a quick control of the program.

On the Assign Quick Control submenu, select the quick control that you want to assign.

RESULT
The assignment is created.
NOTE
You can also assign a quick control as modulation source or modulation modifier in themodulation matrix. This allows you to combine the quick control with other modulation sources.

RELATED LINKS
Modulation Parameters on page 66

Setting the Minimum/Maximum Range
You can set the minimum and maximum range for each assignment separately. This gives you
better control over the parameter change.
●

Right-click a control, and define the range using the Set Minimum and Set Maximum
commands.

●

In the Quick Control Assignments editor, enter the values in the Minimum Value andMaximum Value fields, or click and drag the handles in the curve display.

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Global Functions and Settings
Quick Controls

Trimming the Range
The Trim Range function allows you to automatically set the best quick control range, dependingon the current parameter value.
PROCEDURE●

In the Quick Control Assignments editor, right-click the assignment in the list on the right.
●

To trim the range of a single assignment, select Trim Range.

●

To trim the range of all quick controls, select Trim Range of All Quick Controls.

RESULT
The minimum and maximum values are set automatically.
NOTE
If you change the original parameter, you have to apply the Trim Range function again to ensure
the best control range.

Setting the Default Range
PROCEDURE●

In the Quick Control Assignments editor, right-click the assignment on the right.
●

To set the default range of a single assignment, select Set Default Range.

●

To set the default range of all quick controls, select Set Default Range of All QuickControls.

RESULT
The quick controls are set to their maximum possible range.
NOTE
If you change the original parameter, you must apply the Set Default Range function again toensure the best control range.

Unassigning Quick Controls●

To remove a quick control assignment, right-click the parameter in the Quick Control
Assignments editor, and select Remove Assignment.

●

To remove all assignments of the selected quick control, open the context menu, and selectRemove All Assignments.

●

To remove all quick control assignments for all 8 quick controls, select Remove All
Assignments of All Quick Controls.

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Global Functions and Settings
Quick Controls

Quick Control Assignments Editor
The Quick Control Assignments editor lists the eight quick controls for the selected program orlayer on the left. The assignments of the selected quick control are listed on the right. You can
edit the parameters for each assignment separately.
●

To open the Quick Control Assignments editor, right-click a quick control and select Edit
Quick Control, or open the Edit page for a program and select the QC tab in the lower partof the page.

Quick Control Parameter
Displays the parameter assignment for the selected quick control.
Affected Layers/Modules

Displays which program, layer, or module is affected by the quick control.
Bypass Single Quick Control Assignment

Bypasses the corresponding quick control assignment.
For example, if a quick control is assigned to several layers, this option allows you to
bypass the quick control assignment for only one layer).
Mode

Determines the mode that is used for changing the parameter values.
●

Absolute remote-controls the parameter values continuously. Absolute modechanges the assigned parameters by overwriting them with the current quick
control value, that is, parameter changes are overwritten.

●

Relative remote-controls the parameter values continuously. Relative modechanges the values of the assigned parameters without losing their relative
settings, that is, parameter changes are still audible.

●

Switch Absolute switches between the minimum and maximum value. Parameterchanges are overwritten.

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Global Functions and Settings
Quick Controls●

Switch Relative switches between the minimum and maximum value. Parameterchanges are still audible.

Minimum Value
Sets the minimum value for the quick control assignment.
Curvature
Sets the curvature. You can also set the curvature by clicking and dragging in the curve
display.

Maximum Value
Sets the maximum value for the quick control assignment.
Bypass All Quick Control Assignments

Bypasses all assignments for the selected quick control.
RELATED LINKS
Quick Control Assignment Modes on page 23
Adjusting the Curvature on page 22
Bypassing Quick Controls on page 23

Managing Quick Controls
The Quick Control Assignments editor allows you to manage and edit assigned quick controls.
●

To rename a quick control, click in the Name column, and enter a new name.

●To change the order of quick control assignments, drag an assignment between two otherquick controls. When a line is shown, release the mouse button to insert the quick control
assignment.

●

To replace a quick control assignment, drag it onto another quick control. When a rectangle
is shown, release the mouse button to replace the quick control assignment.

Adjusting the Curvature
You can adjust the curvature of each individual assignment in the Quick Control Assignments
editor.
PROCEDURE●

To adjust the curvature, do one of the following:●

Select the quick control that you want to edit, and specify a value in the Curvature value
field.
Positive values change the curvature towards logarithmic behavior, and negative values
change it towards exponential behavior.

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Global Functions and Settings
Quick Controls●

Click and drag the curvature in the display on the right.

Quick Control Assignment Modes
A quick control behaves either like a continuous control or like a switch. In addition, it remotecontrols a parameter either in relative or absolute mode. You can specify a mode for eachassignment.
You can set the behavior via the context menu for the control itself or via the pop-up menu in the
Quick Control Assignments editor.
Absolute
Remote-controls the parameter values continuously. Absolute mode changes theassigned parameters by overwriting them with the current quick control value, thatis, parameter changes are overwritten.
Relative
Remote-controls the parameter values continuously. Relative mode changes thevalues of the assigned parameters without losing their relative settings, that is,parameter changes are still audible.
Switch Absolute
Switches between the minimum and maximum value. Parameter changes are
overwritten.
Switch Relative
Switches between the minimum and maximum value. Parameter changes are still
audible.

Neutral Setting
If you adjust the range of a quick control assignment, it can become necessary to change its
neutral setting, to prevent the resulting sound from changing.
If you adjust the range of a quick control with a single assignment that uses Absolute or
Relative mode, HALion Sonic automatically adjusts the setting of the quick control so that thesound does not change. Likewise, if you assign multiple parameters to the same quick control,
HALion Sonic automatically sets the range of this quick control assignment.
However, if a quick control has multiple assignments and you change the range of one or moreassignments, the neutral setting cannot be set automatically. In this case, you can specify theneutral setting manually using the Set Quick Control to Neutral Setting command on thecontext menu for the quick control.

Bypassing Quick Controls
Bypassing quick controls allows you to hear a sound without quick control assignments.

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Global Functions and Settings
Trigger Pads
1

To bypass a single assignment for one quick control, click Bypass Single Quick Control
Assignment in the Quick Control Assignments editor.

2

To bypass all assignments for one quick control, select the quick control in the QuickControl Assignments editor, and click Bypass All Quick Control Assignments in the upper
right of the parameter section.

Assigning Quick Controls in the Modulation Matrix
In addition to assigning quick controls directly to parameter controls, you can also assign themas a source or modifier in the modulation matrix. This way, you can combine the quick control
with other modulation sources.
PROCEDURE
1.

Open the layer editor and go to the modulation matrix.

2.

On the pop-up menu in the Source/Modifier column, open the Assign Quick Control
submenu, and select the quick control.
The submenu lists the quick controls of the layer.

Trigger Pads
You can use the trigger pads to trigger single notes or whole chords and to switch between
FlexPhraser or arpeggiator variations.
Many of the programs that come with HALion Sonic make use of the trigger pads.

If a note or a chord is assigned to a pad, this pad turns orange. If a pad switches between
variations, the line above the pad turns orange.
●

To trigger a pad, click on it.

Presets
Pad presets save trigger notes and chord snapshots, but not the FlexPhraser
variations. This means that you can exchange trigger notes and chords by loading
presets without losing your FlexPhraser variation settings.
BypassWith the Bypass Pads button to the right of the trigger pads, you can bypass the entire
pads section. This deactivates any functionality you assigned to the trigger pads.

Assigning Trigger Notes to Pads
You can assign a MIDI note to a pad and trigger the pad by playing this note.
To define the trigger note, do one of the following:●

Right-click a pad, open the Assign Trigger Note submenu, and from the further submenus,
select the octave and note that you want to assign.

●

Open the context menu for a pad, select Learn Trigger Note, and play the note on your
MIDI keyboard, or click a key on the internal keyboard.

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Global Functions and Settings
Trigger Pads
The name of the assigned trigger note is displayed in the top left corner of the pad.
On the internal keyboard, keys that serve as trigger notes are shown in blue. These keys do notplay sounds but trigger the corresponding pads instead.
●To remove a trigger note from a pad, right-click the pad, and select Forget Trigger Note.

Assigning Chords or Notes to Trigger Pads
PROCEDURE
1.

Right-click a pad, and select Snapshot Chord.
The pad starts flashing.

2.

Do one of the following:●

Play a chord or a single note, and then click the pad that is flashing to assign the chordor note to the pad.

●Drag a chord event from the chord track of your Steinberg DAW onto a trigger pad. Thistransfers the corresponding MIDI notes to the pad.
If you first drag a chord event onto the internal keyboard, the corresponding chord isplayed back. This is useful to verify whether you selected the correct chord.

If you define a chord that contains a key switch, you can trigger the chord with a specificinstrument expression.
If you add keys to a chord that also work as trigger notes, they trigger the underlying MIDI
note instead of the trigger note.
RESULT
Triggering the pad now plays the chord or note.

Default Trigger Note Settings
Assigned trigger notes are saved with each program to allow for maximum flexibility. However,you can save a fixed set of default trigger notes to reflect an existing hardware setup, forexample.
●To specify a default set of trigger notes, set up the trigger notes for all pads, right-click a pad,and select Save Trigger Notes as Default.

●

To activate the default trigger note settings, right-click a pad and select Use Default Trigger
Notes.
From now on, changing programs or multi-programs does not change the trigger notes
anymore.

If you deactivate Use Default Trigger Notes, the last set of trigger notes remains active. To
return to the trigger notes that were saved with the program, reload the program.

Assigning Key Switches to Trigger Pads
To use the pads for switching between expressions, assign them to the corresponding key
switches.
PROCEDURE●

Right-click a pad, select Snapshot Chord, and play the key switch.

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Global Functions and Settings
Trigger Pads

Removing Chords or Notes from Trigger Pads
PROCEDURE●

Right-click the trigger pad, and select Clear Chord.

Switching between Variations
You can switch between variations using the trigger pads.
Variations are available for the FlexPhraser and the B-Box, for example.
PROCEDURE
1.

Right-click the trigger pad that you want to use for switching to the selected FlexPhraser
variations.

2.

On the menu, select Snapshot Variations.
The line above the pad turns orange to indicate that a FlexPhraser variation is assigned.

RESULT
If you trigger the pad, it switches to the variation that was selected when you made thesnapshot.
NOTE
Instead of saving the variation settings themselves, the trigger pad saves only the variations thatwere selected when you made the snapshot. This allows you to modify variations after creating
the snapshot. However, if you replace or add layers, you must first remove the assignment using
the Clear FlexPhrasers command on the context menu and then take the FlexPhraser variation
snapshot again.

RELATED LINKS
Creating FlexPhraser Variations on page 80

Naming Pads
Entering names for pads allows you to obtain a better overview of their functionality, forexample.
PROCEDURE
1.

Right-click the pad to open the context menu, and select Rename Pad.

2.

Enter the new name, and press Enter .

Creating MIDI parts from Trigger Pads
You can create a MIDI part of the chord that is assigned to the pad by using drag and drop.
PROCEDURE●

Drag a trigger pad outside the Trigger Pads section, and drop it in the project window ofyour Steinberg DAW or another host sequencer.

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Global Functions and Settings
Options Page
RESULT
A MIDI part containing the chord that is assigned to the pad is created. The length of the part isone bar.

Options Page
The Options Page contains global settings regarding performance optimization, global
functions, MIDI controllers, etc.

Disk Streaming Section

Some of the programs include up to 1 GB of samples. Due to this substantial amount of data,
your computer cannot load all samples completely into the RAM, especially if you are using allslots. Therefore, HALion Sonic only loads the initial milliseconds of each sample into the RAM.
You can specify how much RAM to use and how much you want HALion Sonic to rely on accessing
the hard-disk.
Balancing Disk vs. RAM
Use the Balance slider to balance the hard disk versus the RAM usage.
●

If you need more RAM for other applications, drag the slider to the left, towards
the Disk setting.

●If your hard disk is not supplying data fast enough, drag the slider to the right,
towards the RAM setting.

NOTE
The Disk vs. RAM setting applies to all plug-in instances. It is not saved with the
project.
Max Preload
Determines the maximum amount of RAM that HALion Sonic uses for preloading
samples. In most cases, the default values are sufficient. However, it may become
necessary to reduce this value, for example, when working with other applications orplug-ins that require a lot of memory.
Expert Mode (EXP)
Activate Expert Mode if you want to adjust the Disk Streaming settings in greater
detail.

●Preload Time defines how much of the start of the samples is preloaded into theRAM. Larger values allow for more samples to be triggered within a short period of
time.

●

Prefetch Time determines the read-ahead capacity into the RAM while streaming
samples for a voice that is playing. Larger values allow for better transfer rates
from disk, and usually for more voices. However, this requires a larger streaming

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Global Functions and Settings
Options Page
cache in RAM. If you increase the Prefetch Time, we recommend to also increase
the Streaming Cache.
●

Streaming Cache determines the amount of RAM that is reserved for prefetching.
The required size depends on the Prefetch Time, the number of voices streamed
simultaneously, and the audio format of the samples. For example, higher sample
and bit rates need more RAM.

Used Preload and Available Memory
These displays provide information on the memory load in MB, based on the balanceslider setting.

Performance Section
The Performance section contains settings to optimize the overall CPU performance of theplug-in.

Max Voices
Determines the total number of voices that a plug-in instance can play back. As soon as
this limit is reached, HALion Sonic starts stealing voices.
Max CPUTo avoid clicks or audio dropouts from CPU overloads, you can specify a limit for the
CPU load of the plug-in instance. HALion Sonic automatically steals voices when thislimit is exceeded. With a setting of 100%, this parameter is deactivated.
NOTE
The reaction time of the plug-in may result in CPU peaks that exceed the set limit. Thiscan lead to artifacts, such as audio drop-outs. Therefore, it is good practice to set the
Max CPU setting to a value slightly lower than actually needed.
Voice Fade Out
Sets the time to fade out voices that need to be stolen because the Max Voices settingor the Max CPU setting has been reached.
Host Automation Resolution
Allows you to specify the resolution at which incoming automation data is processed.
The Standard setting provides a good balance between accuracy and performance,
High increases the resolution by a factor of four. This improves accuracy but increases
performance requirements.
NOTE
This parameter only takes effect when working with large audio block sizes, such as
512 or 1024 samples. When working with smaller block sizes such as 256, 128 or below,
the quality of the automation processing automatically increases. Larger block sizes
are also used for tracks that are played through Cubase ASIO guard.
Osc ECO Mode
Activate this option to run the oscillators of synth layers in ECO mode. In ECO mode,the oscillators use less CPU at the cost of producing more aliasing at higher pitches. If
this option is activated, you can play more voices with synth layers.

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Options Page
Multi Loading
Normally, when loading multi-programs, the previous multi-program is kept in the
RAM until the new multi-program has been loaded completely.
●

To clear a multi-program before loading a new one, select Clear before from the
pop-up menu.

Multi-Core
Via this pop-up menu, you can specify how many of the available CPU cores of yoursystem can be used by the plug-in. This allows HALion Sonic to compute each programon a different core, for example. The best setting depends on multiple factors andvaries from system to system and from project to project. A good starting point is to
set this value to one core less than the available number of cores.
NOTE
If you encounter any issues, reduce the number of cores, or set the pop-up menu toOff, and load multiple instances of HALion Sonic instead. This way, the host application
distributes the work load among the available cores.

Edit Section
In the Edit section, you find general settings for HALion Sonic.
NOTE
The settings in this section are not saved with a project, but they affect the entire plug-in.

Show Tooltips
If this option is activated, a tooltip is shown when you move the mouse over a control.
Show Value Tooltips
If this option is activated, parameters without a value field display their value in atooltip when you use the corresponding control.
Show Layer Quick Controls
Allows you to show/hide the quick controls for the layers in addition to those for the
program.
●If this option is deactivated, the quick control section only shows program quick
controls, and new quick control assignments can only be made for them.

●

If this option is activated, the quick control section can show the program quick
controls or the layer quick controls. You can switch between those quick controls
using the buttons on the left. New quick control assignments can be made for the
program or for the layers.

Limit Window Size
Limits the size of the plug-in window to fit in the available screen space. Activate thisoption if the display of your laptop or your computer monitor cannot fully display theplug-in. With this option activated, a scroll bar is displayed in the plug-in window, whichallows you to navigate to areas outside the visible area.

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Global Functions and Settings
Options Page
High DPI Mode
If High DPI Mode is activated, the plug-in uses high-resolution bitmaps when it isdisplayed with a scaling of 150% and higher on a high-resolution monitor, such as 4K(UHD), 5K, etc. This allows for sharper images on high-resolution displays.
NOTE●

Windows systems currently only support scaling factors that are multiples of 100.
For example, if you use a scaling factor of 150%, in HALion Sonic, the scaling factor
used is 200%.
High DPI Mode may not be compatible with some software and hardware
combinations. If you experience display issues with your setup, you can deactivate
High DPI Mode.
If High DPI Mode is deactivated, the native monitor resolution is used.

●

If you use HALion Sonic as a standalone application, the High DPI Mode option
on the Options page is deactivated. Instead, the corresponding option in the
Preferences dialog is used.

Program Changes
Determines how HALion Sonic handles incoming MIDI program change messages.
●

In GM Mode, program change messages are used to switch programs in the slotsof the Slot Rack.

●

In Multi Mode, program change messages are used to switch between the 128
multi-programs that can be configured on the Multi page.

●

Select Off to ignore incoming controller change messages.

Solo Mode●

In Standard mode, you can solo multiple programs or layers to hear them
combined.

●

In Exclusive mode, only one program or layer can be soloed at a time.

Maximum Number of Results in MediaBay/Browser
Specifies the maximum number of results displayed in the results list of the MediaBay/
Browser.
Key Commands
Opens the Key Commands dialog, where you can view and assign key commands.
Reset Messages
If you click this button, all message dialogs that have been suppressed with the Don't
Show Again option are displayed again.

MIDI Controller Section

Controller Assignment
With the two buttons in this section, you can save your customized MIDI controller
assignments as defaults or restore the factory MIDI controller assignments.

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Options Page
NOTE
Save as Default does not include any of the MIDI controller assignments of the AUX
FX.
The current MIDI controller mapping is also saved with each project. This way, you
can transfer your settings to other systems. The project includes the MIDI controller
assignments of the AUX FX as well.
MIDI Controller Smoothing
MIDI controllers have a maximum resolution of 128 steps. As a result, if you use a
MIDI controller as a modulation source in the modulation matrix or to remote-control
a quick control, the parameter change may occur in audible steps, causing an effectoften referred to as “zipper noise”. To avoid this, HALion Sonic provides MIDI controller
smoothing, so that parameter changes occur more gradually.
●

If MIDI controller changes cause audible artifacts, turn the control further to theleft. This way, MIDI controller changes do not occur immediately but are spaced
over a period of time (in milliseconds).

●

If you want more immediate MIDI controller changes, turn the control further tothe right. Note, however, that this may introduce audible artifacts.

FlexPhraser Hold Reset
Allows you to send a global hold reset message to all FlexPhraser modules or
arpeggiators that are used.
FlexPhraser Reset Controller
Allows you to assign a MIDI controller to the FlexPhraser Hold Reset button for
remote-controlling it.
RELATED LINKS
Automation on page 86
Preferences Dialog on page 179

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Editing Programs and Layers
On the Edit page, you can access the parameters and settings for programs and layers.
Furthermore, this is where you set up the insert effects.
A program contains up to four layers. Each layer can be edited separately.
●

To edit a program, activate the Program button.

●

To edit a layer, activate the corresponding layer button (L1 to L4).
The available parameters and tabs vary depending on the type of layer.

●

To set up the insert effects, activate the Inserts button.

Program Page Parameters
The Program page is divided into two sections. The section at the top serves to load andsave layers, and to set up the mix parameters, such as level, pan, and FX sends. The bottom
section displays layer ranges, program FlexPhraser editors, quick control assignments, or Note
Expression parameters.

On/Off
Activates/Deactivates the corresponding layer. If a layer is deactivated, it does not use
any processing power.
Mute
Mutes the corresponding layer.
Solo
Solos the corresponding layer. You can solo multiple layers at the same time.
NOTE
The Mute and Solo buttons at the top of the page mute the entire program.
FlexPhraser On/Off
Activates/Deactivates the FlexPhraser for a layer.
You can edit the FlexPhraser on the edit page for the corresponding layer.

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Program Page Parameters
NOTE
This button is only available for layers that support the FlexPhraser functionality.
Layer Slots
The layer slots allow you to load up to four layers for a program. When you click one of
the four layer slots, it gets the focus. You can load a layer preset into the focused slot
by double-clicking the preset in the MediaBay.
Right-click a slot to open a context menu with the following options:●

Load Layer opens the Load Layer dialog. Select a layer, and click OK to load it into
this slot.

●

Save Layer saves the layer in this slot with the current settings, under the same
name.
NOTE
To save write-protected content, you must choose a new layer name.

●

Save Layer As opens the Save Layer dialog, where you can save the layer under a
new name.

●Remove Layer removes the layer from the slot.

●

Init Layer loads a neutral synth layer.

●

Copy Layer copies the layer to the clipboard.

●

Paste Layer pastes the copied layer into the current slot.

Level
Adjusts the loudness of the layer.
Pan
Sets the position of the layer in the stereo panorama.
FX1–4 Send Levels
These four sliders adjust the send levels for the global AUX FX busses for each layer.
Output
Sets the output for each layer. If you do not change this setting, the signal is sent to
the output that is specified for the program. But you can also select the main output or
one of the plug-in outputs.

Ranges Tab

PolySpecifies how many notes can be played at the same time.

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Editing Programs and Layers
Program Page Parameters
NOTE
Polyphony is part of the layer settings and is therefore restored when you load a layer.
If a layer is monophonic, this setting has no effect.
OctaveAllows you to shift the octave of a layer by ±5 octaves.
Fine
Allows you to detune a layer by ±100 cents.
Key Range (Low Key, High Key)
Allows you to limit the key range for a slot.
Velocity Range (Low Vel, High Vel)
Allows you to limit the velocity range for a slot.
Controller Filter
Allows you to filter out the most commonly used MIDI controllers.

FlexP, QC, and NoteExp Tabs
The FlexP (FlexPhraser), QC (Quick Controls), and NoteExp (Note Expression) tabs are describedin their own sections in this documentation.
RELATED LINKS
FlexPhraser on page 75
Quick Controls on page 18
Note Expression on page 177
Editing the Key Range on page 34
Editing the Velocity Range on page 34
Filtering Controllers on page 35

Editing the Key Range
Each slot can be limited to a specific key range.
To show the key range, activate the Key button above the range controls.

You can set the key range in the following ways:●

Set the range with the Low Key and High Key value fields or by dragging the ends of the
keyboard range control.

●

To move the key range, click in the middle of the range control and drag.

●To set the range via MIDI input, double-click in a value field, and play the note.

Editing the Velocity Range
Each slot can be limited to a specific velocity range.
To show the velocity range, activate the Vel button above the range controls.

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Editing Programs and Layers
Layer Page Parameters●

Set the velocity range with the Low Vel and High Vel value fields or by dragging the ends ofthe velocity range control.
To move the velocity range, click in the middle of the range control and drag.

Filtering Controllers
You can filter out the most commonly used MIDI controllers for each slot separately.
For example, if you set up a keyboard split with bass and piano playing on the same MIDI
channel, both sounds receive the same MIDI controllers. However, you usually do not want thebass to receive the sustain pedal. To avoid that all sounds on the same MIDI channel receive thesame MIDI controllers, use the controller filter.
Filtering out control change messages can also be used to avoid unwanted program changes on
MIDI channel 10 (drums), for example.

PROCEDURE
1.

Activate the Ctrl button above the range controls.

2.

For each slot, activate the MIDI controllers that you want to filter out.
You can filter out the following MIDI controllers: Sustain Pedal #64, Foot Controller #4, Foot
Switches #65-69, Pitchbend, Modulation Wheel #1, and Aftertouch.

Layer Page Parameters
Which parameters are available on the Layer page depends on the selected layer and layer type.
Some layers offer their parameters on a dedicated macro page. Other content layers allow you to
set up and edit their parameters.
For those layers not using a macro page, you can set up the parameters on the Voice, Pitch,
Filter, Osc, and Amp tabs.
In the lower section of the page, you can set up LFOs, FlexPhrasers, the Modulation Matrix,
envelopes, and more.

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Editing Programs and Layers
Layer Page Parameters

Voice Tab

Mono
Allows you to switch between monophonic and polyphonic playback.
●Activate Mono to switch to monophonic playback. Usually, this allows a morenatural sounding performance for solo instruments.

●

Deactivate Mono to play polyphonically with the number of notes specified by the
Polyphony control.

Retrigger
This option is only available in Mono mode. If Retrigger is activated, a note that wasstolen by another note is retriggered if you still hold the stolen note when you release
the new one.
This way, you can play trills by holding one note and quickly and repeatedly pressing
and releasing another note, for example.
Polyphony
Sets the upper limit for the number of notes that you can play if Mono is deactivated.
NOTE
If the program has a lower value for polyphony than any of its layers, the maximum
number of notes is determined by the program.
Trigger Mode
Defines the trigger behavior for new notes.
●

Normal triggers a new note when the previous note gets stolen. The sample andthe envelope of the new note are triggered from the start.
To minimize discontinuities, use the Fade Out parameter of the zone.

●

Resume does not always trigger a new note.
If the new note stays within the same zone, the envelope is retriggered but
resumes at the level of the stolen note. The pitch of the zone is set to the newnote.
If the new note plays in a different zone, the sample and the envelope of the newnote are triggered from the start.

●

Legato does not always trigger a new note.
If the new note stays within the same zone, the envelope keeps running. The pitchof the zone is set to the new note.
If the new note plays in a different zone, the sample and the envelope of the newnote are triggered from the start.

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Editing Programs and Layers
Layer Page Parameters●

Resume Keeps Zone does not trigger a new note upon note stealing. The
envelope resumes at the level of the stolen note, and the pitch of the zone isset to the new note, even if the new note plays in a different zone.

●

Legato Keeps Zone does not trigger a new note upon note stealing. The envelope
keeps running, and the pitch of the zone is set to the new note, even if the newnote plays in a different zone.

Voice Mode
Determines which notes are stolen during playback and whether new notes are
triggered when the Polyphony setting is exceeded.
●

Last Note Priority – The most recently played notes have playback priority overthe notes that were played before them.
If you exceed the maximum number of notes, the notes that were played first arestolen in chronological order (First in/First Out), and the new notes are triggered.

●First Note Priority – Older notes have playback priority over newer notes.
If you exceed the maximum number of notes while older notes are still being held,
no notes are stolen. New notes are only triggered if a free voice is available.

●

Low Note Priority – Low notes have playback priority over higher notes.
If you exceed the maximum number of notes by playing a lower note than theones that are held, the highest note is stolen, and the new note is triggered.
If you exceed the maximum number of notes by playing a higher note than theones that are held, no note is stolen, and no new note is triggered.

●High Note Priority – High notes have playback priority over lower notes.
If you exceed the maximum number of notes by playing a higher note than theones that are held, the lowest note is stolen, and the new note is triggered.
If you exceed the maximum number of notes by playing a lower note than theones that are held, no note is stolen, and no new note is triggered.

●

Steal Lowest Amplitude – New notes have playback priority over notes with a low
amplitude.
If you exceed the maximum number of notes, the note with the lowest amplitude
is stolen, and the newest note is triggered.

●

Steal Released Notes – New notes have priority over notes that enter the release
phase.
If you exceed the maximum number of notes, the oldest note that is in its release
phase is stolen, and the new note is triggered.
If no note is playing in release and you exceed the maximum number of notes,
the first played notes are stolen in chronological order, and the new notes are
triggered.

Key PolyWith this parameter, you can specify an upper limit for the number of notes that canbe played for a key. The notes that were played last have priority. For this parameter totake effect, the Mono button must be deactivated.
NOTE
Key Poly is limited by the Polyphony setting.

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Editing Programs and Layers
Layer Page Parameters
Low Amp
By default, the oldest note is removed first when notes are stolen due to a Key Polylimitation. If you want the note with the lowest amplitude to be removed instead,activate Low Amp.
Min Low Notes
Defines the number of low notes that cannot be stolen, regardless of the Voice Modesetting.
Make sure that the polyphony of the program is high enough for your specific Min Low
Notes setting and that it allows you to play additional higher notes.
Key On Delay
With this parameter, you can delay the playback of the layer by a specified time or anote value.
If Sync is deactivated, the delay is specified in milliseconds. If Sync is activated, thedelay is specified in fractions of beats.
To synchronize the delay time to the host tempo, activate the Sync button and selecta note value from the pop-up menu. To change the selected note value to a triplet,
activate the T button.
UnisonAllows you to trigger multiple voices simultaneously with each note that you play. If
you activate Unison, the following parameters become available:●

Voices determines the number of voices that are triggered simultaneously (max.
8).

●

Detune detunes the pitch of each unison voice in cents. This produces a fattersound.

●Pan spreads the unison voices across the stereo panorama. The higher the value,
the broader the stereo image.

●

Delay allows you to introduce a small random delay for each unison voice.
With a value of 0%, all unison voices are triggered at the same time. Values from
1% to 100% add a random delay to each unison voice. The higher the value, themore random the delay. This is especially useful to avoid comb filter effects with
two or more slightly detuned samples.

Glide
Allows you to bend the pitch between notes that follow each other. You achieve thebest results in Mono mode. If you activate Glide, the following parameters become
available:●

Time specifies the time needed to bend the pitch from one note to the other.

●

Activate Sync to synchronize the delay time to the host tempo. Select a note value
from the pop-up menu. To change the selected note value to a triplet, activate the
T button.

●

Mode determines the glide time.
Set this parameter to Constant Time to keep the glide time constant andindependent from the note interval.
Set this parameter to Constant Speed to change the glide time with the noteinterval. Larger intervals result in longer glide times.

●

Curve allows you to select one of three curve types to define the glide behavior.
With the Linear curve, the pitch glides at continuous speed from the start to theend pitch.

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With the Exponential curve, the pitch starts gliding at higher speed anddecelerates towards the end pitch. This behavior is similar to the natural pitch
glide produced by a singer.
With the Quantized curve, the pitch glides in semitones from the start to the end
pitch.
●

Fingered allows you to glide the pitch only between notes that are played legato.

NOTE
If you use Cutoff Key Follow, Level Key Follow, and Pan Key Follow, thecorresponding parameters also change with the Glide effect.

Pitch Tab

Pitchbend Up/Pitchbend Down
Determines the range of the modulation that is applied when you move the pitchbend
wheel.
OctaveAllows you to shift the octave of a layer by ±5 octaves.
CoarseAllows you to shift the pitch of a layer by ±12 semitones.
Fine
Allows you to detune a layer by ±100 cents.
Pitch Envelope Amount
Determines how much the pitch is affected by the pitch envelope. For example, if thisparameter is set to 12, an envelope node can raise/lower the pitch by one octave.
Random Pitch
Allows you to randomly offset the pitch with each played note. Higher values cause
stronger variations. At a setting of 100 %, the random offsets can vary from -6 to +6
semitones.
Pitch Key Follow
Allows you to adjust the pitch modulation based on the MIDI note number. With thisparameter set to a positive value, the higher you play, the more the pitch is raised.
With the parameter set to a negative value, the higher you play, the lower the pitch. At
a setting of +100%, the pitch follows the played note exactly.
Center Key
Specifies the MIDI note that is used as the central position for the Pitch Key Follow
function.

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Oscillator Tab
The Oscillator tab offers six sound sources: three main oscillators, the sub oscillator, the ring
modulation, and the noise generator. To create interesting electronic spectra, you can mix anyof these sound sources. The resulting signal is sent to the Filter and Amplifier tabs for further
sound shaping.
The three main oscillators (OSC 1, OSC 2, and OSC 3) offer several wave shapes and algorithms.
●

To activate an oscillator, click its On/Off button.

OSC 1/2/3 TypeThe oscillator type defines the basic sound character of the oscillator. This pop-up
menu lists the waveforms Sine, Triangle, Saw, and Square, followed by the algorithms
PWM, Sync, CM and XOR. The combination of waveform and algorithm controls thesound of the oscillator.
The following algorithms are available:●

PWM (pulse width modulation) is only supported by the square waveform. The
Waveform parameter sets the ratio between the high and the low value of thesquare wave. A setting of 50% produces a pure square wave. With settings below
or above 50%, the oscillator produces rectangular waves.

●

Sync provides different hard-sync oscillators, each of them a combination of amaster and slave oscillator. The wave shape of the slave oscillator is reset witheach full wave cycle of the master oscillator. This means that a single oscillator
can produce a rich sync-sound without using other oscillators. The Waveform
parameter adjusts the pitch of the slave oscillator, producing the typical sync
sound.

●CM (cross modulation) provides a combination of two oscillators, where one
oscillator is modulating the pitch of another oscillator at the rate of the audio
sample. The Waveform parameter adjusts the pitch ratio between the two
oscillators, resulting in a sound closely resembling frequency modulation.

●

XOR (exclusive OR) compares two square waveforms with an XOR operation.
Depending on the outcome of the XOR operation, the wave shape of a third
oscillator is reset. The Waveform parameter adjusts the pitch ratio of the square
oscillators, resulting in a sound closely resembling ring modulation of the third
oscillator.

Osc 1/2/3 Waveform
Modifies the sound of the oscillator algorithm. Its effect depends on the selectedoscillator type.
NOTE●

Except for PWM, all algorithms support the Sine, Triangle, Saw, and Square wave
shapes. PWM only supports the Square wave shape.

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The Waveform parameter for the three main oscillators can be assigned as themodulation destination in the modulation matrix.

OSC 1/2/3 Octave
Adjusts the pitch in octave steps.
OSC 1/2/3 Coarse
Adjusts the pitch in semitone steps.
OSC 1/2/3 Fine
Adjusts the pitch in cent steps. This allows you to fine-tune the oscillator sound.
OSC 1/2/3 Level
Adjusts the output level of the oscillator.
NOTE
Waveform, Pitch, and Level of oscillators 1, 2, and 3 can be modulated separately inthe modulation matrix.

Multi-Oscillator Mode
For the three main oscillators, you can activate Multi-Oscillator mode. This allows you to createa richer sound by producing up to eight oscillators simultaneously.
●

To activate Multi-Oscillator mode, activate the MO button.

If Multi-Oscillator mode is activated, you can click the Edit Multi-Oscillator Parameters
button to show the corresponding parameters.
NOTE
If Multi-Oscillator mode is active for an oscillator, you can modulate the corresponding
parameters in the modulation matrix.
Multi Oscillator Number, Detune, and Spread●

Number determines the number of oscillators that play back simultaneously. You
can also set fractions of numbers. For example, with a setting of 2.5, you hear two
oscillators at full level and a third one at half level.

●

Detune detunes the oscillators.

●

Spread narrows or widens the stereo panorama. With a setting of 0%, you create amono signal, and with 100%, you create a stereo signal.

Sub Oscillator

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The pitch of the sub oscillator is always one octave lower than the overall pitch. The overall pitch
is determined by the Octave setting.
On/Off
Activates/Deactivates the sub oscillator.
Type
Determines the wave shape of the sub oscillator. You can choose Sine, Triangle, Saw,
Square, Pulse Wide, or Pulse Narrow.
Level
Adjusts the output level of the sub oscillator.

Ring Modulator
Ring modulation generates sums and differences between the frequencies of two signals.

Ring Modulation Source 1/Ring Modulation Source 2
Determines the sources to be ring modulated. You can select OSC 1 or Sub as Source
1, and OSC 2 or OSC 3 as Source 2.
NOTE
Make sure that the corresponding oscillators are activated when you select them.
Otherwise, no sound is heard.
Ring Modulation Level
Adjusts the output level of the ring modulation.

Noise Generator
The Noise parameter is used for non-pitched sounds. In addition to standard white and pinknoise, there are also band-pass filtered versions of white and pink noise.

Noise TypeThe sound color of the noise. You can choose between standard and band-pass filtered(BPF) versions of white and pink noise.

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Noise Level
Adjusts the output level of the noise generator.

Filter Tab

Filter Mode
The buttons on the left determine the overall filter structure.
●

Single Filter uses one filter with one selectable filter shape.

●

Dual Filter Serial uses two separate filters connected in series.
You can select the filter shapes for each filter independently. The parameters
Cutoff and Resonance control both filters simultaneously. However, you can offset
these parameters for the second filter with the parameters CF Offset and Res
Offset.

●Dual Filter Parallel uses two separate filters connected in parallel.
You can select the filter shapes for each filter independently. The parameters
Cutoff and Resonance control both filters simultaneously. However, you can offset
these parameters for the second filter with the parameters CF Offset and Res
Offset.

●Morph 2 morphs between filter shape A and B.
Adjust the morphing with the Morph Y parameter.

●

Morph 4 morphs sequentially from filter shape A to D.
Adjust the morphing with the Morph Y parameter.

●

Morph XY morphs freely between the filter shapes A, B, C, and D.
Adjust the morphing with the Morph X and Morph Y parameters.

Filter TypeSpecifies the basic sound character of the filter.
●

Off deactivates the filter section.

●

Classic offers 24 filter shapes with resonance.

●

Tube Drive adds warm, tube-like distortion. You can set the amount of tube drivewith the Distortion parameter.

●

Hard Clip adds bright, transistor-like distortion. You can set the amount of hardclipping with the Distortion parameter.

●

Bit Red (Bit Reduction) adds digital distortion by means of quantization noise. You
can adjust the bit reduction with the Distortion parameter.

●

Rate Red adds digital distortion by means of aliasing. You can adjust the rate
reduction with the Distortion parameter.

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Rate Red KF adds digital distortion by means of aliasing. In addition, Key Follow isused. The rate reduction follows the keyboard, so the higher you play, the higher
the sample rate.

●

HALion 3 offers the five legacy filter shapes from HALion 3.

●

Waldorf offers 13 filter shapes, including two comb filters.

●

Eco is a performance-optimized low-pass filter without Resonance or Distortion
parameters. It allows you to adapt the brilliance of samples for different velocity
layers of the same key, for example.

NOTE
Filters without distortion use less processing power.
Filter Shape●

LP24, 18, 12, and 6 are low-pass filters with 24, 18, 12, and 6 dB/oct. Frequencies
above the cutoff are attenuated.

●

BP12 and BP24 are band-pass filters with 12 and 24 dB/oct. Frequencies below andabove the cutoff are attenuated.

●

HP6 + LP18 and HP6 + LP12 are a combination of a high-pass filter with 6 dB/oct
and a low-pass filter with 18 and 12 dB/oct, respectively (asymmetric band-passfilter). Frequencies below and above the cutoff are attenuated. Attenuation is more
pronounced for the frequencies above the cutoff.

●

HP12 + LP6 and HP18 + LP6 are a combination of a high-pass filter with 12
and 18 dB/oct and a low-pass filter with 6 dB/oct (asymmetric band-pass filter).
Frequencies below and above the cutoff are attenuated. Attenuation is more
pronounced for the frequencies below the cutoff.

●

HP24, 18, 12, and 6 are high-pass filters with 24, 18, 12, and 6 dB/oct. Frequencies
below the cutoff are attenuated.

●

BR12 and BR24 are band-reject filters with 12 and 24 dB/oct. Frequencies aroundthe cutoff are attenuated.

●

BR12 + LP6 and BR12 + LP12 are a combination of a band-reject filter with 12
dB/oct and a low-pass filter with 6 and 12 dB/oct, respectively. Frequencies aroundand above the cutoff are attenuated.

●

BP12 + BR12 is a band-pass filter with 12 dB/oct plus a band-reject filter with 12
dB/oct. Frequencies below, above, and around the cutoff are attenuated.

●

HP6 + BR12 and HP12 + BR12 are a combination of a high-pass filter with 6 and 12
dB/oct and a band-reject filter with 12 dB/oct. Frequencies below and around thecutoff are attenuated.

●

AP is an all-pass filter with 18 dB/oct. Frequencies around the cutoff areattenuated.

●

AP + LP6 is an all-pass filter with 18 dB/oct plus a low-pass filter with 6 dB/oct.
Frequencies around and above the cutoff are attenuated.

●

HP6 + AP is a high-pass filter with 6 dB/oct plus an all-pass filter with 18 dB/oct.
Frequencies around and below the cutoff are attenuated.

X/Y Control
Allows you to adjust two parameters simultaneously.
●

For the filter types Single, Dual Serial, and Dual Parallel, the X/Y control adjusts
the cutoff frequency on the horizontal axis and the resonance on the vertical axis.

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For the filter types Morph 2 and Morph 4, the X/Y control adjusts the morphing
between the filter shapes on the vertical axis. The horizontal axis adjusts the cutoff
frequency.

●

For Morph XY, the X/Y control adjusts the morphing between the filter shapes AD
and BC on the horizontal axis, and AB and DC on the vertical axis.

CutoffControls the cutoff frequency of the filter.
Resonance
Emphasizes the frequencies around the cutoff. At higher settings, the filter selfoscillates, which results in a ringing tone.
Distortion
Adds distortion to the signal. The effect depends largely on the selected filter type. At
higher settings, it creates a very intense distortion effect.
NOTE
This parameter is only available for the filter types Tube Drive, Hard Clip, Bit Red,
Rate Red, and Rate Red KF.
CF Offset
For the dual filters, this parameter allows you to offset the cutoff frequency of thesecond filter, that is, of filter shape B.
Res Offset
For the dual filters, this parameter allows you to offset the resonance of the second
filter, that is, of filter shape B.
Cutoff Velocity
Controls the cutoff modulation from velocity.
Envelope AmountControls the cutoff modulation from the filter envelope.
Cutoff Key Follow
Adjusts the cutoff modulation using the note number. Increase this parameter to raise
the cutoff with higher notes. At 100%, the cutoff follows the played pitch exactly.
Center Key
Specifies the MIDI note that is used as the central position for the Key Follow function.

Amplifier Tab

Level
Controls the overall volume of the sound.

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Level Key Follow
Allows you to control the volume depending on the note pitch. Positive values mean
that, the higher the notes you play, the more the volume is raised. With negativevalues, higher notes result in lower volume.
Center Key
Specifies the MIDI note that is used as the center position for Level Key Follow.
Pan
Determines the position of the sound in the stereo panorama. At a setting of -100%,the sound is panned hard left, and at +100%, it is panned hard right.
ModeWith this option, you can specify loudness variations across the stereo panorama.
●

If this parameter is set to 0 dB, it works like a balance control.
Setting the pan control towards the left fades out the right channel and vice versa.
At the center position, the loudness is not cut.

●With this parameter set to -3 dB, the option uses the cosine/sine pan law.
The loudness is cut by -3 dB at the center position, but the energy is preserved
when moving the source signal across the stereo panorama. The -3 dB option
sounds more natural. The transition from hard left to hard right sounds muchsmoother than with the 0 dB or the -6 dB setting.

●With this parameter set to -6 dB, this option uses the linear pan law.
The loudness is cut by -6 dB at the center position, and the energy is not preserved
when moving the source signal across the stereo panorama. The -6 dB option
sounds more synthetic. The transition from hard left to hard right sounds more
abrupt than with the -3 dB setting.

●With this parameter set to Off, no panning is applied.

Random Pan
Allows you to offset the pan position randomly with each played note. Higher values
cause stronger variations. At a setting of 100%, the random offsets can vary from fully
left to fully right.
Alternate Pan
Allows you to alternate the pan position each time that you play a note. To startpanning on the left, use negative values. Use positive values to begin on the right. At asetting of +100%, the first note plays hard right, the second note hard left, and so on.
Reset
The initial pan position is set once, on startup. Subsequently, each note that you play
is counted to determine the next pan position. To reset this counter, click the Resetbutton.
Pan Key Follow
Allows you to adjust the pan modulation via the MIDI note number. Set this parameterto positive values to offset the pan position towards the right for notes above, andtowards the left for notes below the center key. Use negative values to offset the panposition towards the left for notes above, and towards the right for notes below thecenter key.
At the maximum setting of +200%, the pan position moves from hard left to hard rightwithin two octaves: Fully left is reached one octave below, and fully right is reached one
octave above the center key.

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Center Key
Specifies the MIDI note that is used as the center position for Pan Key Follow.

Additional Parameters for Drum and Loop Layers

One ShotIf this button is activated, any MIDI note-off messages are ignored. The releasesegments of the envelopes is not played. Instead, the envelopes play until the sustain
is reached and remain on that level for as long as the sample plays back. Any loop
settings of the sample are ignored.
ReverseIf this button is activated, the sample is played in reverse. Any loop settings the sample
may contain are ignored.

Envelopes
On the Edit page, you can edit the pitch (P), filter (F), amp (A), and user (U) envelopes.
Each of these is a multi-segment envelope with up to 512 nodes. The nodes specify the overall
shape of the envelope. The amp, filter, and pitch envelopes are pre-assigned to the amplitude,
the filter cutoff frequency, and the pitch of the layer. The user envelope is freely assignable.
All envelopes can be used as sources in the modulation matrix.

●

Click P to display the parameters of the pitch envelope.
The pitch envelope modulates the pitch over time. The pitch envelope is bipolar, whichmeans it allows for negative and positive values to bend the pitch.

●

Click F to display the parameters of the filter envelope.
The filter envelope controls the cutoff frequency to shape the harmonic content over time.

●

Click A to display the parameters of the amplifier envelope.
The amplifier envelope shapes the volume over time.

●

Click U to display the parameters of the freely assignable user envelope.
The user envelope is bipolar, which means it allows for negative and positive values, forexample, to modulate the pan from left to right.

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Mode
Determines how the envelope is played back when it is triggered.

●

Select Sustain to play the envelope from the first node to the sustain node. The
sustain level is held for as long as you play the note. When you release the note,the envelope continues with the stages following the sustain. This mode is ideal for
looped samples.

●

Select Loop to play back the envelope from the first node to the loop nodes. As aresult, the loop is repeated for as long as you hold the key. When you release thenote, the envelope continues playing the stages that follow the sustain. This mode
is ideal for adding motion to the sustain of the envelope.

●

Select One Shot to play the envelope from the first to the last node, even if you
release the key. The envelope has no sustain stage. This mode is ideal for drum
samples.

●

Select Sample Loop to preserve the natural attack of the sample. The decay of theenvelope does not start until the sample has reached the sample loop start.
If you set the second node to the maximum level and use the subsequent nodes
to shape the decay during the loop phase of the sample, the envelope only affects
the loop phase. The attack of the envelope is still executed.
NOTE
Sample Loop mode is only available for sample layers.

NOTE
You can load and play HALion 7 envelope subpresets that use the Shaper mode, which
is not available in HALion Sonic. However, you do not have full access to all of its
editing functions.
Sync to Host Tempo
Allows you to synchronize the envelopes to the tempo of your host application.

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Snap to Guide Envelope
If Snap to Guide Envelope is activated and you change the position of nodes, theysnap to the nodes of the guide envelope that is shown in the background.
NOTE
Pitch envelope nodes also snap to semitone positions.
Fill
Allows you to add multiple envelope nodes after the selected nodes.
Fixed Mode●

With Fixed Mode activated, only the selected nodes are moved when you move anode on the time axis.

●

With Fixed Mode deactivated, all subsequent nodes are moved as well when you
move a node.

Level Velocity Curve
You can select the curve type to specify how the incoming velocity translates to thelevel of the envelope. The characteristics of each curve are displayed by a small icon.
Level Velocity
Determines how the velocity affects the level of the envelope.
The level of the envelope depends on two factors: the setting of this parameter andhow hard you hit a key. With positive values, the harder you hit a key, the higher thelevel of the envelope. With negative values, the harder you hit a key, the lower the levelof the envelope.
Time Velocity
Adjusts the influence of velocity on the phases of the envelope. Positive values
decrease the length of the phases for higher velocity values. Negative values increase
the length of the phases for higher velocity values.
Segments Affected by Time Velocity
Allows you to select the phases of the envelope to be affected by the Time Velocity
parameter.
●

Attack – The velocity affects the attack only.

●

Attack + Decay – The velocity affects all phases up to the sustain phase.

●

Decay – The velocity affects all phases including the sustain phase, but without theattack.

●Attack + Release – The velocity affects the attack and the release phases.

●

All – The velocity affects all phases.

Time Key Follow, Center Key, and KeyF Rel (Key Follow Release)
With the Time Key Follow and KeyF Rel parameters, you can scale the envelope
phases across the keyboard.
●

Time Key Follow scales all times before the sustain node.

●

KeyF Rel scales all times after the sustain node, that is, the release phase of theenvelope.

The value that you specify for Center Key is used as the central position for the TimeKey Follow and KeyF Rel functions.

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The envelope phases depend on the keyboard range in which the note is played and on
the corresponding Time Key Follow setting:●

Positive values decrease the phase lengths for notes above and increase the phase
lengths for notes below the Center Key, that is, the higher the notes you play, thefaster the envelope.

●

Negative values increase the phase lengths for notes above and decrease thephase lengths for notes below the Center Key, that is, the higher the notes you
play, the slower the envelope.

Envelope Display Controls

Envelope Node
Displays the active envelope node. To switch to another node, click in the value fieldand select a node from the pop-up menu.
TimeSpecifies the period of time between two nodes. Depending on the Sync mode, theTime parameter is displayed in milliseconds and seconds, or in fractions of beats.
NOTE
The fraction is always reduced to the smallest possible value. 2/16 is displayed as 1/8,
for example.
Curve
Allows you to adjust the curvature between two nodes from linear to logarithmic or
exponential behavior.
Level
Specifies the amplitude of the envelope at the position set by the Time parameter.

Zooming
The vertical axis of the graphical envelope editor displays the level. The horizontal axis displays
the time.
●

To zoom in or out, click the + or - buttons to the right of the scrollbar below the graphicaleditor.

●To zoom in or out at the current position, click in the timeline and drag up or down.

●

To toggle between full zoom and the previous zoom setting, click the A button to the right of
the horizontal zoom slider.

●To zoom to a specific region, hold Alt/Opt , click and drag the mouse over the region.

Zoom Snapshots
Zoom snapshots save the zoom factor and scroll position of the editor. These are restored when
you load the snapshot.

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To the right of the scrollbar, you can find three numbered buttons that allow you to save andload zoom snapshots.
●

To save the current state of the editor as a snapshot, Shift -click one of the numberedbuttons to the right of the scrollbar.

●

To load a zoom snapshot, click the corresponding button. The button color changes if asnapshot is active.

NOTE
If you perform any manual zooming or scrolling, the zoom snapshot is deactivated.

Node Editing
You can edit single nodes or multiple selected nodes.
●●

To add a node, double-click on the envelope curve.
You can also add nodes by copying and pasting selected nodes.
When you press Ctrl/Cmd , the insert position is indicated by a line. With Sync to Host
Tempo activated, this insert line is aligned to the note value grid.
NOTE
An envelope can consist of up to 512 nodes. If more nodes are copied to the clipboard thancan be pasted into the envelope, a warning indicator lights up.

●

To delete a node, double-click it, or click it with the Erase tool.
NOTE

●

●

You cannot remove the first, the last, or the sustain node.

●

All nodes added after the sustain node affect the release phase of the envelope.

To delete several nodes, drag a selection rectangle around them with the Erase tool.
With Fixed Mode activated, the positions of the remaining nodes are not modified. The Timevalue of the node to the right of the deleted selection is automatically adjusted.
With Fixed Mode deactivated, the remaining nodes are moved to the left to fill the gap.

●

To change the curvature between two nodes, drag the curve segment up or down, or enter a
new value in the Curve field.
Positive values change the curvature towards logarithmic, and negative values towards
exponential behavior.
To reset a curve to linear, Ctrl/Cmd -click it.

●

To move a node, drag it sideways, or enter a new value in the Time field.
For a higher resolution, hold Shift while moving the nodes.
To limit the movement to the time axis, that is, to change only the horizontal position of anode, hold down Ctrl/Cmd while dragging.

●

To change the level of a node, drag it up or down, or enter a new value in the Level field.
For a higher resolution, hold Shift while moving the nodes.
To limit the movement to the level axis, that is, to change only the vertical position of a node,hold down Alt/Opt while dragging.

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Replacing Node Selections
You can replace a selection of nodes with nodes copied to the clipboard or with one of thepredefined shapes on the shape selector.
●

To replace multiple nodes with a predefined curve, select the nodes, and select the curvefrom the shape selector.
The shape is stretched/compressed to replace the exact time range of the selection.

●

To replace multiple nodes with a selection of nodes from the clipboard, select the nodes thatyou want to replace, open the context menu, and select Replace.
The copied nodes are stretched/compressed to replace the exact time range of the selection.

Multi Selection Editing with the Edit Tool
With multiple envelope nodes selected and with the Edit tool active, a multi-selection rectangle isshown in the envelope display. It has six handles that allow you to modify the selected nodes.

●

To compress the node levels, drag the right or left middle handle down.

●

To expand the node levels, drag the right or left middle handle up.

●

To tilt the left part of the node selection upwards or downwards, drag the upper left handle.
To use a shelving curve instead of a linear curve, press Ctrl/Cmd .

●To tilt the right part of the node selection upwards or downwards, drag the upper righthandle.
To use a shelving curve instead of a linear curve, press Ctrl/Cmd .

●To scale the node levels, drag the upper middle handle.
To offset all nodes, press Shift . To use a bell curve instead of a linear curve, press Ctrl/
Cmd .

●

To scale the overall time of the selected nodes relative to the start node, drag the lower righthandle.

●To scale the overall time of the selected nodes relative to the start node, drag the lower left
handle.

●To move the time position of all selected nodes, drag the lower middle handle to the left or
right.
To move the nodes in smaller steps, press Shift .

●To compress or expand the overall time of the selected nodes relative to the selection center,press Ctrl/Cmd , and drag the lower middle handle.

●

To change the level and position of all selected nodes, drag one of the nodes.

Selecting Nodes
CHOICES●To select a node, click on it in the graphical editor.
The focused node is indicated by a frame. The value fields above the graphical envelope
editor display the parameters of the focused node.

●

If multiple nodes are selected, you can use the Selected Envelope Node value field to set
the focus to a different node without losing the current selection.

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Layer Page Parameters●

To add a node to a selection, Shift -click the node. Selected nodes are edited together.

●

You can select multiple nodes by drawing a rectangle around the nodes with the mouse.

●

If the graphical editor has the focus, you can select the next or the previous node with theLeft Arrow and Right Arrow keys.

●

If multiple nodes are selected and the Edit tool is active, the multi-selection rectangle isshown, allowing for further editing functions.

RELATED LINKS
Node Editing on page 51

Adding Nodes Using the Fill Function
The Fill function allows you to add multiple envelope nodes after the selected nodes.
PROCEDURE
1.
2.

On the pop-up menu to the right of the Fill button, select the number of nodes that you
want to add.
In the graphical envelope editor, select the node after which you want to add nodes.
If several nodes are selected, the new nodes are inserted after the last selected node.
If Fixed is deactivated, the added nodes are placed with the interval specified by the Timeparameter of the selected node. If multiple nodes are selected, the interval is specified by
the focused node.
By activating Sync, you can specify the interval with the Sync note value. For example, if 1/4
is selected, new nodes are added at exact quarter note intervals.
If Fixed is activated, the added nodes fill the space between the last selected node and thefollowing one.

3.

Click the Fill button.

Synchronizing Envelopes to the Host Application
You can synchronize the envelopes to the tempo of your host application. This allows you to set
envelope times that relate to musical time intervals, regardless of any tempo changes.
PROCEDURE
1.

Activate Sync to Host Tempo

to activate sync mode for the envelope.

A grid spaced in fractions of beats is displayed in the graphical envelope editor.
2.

From the pop-up menu located to the right of the Sync button, select a note value. You canalso select triplet or dotted note values.
This sets the resolution of the grid.
NOTE

3.

●

Envelope nodes that do not exactly match a note value display the closest note value.

●

Nodes that match a note value exactly are indicated by a red dot inside the handle ofthe node. This is useful if you switch the grid between triplets and normal note values,for example. The triplet nodes still indicate that they match a note value, even if the gridshows normal note values.

You can also enter note values and triplets manually in the value field.

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NOTE
The Time field of a node displays times in fractions of beats. The fraction is always reduced
to the smallest possible value. 2/16 is displayed as 1/8, for example.

Setting Up the Loop
You can set up the envelope to repeat its playback between the selected nodes.
PROCEDURE
1.

Set the envelope mode to Loop.

2.

The loop is indicated by the green region in the graphical envelope editor. Specify the loop
start and end by dragging the borders of the region.
The loop region can only be set up in the decay phase of the envelope.

LFOs
HALion Sonic offers two polyphonic and two monophonic LFOs. Polyphonic means the LFOs arecalculated per voice, allowing for independent modulations with each triggered note. You can
use this to create a richer sound, for example, with an independent pitch modulation per note.
Monophonic means the LFOs are calculated only once per layer.
The same modulation is sent to all voices simultaneously. The LFOs can be assigned freely in themodulation matrix.
●

Click P1 or P2 to show the settings for the corresponding polyphonic LFO.

●

Click M1 or M2 to show the settings for the corresponding monophonic LFO.

You can adjust the times of the envelope in the graphical editor by dragging nodes left or right.
NOTE
How many nodes are available in the graphical editor depends on the selected Envelope Mode.
●

The first node adjusts the Delay time.

●

The second node adjusts the Fade In time.

●

The third node adjusts the Hold time.

●

The fourth node adjusts the Fade Out time.

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Parameters for Monophonic and Polyphonic LFOs
LFO Wave Shape
Waveform selects the basic type of waveform. Shape changes the characteristics of
the waveform.
●

Sine produces smooth modulation, suitable for vibrato or tremolo. Shape adds
additional harmonics to the waveform.

●

Triangle is similar to Sine. Shape continuously changes the triangle waveform to a
trapezoid.

●

Saw produces a ramp cycle. Shape continuously changes the waveform from ramp
down to triangle to ramp up.

●

Pulse produces stepped modulation, where the modulation switches abruptly
between two values. Shape continuously changes the ratio between the high andlow state of the waveform. If Shape is set to 50%, a square wave is generated.

●

Ramp is similar to the Saw waveform. Shape adds a gradually increasing amountof silence before the sawtooth ramp up begins.

●

Log produces a logarithmic modulation. Shape continuously changes thelogarithmic curvature from negative to positive.

●

S & H 1 produces random stepped modulation, where each step is different. Shapeputs ramps between the steps and changes the S & H into a smooth random
signal, with the control set fully to the right.

●

S & H 2 is similar to S & H 1. The steps alternate between random high and low
values. Shape puts ramps between the steps and changes the S & H into a smooth
random signal, with the control set fully to the right.

Sync Mode
Sync Mode is used to synchronize the LFO to the tempo of the host application.
●

Select Off to adjust the speed of the modulation in Hertz.

●

Select Tempo + Retrig to adjust the speed of the modulation in fractions of beats.
You can also set dotted and triplet note values. The restart behavior of the LFO
depends on the Retrigger Mode.

●

Select Tempo + Beat to adjust the speed of the modulation in fractions of beats.
You can also set dotted and triplet note values. The LFO restarts with the transportof the host and lines up to the beats of the project. The Retrigger Mode setting is
not taken into account.

NOTE
The behavior of the Frequency parameter changes with the selected option.
Retrigger Mode (Monophonic LFOs)
Determines whether the LFO is restarted when a note is triggered. If this is set toFirst Note or Each Note, the waveform starts at the position specified by the Phaseparameter.
●

If this is set to Off, the LFO runs freely.

●

If this is set to First Note, the LFO restarts when a note is triggered and no othernotes are held.

●

If this is set to Each Note, the LFO restarts each time a note is triggered.

Frequency
Controls the frequency of the modulation, that is, the speed of the LFO.

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Phase
Sets the initial phase of the waveform when the LFO is retriggered.
Rnd (Random Phase)
If this button is activated, each note starts with a randomized start phase.
NOTE
The Phase control cannot be used if Rnd is activated.

Additional Parameters for Polyphonic LFOs
Retrigger
Determines whether the LFO is restarted when a note is triggered. The waveform
restarts at the position set with the Phase parameter.
●

If this button is activated, the LFO starts with each triggered note.

●

If this button is deactivated, the LFO runs freely.

Envelope Mode
Allows you to specify how the LFO envelope reacts to your playing on the keyboard.
The One Shot modes do not react to note-off events.
●

Select One Shot to play the envelope from start to end in the time specified by the
Delay, Fade In, Hold, and Fade Out parameters.

●

One Shot + Sustain is similar to One Shot. The Delay and Fade In parameters arealways applied when you play a note. The Hold and Fade Out parameters are notavailable.

●

If Hold + Fade Out is selected and you play a note, the Delay and Fade In
parameters are applied. The envelope fades out after the time specified by theHold parameter or when a key is released. Releasing a key during the fade in starts
the fade out from the current level.

●

If Sustain + Fade Out is selected and you play a note, the Delay and Fade In
parameters are applied. The Hold parameter is not available. The fade out isapplied when releasing the key. Releasing a key during the fade in starts the fadeout from the current level.

●

If Sustain is selected and you play a note, the Delay and Fade In parameters areapplied. The Hold and Fade Out parameters are not available. Releasing a key
during the fade in sustains the current level. This prevents a change in modulation
when a key is released.

Inv (Invert Envelope)
If this parameter is activated, the behavior of the LFO envelope is inverted, that is,
the LFO modulation starts at its maximum level and decreases to zero in the time
specified by the Fade In parameter. After the Hold time has elapsed, or when the key
is released, the modulation increases to its maximum level in the time specified by the
Fade Out parameter.
Delay
Determines the delay time between the moment you play a note and the moment the
LFO takes effect.
Fade In
Determines the time it takes for the LFO to fade in after the note was triggered and the
Delay time has elapsed.

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Hold
Determines the amount of time the LFO is running before the fade out begins.
NOTE
Hold is only available for the envelope modes One Shot and Hold + Fade Out.
Fade Out
Determines the time it takes for the LFO to fade out after the Hold time has elapsed ora note has been released.
NOTE
To deactivate the fade out, use the envelope modes One Shot + Sustain or Sustain.
This ensures that the modulation does not change when a note is released.

LFO Tab for Loop Layers
Loop layers offer a monophonic LFO with adjustable depth for Pitch, Cutoff, and Pan.

For loop layers, the following additional parameters are available:
Pitch
Adjusts how much the LFO affects the pitch of the slices.
CutoffAdjusts how much the LFO affects the cutoff of the slices.
Pan
Adjusts how much the LFO affects the pan of the slices.
When using the LFO of loop layers, the following applies:●

The modulation of Pitch, Cutoff, and Pan goes to all slices simultaneously. The modulation
depth cannot be set separately per slice.

●

The filter must be activated to hear the modulation of the Cutoff.

NOTE
With a Resonance of 100 %, you might hear clicks because the slice ends abruptly, but the filter
still produces a sound from self-oscillation. In this case, go to the corresponding FlexPhraser andreduce the Gate Scale until the clicks are gone. In addition, you can adjust the amplifier envelopeof the slices, for example, to increase the release of the envelopes. Apart from the Pitch, Cutoff,and Pan parameters, all other parameters correspond to the parameters on the LFO pages forsample and synth layers.

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Using the Keymap
In the key map at the bottom of the editor, you see the drum instruments or loop slices that arepart of the drum or loop layer, and how they are mapped across the keyboard.

●

Keys with a drum instrument or loop slice assigned display in normal white and black.

●

The names of the drum instruments or loop slices are displayed vertically above the keys.

●

Keys with nothing assigned are deactivated and displayed in gray.

●

For loop layers, the pitched part of the keyboard is displayed in orange.

●

Clicking a key plays and selects the corresponding drum instrument or loop slice.

NOTE
The key map is used for indication and selection only. The mapping of the drum instruments andloop slices cannot be changed.
To edit a drum instrument or loop slice, you must select it first. You can select drum instruments
or loop slices by clicking the corresponding keys on the key map or by using your MIDI keyboard.
To select a drum instrument or loop slice with your MIDI keyboard, activate Select Zones via
MIDI in the top section of the layer editor and press the key that plays the drum instrument orloop slice that you want to adjust.
You can edit the selected drum instrument or loop slice using the parameters on the Pitch,
Filter, Amplifier, and AUX tabs.

AUX TabEach drum instrument and loop slice has individual send levels that feed the four global AUX FX
busses. This allows you to add more reverb to the snare drum and less effect to the bass drum,for example.

AUX FX1 – 4
These dials adjust the send levels for the four global AUX FX busses for each drum
instrument or loop slice separately.

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Expression Controls for Instrument Layers
Instrument layers contain expressions. Typically, an expression is a particular playing style of the
instrument. In some cases, it can also be a part of the sound that can be turned on or off, forexample, to add realism or to maximize the performance.
The list of expressions is displayed on the left and on the right and in the lower section, you canfind the pitch, filter and amplifier settings of the selected expression.

●

To load an expression, activate its On button.

●

To mute an expression, activate its Mute button.

●

If you want the editor to follow incoming MIDI key switches or MIDI controller values,
activate Select Expression via MIDI.

The parameters on the Pitch, Filter, and Amplifier sections are the same as on thecorresponding tabs for the other layer types.

Filter Env Modifier Section
This section offers parameters to modify the filter envelope of the expression.
Envelope AmountControls the cutoff modulation from the filter envelope.
Velocity
Determines how the velocity affects the level of the filter envelope.
The level of the envelope depends on two factors: the setting of this parameter andhow hard you hit a key. Positive values increase the level of the envelope the harder
you hit a key. Negative values decrease the level of the envelope the harder you hit akey.
AttackControls the attack time of the filter envelope.
Decay
Controls the decay time of the filter envelope.
SustainControls the sustain level of the filter envelope.

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ReleaseControls the release time of the filter envelope.

Amplifier Env Modifier Section
This section offers parameters to modify the amplifier envelope of the expression.
Velocity
Use this parameter to adjust how velocity affects the level of the amplifier envelope.
The level of the envelope depends on two factors: the setting of this parameter andhow hard you hit a key. Positive values increase the level of the envelope the harder
you hit a key. Negative values decrease the level of the envelope the harder you hit akey.
AttackControls the attack time of the amplifier envelope.
Decay
Controls the decay time of the amplifier envelope.
SustainControls the sustain level of the amplifier envelope.
ReleaseControls the release time of the amplifier envelope.
RELATED LINKS
Pitch Tab on page 39
Filter Tab on page 43
Amplifier Tab on page 45

Expression Maps
For more realistic performances, many instrument layers use key switches to switch between
different expressions, that is, between different articulations and playing styles of the same
instrument. These key switches are set to low keys to maximize the playable range and theycannot be changed internally to ensure that performances played by FlexPhrasers always soundthe same. However, in some cases you need to shift the key switches into the playable keyboard
range to get access to them. You may also want to select the expression using a MIDI controller.
You can use so-called expression maps to customize the internal setting.
●To specify the expressions that you want to use in your expression map, activate them in theexpressions list.

NOTE
Some instrument layers consist of multiple expressions that are not switchable via a key switch.
For example, instrument noises typically do not have a key switch assigned. In this case, you
can select the individual expressions and edit them, but you cannot apply any key switch
functionality.

Expression Map Options Menu
You can define whether you want to use the internal key switches, remap them to other keys, oruse a MIDI controller by selecting a mode from the pop-up menu above the expression list.

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Select Keyswitch to use the internal key switches to switch to an expression.

●

Select Remapped if you want to remap the original key switches to other keys.

●

Select Controller to use a MIDI controller to remotely control the internal key switches.
To assign a MIDI controller, open the menu, select Learn CC, and use the controller on your
MIDI hardware.

●

If you activate Temporary KS Mode, expressions other than the default expression are only
active for as long as the corresponding key switch is held. This allows you to enter notes withother expressions by pressing a key switch temporarily.

●

Default Expression sets the default expression for Temporary KS Mode. This is also theexpression that is active after loading the program or layer.

Step Modulator
Synth and sample layers feature a polyphonic step modulator for creating rhythmic control
sequences.
The step modulator can be freely assigned in the modulation matrix.

Steps
Sets the number of steps in the sequence. The maximum number of steps is 32.
Sync Mode●

Off allows you to adjust the speed at which the sequence repeats.
Whether the sequence restarts when you play a note depends on the Retrigger
Mode.

●

Tempo + Retrig allows you to adjust the length of the steps in fractions of beats.
The speed of the modulation depends on the number of steps, the note value,
and the tempo you set in your host application. To use triplet note values, activate
Triplet.
Whether the sequence restarts when you play a note, depends on the selected
Retrigger Mode.

●

Tempo + Beat allows you to adjust the length of the steps in fractions of beats.
The speed of the modulation depends on the number of steps, the note value,
and the tempo you set in your host application. To use triplet note values, activate
Triplet.

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The sequence restarts with the transport of the host application and lines up to thebeats of the project. Retrigger Mode is not taken into account.
Frequency
If Sync Mode is set to Off, this controls the speed at which the sequence is repeated.
Note
If Sync Mode is set to one of the Tempo settings, this adjusts the length of the steps in
fractions of beats. You can also select triplet values.
Triplets
Activate this button to use triplet note values.
Retrigger Mode
Determines whether the sequence restarts when you play a note. This parameter isonly available if Sync Mode is set to Off or Tempo + Retrig.
●

If this parameter is set to Off, the sequence is not restarted. Instead, it resumes
playback at the position where you released the key.

●

If this parameter is set to First Note, the sequence restarts when a note is
triggered and no other notes are held.

●

If this parameter is set to Each Note, the sequence restarts each time a note is
triggered.

Slope
Determines whether the step modulator jumps from step to step or creates ramps
between the steps.
●

No Slope produces hard steps.

●

Slope on Rising Edges creates ramps for rising edges only.

●

Slope on Falling Edges creates ramps for falling edges only.

●

Slope on All Edges creates ramps for all edges.

AmountIf Slope is set to Slope on Rising Edges, Slope on Falling Edges, or Slope on All
Edges, this parameter determines the time of the ramp between two steps. The higher
the setting, the smoother the transitions between steps.
Step
Allows you to select a specific step.
Level
Shows the level of the selected step.
Snap
If Snap is activated, the level of each step can only be adjusted in steps of 1/12th.
Shift Pattern Right/Shift Pattern Left
Shift all the steps to the right/left. If you shift the pattern to the left, the first step ismoved to the end. If you shift the pattern to the right, the last step is moved to thebeginning.
Reverse Pattern
Reverses the pattern, that is, inverts the order of all steps.

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Editing StepsYou can adjust the steps separately, but you can also use modifier keys to enter or edit multiple
steps simultaneously.
●

To set the level of a step, click at the corresponding position in the graphical editor.

●

To change the value of a step, drag the step up or down, or enter a new value in the Level
value field.

●

To reset the level of a step to 0%, Ctrl/Cmd -click the step.

●

To reset all steps, hold Shift - Ctrl/Cmd , and click in the graphical editor.

●

To adjust all steps at the same time, Shift -click, and drag a step.

●

To draw a ramp with steps, hold down Alt/Opt , and draw a line.

●

To draw symmetric ramps at the beginning and the end of the sequence, hold down Shift Alt/Opt , and draw a line.

●

To gradually raise or lower the value of the selected step, use the Up Arrow and
Down Arrow keys.
By default, the value changes in increments of 1%. Hold Shift to use increments of 0.1%
instead.

●If the graphical editor has the keyboard focus, you can use the left and right arrow keys toselect the previous or the next step.

Producing Modulations in Steps of Semitones
PROCEDURE
1.

Activate Snap.

2.

In the modulation matrix, assign the Step Modulator to Pitch.

3.

Set the Modulation Depth to +12.
Now, the levels of the steps represent semitone intervals.

4.

In the Step Modulator, adjust each step to the interval that you want to use.

Modulation Matrix
In the modulation matrix, you can interconnect modulation sources, such as LFOs and envelopes,with modulation destinations, such as pitch, cutoff, amplitude, etc.

The modulation matrix offers you up to 32 freely assignable modulations, each with a source,
an offset parameter, a modifier, and a destination with adjustable depth. All modulation sourcesand destinations can be assigned several times. The polarity of each source can be switched

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between unipolar and bipolar. An additional modifier and user-definable curves and ranges give
you further control over the modulation.
The modulation matrix is divided into two sections. On the left, you can assign modulation
sources to destinations and adjust the modulation depth. The section on the right contains
settings for the curve and range editor, where you can make further settings for the selected
modulation source.
The modulation matrix is divided into two sections. On the left, you can assign modulation
sources to destinations and adjust the modulation depth. The section on the right contains
settings for the curve and range, where you can make further settings for the selected
modulation source.
RELATED LINKS
Modulation Curve and Range on page 67

Creating Modulations in the Modulation Matrix
In the modulation matrix, you create modulation assignments by selecting modulation sources,
modifiers, and destinations from the pop-up menus.
PREREQUISITE
You have selected the synth or sample layer that you want to edit.
PROCEDURE
1.

Click Show Modulation Matrix.

2.

Select a modulation source and a modulation destination, for example, LFO1 as the source
and Pitch as the destination.

3.

Use the horizontal fader to adjust the modulation depth.

4.

Optional: Click the Source 2 field, and select a modifier or change the polarity of the source.
For example, select Pitch Bend as the modifier, and set it to unipolar.

5.

Optional: Use the curve and range settings on the right to limit the modulation range or toadjust the characteristics of the modulation.

6.

Optional: Click Edit Source 1 or Edit Source 2 to open the curve and range settings, and limit
the modulation range or adjust the characteristics of the modulation.

RELATED LINKS
Modulation Curve and Range on page 67

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Modulation Matrix Context Menu

Cut Modulation
Cuts the modulation data from the current slot.
Copy Modulation
Copies the modulation data from the current slot to the clipboard.
Paste Modulation
Pastes the modulation data from the clipboard to the current modulation slot.
NOTE
You can copy and paste modulation rows between different programs and between
different plug-in instances.
Insert Modulation
Inserts an empty modulation slot.
Remove Modulation
Removes the modulation slot.
Name of the Assigned Source/Modulator/Destination
Depending on where you click, the assigned modulation source, the modulator, or themodulation destination is shown on the context menu.
Assign to New Automation
Assigns this modulation source as an automation parameter.
Learn CC
Allows you to assign a MIDI controller to the modulation slot.
Forget CC
Removes the MIDI controller assignment from the current slot.
Set Minimum
Allows you to set the minimum value for the MIDI controller that is assigned to themodulation slot.

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Set Maximum
Allows you to set the maximum value for the MIDI controller that is assigned to themodulation slot.
Assign Quick Control
Allows you to assign a quick control to the modulation slot.
Forget Quick Control
Removes the quick control assignment of the modulation slot.
Set Minimum
Allows you to set the minimum value for the quick control that is assigned to themodulation slot.
Set Maximum
Allows you to set the maximum value for the quick control that is assigned to themodulation slot.
Set Type●

Absolute remote-controls the parameter values continuously.
Absolute mode changes the assigned parameters by overwriting them with thecurrent quick control value, that is, parameter changes are overwritten.

●

Relative remote-controls the parameter values continuously.
Relative mode changes the values of the assigned parameters without losing theirrelative settings, that is, parameter changes can still be heard.

●

Switch Absolute switches between the minimum and maximum value. Parameterchanges are overwritten.

●

Switch Relative switches between the minimum and maximum value. Parameterchanges can still be heard.

RELATED LINKS
Setting Up Automation on page 86

Modulation Parameters
The modulation parameters in the modulations sections and the modulation matrix are identical.

Source Parameters
Source 1
Shows the modulation source. Click in the field to select a new source.
Source 2
Shows the modulation modifier, a secondary modulation source that manipulates theoutgoing modulation signal. For example, you can assign the mod wheel to control theintensity of the modulation.
Polarity: Unipolar/Bipolar
Allows you to set the polarity of a modulation source. The polarity specifies thevalue range. Unipolar sources modulate between 0 and +1. Bipolar sources modulate
between -1 and +1.
This allows you to change the polarity of the Amp or Filter envelopes from unipolar to
bipolar, to map their range to a bipolar parameter, such as Pan, for example. However,
the envelopes always display their values with their default polarity.

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Destination Parameters
Destination
Shows the destination parameter. Click in the field to select a new destination.
Modulation Depth
Adjusts the modulation depth, that is, the intensity of the modulation.
RELATED LINKS
Modulation Curve and Range on page 67

Modulation Curve and Range
You can set up the curve and range of each modulation source (Source 1) and modulation
modifier (Source 2). This allows you to change the characteristics of a modulation.
The modulation curve and range parameters are shown on the right in the modulation matrix.

Curve ShapeIn the display at the top, the curve shape is shown. The displayed curve issuperimposed on the modulation source. This way, you can change the modulationfrom linear to exponential or logarithmic, for example.
To select another shape, click the corresponding button on the right.
To create your own user curve, select Custom Curve.

You can edit the custom curve in the following way:●

To insert a new node, double-click in the editor.

●

To delete a node, double-click it.

●

To adjust the basic shape of the curve, drag the nodes to new positions.

●

To change the curvature, drag the lines between the nodes up or down.

Minimum Output Value/Maximum Output Value
These values allow you to limit the modulation to a specific range only.
Incoming values below the Minimum Output Level are raised to this level before they
progress along the selected curve to the Maximum Output Value.
Input Value Offset
Allows you to offset the incoming values by a fixed amount. For example, with a valueof 100, only the second half of the curve is superimposed on the modulation.
Range
Range allows you to limit the range that is modulated.

Modulation Sources
You set up the modulation source via the Source 1 pop-up menu.
The following sources are available:

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LFO P1/P2
The LFOs 1 and 2 produce cyclic modulation signals.
These LFOs are polyphonic, that is, a new LFO signal is created with each new note.
LFO M3/M4
The LFOs 3 and 4 produce cyclic modulation signals.
These LFOs are monophonic, that is, a single signal is used for all notes.
Amp Envelope
The amplifier envelope. This modulation source is unipolar. The shape of the envelope
determines the modulation signal.
Filter Envelope
The filter envelope. The shape of the envelope determines the modulation signal.
Pitch Envelope
The pitch envelope. This modulation source can be unipolar or bipolar, dependingon the setting of the Bipolar parameter in the Envelope section. The shape of theenvelope determines the modulation signal.
User Envelope
The user envelope. This modulation source can be unipolar or bipolar, dependingon the setting of the Bipolar parameter in the Envelope section. The shape of theenvelope determines the modulation signal.
Step Modulator
The step modulator of the layer. This modulation source is bipolar. It produces cyclic,
rhythmically stepped modulation signals.
Glide
The glide signal of the source. This modulation source is unipolar.
Key Follow
This produces an exponential modulation signal derived from the MIDI note number.
Exponential means this source works with destinations such as Pitch or Cutoff. This
modulation source is bipolar.
Note-on Velocity
Note-on velocity can be used as the modulation signal. This modulation source isunipolar.
Note-on Vel Squared
The squared version of Note-on Velocity. The harder you press the key, the higher themodulation values.
Note-on Vel Normalized
This modulation source transforms the velocity range specified in the mapping to thefull range of 0 to 127.
Note-off Velocity
Note-off velocity can be used as the modulation signal. This modulation source isunipolar. Most MIDI keyboards cannot send note-off velocity messages. However, mostsequencer software is able to produce such messages.
Pitchbend
The position of the pitchbend wheel can be used as the modulation signal. This
modulation source is bipolar.

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Modulation Wheel
The position of the modulation wheel can be used as the modulation signal. This
modulation source is unipolar.
Aftertouch
Aftertouch can be used as the modulation signal. This modulation source is unipolar.
Some MIDI keyboards cannot send aftertouch messages. However, most sequencer
software is able to produce such messages.
MIDI Controller
Any of the 127 available MIDI controllers can be used as the modulation signal. You canselect the MIDI controller from the corresponding submenu.
In addition, you can select the eight global MIDI controllers Contr. A-Contr. H thatcan be used as placeholders in the modulation matrix. These controllers allow you toremap specific MIDI controllers to the placeholder controllers, for example, by using
the CC Mapper. This way, you can use the global controllers in several places, and set
up the assignment only once.
Quick Control
The quick controls of the layer can be used as the modulation signal. You can selectquick control from the corresponding submenu.
Note Expression
This submenu lists the eight Note Expression parameters that can be used as themodulation signals.
Noise
Produces a random modulation signal. This modulation source is bipolar.
Output
The audio output of the layer can be used as the modulation signal. This modulation
source is unipolar.
Bus 1–16
Modulations that are sent to one of the 16 busses can be reused as sources. This way,
you can combine several modulations to produce more complex signals.

Modulation Modifiers (Source 2)
All modulation sources can also be used as modifiers. A modifier is used to scale the output of
the modulation source. A typical example is an LFO as a source and the modulation wheel as themodifier. This allows you to control the intensity of the LFO modulation via the wheel. You canfind the modulation modifiers on the Source 2 pop-up menu.
The Sample & Hold modifier is only available on the Source 2 pop-up menu. It takes a sampleof the modulation source whenever it receives a trigger signal. It holds the sampled value until it
receives a new trigger. This way, you can quantize a continuous modulation signal.
The following Sample & Hold options are available:
Trigger on Note-on
Triggers the Sample & Hold modifier manually each time that you hit a key.
Trigger on LFO 1
Triggers the Sample & Hold modifier each time that the waveform of LFO 1 crosses thezero line from below.

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Trigger on LFO 2
Triggers the Sample & Hold modifier each time that the waveform of LFO 2 crosses thezero line from below.
Trigger on Modulation Wheel
Triggers the Sample & Hold modifier each time that the modulation wheel passes thecenter position.
Trigger on Sustain
Triggers the Sample & Hold modifier each time that you press the sustain pedal.
Sample until Release
Triggers the Sample & Hold modifier each time that you release a key.

Modulation Destinations
Depending on the selected type of zone, the available modulation destinations vary.
Pitch
Modulates the pitch. For example, assign one of the LFOs to create a vibrato effect. If
Pitch is selected, the modulation depth is set in semitones (-60 to +60).
CutoffModulates the filter cutoff.
For example, to create rhythmic patterns in the spectral timbre, assign the Step
Modulator.
Resonance
Modulates the filter resonance. Resonance changes the character of the filter.
For example, to increasingly accent the filter the harder you hit a key, assign Velocity
to Resonance.
Distortion
Modulates the filter distortion.
This has no effect on the Classic, HALion 3, and Waldorf filters.
Morph X
Modulates the x-axis of the filter in Morph XY mode. Use this to morph between thefilter shapes AD and BC.
Morph Y
Modulates the y-axis of the filter in Morph 2, Morph 4, or Morph XY mode. Use this tomorph between the filter shapes AB and DC, for example.
Cutoff Offset
Modulates the cutoff offset of the second filter in Dual Filter Serial or Dual Filter
Parallel mode. For example, to lower or raise the cutoff of the second filter while
playing, assign the modulation wheel.
Resonance Offset
Modulates the resonance offset of the second filter in Dual Filter Serial or Dual Filter
Parallel mode. For example, to lower or raise the resonance of the second filter while
playing, assign the modulation wheel.
Level
Adds to the level setting. It can be used to create level offsets using the modulation
wheel, for example.

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Layer Page Parameters
Volume 1
Modulates the gain. This modulation multiplies with the level.
It is ideal for crossfades between layers.
Volume 2
As Volume 1. Volume 1 is multiplied with Volume 2. This way, you can build more
complex modulations.
Pan
Modulates the position of the layer in the panorama. For example, to move the layer
around freely, assign the User Envelope.
Sample Start
Modulates the start position of the sample playback. For example, assign Note-on
Velocity to play back more of the attack of a sample the harder you hit a key. This
modulation destination cannot be modulated continuously. The parameter is updated
only when you hit a key.
Speed Factor
Modulates the speed factor of the sample.
Formant Shift
Modulates the formant shifting.
Osc 1/2/3 Pitch
Modulates the pitch of the corresponding oscillator.
For example, to detune an oscillator cyclically, assign one of the LFOs.
Osc 1/2/3 Level
Modulates the level of the corresponding oscillator.
For example, to fade an oscillator in and out while you play, assign the modulation
wheel.
Osc 1/2/3 Waveform
Modulates the shape and character of the corresponding oscillator.
For example, to change the character of an oscillator over time, assign one of theenvelopes.
Osc 1/2/3 Multi Detune
Modulates the Detune parameter of the individual oscillator voices that are producedby the multi-oscillator mode.
Osc 1/2/3 Multi Pan
Modulates the pan position of the individual oscillator voices that are produced by themulti-oscillator mode.
Osc 1/2/3 Multi Voices
Modulates the number of oscillator voices that are produced by the multi-oscillatormode.
Sub Osc Level
Modulates the level of the sub oscillator. For example, to fade in the oscillator while
you play, assign the modulation wheel.
Ring Mod Level
Modulates the level of the ring modulation effect. For example, to fade in the ring
modulation while you play, assign the modulation wheel.

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Layer Page Parameters
Noise Level
Modulates the level of the noise generator. For example, to fade in the noise generator
while you play, assign the modulation wheel.
LFO 1/2 Frequency
Modulates the speed of the corresponding LFO.
For example, to control the speed of a vibrato effect while you play, assign Aftertouch.
LFO 1/2 Shape
Modulates the waveform of the corresponding LFO.
For example, to vary the waveform with the playing position on the keyboard, assign
Key Follow.
Step Mod Frequency
Modulates the speed of the step modulator. For example, assign an LFO to increase or
decrease the speed cyclically.
Step Mod Slope
Modulates the shape of the edges of the step modulator if the Slope parameter isactive. For example, assign the modulation wheel to blend from hard to smooth edges.
Amp Env Attack Time
Modulates the attack time of the amplitude envelope. This modulation destination
cannot be modulated continuously. The time is updated only when the segment starts.
Amp Env Decay Time
Modulates the decay time of the amplitude envelope. This modulation destination
cannot be modulated continuously. The time is updated only when the segment starts.
Amp Env Sustain Level
Modulates the sustain level of the amplitude envelope. This modulation destination
cannot be modulated continuously. The level is updated only when the segment starts.
Amp Env Release Time
Modulates the release time of the amplitude envelope. This modulation destination
cannot be modulated continuously. The time is updated only when the segment starts.
Filter Env Attack Time
Modulates the attack time of the filter envelope. This modulation destination cannot be
modulated continuously. The time is updated only when the segment starts.
Filter Env Decay Time
Modulates the decay time of the filter envelope. This modulation destination cannot be
modulated continuously. The time is updated only when the segment starts.
Filter Env Sustain Level
Modulates the sustain level of the filter envelope. This modulation destination cannot
be modulated continuously. The level is updated only when the segment starts.
Filter Env Release Time
Modulates the release time of the filter envelope. This modulation destination cannot
be modulated continuously. The time is updated only when the segment starts.
Pitch Env Start Level
Modulates the level of the first pitch envelope node. This modulation destination
cannot be modulated continuously. The level is updated only when the segment starts.

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Layer Page Parameters
Pitch Env Attack Time
Modulates the attack time of the pitch envelope. This modulation destination cannot
be modulated continuously. The time is updated only when the segment starts.
Pitch Env Attack Level
Modulates the level of the second pitch envelope node. This modulation destination
cannot be modulated continuously. The level is updated only when the segment starts.
Pitch Env Decay Time
Modulates the decay time of the pitch envelope. This modulation destination cannot be
modulated continuously. The time is updated only when the segment starts.
Pitch Env Sustain Level
Modulates the sustain level of the pitch envelope. This modulation destination cannot
be modulated continuously. The level is updated only when the segment starts.
Pitch Env Release Time
Modulates the release time of the pitch envelope. This modulation destination cannot
be modulated continuously. The time is updated only when the segment starts.
Pitch Env Release Level
Modulates the level of the last pitch envelope node. This modulation destination
cannot be modulated continuously. The level is updated only when the segment starts.
User Env Start Level
Modulates the level of the first user envelope node. This modulation destination
cannot be modulated continuously. The level is updated only when the segment starts.
User Env Attack Time
Modulates the attack time of the user envelope. This modulation destination cannot be
modulated continuously. The time is updated only when the segment starts.
User Env Attack Level
Modulates the level of the second user envelope node. This modulation destination
cannot be modulated continuously. The level is updated only when the segment starts.
User Env Decay Time
Modulates the decay time of the user envelope. This modulation destination cannot be
modulated continuously. The time is updated only when the segment starts.
User Env Sustain Level
Modulates the sustain level of the user envelope. This modulation destination cannot
be modulated continuously. The level is updated only when the segment starts.
User Env Release Time
Modulates the release time of the user envelope. This modulation destination cannot
be modulated continuously. The time is updated only when the segment starts.
User Env Release Level
Modulates the level of the last user envelope node. This modulation destination cannot
be modulated continuously. The level is updated only when the segment starts.
Bus 1-16
You can send any modulation to one of the 16 busses, for example, to produce more
complex modulation signals. Select the bus that you want to send the signals to as adestination. To use the modulation that was sent to a bus, assign the corresponding
bus as a modulation source.

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Insert Effects

Insert Effects
The Inserts tab offers you up to four insert effects for the program and for each of its layers.
The insert effects you assign to a layer affect only that layer. The insert effects you assign to theprogram affect all layers. Typically, you assign effects like EQ or distortion to separate layers, buteffects like delay or reverb to the entire program.
Each layer and the program have four slots for assigning insert effects. The handling is the samefor all slots and corresponds to the global effect handling.
To the right of the insert slots, you find faders for adjusting the output levels of the program andlayers.
RELATED LINKSAUX Effects on page 118

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FlexPhraser
The FlexPhraser is an arpeggio and phrase player.
Each program features up to five FlexPhrasers: one for each layer and one for the program.
While the program FlexPhrasers always work with phrases, the functionality of layer FlexPhraserschanges with the layer type. For synth, sample, instrument, or drum layers, a FlexPhraser
can play back anything from basic synth arpeggios over dynamic drum phrases to realistic
accompaniment phrases for guitar, bass, piano, etc.
You can choose from a great variety of phrases that suit a wide range of musical instruments
and styles. Depending on the selected phrase, the FlexPhraser uses your live playing to modify
the phrase in real-time. This allows you to re-harmonize phrases by playing different chords, forexample.
If you are working with 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 orlower in pitch. In addition, you can vary the order with a random function and export the slicesequence to your host sequencer via drag and drop.
NOTE
You can play the individual slices or the entire loop. The lower half of the key range triggers theloop and the upper half is used to play single slices. The loop keys are displayed in green on the
keyboard.

Presets
FlexPhraser presets contain the selected phrase, as well as the performance settings of the
FlexPhraser, such as Tempo, Tempo Scale, Loop, Swing, etc.
NOTE
Presets can only be saved and loaded for phrases, not for sliced loops.

RELATED LINKS
Handling Section and Module Presets on page 11

Loading Phrases
Phrases are sorted into subfolders, according to the type of instrument. Each instrument
subfolder contains phrases of different musical styles.
NOTE
Some FlexPhrases make extensive use of key switches to switch between multiple playing stylesof an instrument while playing. These phrases can be found on the Construction Sets submenu.
They work best with the corresponding instrument layers.

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FlexPhraser Parameters

PROCEDURE
1.

At the top of the FlexPhraser, click in the Phrase field.

2.

On the pop-up menu, open the submenu for the instrument, and select the phrase that you
want to load.
In general, you can apply any phrase to any type of instrument. However, a phrase for guitar
might not be suitable for use with a piano, for example.

FlexPhraser Parameters

Act
Activates the FlexPhraser.
User
Activates the user phrase.
If this button is activated, the Show Editor Page button becomes available. Click it toopen the user phrase editor.
PhraseAllows you to select a phrase.
KSOff (Key Switches Off)
Phrases that make use of key switches and noises, such as fret noises for guitar
phrases, for example, usually only work with programs for the same type of
instrument. Programs without key switches and noises interpret these events asregular notes and include them during playback, which yields unexpected results. To
avoid the playback of key switches and noises, activate KSOff.
NOTE
KSOff filters out any note events that do not transpose with your playing. Therefore, it
is not recommended for use with drum phrases.
NOTE
KSOff is not available for user phrases.
Drag MIDI Phrase to Host Sequencer
Allows you to drag the recorded MIDI phrase to your host sequencer.
Record Output
Allows you to record the MIDI output of the arpeggiator.
Variations
The variation buttons allow you to switch between the available variations.

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FlexPhraser Parameters
Loop
Allows you to play the phrase in a loop.
Sync
Synchronizes the phrase to the tempo of your host application.
NOTE
In addition, you can set Restart Mode to Sync to Host. This aligns the phrase with thebeats and measures of your host application.
Mute
Mutes the FlexPhraser. The phrase still plays in the background. If you deactivate
Mute, playback resumes immediately.
Hold
Allows you to prevent the phrase from stopping or changing when the keys are
released.
●

If Off is selected, the phrase changes as soon as you release a key. The phrase
stops immediately when you release all keys.

●

If On is selected, the phrase plays to the end, even if the keys are released. If Loopis activated, the phrase is repeated continuously.

●

If Gated is selected, the phrase starts to play when the first key is played. It plays
silently in the background, even if the keys are released, and resumes 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
Determines the moment when the FlexPhraser scans for new notes that you play on
the keyboard.
●

If this is set to Immediately, the FlexPhraser scans for new notes all the time. The
phrase changes immediately, in reaction to your playing.

●

If this is set to Next Beat, the FlexPhraser scans for new notes at every new beat.
The phrase changes in reaction to your playing on each new beat.

●If this is set to Next Measure, the FlexPhraser scans for new notes at the startof new measures. The phrase changes in reaction to your playing on each newmeasure.

Restart Mode●

If this is set to Off, the phrase runs continuously and does not restart at chord ornote changes.

●

New Chord restarts the phrase on new chords.
NOTE
The phrase does not restart upon notes that are played legato.

●

New Note restarts the phrase with each new note that you play.

●

Sync to Host aligns the phrase with the beats and measures of your hostapplication each time that you start the transport.

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FlexPhraser Parameters
RstVar (Restart on Variation Change)
This option is available for new chords and new notes. If this button is activated,changing a variation restarts the FlexPhraser, even if no new notes or chords were
triggered.
Key Mode
Determines if and how the playback of the phrase is affected by the order of the notes,
as played on the keyboard.
●

If Sort is selected, the notes are played in the order of the selected phrase,
regardless of the chronological order.

●

If As Played is selected, the notes are played in the order in which you play themon the keyboard.

●

If Direct is selected, the phrase creates controller events instead of notes. You
hear the notes that you play plus any controller events of the phrase, such as pitch
bend, volume, pan, etc.

Vel Mode●

If Original is selected, the notes of the phrase play with the velocity that is saved in
the phrase.

●

If Vel Controller is selected, you can choose a velocity controller to generate or
modulate the velocities of the notes.

●

If Original + Vel Controller is selected, the phrase velocity is determined by the
combination of the velocity saved in the phrase and the velocity derived from thevelocity controller.

Vel Controller
If the Vel Mode pop-up menu is set to Vel Controller or Original + Vel Ctrl., theVel Controller pop-up menu is available. It allows you to generate or modulate thevelocities of the notes using the incoming controller values.
●

If Velocity is selected, the triggered notes inherit the velocity of the note that you
play.

●

If Aftertouch is selected, the triggered notes receive their velocity from theaftertouch controller.

●

If Poly Pressure is selected, the triggered notes receive their velocity from the polypressure controller. This allows you to control the velocity via the keys.

●

Selecting MIDI Controller opens a submenu, where you can select a MIDI
controller.
The value of this MIDI controller is used as the velocity for the triggered notes.

Fetch
If the Vel Controller pop-up menu is set to Aftertouch, Poly Pressure, or a MIDI
controller, you can use the Fetch option to change the way that the notes are
generated.
●

If Fetch is activated, the first note that you play defines the initial velocity. As soon
as the controller value exceeds this velocity, new notes receive their velocity fromthe controller.

●

If Fetch is deactivated, the generated notes receive their velocity from the current
controller value.

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Recording the MIDI Output of the FlexPhraser
NOTE
Fetch is not available if the Vel Controller pop-up menu is set to Velocity.
Tempo
If Sync is deactivated, you can use the Tempo control to set the internal playback
speed of the FlexPhraser. The playback speed of the phrase is specified in BPM.
If Sync is activated, the Tempo parameter is not available.
Tempo Scale
Defines the rate at which notes are triggered, that is, the speed at which the phrase isrunning. In addition to the Tempo parameter, this gives you further control over the
playback speed. You can specify a value in fractions of beats. You can also set dotted
and triplet note values.
For example, if you change the Tempo Scale setting from 1/16 to 1/8, the speed is cut
in half. If you set it to 1/32, the speed is doubled.
Swing
Shifts the timing of notes on even-numbered beats, which results in a “swing feeling”.
Negative values shift the timing backward, and the notes are played earlier. Positive
values shift the timing forward, and the notes are played later.
Gate Scale
Allows you to shorten or lengthen the notes of the phrase. At a value of 100%, thenotes play with their original gate length.
Vel Scale
Allows you to raise or lower the note-on velocities of the phrase. At a value of 100%, thenotes are played with their original velocity.
Octaves
Extends the phrase playback to include higher or lower octaves. Positive settings
extend the playback to higher octaves, and negative settings to lower octaves. For
example, a value of +1 first plays the phrase in the octave range that you originallyplayed. Then, it repeats the phrase one octave higher.
Key Range
The Low Key and High Key parameters determine the key range that is used to trigger
phrase playback.
Velocity Range
The Low Vel and High Vel parameters determine the velocity range that is used totrigger phrase playback.

Recording the MIDI Output of the FlexPhraser
The phrases played by the FlexPhraser depend on the notes that are played and can therefore
not be exported directly. However, it is possible to generate exportable phrases by recording the
MIDI output of the FlexPhraser.
PROCEDURE
1.

Click Record FlexPhraser MIDI Output.
The arrow in the Drag MIDI field starts flashing to indicate record mode.

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FlexPhraser
Phrase Playback Types

2.

Play some notes.

3.

When you are done, click Record FlexPhraser MIDI Output again.
Recording stops. In the Drag MIDI field, the arrow remains lit to indicate that a MIDI phrase
can be exported.

4.

Click the Drag MIDI field, and drag the phrase on a MIDI track in your host sequencer
application.

Phrase Playback Types
HALion Sonic features a substantial selection of phrase types, organized in submenus andcategorized according to functional descriptions or musical styles, such as Classic Arp, SynthSeq, Chord Seq, Bass, etc.
The Construction Sets submenu contains phrases made for instrument layers. These phrases
use key switches to switch between different playing styles, to increase the realism of yourperformance. The phrases that can be found in the various other categories use a number ofdifferent playback types to allow phrase-specific user interaction while playing.
For example, with drum patterns, pressing any note triggers the same rhythm pattern. Other
phrases are played back using only the played note and its octave notes. And if you play back aprogrammed sequence according to the played chord, the following applies:●

If you press a single key, the phrase is played back using the programmed sequence, whichmeans that notes other than the ones you play are triggered.

●If you are adding notes to those already held, the sequence changes accordingly, forexample, the phrase plays back according to the chord you play.

Variations
For each FlexPhraser, you can set up 8 different variations of phrases. You can switch between
them with the variation buttons at the top right.
You can remote-control the variation buttons using the trigger pads, which gives you thepossibility to switch between variations by playing the trigger keys that are assigned to thetrigger pads.
NOTE
To avoid that the variation switches in the middle of a beat or measure, use the trigger modes
Next Beat or Next Measure.

Creating FlexPhraser Variations
PROCEDURE
1.

Click one of the variation buttons at the top right of the FlexPhraser.

2.

You can either start from scratch or base the new variation on an existing variation.
●

To start from scratch, assign a phrase and edit the FlexPhraser settings.

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User Phrases●

To use an existing variation as a base, use the context menu commands Copy
FlexPhraser Variation and Paste FlexPhraser Variation.

RESULTThe variation can now be recalled by clicking the corresponding variation button.
NOTE
The parameters Loop, Sync, Hold, Trigger Mode, Restart Mode, Key Mode, Vel Mode, Low/
High Key, and Low/High Vel are not part of the variations. You set them up only once for eachinserted FlexPhraser module.

RELATED LINKS
Switching between Variations on page 26

User Phrases
The user pattern of the FlexPhraser has up to 32 steps. Each step has an adjustable velocity, gate
length, and transpose value. By setting the steps, adjusting their length, or leaving pauses, youdefine the rhythm of the user pattern.
You can combine consecutive steps to create longer notes. By selecting a mode, you define how
the notes play back. In addition, there are two MIDI control sequences, that is, each step cansend two modulation signals.In addition, there are three MIDI control sequences, that is, eachstep can send three modulation signals.
To create your own phrases, activate User and Show Editor Page.
For user phrases, the regular FlexPhraser parameters are available, except for the KSOff button.

User Phrase Editor
In the user phrase editor, you can set up your user phrases.
To open the user phrase editor, click Show Editor Page.

You can display the velocity curve or two MIDI controller sequences for the phrase.
PhraseTo load a phrase, select it from the Phrase pop-up menu.
NOTE
Saved phrases include the Mode, Key Replace, and Wrap parameters, as well as thesteps with their Level, Length, and Legato settings. The selected MIDI controllers or
any settings on the main FlexPhraser page are not saved.

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User Phrases
Mode
Specifies the playback of the notes.
●

If Step is selected, the last note that is received triggers a monophonic sequence.

●

If Chord is selected, the notes are triggered as chords.

●

If Up is selected, the notes are arpeggiated in ascending order.

●

If Down is selected, the notes are arpeggiated in descending order.

●

If Up/Down 1 is selected, the notes are arpeggiated first in ascending, then indescending order.

●

If Up/Down 2 is selected, the notes are arpeggiated first in ascending, then indescending order. This mode depends on the set Key Mode.
If Key Mode is set to Sort, the highest and the lowest note are repeated.
If Key Mode is set to As Played, the first and the last note are repeated.

●

If Down/Up 1 is selected, the notes are arpeggiated first in descending, then inascending order.

●

If Down/Up 2 is selected, the notes are arpeggiated first in descending, then inascending order. This mode depends on the set Key Mode.
If Key Mode is set to Sort, the highest and the lowest note are repeated.
If Key Mode is set to As Played, the first and the last note are repeated.

●

If Random is selected, the notes are arpeggiated in random order.

Groove Q
To adapt the timing of a phrase to an external MIDI file, you can drop this MIDI file on
the Groove Quantize drop field. You can quantize the playback of the user phrase to
the timing of a sliced loop by dragging its MIDI file from the MIDI export drag field to
the Groove Quantize drop field.
The Groove Quantize Depth parameter to the right of the drop field determines how
accurately the phrase follows the timing of the MIDI file.

Key SelectThe FlexPhraser scans the keyboard and writes the keys that you press into a note buffer.
Depending on the selected Key Mode, this note buffer is sorted either by pitch or in the order inwhich you play the keys.
Key Select allows you to play back a defined key from the note buffer. You can set up Key Selectfor each step individually, which allows you to create very elaborate phrases.
NOTE
Key Select cannot be used in Step or Chord mode.
●

To access the Key Select values of the steps, click Show Key Values
editor.

to the left of the●To switch between the available Key Select values for a step, click the value and drag up/
down, or use the scroll wheel.
The following options are available:●

P (Phrase) plays the note of the user phrase, according to the selected mode, forexample, Up, Down, Up/Down 1, etc.

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User Phrases●

The settings 1 - 8 play the corresponding keys from the note list. Which key is played
depends on the Key Mode setting. For example, if Key Mode is set to Sort, the setting 1
plays the lowest key.

●

L (Last) always plays the last key from the note buffer. Depending on the Key Mode, thisis the highest note or the last note in the note buffer.

●

A (All) plays all keys from the note buffer as a chord.

Velocity Curve●

To display the velocity curve, activate the Vel button on the left.

Key Replace
With this parameter, you can deactivate the Key Select function or specify how to
replace missing keys.
For example, if Key Select is set to 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 and you play a chord with 3 notes, key 4
is considered missing.
●

Off deactivates Key Replace and Key Select. The selected arpeggio plays backwithout modifications.

●

Arp replaces the missing keys with the note that the arpeggio would normally play.

●

Rest does not replace any missing keys. The arpeggio inserts a rest instead.

●1st replaces the missing keys with the first note in the note buffer.

●

Last replaces the missing keys with the last note in the note buffer.

●

All replaces the missing keys with all notes in the note buffer. The notes are played
as a chord.

NOTE
Key Replace can be set for each individual variation.
Wrap
For all modes except Step and Chord, you can use this parameter to restart thearpeggio after a specified number of steps.
NOTE
Deactivated steps are taken into account.
In Step and Chord mode, this parameter only affects the Octaves setting.
If the Octaves parameter is active, the arpeggio traverses the octaves and restarts
from the original octave after the specified number of steps.

Controller Curve
To show a controller curve, click one of the controller buttons on the left.

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User Phrases

MIDI Controller
Allows you to select the MIDI controller that you want to use.

Editing User Phrases
You can make detailed settings for the user phrase in the editor for the user phrases.
To set up the phrase, activate the Vel button to the left of the step display.
To set up a controller curve for the phrase, activate one of the controller buttons to the left of thestep display.
●

To specify the number of steps for the pattern, drag the Number of Steps handle to theright or left.

Activating Steps
A phrase can contain up to 32 steps. Only the steps that are activated are played.
●

To activate a step, click its On/Off button below the display.
This can be necessary if you change the gate length of one step so that it overlaps with thefollowing step, thereby deactivating it.
NOTE
If you activate a step that was inactive because of an overlapping previous step, the previous
step is shortened.

●

To activate all steps, right-click in the step display, and select Enable All Steps from thecontext menu.

Editing Steps
The height of a step represents its value. You can edit the steps in the following ways:●

To activate all steps, select Enable All Steps from the context menu.

●

To adjust a value, click a step, and drag up or down.

●

To adjust multiple steps, click and draw a curve.

●

To adjust the velocity of all steps relatively, Shift -click and drag.

●To draw a ramp with steps, hold down Alt/Opt , and draw a line.

●

To draw symmetric ramps at the beginning and the end of the sequence, hold down Shift Alt/Opt , and draw a line.

●

To transpose a step, click in the field below it, and enter the number of semitones for thetransposition.

●

To reset the velocity of a step to 127, Ctrl/Cmd -click the step.

●

To reset the velocity of all steps to 127, hold Shift - Ctrl/Cmd , and click a step.

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User Phrases●

To introduce a legato between two steps, click the number below the first of these steps, sothat a small arrow is shown.
If Legato is activated, the Gate Scale parameter is not taken into account.

For velocity steps, the width of a step represents its gate length.

●

To adjust the gate length of a step, drag its right border.

●

To adjust the gate length of all steps, hold down Shift , and drag the right border of a step.
You can only adjust the length this way until a step reaches the next step. If you increase thegate length of a step so that it overlaps with the following step, the latter step is deactivated.

●

To reset the length of a step to 1, Ctrl/Cmd -click its highlighted right border.

●

To reset the length of all steps, hold down Shift - Ctrl/Cmd , and click on a highlighted rightborder.

●To fill the gaps between consecutive steps, select Fill Gap or Fill All Gaps from the context
menu.

Each MIDI controller lane can send a MIDI controller. By selecting the same MIDI controller asa source in the modulation matrix, you can modulate any of the destinations with the MIDI
controller sequence.

Adjusting the Phrase●

To shift the rhythm of the phrase, click Shift Phrase Rightor Shift Phrase Left.

If you shift the rhythm of the phrase to the left, the first step is moved to the end. If you shift
the phrase to the right, the last step is moved to the beginning.
●

To reverse the phrase, click Reverse Phrase.

●

To duplicate short phrases, click Duplicate Phrase.

NOTE
The maximum number of steps is 32. Therefore, phrases that contain more than 16 steps
cannot be duplicated as a whole.

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You can automate most of the HALion Sonic parameters from within your host application,
whether these are parameters of a program or global parameters such as AUX effects.
NOTE●

To automate parameters of multiple layers relatively, use quick controls and automate theseinstead.

●Not all parameters can be automated.

Automation Page
All assigned automation parameters are shown on the Automation page.
To access this page, open the Options page and activate the Automation tab at the top.

With the tabs at the top, you can specify whether you want to show the automation parameters
for the slot, the global parameters, or all automation parameters.
On the left, the name of the automation parameter is shown, and on the right, the name of theassigned HALion Sonic parameter is displayed. If multiple HALion Sonic parameters are assigned
to one automation parameter, these are listed below each other on the right.
●

To remove an automation parameter, click the trash icon to the right of the parameter name.

●To remove all automation parameters, click Delete All Parameters at the top of the page.

●

To rename an automation parameter, double-click the parameter name, and enter the newname. This name is then used in your host application.

Setting Up Automation
Creating Automation Parameters●

To assign a parameter to an automation parameter, right-click the parameter control,and select Assign to New Automation. The automation parameter is created on the firstavailable automation parameter.

●

To add a parameter to an existing automation parameter, right-click the control, select Add
to Automation, and select the automation parameter.

●

To remove a parameter from the automation, right-click an automated control, and selectForget Automation.

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Setting Up Automation●

To assign a parameter to an automation parameter automatically while working in your hostapplication, activate Automation Read/Write, start playback, and use the controls on the
HALion Sonic interface.

NOTE
If you have assigned automation parameters for a program and then load another program into
this slot, it can become necessary to verify the automation settings.
If the new program has the same structure as the previous program, for example, if you
exchange a Voltage preset with another Voltage preset, HALion Sonic reconnects the automation
parameters correctly, and no manual modifications are necessary. However, if you load a presetwith a different structure, for example a Model C preset, the automation parameters cannot
be reconnected. In this case, the disconnected automation parameters are still displayed in theautomation list.

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You can load, save, and manage different kinds of sound files.

Programs, Layers, and Multi-Programs
HALion Sonic allows you to load Steinberg content, user-generated content, or third-party
libraries.

Programs and Layers
A program is a complex instrument or sound that can consist of up to four layers. Often, aprogram contains a single layer that includes all necessary components, such as the synthesis
part or insert effects. However, programs allow you to combine different layers, to build up more
complex sounds or to create combinations of sounds that you want to load as a unit. A typicalexample is a bass/piano split sound or a piano/string layer sound.
Because of the various layer types that come with HALion Sonic, these combinations can do a
lot more. For example, think of combining a pulsating synthesizer sequence with a sliced loop
completed by a bass on the lower keys, and so on. Finally, adding some effects to individual
layers or to the whole program creates a unique sound experience.

Multi-Programs
HALion Sonic is a multitimbral plug-in that can load and combine up to 16 programs. This
combination is called a multi-program. You can use multi-programs to layer several programs or
to create split sounds by setting several programs to the same MIDI input channel, for example.
However, the most common usage is to create sound sets with different instruments set toindividual MIDI channels.

VST Sound Instrument Sets
VST Sound Instrument Sets from Steinberg provide additional content for VST instruments basedon the HALion technology. They come with their own macro pages that feature a customized look
and a collection of controls and parameters. For details, refer to the documentation included
with the corresponding VST Sound Instrument Set.

Content Files and Folder Structure
HALion Sonic comes with a large amount of ready-to-use sound content, made up of hundredsof multi-programs, programs, and layers. This content is write-protected. You can edit files while
they are loaded, but you cannot overwrite the factory content files.
To save edits to the factory content, save the files under a new name. These files get the filename extension .vstpreset and are referred to as user content. They can be searched andcategorized in the same way as factory content.
User content is saved in a predefined folder structure on your hard disk. You can create
subfolders within this structure to facilitate moving or exchanging content.

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Registering VST Sounds
RELATED LINKS
Editing Programs and Layers
Included Instruments

Registering VST Sounds
To be able to use the content of VST Sound containers, the containers must be registered in theMediaBay.
You register content using the Steinberg Library Manager. This is a separate program that is
installed together with HALion Sonic and that allows you to manage your VST Sound content. For
further information, consult the Library Manager documentation on https://steinberg.help/.

Loading Programs and Layers
You can load programs and layers via the Load Panel, via drag and drop onto the Slot Rack, andvia various context menus in different areas of the plug-in.
There are several ways to load programs:●

Via drag and drop from the Load Panel or the File Explorer/macOS Finder onto a slot in the
Slot Rack.
To load the program into an empty slot, drag it onto an empty slot or onto the empty space
below the slots in the Slot Rack.
To replace the current program, drag the program onto a used slot in the Slot Rack.

●

Via drag and drop from the MediaBay of your Steinberg DAW onto a slot in the Slot Rack.

●

By selecting Load Program from the slot context menu.

●

By clicking the Load Program button to the right of the slot and selecting a program in the
Load Panel.

NOTE
Programs containing lots of sample data may take some time to load.

Loading Layers into Slots
If you load a layer into a slot, HALion Sonic creates a new program.

Slot Rack
The Slot Rack has 16 slots. Each slot can contain a program, that is, you can work with 16
programs at the same time.

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Slot Rack
Once a program is loaded in the Slot Rack, it can be played and edited.

Loading Programs into Slots
You can load programs using drag and drop and via the Load Program command.
CHOICES●Drag the program from the MediaBay or the File Explorer/macOS Finder onto the Slot Rack.
To load the program into an empty slot, drag it onto this slot. To replace the current
program, drag the program onto a used slot.

●

Click the Load Program button of a slot to open the MediaBay, select a program, anddouble-click it.
If the slot contains a program, this program is replaced.

●

Right-click in the Slot Rack, and select Load Program from the context menu. In theMediaBay, select a program, and double-click it.
If you right-click a slot to open the context menu, the current program is replaced.

Slot Context Menu
The context menu provides a number of functions for managing programs.

Load Program
Opens the program loader. Double-click a program to load it into this slot.
Init Program
Loads the Init program. This contains a neutral synth layer.
Save Program
Saves the program.
NOTE
If you try to overwrite write-protected factory content, a dialog prompts you to savethe edited program under a new name.
Save Program As
Allows you to make attribute settings for your program and save it to your user content
folder or the specified folder in your system.

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Slot Rack
Save All Programs
Allows you to save all programs as VST presets.
Export Program
Allows you to change the attributes for your program and save it in a new location.
Export All Programs
Allows you to set up attributes for all programs at the same time and save them in a
new location.
NOTE●

Existing attribute values are kept, that is, if a program already contains an attributevalue for an attribute that you set up for all programs, this value is not overwritten.

●

The preset format of the programs is not modified, that is, if a program contains
HALion presets and HALion Sonic presets, for example, these are saved with theirrespective formats maintained.

Remove Program
Removes the program from the slot.
Revert to Last Saved Program
Discards any changes that you made to the program since the last time it was saved.
Cut Program
Copies the program and removes it from the slot.
Copy Program
Copies the program.
Paste Program
Pastes the copied program into the slot. If the slot already contains a program, it isreplaced.
Rename Program
Allows you to rename the program.
Reset Slot
Resets the slot to the default values.
Reset All Slots
Resets all slots to the default values.
Set Program Icon
Allows you to specify a custom icon for your program.
This icon is then displayed in the program slot section at the top of the window insteadof the default icon.
NOTE
You can also cut, copy, and paste programs from one plug-in instance to another.

RELATED LINKS
Adding User Icons to Programs on page 92

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Slot Rack

Adding User Icons to Programs
If you do not want to use the generic program icons for your programs, you can assign and use
your own icons in HALion Sonic.
PROCEDURE
1.

Right-click the program name in the Slot Rack, and select Set Program Icon.
The Set Program Icon dialog opens. No icons are available, unless you have previously
added them.

2.

Click Import to search your system for user icons.
The supported file formats are .jpg, .jpeg, .bmp, and .png.

3.

Select the icon that you want to use, and click OK.
The image is automatically scaled to 50x50 pixels and saved to the Program Icons subfolderof your user presets folder. An additional variant with a resolution of 100x100 pixels is also
added. This icon is used when working with HiDPI monitors.

4.

The Set Program Icon dialog now shows your icon. Click on it to assign it to the selected
program.

RESULT
The icon is displayed in the program slot section at the top of the window.
NOTE
If HALion Sonic cannot find the assigned user icon for a program, the default icon is used.

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Managing and Loading Files

Set Program Icon Dialog
The Set Program Icon dialog allows you to import, assign, and remove user icons for yourprograms.

ImportOpens a dialog where you can select and import a user icon.
The supported file formats are .jpg, .jpeg, .bmp, and .png.
Reset
Resets the category-based default icon for the program.
Icon display
Lists the imported user icons.
RELATED LINKS
Adding User Icons to Programs on page 92

Removing User Icons from Programs
If the Set Program Icon dialog contains icons that you do not want to use any more, you canremove them.
PROCEDURE●

To remove a user icon, move the mouse over it, and click the Delete button in the upper
right corner.

RESULT
This deletes the icon file and its HiDPI variant from the user presets folder.

Managing and Loading Files
You can use the MediaBay and the Browser to manage, navigate to, load, and preview different
file types.
You can find the MediaBay and the Browser on the Load Panel.
To open the Load Panel, click Show/Hide Load Panel on the toolbar.

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Managing and Loading FilesMediaBay
The MediaBay enables you to access presets, such as multi-programs, programs, and layers.
In the top section of the page, you can specify which sounds to look for. The lower section
displays the corresponding results.
●

To adjust the size of the two sections, drag the divider at the top of the results list.

Reset Filter
Resets all filter settings.
Synchronize Filter Settings with Selected Slot●

If this button is activated, selecting a program from the Slot Rack automaticallysets the MediaBay search filters to the state they were in when the program wasloaded. This makes it easier to replace a program with a similar program.
If you select an empty slot, all search filters are reset.
If no program, layer, or multi was loaded because you loaded the program via
the Browser or via drag and drop from the File Explorer/macOS Finder, the searchsettings do not change when you select this slot.

●

If this button is deactivated, the filter settings are global for all slots.

Presets
You can save, load, and delete the settings of a MediaBay search, which includes both the searchmask at the top and the results list. This allows you to create search templates for different
search scenarios, for example.
Saving the MediaBay with active search filters allows you to create different preset collections
that can then be recalled very quickly. These collections are dynamic, that is, any new presets
added to your system at a later time also appear in the results list when a new search is
performed.

Search Mask and Results List

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Select Library
Click the library icon on the left to open the library selector, where you can specify
which library to search for content.
Factory
Activate this button to search for presets that are part of commercial or free libraries
and that are installed on your system as VST Sound libraries. These libraries can be partof HALion or HALion Sonic, for example, or they can be included in expansion libraries.
User
Activate this button to search for presets that you have created and saved in theMediaBay.
Filter Text
In the text search field, you can enter text that is part of the name or an attribute of apreset that you are looking for. For example, if you enter Piano, the results list displays
all presets whose name contains “Piano”, or presets for which the term “Piano” is usedin one of the attributes, such as the Category attribute Piano or the Subcategory
attribute Keyboard | E.Piano.
Configure Attribute Menus
Allows you to add attribute menus, where you can specify attributes for your search.
The following attribute menus are available:●

Category opens a tree view that allows you to select a Category or a
Subcategory. Subcategory tags are shown together with the corresponding
Category, in the following way: (Category | Subcategory).

●

Style opens a tree view which allows to select a Style or a Substyle. Substyle tags
are shown together with the corresponding Style, in the following way: (Style |Substyle).

●

Properties opens the Properties dialog, where you can add one or multiple
Properties attributes.
To search for a Properties attribute, enter a text string in the text field, such as
warm, for example. When you start typing, the available properties are shownand can be selected from the list. If the entered text does not match any of theexisting attribute values, all available attribute values are shown in alphabeticalorder. By adding multiple properties, you can narrow down the results to the ones
that match both properties.
Alternatively, click Show All Attribute Values
next to the text field to open a listof all Properties attributes. You can search for matching attributes by scrolling thelist. Press Return or click a property to add it.
To add a new Properties attribute, enter the text and press Return .
If you specify multiple attributes, you can change their order using drag and drop.

●

Moods opens the Moods dialog, where you can add one or more Moods
attributes.

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To search for an attribute, enter a text string in the text field, such as energetic,for example. When you start typing, the available properties are shown and canbe selected from the list. If the entered text does not match any of the existing
attribute values, all available attribute values are shown in alphabetical order. By
adding multiple properties, you can narrow down the results to the ones thatmatch both properties.
Alternatively, click Show All Attribute Values
next to the text field to open a listof all attribute values. You can search for matching attribute values by scrolling thelist. Press Return or click an attribute value to add it.
To add a new Moods attribute, enter the text and press Return .
If you specify multiple attributes, you can change their order using drag and drop.
●

Articulations opens the Articulations dialog, where you can add one or more
Articulations attributes.
To search for an attribute, enter a text string in the text field, such as
Decrescendo, for example. When you start typing, the available articulations areshown and can be selected from the list. If the entered text does not match any ofthe existing attribute values, all available attribute values are shown in alphabeticalorder. By adding multiple articulations, you can narrow down the results to theones that match both articulations.
next to the text field to open a list
Alternatively, click Show All Attribute Valuesof all Articulations attributes. You can search for matching attributes by scrolling
the list. Press Return or click an attribute to add it.
To add a new Articulations attribute, enter the text and press Return .
If you specify multiple attributes, you can change their order using drag and drop.

●

Author opens a list with all available authors.

●

Key opens a list with all available keys.

●

Signature opens a list with all available signatures.

●Tempo opens the Tempo dialog, where you can select a Tempo and specify aRange in which the tempo of the result can deviate from the set tempo. Activate
or Double-Timebuttons to include presets that use half or
the Half-Timedouble the tempo.

Preset Type Menu

On the Preset Type menu, you can specify whether to show all presets in the results
list, or whether to display only layers, programs, or multi-programs.
This setting is automatically adapted to the active slot. For example, if the multi loader
is active, the Preset Type menu is set to display multi-programs.
Rating Filter
Allows you to limit the results list according to the rating of the presets. Use the rating
slider to define the minimum rating.
Set up Result Columns
Allows you to select which attribute columns to display in the results list.

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RELATED LINKS
Browsing for Files on page 97

Browsing for Files
The MediaBay allows you to browse for and load files.
PROCEDURE
1.

Use the Factory and User buttons at the top of the window to specify whether you want tobrowse through the factory content or the content that you created yourself.
You can activate both buttons to browse through the entire content.

2.

When you open the MediaBay for the first time, the library selector is shown. If a libraryis selected, for example, because you open the MediaBay for a slot that already contains a
program, click the library icon to the left of the Factory and User buttons to open the library
selector.

3.

In the library selector, specify where you want to search for files: To select a particularlibrary, click it. To browse through the entire content, select All Libraries.
If the library that you want to use is not shown in the visible part of the selector, use thescroll bar, or enter the library name or part of the name in the search field. For example,
enter “LoFi” to reduce the list to all libraries whose names contain “LoFi”.
NOTE
If you enter search text, the library selector shows all libraries whose names contain the text,
plus all libraries containing files whose names or attributes contain the text.

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When you select a library, the text search field is cleared, and the results list shows the files
contained in the library.
4.

Via the Preset Type pop up menu, specify whether you want to search for multi-programs,
programs, or layers, or whether you want to browse through the entire content.

5.

Above the results list, a list of suggested filter tags is displayed, based on the mostfrequently used tags. To use a suggested tag as a filter tag, click it. You can activate several
filter tags simultaneously.
NOTE
Active filter tags have a blue border and are displayed to the left of the suggestions.
The list of suggested filter tags is updated with every active filter tag.

6.

●

To remove a filter tag, click its Remove Filter button.

●

To remove all tags, click Remove All Filters between the filter tags and the suggestions.

Optional: Configure the MediaBay to provide multiple attribute menus to search for specifictypes of presets. To add or remove a menu, click the Configure Attribute Menus button,and select/deselect the corresponding attribute.
This allows you to perform a search for a specific instrument or for loop-based presets.
For example, when looking for instruments, the Category, Articulations, and Properties
attribute menus are particularly useful, whereas when looking for loop-based presets, werecommend to search for Style, Tempo, and Signature.

7.

To search for files that contain a specific text, either in their name or in any of the attributes,
enter this text in the text field.
While you type, the list of suggested filter tags is updated. This allows you to see in how
many and in which attributes your search text is used.

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The Nameand All Attributes
tags are the first suggestions. To show which attribute
another suggested filter tag belongs to, hover the mouse pointer over it to view its tooltip.

TIP
Combining tags from different attributes means that both filter criteria need to be matchedto create a result. If you add multiple tags for the same attribute, the result only needs tomatch one of them.
8.

9.

Optional: You can set the search parameters so that they include or exclude presets withspecific tags. To do so, define the Mode for the filter tag by right-clicking it, and selecting an
option from the menu.

●

Default is the standard behavior. This is indicated by a blue frame.

●

Include can list presets, even if the filter tags prevent this. For example, if you specify
Category = Piano, Property = Warm and Name = Warm Piano (Mode = Include), theresults list shows presets whose Category and Property attributes match, in addition to
any presets whose names contain “Warm Piano”. Include mode is indicated by a green
frame around the filter tag.

●Exclude can exclude presets from the results list, even if their attributes match yoursettings. For example, if you specify Category = Piano and Property = Warm (Mode =Exclude), only piano presets for which the Warm tag is not set are listed. Exclude mode
is indicated by a red frame.

In the results list, double-click a file to load it in the selected slot.

10. Play a note on your keyboard, or use the internal keyboard to listen to the selected file.
If the file is not what you are looking for, try further files in the results list, and listen to them
until you find a file that you like.

RELATED LINKSMediaBay on page 94

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Results List
The results list shows all files that have been found based on your filter settings.

RELATED LINKS
Configuring the Results List

Configuring the Results List
You can specify which file attributes to display in the results list and set up the column orderso that these attributes are visible without scrolling. This allows you to quickly find files withparticular attributes.
CHOICES●To define the attributes to be shown in the results list, click Set up Result Columns in theupper right corner of the results list, and activate the corresponding entries. New attributes
are added at the right of the list.

●

Select None deselects all attributes.

●

Use Defaults resets the results list to show the default attributes.

●

All Available adds columns for all available attributes.

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To reorder the columns in the results list, drag the column headers to another position.

●

To change the sorting of the list entries, click the column header. The triangle in the column
header shows the sorting direction.

Results List Context Menu
The context menu of the results list offers additional options for managing the selected presets.
Different options are available for factory presets and for user presets.
NOTE
Factory content is write-protected and cannot be deleted or renamed.

Factory Presets
Load Program into selected Slot/Load Multi-Program
Loads the highlighted preset.
Select All
Selects all presets in the results list.
Select None
Cancels any selection in the results list.

User Presets
Copy
Copies the selected presets to the clipboard.
RenameOpens a dialog for renaming the preset.
DeleteMoves the selected presets to the trash of your operating system.
Show in Explorer/Reveal in Finder
Shows the preset in the file browser of your operating system.
Set/Remove Write Protection
Sets/Removes write protection for the selected presets.

Assigning General MIDI Program Change Numbers to Sounds
Assigning General MIDI program change numbers to sounds allows you to use MIDI programchange messages to load the sounds into the slot of the corresponding MIDI channel.
PROCEDURE
1.

In the MediaBay, click Set up Result Columnson the title bar of the lower section.

2.

Select Musical > GM Sound.

3.

Select the sound to which you want to apply the GM program change number.

4.

In the GM Sound column for the sound, select the General MIDI program change numberthat you want to use.
You can assign the same GM Sound program number several times. If a program number isused more than once, the Rating attribute can be used to decide which program to load.

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Managing and Loading FilesNOTE
Slot 10 ignores any program change messages and keeps the loaded drum set.
NOTE
If you add GM Sound attributes to programs in the MediaBay and these attributes are usedin the current multi, you can update the multi by right-clicking the multi loader and selecting
Update General MIDI Programs. This exchanges those programs that use the specified GM
Sound attribute. The other programs remain unaffected.

Loading Programs into Slots
To load a program into one of the slots of the Slot Rack, you have the following possibilities:●

Select the slot into which you want to load the program, and double-click the program in the
results list.

●

Drag a program from the results list to an empty space in the Slot Rack to create a new slot.
If you drag it to an existing slot, the current program is replaced.

●

Right-click the program, and select Load Program into selected Slot from the context
menu.

Importing Presets
You can import program presets from any file location using the File Explorer/macOS Finder.
PROCEDURE
1.

Select the preset in the File Explorer/macOS Finder.

2.

Drag it to the MediaBay.

RESULT
The imported presets are copied to your user folder.

Editing Attributes
Program, layer, and multi-program presets can be described by using a predefined set of
attributes.
Attributes can be edited in the following places in HALion Sonic:●

In the MediaBay results list.

●

In the Save Program As and Save Multi-Program As dialogs.

PROCEDURE
1.

To specify or change an attribute value, click in the corresponding field of the Value column.
●

For most attributes, such as Author, a pop-up menu listing the available options opens
when you click in the Value column.
You can also double-click the field and enter a new author manually.

●

Some values, such as Articulations, Properties, and Moods, open a dialog where you
can add a number of different attribute values from a list.

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You can use the text field at the top to narrow down the list. For example, type “b” tofilter the list to show all attribute values starting with “b”. The list is updated as you
type. If the entered text does not match any of the existing attribute values, all available
attribute values are shown in alphabetical order.
Alternatively, click the selector next to the text field to open a list of all attributes.
You can search for matching attributes by scrolling the list. Press Return or click an
attribute to add it.
To add a new attribute, enter the text and press Return .
If you specify multiple attributes, you can change their order using drag and drop.

●

For the combined attributes Category and Subcategory as well as Style and Substyle, a
pop-up panel opens.
If you switch to a Subcategory from another Category, the Category value is
automatically updated.
At the bottom of the panel, you can create new Substyle or Subcategory values.

2.

●

For the Rating attribute, you can click in the Value column and drag left or right tomodify the setting.

●

For the Tempo attribute, you can select an available tempo value from the list.

Select a value, activate an attribute, or enter text.
Attribute values are written into the corresponding files.
NOTE
If you change the attributes for write-protected factory content files, these changes are only
saved in the MediaBay database, not in the file.

Deleting User Presets●

To delete a user preset, right-click it, and select Delete from the context menu.
NOTE
Factory presets cannot be deleted.

Loading Files Using the Browser
In the Browser, you can search your system for files.

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In the Browser, you can search and load the following files:●

Samples from the file system or from within loaded programs.
This also includes program formats from other software and hardware samplers.

●

Programs, layers, and multis.

●

MIDI files.
You can load MIDI files onto a MIDI file loader on a macro page via drag and drop.

Path Section●

To step through the recent locations, click the Previous Browse Location/Next Browse
Location buttons.

●

To navigate to the folder one level up in the location tree, click the Browse Containing
Folder button.

●

The path to the current position in the hierarchy is shown on the right. To navigate to one ofthese folders, click its name.

●

To open the history, click the Navigation History button on the right.

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Location Tree
The location tree on the left side of the Browser allows you to navigate through the programs,
layers, or zones in any folder. You can even access files contained in VST Sound containers andISO files.

If you select an entry in the tree, the results list shows the corresponding content.

Locations
You can save folders or directories in your system as favorite locations for quick access.

The text field above the tree shows the name of the selected folder. If the name is preceded byan asterisk, the folder has not been saved as a location yet.

Location Controls
At the top of the location tree, you can find the location controls.

Previous Browse Location/Next Browse Location
These buttons allow you to step through the recent locations.
Browse Containing Folder
Allows you to navigate to the folder one level up in the location tree.
Create New Folder
Creates a new folder on the current hierarchy level of the tree.
Favorite Location pop-up menu
To open the list of favorite locations, click in the text field.
If you have not created any locations yet, this list is empty.
Add Selected Media Node as Favorite Location
Saves the folder that is selected in the location tree as a favorite location.
Remove Favorite Location
Deletes the selected location from the list of favorite locations.

Results List
The results list shows the files found in the selected folder. It displays all files that HALion Sonic
can read, such as VST presets, samples, or third-party sampler programs.

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Managing and Loading Files
In addition to information like file name and path, the columns in the results list can be
configured to show different attributes.
The results list also shows any subfolders of the selected folder, but it does not include the files
contained in the subfolders themselves. To see the content of subfolders, you must select thecorresponding subfolder.
●

To open a folder or location, double-click it in the results list.

You can limit the number of results in the results list using the text search function. This way,
you can search for files with specific names, for example. For presets, the search also takes any
attributes into account. The value field in the top right corner indicates the number of files thatmatch the search text. To clear the search text, click Clear Filter Text.

Toolbar
You can use the tools on the toolbar above the results list to refine your search criteria.

Search Subfolders●

If this button is activated, the search includes all subfolders of the specified
location.
To automatically perform a new search for files when you switch between folders,.
activate Auto Search●

If this button is deactivated, only the selected location is searched for files.

Text Search field
Allows you to enter text that is part of the name or any of the attributes of the file you
are looking for.
Filter by Media Type

Allows you to filter the list to show only samples, MIDI files, layers, programs, or
multi-programs.
Filter by Sound Component

Allows you to filter the list to show only the tonal or the noise components created by
the Decompose function, to show both the tonal and noise components, or to show all
files.
Set up Result Columns
Allows you to select which attribute columns to display in the results list.

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Managing and Loading Files
Results Counter
Displays the number of files that match the filter criteria. To stop an active scanning
process, click in the value field.

Configuring the Results List
You can specify which file attributes to display in the results list and set up the column orderso that these attributes are visible without scrolling. This allows you to quickly find files withparticular attributes.
CHOICES●To define the attributes to be shown in the results list, click Set up Result Columns in theupper right corner of the results list, and activate the corresponding entries. New attributes
are added at the right of the list.

●

Select None deselects all attributes.

●

Use Defaults resets the results list to show the default attributes.

●

All Available adds columns for all available attributes.

●

To reorder the columns in the results list, drag the column headers to another position.

●

To change the sorting of the list entries, click the column header. The triangle in the column
header shows the sorting direction.

Searching for Files on Your System
Instead of searching the current results list, you can also use the text search to look for files on
your hard disks or in VST Sound containers.
PROCEDURE
1.

Select the location that you want to use as the starting point for the search.
The higher up in the hierarchy the location, the longer the search takes.

2.

In the top left corner of the results list, click the Search Subfolders
the search text in the text field.

3.

Optional: On the Filter by Media Type menu, specify whether you want to search forsamples, MIDI files, layers, programs, multi-programs, or any content.

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Managing Your Sounds
Managing and Loading Files
4.

To start the search, press Return , or click Search/Stop Search.
The files that match the search criteria are listed in the results list.
NOTE
The maximum of files that can be displayed in the list is set with the Max Results parameteron the Options Page.

5.

Double-click a result to show it in the location tree.

RELATED LINKS
Options Page on page 27

Managing Multi-Programs
Multi-programs, or multis, can load multiple sounds or programs and combine them.
You can use multi-programs to layer several programs or to create split sounds by setting several
programs to the same MIDI input channel, for example. However, the most common usage is tocreate sound sets with different instruments set to individual MIDI channels.
A multi-program contains all plug-in parameters. If you use HALion Sonic as a plug-in in a
Steinberg DAW, the multi-programs are listed in the Preset Management pop-up menu of thehost application. You can drag multis and programs from the MediaBay to a slot in HALion Sonic.
If you use HALion Sonic as a plug-in in a different host application, you can use the presetfunctionality from the host application or the multi management features provided by HALion
Sonic.

Loading Multis●

Open the MediaBay, and double-click a multi or drag a multi onto the multi slot.

Renaming Multis
PROCEDURE●

To rename a multi, click in the name field, enter a new name, and press Return .

Removing Multis●

To remove all programs of the current multi, click the Remove All Programs button on the
toolbar of the Slot Rack.
This also resets all slot parameters and removes effects from the slot busses. However, AUX
and Master effects are not removed.

Clearing the Plug-in Instance●

To reset the entire plug-in instance to an empty state, right-click the multi loader, and selectClear Plug-in Instance from the context menu.

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Managing and Loading Files

Saving Multis
PROCEDURE
1.

Click the Save Multi-Program button.

2.

Enter the name of the multi.

3.

Assign any attributes that you want to use, and click OK.
If the entered name already exists, a message opens. Click Make Unique Name to add anumber suffix to the name of the new multi.

Saving a Multi as Default●

To specify a default multi to be loaded with HALion Sonic, use the Save as Default commandon the context menu for the multi loader.

Creating Subfolders for User-Defined Multis
You can create subfolders inside the user preset folder to organize presets.
●

To create a new folder, click the Create New Folder icon at the top left of the Save MultiProgram dialog.

Navigating Through the Folder Hierarchy
You can move through the folder hierarchy using the three navigation buttons at the top left ofthe dialog.
These buttons allow you to navigate to the previous or next browse location, or browse thefolder one level up in the location tree.

Editing Attributes
You can edit the attribute values that are assigned to the preset.
PROCEDURE
1.

Open the Save Multi-Program dialog, and navigate to the New Preset Tags section.

2.

To edit an attribute, click on a value field, and enter the new name or value.

3.

Click OK to save the preset.

Multi Chains
On the Multi page, you can combine up to 128 multis as a multi chain.
You can step through the multis manually or via MIDI control change messages. This feature isparticularly useful when performing live on stage. It allows you to set up a list of sounds that
follows the order of their appearance during your performance, for example.
NOTE●

To use a hardware controller to switch between the multis, add MIDI controllers to the Load
Previous Multi/Load Next Multi buttons.

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Managing and Loading Files●

If Multi Mode is selected on the Program Change pop-up menu on the Options page, you
can use program change messages to switch between the multis.

Setting Up a Multi Chain
PROCEDURE
1.

On the Multi page, click the down arrow button for a list entry to open the Load MultiProgram dialog.

2.

Select a multi and click OK.

3.

Select the next slot in the list and repeat the procedure.

4.

Continue until all multis that you want to add are part of the chain.

AFTER COMPLETING THIS TASKYou can rearrange the order of a chain by dragging an entry to a new position in the list.

Multi Page

The list of multis in your chain is displayed on the right. If you select a multi in this list, its name isdisplayed in the field above the list, and the corresponding programs are displayed on the left.
●

To load the next or the previous multi, use the Load Previous Multi/Load Next Multi
buttons above the list.

●

To load a specific multi, select it in the list.

On
Activates/Deactivates the corresponding program.
Level
Sets the level of the corresponding program.
Pan
Sets the pan of the corresponding program.
Active Multi Display
The field at the top op the multi list shows the selected multi.

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Managing and Loading Files
Click the arrow button on the right to open a pop-up menu with the following options:●

Clear Multi Chain removes all multis from all slots in the list.

●

Remove Selected Multi removes the selected multi from its slot in the list.

Load Previous Multi/Load Next Multi
Use these buttons to step through the multi list.
●

To assign a MIDI controller to a button, right-click it, select Learn CC, and use acontrol on your hardware controller.

●

To remove an assigned MIDI controller, right-click the button and select Forget CC.

Multi List
The multi list contains 128 slots.
To load a multi in a slot, click the arrow button and select a multi.

Assigning MIDI Controllers to the Previous/Next Buttons
For switching through the multi chain, you can also use MIDI controllers, such as apotentiometer, a fader, or the modulation wheel.
You can use the same MIDI controller for Load Previous Multi and Load Next Multi, or select a
different controller for each function.
NOTE●

If the same MIDI controller is assigned to both buttons, the Load Next Multi command istriggered by the transition from the center position to the upper range of the control, andthe Load Previous Multi command by the transition from the center position to the lower
range of the control.

●

If different MIDI controllers are assigned, any transition from the lower to the upper rangeof the control triggers the Load Previous Multi/Load Next Multi command.

PROCEDURE
1.

Right-click the Load Previous Multi button and select Learn CC.

2.

On your hardware controller, use the control that you want to assign.

3.

Right-click the Load Next Multi button and select Learn CC.

4.

On your hardware controller, use the control that you want to assign.

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MIDI Editing and Controllers
You can make MIDI and MIDI controller settings on the MIDI page and the Options page.

MIDI Page
The MIDI page gives you access to the MIDI slot parameters of HALion Sonic.

ChannelAllows you to specify the channel and the MIDI port to be used by the slot to receive
MIDI signals. You can set multiple slots to the same MIDI channel and trigger themsimultaneously with the same note events.
PolyphonySpecifies how many notes can be played at the same time.
NOTE
Programs can contain various layers. Therefore, the resulting number of voices can bemuch higher than the value that is specified here.
Transpose
Allows you to shift the incoming MIDI notes by ±64 semitones before they are sent to
the loaded program.
Key Range (Low Key, High Key)
Allows you to limit the key range for a slot.
Velocity Range (Low Vel, High Vel)
Allows you to limit the velocity range for a slot.
Controller Filter
Allows you to filter out the most commonly used MIDI controllers.

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MIDI Controllers

Editing the Key Range
Each slot can be limited to a specific key range.
To show the key range, activate the Key button above the range controls.

You can set the key range in the following ways:●

Set the range with the Low Key and High Key value fields or by dragging the ends of the
keyboard range control.

●

To move the key range, click in the middle of the range control and drag.

●To set the range via MIDI input, double-click in a value field, and play the note.

Editing the Velocity Range
Each slot can be limited to a specific velocity range.
To show the velocity range, activate the Vel button above the range controls.

●

Set the velocity range with the Low Vel and High Vel value fields or by dragging the ends ofthe velocity range control.
To move the velocity range, click in the middle of the range control and drag.

MIDI Controllers
You can assign the parameters volume, pan, mute, solo, send FX 1–4, and the quick controlsof each slot to a MIDI controller. In addition to the slot parameters, you can also assign theparameters of the AUX FX and most of the edit parameters.
By default, volume, pan, send FX 1–4, and the program quick controls are already assigned. You
can customize this factory MIDI controller mapping by assigning your own MIDI controllers. Thisway, you can adapt the mapping to your MIDI keyboard or controller.
To provide more control, you can set the minimum and maximum range for each assignment
separately.

Assigning MIDI Controllers
PROCEDURE
1.

Right-click the control that you want to control remotely, and select Learn CC.

2.

On your MIDI keyboard or controller, use the potentiometer, fader, or button.
The next time you right-click the control, the menu shows the assigned MIDI controller.
NOTE
You can assign the same MIDI controller to different parameters several times. However, you
cannot assign different MIDI controllers to the same parameter.

RELATED LINKS
MIDI Controller Section on page 30

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MIDI Controllers

Unassigning MIDI Controllers
PROCEDURE●

To remove a MIDI controller assignment, right-click the control, and select Forget CC.

Restoring the Factory MIDI Controller Assignment
To restore the factory MIDI controller assignments, open the Options page and click Reset toFactory in the MIDI Controller section.

Setting the Parameter Range
You can set the minimum and maximum values of the parameter for each assignment
separately. This gives you more control over the parameter, for example, when you are
performing live on stage.
PROCEDURE
1.

Set the parameter to the minimum value.

2.

Right-click the control, and select Set Minimum from the context menu.

3.

Set the parameter to the maximum value.

4.

Right-click the control, and select Set Maximum.

MIDI Controllers and AUX FX
You can assign the parameters of the AUX FX to MIDI controllers.
Unlike the slots, the AUX FX do not have a MIDI port and channel of their own. Instead, theylisten to any incoming MIDI controller message, regardless of the MIDI channel. Therefore, if you
assign a parameter to a MIDI controller, you should use a controller number that is not alreadyin use by any of the assignments that you made for the slots.
NOTE
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 defaults.
PROCEDURE●

Open the Options page,select the Global tab and, in the MIDI Controller section, click Saveas Default.

RESULT
Now, each time that you load a new instance of the plug-in, your customized MIDI controller
mapping is available as default.
NOTE●

Saving the controller mapping as default does not include the MIDI controller assignmentsof the AUX FX.

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MIDI Controllers●

The MIDI controller mapping is saved with each project. This way, you can transfer yoursettings to other systems. The project also includes the MIDI controller assignments of the
AUX FX.

Automation and Factory MIDI Controller Assignment
Several parameters on the plug-in interface are available for automation from your host softwareand can be assigned to an external MIDI controller.
The table shows the controller numbers and the names of the default factory MIDI controller
assignment. The assigned MIDI controller numbers are the same for all slots. However, the MIDI
controllers listen only to the MIDI channels of the corresponding slot.

Parameter

Controller Number

Name

Volume#7

Volume

Pan

#10

Pan

Expression#11

Expression Volume

Send FX 1#91

Effect 1 Depth

Send FX 2#92

Effect 2 Depth

Send FX 3#93

Effect 3 Depth

Send FX 4#94

Effect 4 Depth

Program QC 1

#74Brightness

Program QC 2

#71

Harmonic Content

Program QC 3

#73

Attack Time

Program QC 4

#72

Release Time

Program QC 5#75

Sound Controller #6

Program QC 6#76

Sound Controller #7

Program QC 7

#77

Sound Controller #8

Program QC 8#78Sound Controller #9

NOTE●

Send FX 1-4 are only available if the corresponding AUX send effects are loaded.

●

You can remote-control any other parameter by first assigning the parameter to a quick
control and then to a MIDI controller.

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MIDI Controllers●

You can use MIDI controllers inside the modulation matrix of a synth or sample layer tocontrol the cutoff, for example.

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Mixing, Routing, and EffectHandling
You cam perform your mixing operations on the Mix page.

Mix Page
The Mix page gives you access to the audio parameters of HALion Sonic. This comprises the leveland pan settings, as well as the AUX effect sends and the output selector. To monitor the output
levels, each slot also features a level meter.

On
Activates/Deactivates MIDI input of the slot. If you deactivate a slot, its MIDI
communication is interrupted and sounds are no longer processed in the background.
Level
Sets the output level of the slot.
Pan
Sets the position in the stereo panorama.
Meter
Indicates the output level of the slot.
FX 1–4
These controls specify the amount of signal that is sent to the four auxiliary busses thathost up to four effects each.
OutputSpecifies to which of the 16 plug-in outputs the slot is routed.

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AUX Effects

Routing
HALion Sonic allows you to route its 16 slot outputs, that is, each loaded program, either to theMain output or to one of the 15 additional plug-in outputs.
With the current version of Cubase, changing to one of the additional outputs in HALion Sonic
automatically activates this plug-in output in Cubase and adds a mixer channel to the project.
In previous Cubase versions or some other host sequencers, you need to activate the plug-in
outputs manually.
NOTE
If a mixer channel is routed to an inactive plug-in output, the Main plug-in output is used.

AUX Effects
On the Effects page, you can set up insert effects for the four AUX busses.
The busses can be routed to the main plug-in output or to one of the individual outputs.
The Effects page also provides access to the main output bus which also features four inserts.
These can be used to add a global EQ or compressor to the signal chain, for example.

Default Effect Settings
Each effect comes with factory default settings. However, you can save your own default settingsfor each effect as a preset.
●

Set up the effect.

●

Click the Save Preset button in the title bar of the effect control panel and save the preset
under the name “--Default--”.

The preset is saved in the presets folder of the effect and is loaded each time you load the effect.
●

To return to the factory default settings, delete your default preset.

RELATED LINKS
Insert Effects on page 74

Using the Insert Effect Slots for the AUX Busses
On the Effects page, you can set up insert effects for AUX busses.
Each AUX bus provides four slots for insert effects.

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AUX Effects

CHOICES●To assign an insert effect, click the effect slot, and select the effect from the menu.

●

To remove an insert effect including its current settings, click the effect slot, and select Nonefrom the menu.

●

To deactivate an effect without removing it, click its On/Off button above the slot. This way,
you can switch off the effect without losing its settings.

●

To bypass an effect, activate the Bypass button of the slot. Bypass is active when the button
lights up.

●

To edit an insert effect, click the e button of the corresponding slot. You can edit only one
effect at a time. The parameters of the insert effect are displayed in the bottom section.

●

To move an effect to another slot, click its drag icon, and drag it to another slot. This replaces
any effect loaded in this slot.

●

To change the order of the effects, drag their drag icon to a new position between two slots.

●

To copy an effect into another slot, Alt/Opt -click its drag icon, and drag it onto the new slot.
This replaces any effect loaded in this slot.

●

To copy an effect and insert it between two effect slots, Alt/Opt -click its drag icon, and dragit between two slots.

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Effects Reference
HALion Sonic comes with a collection of high-quality studio effects.

Reverb Effects
The Reverb submenu contains the reverb effects.

REVerence
REVerence is a convolution tool that allows you to apply room characteristics (reverb) to theaudio.

By recording an impulse in a room, you capture the characteristics of this room. Convolution
superimposes these characteristics on the sound. The result is a very authentic reverb.
Included with this effect is a collection of high-quality reverb impulse responses, but you can also
import your own files. The selected impulse response determines the basic sound character ofthe reverb.
Import Impulse Response Pop-up Menu
This menu allows you to load, import, rename, and delete your own impulse response
files. If you load a file, it becomes available in your current program. If you import afile, it is added to the impulse response subpresets and becomes globally available.

●

Load Impulse Response allows you to browse to and select an impulse response
file and load it. The supported formats are .wav and .aiff.
NOTE
On saving a program, multi preset, or a project, the reference path to the original
impulse response file is saved, too.

●

Import Impulse Response allows you to import one or multiple impulse response
files.
This creates a subpreset for each impulse response file in the user subpreset
folder: Documents\Steinberg\HALion\Sub Presets\IRPresets\Imported.

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Reverb Effects
The sample files themselves are copied to the folder “IRSamples” within the
subpreset folder. The new subpresets are available on the Imported submenu
in the impulse response loader, like the factory content.
●

Rename Impulse Response allows you to rename the impulse response
subpreset.
If you rename a subpreset, the name of the associated sample file is modified
accordingly.
Delete Impulse Response deletes the impulse response subpreset and theassociated sample file.

Impulse Response Loader

The loader contains the factory impulse responses and the impulse response files thatyou imported.
Reverse
Reverses the impulse response.
Auto Gain
Normalizes the level of the impulse response files.
If you work with impulse response files that vary greatly in level, activate Auto Gain toensure that the dry/wet mix sounds as expected.
Equalizer
Activates the built-in three-band equalizer.
Predelay
Determines the amount of time between the dry signal and the onset of the reverb.
With higher Predelay values, you can simulate larger rooms.
Time
Controls the reverb time. With a setting of 100%, the impulse response is applied with
its original length maintained.
Size
Scales the size of the simulated room. With a setting of 100%, the impulse response isapplied as recorded in the original room.
Level
Adjusts the level of the impulse response.
Equalizer
Activates the built-in three-band equalizer.

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Reverb Effects
ER/Tail Split
Sets the split point between the early reflections and the reverb tail.
ER/Tail Mix
Sets the balance between the early reflections and the reverb tail. With a setting of 50%
the early reflections and the tail have the same volume level. Settings below 50% raise
the early reflections and lower the tail. As a result, the sound source moves towards
the front of the room. Settings above 50% raise the tail and lower the early reflections.
As a result, the sound source moves towards the back of the room.

ReverbThis effect produces a high-quality algorithmic reverb with early reflections and reverb tail.

The early reflections are responsible for the spatial impression in the first milliseconds of thereverb. For emulating different rooms, you can choose from different early reflection patterns
and adjust their size. The reverb tail, or late reverberation, offers parameters for controlling theroom size and the reverb time. You can adjust the reverb time individually in three frequency
bands.
Predelay
Determines how much time passes before the reverb is applied. This allows you tosimulate larger rooms by increasing the time it takes for the first reflections to reachthe audience.
Early Reflections
Allows you to select an early reflections pattern. The early reflections pattern contains
the most important delays that deliver the key information for the spatial impression of
the room.
ER/Tail
Sets the level balance between the early reflections and the reverb tail. With a settingof 50%, early reflections and tail have the same volume. Settings below 50% raise theearly reflections and lower the tail. As a result, the sound source moves towards thefront of the room. Settings above 50% raise the tail and lower the early reflections. As aresult, the sound source moves toward the back of the room.
Delay
Delays the onset of the reverb tail.
Room Size
Controls the dimensions of the simulated room. With a setting of 100%, the dimensions
correspond to a cathedral or a large concert hall. With a setting of 50%, the dimensions
correspond to a medium-sized room or studio. Settings below 50% simulate thedimensions of a small room or a booth.

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Reverb Effects
Main Time
Controls the overall reverb time of the tail. The higher this value, the longer the reverb
tail will decay. With a setting of 100%, the reverb time is infinitely long. The Main Timeparameter also represents the mid band of the reverb tail.
High Time
Controls the reverb time for the high frequencies of the reverb tail. With positive
values, the decay time of the high frequencies is longer. With negative values, it isshorter. Frequencies are affected depending on the High Freq parameter.
Low Time
Controls the reverb time for the low frequencies of the reverb tail. Positive values resultin a longer decay for the low frequencies. Negative values result in a shorter decay.
Frequencies are affected depending on the Low Freq parameter.
High Freq
Sets the cross-over frequency between the mid and the high band of the reverb tail.
You can offset the reverb time for frequencies above this value from the main reverbtime with the High Time parameter.
Low Freq
Sets the cross-over frequency between the low and the mid band of the reverb tail. The
reverb time for frequencies below this value can be offset from the main reverb timewith the Low Time parameter.
Show Early Reflections Page/Show Chorusing Page
With these two buttons, you can choose whether to display the early reflections
settings or the chorusing settings in the lower left part of the effect panel.
ER Size
Adjusts the length of the early reflections pattern. With a setting of 100%, the patternis applied with its original length and the room sounds natural to the highest possible
degree. With settings below 100%, the early reflections pattern is compressed, and theroom is perceived as smaller.
Low Cut
Attenuates the low frequencies of the early reflections. The higher this value, the fewer
low frequencies are present in the early reflections.
High Cut
Attenuates the high frequencies of the early reflections. The lower this value, the fewer
high frequencies are present in the early reflections.
ShapeControls the attack of the reverb tail. With a setting of 0%, the attack is more
immediate, which is a suitable setting for drums. The higher this value, the lessimmediate the attack.
Density
Adjusts the echo density of the reverb tail. With a setting of 100%, single reflections
from walls cannot be heard. The lower this value, the more audible the single
reflections.
Tail High Cut
Attenuates the high frequencies of the reverb tail. The lower this value, the fewer highfrequencies are present in the reverb tail.

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Delay Effects
Width
Adjusts the output of the reverb signal between mono and stereo. With a setting of 0%,
the output of the reverb is mono. At 100%, it is stereo.
Mix
Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal.

Chorusing
Chorusing allows you to enrich the reverb tail through subtle pitch modulations. To access thechorusing parameters, click the Show Chorusing Page button.

Chorusing On/Off
Activates/Deactivates the chorusing effect.
Chorusing Rate
Specifies the frequency of the pitch modulation.
Chorusing Depth
Sets the intensity of the pitch modulation.

Delay Effects
The Delay submenu contains the delay effects.

Bass Tape Ducking Delay
Bass Tape Ducking Delay provides a delay that follows the level of the input signal. The effectportion of the signal is then lowered for high input signals and raised for low input signals. This
serves to keep the delayed signal rather dry during loud or intensely played passages.

Time
Controls the time it takes for the effect to adapt to changes in the input level.
Sync
Allows you to synchronize the delay time to the host tempo. If Sync is activated, you
can set the Delay value in fractions of beats.
Delay
Sets the delay time in milliseconds.

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Delay Effects
Feedback
The higher this setting, the more delay repeats are created.
Duck
Works like an automatic mix parameter. If the level of the input signal is high, theportion of the effect signal is lowered, or ducked (low internal mix value). If the levelof the input signal is low, the portion of the effect signal is raised (high internal mix
value). This way, the delayed signal stays rather dry during loud or intensely played
passages.
Tone
Allows you to attenuate the low frequencies.
Mix
Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal.

Multi Delay
This effect produces delays, with adjustable time, feedback, and filters.

Delay Mode●

Stereo has two delays in parallel, one for the left and one for the right audio
channel, each with a feedback path of its own.

●

Cross has two delay lines with cross feedback, where the delay of the left channel
is fed back into the delay of the right channel, and vice versa.

●

Ping-Pong mixes the left and right input channels and sends the mixed signal tohard-panned left and right delays. This way, the echoes bounce from left to right,
like a ping-pong ball, in the stereo panorama.

Delay Time
Sets the overall time for the left and right delay. Use the Delay L/R parameter toshorten the time for the left or right delay.
Sync
Allows you to synchronize the delay time to the host tempo. If Sync is activated, thetime is set as a note value.
NOTE
The maximum delay time is 5000 ms. If the note length exceeds this value, it isautomatically shortened.
Delay L/R
Offsets the time of the left or right delay from the overall delay time. At a factor of 1,
the right or left delay time has the same length as the overall delay time. At a factor of
0.5, the time is half as long as the overall delay time.

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EQ Effects●

To offset the left delay time, turn the control to the left.

●

To offset the right delay time, turn the control to the right.

Feedback
Sets the overall amount of feedback for the left and right delay. Feedback means theoutput of the delay is fed back to its input. Set to 0%, you hear only one echo. With asetting of 100%, the echoes are continuously repeated.
Feedback L/R
Offsets the amount of feedback of the left or right delay from the overall feedback. A
factor of 1 means that the amount of feedback corresponds to the overall feedback. A
factor of 0.5 means that the amount is half the overall feedback.
●To offset the left feedback, turn the control to the left.

●

To offset the right feedback, turn the control to the right.

NOTE
This parameter is only available in Stereo mode.
High Freq
Attenuates the high frequencies of the delays.
Low Freq
Attenuates the low frequencies of the delays.
Mix
Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal.

EQ Effects
The EQ submenu contains the equalizer effects.

Studio EQ
Studio EQ is a high-quality 4-band parametric equalizer.

With the four frequency bands, you can shape the tone color, to create a brighter or darker
sound, for example. The two mid-range bands act as peak filters, and the low and high bands act
as shelving filters. All bands are fully parametric with adjustable gain, frequency, and Q factor.
Each frequency band offers the following controls:
Click one of the numbered buttons to show the settings for the corresponding frequency band.
The two mid-range bands act as peak filters, and the low and high bands act as shelving filters.
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EQ Effects
On/Off
Activates/Deactivates the corresponding frequency band.
Gain
Sets the amount of cut or boost for the corresponding band.
Freq
Sets the frequency that is cut or boosted with the Gain parameter.
Q (Quality)
Adjusts the bandwidth of the mid-range peak filters from wide to narrow. By increasing
the Q value on the low and high shelving filters, you can add a dip to their shape.
●

To adjust the Gain and Freq parameters simultaneously, drag the points in the EQ curve
display.

The buttons to the left and the right of the numbered buttons allow you to show the settings
for the low-cut and the high-cut filter, respectively. For these filters, the following parameters areavailable:
Low-Cut On/Off
Activates/Deactivates the low-cut filter.
High-Cut On/Off
Activates/Deactivates the high-cut filter.
Slope
Sets the slope for the filter. You can choose from 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 dB per octave.
Freq
Sets the frequency for the filter.
Output meter
Allows you to monitor the output level. The peak level is shown below the meter.

Graphic EQ
Graphic EQ is an equalizer with ten frequency bands that can be cut or boosted by up to 12 dB. In
addition, you can specify the overall range and output of the equalizer.

OutputControls the overall output level of the equalizer.
Mode
Allows you to add color or character to the equalized output. The following options areavailable:●

True Response mode uses serial filters with accurate frequency response.

●Classic mode uses parallel filters whose resonance depends on the amount of
gain.

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EQ Effects●

Constant Q mode uses parallel filters whose resonance is raised when boosting
the gain.

Range
Adjusts the maximum cut or boost for all frequency bands together.
InvertInverts the EQ curve.
FlattenResets all frequency bands to 0 dB.

DJ-EQ
DJ-EQ is an easy-to-use 3-band parametric equalizer that resembles the EQs found on typical DJ
mixers. This plug-in is designed for quick sound fixes.

Low Freq/Mid Freq/High Freq
Set the amount of boost or attenuation for the low, mid, and high bands.
You can also click and drag in the display to change these values.
Low Cut/Mid Cut/High Cut
Cut the low, mid, and high bands.
Reset Output Peak Level
Resets the peak level that is displayed in the output meter.

Studio EQ 24
This high-quality 4-band parametric equalizer allows you to shape the tone color, to create abrighter or darker sound, for example. All bands are fully parametric with adjustable Gain,
Frequency, and Quality parameters. Furthermore, you can add a high-cut and a low-cut filterand edit their settings.

Click one of the numbered buttons to show the settings for the corresponding frequency band.
The two mid-range bands act as peak filters, and the low and high bands act as shelving filters.
Each frequency band offers the following controls:128
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Filter Effects
On/Off
Activates/Deactivates the corresponding frequency band.
Gain
Sets the amount of cut or boost for the corresponding band.
Freq
Sets the frequency that is cut or boosted with the Gain parameter.
Q (Quality)
Adjusts the bandwidth of the mid-range peak filters from wide to narrow. By increasing
the Q value on the low and high shelving filters, you can add a dip to their shape.
The buttons to the left and the right of the numbered buttons allow you to show the settings
for the low-cut and the high-cut filter, respectively. For these filters, the following parameters areavailable:

Low-Cut On/Off
Activates/Deactivates the low-cut filter.
High-Cut On/Off
Activates/Deactivates the high-cut filter.
Slope
Sets the slope for the filter. You can choose from 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 dB per octave.
Freq
Sets the frequency for the filter.
Output meter
Allows you to monitor the output level. The peak level is shown below the meter.

Filter Effects
The Filter submenu contains the filter effects.

Auto Filter
Auto Filter provides two morphable filter shapes with distortion.

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Filter Effects
Morphing between the two shapes, as well as the cutoff, can be controlled with a manual pedal
control, an LFO, or an envelope follower.

Filter Parameters
Filter Shape●

LP24, 18, 12, and 6 are low-pass filters with 24, 18, 12, and 6 dB/oct. Frequencies
above the cutoff are attenuated.

●

BP12 and BP24 are band-pass filters with 12 and 24 dB/oct. Frequencies below andabove the cutoff are attenuated.

●

HP6 + LP18 and HP6 + LP12 are a combination of a high-pass filter with 6 dB/oct
and a low-pass filter with 18 and 12 dB/oct, respectively (asymmetric band-passfilter). Frequencies below and above the cutoff are attenuated. Attenuation is more
pronounced for the frequencies above the cutoff.

●

HP12 + LP6 and HP18 + LP6 are a combination of a high-pass filter with 12
and 18 dB/oct and a low-pass filter with 6 dB/oct (asymmetric band-pass filter).
Frequencies below and above the cutoff are attenuated. Attenuation is more
pronounced for the frequencies below the cutoff.

●

HP24, 18, 12, and 6 are high-pass filters with 24, 18, 12, and 6 dB/oct. Frequencies
below the cutoff are attenuated.

●

BR12 and BR24 are band-reject filters with 12 and 24 dB/oct. Frequencies aroundthe cutoff are attenuated.

●

BR12 + LP6 and BR12 + LP12 are a combination of a band-reject filter with 12
dB/oct and a low-pass filter with 6 and 12 dB/oct, respectively. Frequencies aroundand above the cutoff are attenuated.

●

BP12 + BR12 is a band-pass filter with 12 dB/oct plus a band-reject filter with 12
dB/oct. Frequencies below, above, and around the cutoff are attenuated.

●

HP6 + BR12 and HP12 + BR12 are a combination of a high-pass filter with 6 and 12
dB/oct and a band-reject filter with 12 dB/oct. Frequencies below and around thecutoff are attenuated.

●

AP is an all-pass filter with 18 dB/oct. Frequencies around the cutoff areattenuated.

●

AP + LP6 is an all-pass filter with 18 dB/oct plus a low-pass filter with 6 dB/oct.
Frequencies around and above the cutoff are attenuated.

●

HP6 + AP is a high-pass filter with 6 dB/oct plus an all-pass filter with 18 dB/oct.
Frequencies around and below the cutoff are attenuated.

Input
Adjusts the gain before the filter and distortion. This parameter only affects the wet
signal.
CutoffSpecifies the cutoff frequency of the filter.
Resonance
Emphasizes the frequencies around the cutoff. At higher resonance settings, the filter
self-oscillates, which results in a ringing tone.
Distortion TypeThe following options are available:●

When this parameter is set to Off, the filter offers no distortion.

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Filter Effects●

Tube Drive adds warm, tube-like distortion.

●

Hard Clip adds bright, transistor-like distortion.

●

Bit Red adds digital distortion by means of quantization noise.

●

Rate Red adds digital distortion by means of aliasing.

Distortion
Adds distortion to the signal. The effect depends on the selected distortion type. Withhigher settings, it creates a very intense distortion effect.
NOTE
This parameter is not available if Distortion Type is set to Off.
OutputAdjusts the gain after the filter and distortion. This parameter only affects the wet
signal.
Mix
Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal.

LFO Section
LFO Wave Shape
Waveform selects the basic type of waveform. Shape changes the characteristics of
the waveform.
●

Sine produces smooth modulation, suitable for vibrato or tremolo. Shape adds
additional harmonics to the waveform.

●

Triangle is similar to Sine. Shape continuously changes the triangle waveform to a
trapezoid.

●

Saw produces a ramp cycle. Shape continuously changes the waveform from ramp
down to triangle to ramp up.

●

Pulse produces stepped modulation, where the modulation switches abruptly
between two values. Shape continuously changes the ratio between the high andlow state of the waveform. If Shape is set to 50%, a square wave is generated.

●

Ramp is similar to the Saw waveform. Shape adds a gradually increasing amountof silence before the sawtooth ramp up begins.

●

Log produces a logarithmic modulation. Shape continuously changes thelogarithmic curvature from negative to positive.

●

S & H 1 produces random stepped modulation, where each step is different. Shapeputs ramps between the steps and changes the S & H into a smooth random
signal, with the control set fully to the right.

●

S & H 2 is similar to S & H 1. The steps alternate between random high and low
values. Shape puts ramps between the steps and changes the S & H into a smooth
random signal, with the control set fully to the right.

Freq
Determines the frequency of the cutoff modulation.
Sync
Allows you to synchronize the effect to the host application. If Sync is activated, you
can set the Freq parameter in fractions of beats.

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Filter Effects
Depth
Determines the output level of the LFO modulation signal.
CutoffDetermines the modulation intensity of the LFO on the filter cutoff.
Morph
Determines the modulation intensity of the LFO on the filter morph.

Envelope Follower Section

The Envelope Follower traces the input signal with an adjustable attack and release time anddelivers a modulation signal representing the level envelope of the signal.
Sensitivity
All input signals are mixed down to mono before they are sent to the Envelope
Follower. This parameter sets the optimum input level for the Envelope Follower.
AttackAdjusts the attack time, that is, the time the Envelope Follower needs to approachincreasing input levels.
ReleaseAdjusts the release time, that is, the time the Envelope Follower needs to approachdecreasing input levels.
Depth
Determines the output level of the modulation signal of the Envelope Follower.
CutoffDetermines the modulation intensity of the Envelope Follower on the filter cutoff.
Morph
Determines the modulation intensity of the Envelope Follower on the filter morph.

Pedal Section

Pedal
Sets the position of the pedal.
Depth
Determines the output level of the pedal modulation signal.
CutoffDetermines the modulation intensity of the pedal on the filter cutoff.
Morph
Determines the modulation intensity of the pedal on the filter morph.

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Filter Effects

Bass Envelope Filter
Bass Envelope Filter allows you to filter out the high, low, or middle frequencies of the audio. The
effect has an adjustable Attack and Release time and delivers a modulation signal representing
the level envelope of the signal that is used to control the filter cutoff frequency.

Type
Sets the filter type. You can choose between Low-Pass, Band-Pass, and High-Pass.
Range
Determines the frequency range.
Down
Inverts the direction of the envelope filter modulation, that is, higher levels lower thefilter cutoff.
Q-Factor
Sets the intensity of the envelope filter effect.
Sensitivity
Determines how sensitively the effect reacts to the instrument level.
AttackDetermines how quickly an effect reacts to the input signal.
ReleaseDetermines how quickly the effect fades out after the input signal stops.
Mix
Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal.

Morph Filter
Morph Filter allows you to mix low-pass and high-pass filter effects, allowing for creative
morphings between two filters. You can specify the filter shapes for filter shape A and B
individually.

Filter Shape B
Allows you to choose from several high-pass and band-rejection filter shapes.
Filter Shape A
Allows you to select a low-pass or a band-pass filter shape.

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Filter Effects
Morph
Allows you to mix the output between the two selected filters.
CutoffAdjusts the cutoff frequency of the filters.
NOTE
You can also set the Cutoff and Morph parameters simultaneously by clicking in thedisplay and dragging.
Resonance
Emphasizes the frequencies around the cutoff frequency. For an electronic sound,increase the resonance. At higher resonance settings, the filter self-oscillates, which
results in a ringing tone.

Resonator
The Resonator effect comes with 14 predefined filter shapes that determine the basic soundcharacter. In addition to this, three LFOs can be used to modulate each filter individually, whichallows for adding extra motion to the sound.
The sound of the human voice or of acoustic instruments is characterized by distinctive formant
regions, that is, by resonances in the frequency spectrum that are typical for a particularsound. For example, the vowel “ah” (as in father) sung by a male singer has three characteristic
formants: F1 = 570 Hz, F2 = 840 Hz, and F3 = 2410 Hz. The Resonator effect allows you to inducesuch formant regions to a sound by using three filters that are connected in parallel. You canspecify the positions and levels of the formant regions by adjusting the Cutoff, Resonance, andGain parameters of the filters.
Resonator ShapeDefines the basic sound character of the effect. Each shape is a unique combination ofdifferent filter types for the low, mid, and high frequency bands.
OptionFilter Low/Mid/High

Low-Pass 1

LP6/LP6/LP6

Low-Pass 2

LP12/LP12/LP12

Band-Pass 1

BP12/(-1)BP12/BP12*

Band-Pass 2

BP12/BP12/BP12

High-Pass 1

HP6/HP6/HP6High-Pass 2

HP12/HP12/HP12

Peak 1

LP6/(-1)BP12/HP6*

Peak 2

LP6/BP12/HP6

Bat 1

HP12/BP12/LP12

Bat 2

HP6/BP12/LP6

Wings 1

LP6/BR12/HP6

Wings 2

HP12/BR12/LP12

Wings 3

LP6/(-1)BR12/HP6*

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Filter Effects

OptionFilter Low/Mid/High

Wings 4

HP12/(-1)BR12/LP12**(-1) means that the phase is inverted

Mix
Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal.
Cutoff Spread
Spreads the cutoff frequencies between the channels of the effect.
For example, if the effect is used in stereo, positive Cutoff Spread values shift thecutoff down on the left channel and up on the right channel.

Filter Page

CutoffAdjusts the cutoff frequency of the filter, that is, the center frequency of the formant
region.
Resonance
Adjusts the resonance of the filter. The resonance determines how much the formant
region is emphasized. With higher settings, the filter self-oscillates, which results in aringing tone.
Gain
Adjusts the input gain of the filter. The gain determines the level of the formant region.
LFO Modulation Source
Allows you to select the LFO that modulates the cutoff.
LFO Modulation Depth
Adjusts the cutoff modulation of the LFO.

LFO Page

LFO Wave Shape
Waveform selects the basic type of waveform. Shape changes the characteristics of
the waveform.

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Filter Effects●

Sine produces smooth modulation, suitable for vibrato or tremolo. Shape adds
additional harmonics to the waveform.

●

Triangle is similar to Sine. Shape continuously changes the triangle waveform to a
trapezoid.

●

Saw produces a ramp cycle. Shape continuously changes the waveform from ramp
down to triangle to ramp up.

●

Pulse produces stepped modulation, where the modulation switches abruptly
between two values. Shape continuously changes the ratio between the high andlow state of the waveform. If Shape is set to 50%, a square wave is generated.

●

Ramp is similar to the Saw waveform. Shape adds a gradually increasing amountof silence before the sawtooth ramp up begins.

●

Log produces a logarithmic modulation. Shape continuously changes thelogarithmic curvature from negative to positive.

●

S & H 1 produces random stepped modulation, where each step is different. Shapeputs ramps between the steps and changes the S & H into a smooth random
signal, with the control set fully to the right.

●

S & H 2 is similar to S & H 1. The steps alternate between random high and low
values. Shape puts ramps between the steps and changes the S & H into a smooth
random signal, with the control set fully to the right.

SpreadFor each channel of the effect, there is a separate LFO signal. This parameter spreads
the phase of the LFO signals across the different channels.
For example, if the effect is used in stereo, positive values shift the LFO phase forward
on the left channel and backward on the right channel.
Sync
Allows you to set the Freq parameter in fractions of beats.
Freq
Determines the frequency of the cutoff modulation.

WahWahWahWah is a variable slope band-pass filter modeling the well-known analog pedal effect.

You can specify the frequency, width, and the gain for the low and high pedal positions. The
crossover point between the low and high pedal positions lies at 50.
Pedal
Controls the filter frequency sweep.
Low Band●

Freq determines the frequency of the filter for the low pedal position.

●

Width determines the width (resonance) of the filter for the low pedal position.

●

Gain determines the gain of the filter for the low pedal position.

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High Band●

Freq determines the frequency of the filter for the high pedal position.

●

Width determines the width (resonance) of the filter for the high pedal position.

●

Gain determines the gain of the filter for the high pedal position.

Slope
Allows you to choose between two filter slope values: 6 dB or 12 dB.

Distortion Effects
The Distortion submenu contains the distortion effects.

AmplifierThis effect emulates the sound of an amplifier with speakers.

There are different amplifiers and speaker models you can combine.
Amp Model
Specifies the amplifier type. The sound character of the overdrive changes with theamplifier. To bypass the amp modeling, select No Amplifier.
Speaker Model
Determines the speaker model type. Each model colors the sound in a unique way. To
bypass the model, select No Speaker.
Drive
Adjusts the amount of overdrive.
Bass
Adjusts the tone color of the low frequencies.
MiddleAdjusts the tone color of the mid frequencies.
TrebleAdjusts the tone color of the high frequencies.
Presence
Adjusts the brightness of the sound.
Low Damp
Attenuates the low frequencies of the speakers.
High Damp
Attenuates the high frequencies of the speakers.

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Channel Mode
Defines which output channels of the amplifier deliver a distorted signal. You can set
it to L (Left), R (Right) or L/R (Both). When set to L or R, the other channel provides aclean signal.
OutputControls the output level of the amplifier.

Bass DI Driver

Level
Sets the output level.
Drive
Sets gain and overdrive.
Blend
Blends between normal and tube emulation circuitry.
With Blend at 0, Drive and Presence are not active.
Bass
Boosts or attenuates low frequencies.
TrebleBoosts or attenuates high frequencies.
Presence
Boosts or attenuates upper frequencies and attacks.

Bass Overdrive
Bass Overdrive creates a tube-like overdrive effect.

Level
Adjusts the output level.
Drive
The higher this value, the more harmonics are added to the output signal of this effect.
Tone
Acts as a filter effect on the added harmonics.

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ClipperThis effect adds bright, harmonic distortion to the sound.

Input Gain
Adjusts the input level of the distortion.
Oversampling
Increases the accuracy of the effect.
High-Pass Cutoff
High-pass filter with 6 dB/oct. Frequencies below the cutoff are attenuated.
Hard Clip
Adds distortion to the signal.
Hard Clip Offset
Allows you to produce odd harmonics and even harmonics. The higher the setting, themore even harmonics are produced.
Low-Pass Cutoff
Low-pass filter with 6 dB/oct. Frequencies above the cutoff are attenuated.
Output Gain
Adjusts the output level of the distortion.
Mix
Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal.

Distortion
This effect offers the whole range of distortion, from low fidelity, digital distortion to high fidelity,
analog sounding distortion. The available distortion types (Rate Red, Tube Drive, Hard Clip, and
Bit Red) can be freely combined.

In Gain
Adjusts the input level of the sound.
Rate Red (Rate Reduction)
Rate reduction distorts the sound by means of aliasing. Enable the Rate Red option toactivate the control that adjusts the amount of aliasing. The lower the setting, the morealiasing is added.
Tube Drive
Adds warm, tube-like distortion to the sound. Enable the Tube Drive option to activate
the control that adjusts the amount of distortion. The higher the setting, the more
distortion is added.

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Hard Clip
Adds bright, transistor-like distortion to the sound. Enable the Hard Clip option toactivate the control that adjusts the amount of distortion. The higher the setting, themore distortion is added.
Bit Red (Bit Reduction)
Bit reduction distorts the sound by means of quantization noise. If Bit Red is activated,
you can adjust the amount of quantization noise. The lower the setting, the morequantization noise is added.
Out Gain
Adjusts the output level of the sound.
Mix
Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal.

VST AmpThis effect emulates the sound of an amplifier with speakers. There are different amplifiers andspeaker models you can combine.

Amp Model
Specifies the amplifier type. The sound character of the overdrive changes with theamplifier. To bypass the amp modeling, select No Amplifier.
Speaker Model
Specifies the speaker model type. Each model colors the sound uniquely. To bypass the
speaker modeling, select No Cabinet.
Drive
Adjusts the amount of overdrive.
Bass
Adjusts the tone color of the low frequencies.
TrebleAdjusts the tone color of the high frequencies.
Presence
Adjusts the brightness of the sound.
Mic Type
You can choose between two microphone types. If this control is set to 0%, alarge-diaphragm condenser microphone is used. At 100%, you obtain a dynamic
microphone. Settings in between allow you to fade between the characteristics of these
two microphones.

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Microphone Position
Allows you to choose from seven positions to place the microphone. These positions
result from two different angles (center and edge) and three different distances fromthe speaker, as well as an additional center position at an even greater distance fromthe speaker.
Channel Mode
Determines in which way the two input channels are distorted.
●

L applies the effect to the left input channel only. The right channel remains clean
and unprocessed.

●

R applies the effect to the right input channel only. The left channel remains clean
and unprocessed.

●

L+R sums the two input channels into a mono signal and applies the effect to thissignal.

●Stereo applies the effect to the two input channels.

NOTE
The L and R modes allow you to use two instances of the effect to process the left andthe right channel individually using different effect settings.
OutputControls the output level of the amplifier.

Tape Saturator
Tape Saturator simulates the behavior of classic tape recorders. These machines produced a
specific saturation when recording higher input levels, which led to a compressed signal withlight distortion.

Mode
Allows you to choose between the effect of a single tape machine (One Stage) or two
cascaded tape machines (Two Stage).
Two Stage mode leads to higher saturation and compression.
Oversampling
Increases the accuracy of the effect by oversampling.
NOTE
If this parameter is activated, the effect requires more processing power.
Drive
Determines the level of the input signal and thus the amount of saturation.
Auto Gain
Results in automatic level compensation.

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Low Filter
Allows you to adjust the low frequency range below 1000 Hz by +/- 3 dB.
High Filter
Allows you to attenuate the high frequency range. This high-cut filter works with aslope of 24 dB/octave.
OutputDetermines the level of the output signal.

Tube Saturator
This effect enriches the sound by adding the characteristic harmonics of a saturated tube to theaudio signal.

Oversampling
Increases the accuracy of the effect by oversampling.
NOTE
If this parameter is activated, the effect requires more processing power.
Drive
Determines the level of the input signal and thus the amount of saturation.
Low Filter
Allows you to reduce the low frequency range by up to 6 dB before saturation.
High Filter
Allows you to adjust the high frequency range by -/+ 6 dB before saturation.
OutputDetermines the level of the output signal.

VST Bass Amp
This bass amplifier comes with six different amplifier emulations and four different speakercabinet emulations that you can freely combine.

You can select your amplifier/cabinet combination using the Amp Model and Speaker Model
pop-up menus.

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Amp Model
The amplifiers available on the Amp Model pop-up menu are modeled on real-life
amplifiers. Each amp features settings typical for bass recording, such as gain,
equalizers, and master volume. The sound-related parameters bass, low mid, highmid, and treble have a significant impact on the overall character and sound of thecorresponding amp.
●

Valve Amp 300 is a famous tube amplifier from the 70s. It is suitable for rockplaying styles.

●

Greyhound is well known for its typical growl. It is suitable for several playing
styles.

●Green T is a classic amplifier from the 80s. It is suitable for funk and rock playing
styles.

●Paradise is an amplifier from the 90s with a hifi-like clear tone that makes it
applicable for several styles.

●

Tweed is a classic vintage amplifier from the 50s with a characterful and bright
tone.

●

iTech is a modern amplifier with a universal sound.

Speaker Model
The cabinets available on the Speaker Model pop-up menu simulate real-life combo
boxes or speakers.
●

4x10 emulates four 10" speakers. These speakers provide a punchy, clear soundthat is suitable for “slap” bass and regular playing styles.

●

8x10 emulates the sound of eight 10" speakers.

●

4x12 emulates the sound of four 12" speakers. These speakers provide a mellow
and full sound, making them a good choice between 10" and 15" speakers.

●

1x15 emulates the sound of a 15" speaker. These speakers provide more low
frequencies, compared to the other models. They are suitable for rock and vintageoriented styles.

Shape 1/Shape 2
Offer predefined tone shaping.
Gain
Sets the amount of boost for the amp.
Bass
Allows you to raise or lower the low frequency part of the signal.
Low Middle Frequency
Allows you to raise or lower the low-mid frequency part of the signal.
Low Middle Gain
Sets the amount of boost for the low-mid frequency part of the signal.
High Middle Frequency
Allows you to raise or lower the high-mid frequency part of the signal.
High Middle Gain
Sets the amount of boost for the high-mid frequency part of the signal.
TrebleAllows you to raise or lower the high frequency part of the signal.

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Microphone Mix
Set this control entirely to the left or right to use either microphone 1 or microphone 2,or choose a position in between to blend the two types together.
Microphone 1 Type/Microphone 2 TypeOn these pop-up menus, you can choose from different microphone types.
●

57 is a dynamic microphone with cardioid pickup pattern.

●

121 is a ribbon microphone with figure-8 pattern.

●

409 is a dynamic microphone with supercardioid pickup pattern.

●

421 is a dynamic microphone with cardioid polar pattern.

●

545 is a dynamic microphone with cardioid pattern that minimizes feedback.

●

5 is a dynamic microphone with cardioid pickup pattern.

●

30 is a reference and measurement microphone with omnidirectional polar
pattern.

●

87 is a condenser microphone with omnidirectional pattern.

Microphone Position
Allows you to choose between off-axis and on-axis microphone positions at threedifferent distances from the speaker.

Channel Mode
Allows you to select the channel configuration for the effect.

●

L applies the effect to the left input channel only. The right channel remains clean
and unprocessed.

●

R applies the effect to the right input channel only. The left channel remains clean
and unprocessed.

●

L+R sums the two input channels into a mono signal and applies the effect to thissignal.

●Stereo applies the effect to the two input channels.

NOTE
The L and R modes allow you to use two instances of the effect to process the left andthe right channel individually using different effect settings.
Output Level
Sets the overall output level of the effect.

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Pitch Shift Effects

Pitch Shift Effects
The Pitch Shift submenu contains the pitch shifting effects.

Bass Octaver
Bass Octaver allows you to create an additional voice that follows the original voice an octave
below. This effect is best suited for monophonic signals.

DirectAdjusts the level of the original signal. A value of 0 means only the generated andtransposed signal is heard. By raising this value, more of the original signal is heard.
OctaveAdjusts the level of the signal that is generated one octave below the original pitch. A
setting of 0 means that the voice is muted.
Tone
Changes the sound character of the generated signal.

Octaver
Octaver allows you to create two additional voices that follow the original voice an octave below
and above. This effect is best suited for monophonic signals.

DirectDetermines the level of the input signal.
Octave 1
Determines the level of the signal that is produced an octave below the original voice.
Octave 2
Determines the level of the signal that is produced an octave above the original voice.

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Modulation Effects

Modulation Effects
The Modulation submenu contains the modulation effects.

Bass Chorus
This effect thickens and broadens the sound by means of pitch modulation.

Rate
Allows you to specify the frequency of the pitch modulation in Hertz.
Sync
Allows you to synchronize the effect to the host application. If Sync is activated, you
can set the Rate value in fractions of beats.
Width
Determines the depth of the chorus effect. Higher settings produce a more
pronounced effect.
Tone
Allows you to attenuate low frequencies.
Mix
Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal.

Bass Phaser
Bass Phaser thickens and broadens the sound by means of phase modulation.

Rate
Allows you to set the sweep rate. This parameter can be synchronized to the project
tempo.
Sync
Allows you to synchronize the effect to the host application. If Sync is activated, you
can set the Rate value in fractions of beats.
Width
Determines the width of the modulation effect between higher and lower frequencies.
Tone
Allows you to attenuate the low frequencies.
Mix
Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal.

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Modulation Effects

Chorus
Chorus thickens and broadens the sound by means of pitch modulation.

Rate
Allows you to specify the frequency of the pitch modulation in Hertz.
Sync
Allows you to set the Rate value in fractions of beats.
Depth
Sets the intensity of the pitch modulation.
Phase
Widens the sound image of the effect from mono to stereo.
Shape
Adjusts the characteristics of the modulation. With a setting of 0%, the pitch changes
continuously, producing a steady modulation. With a setting of 100%, the pitch does
not change all the time, producing a less steady modulation.
Mix
Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal.

FlangerThis effect thickens and broadens the sound by means of pitch modulation.

Rate
Allows you to specify the frequency of the pitch modulation in Hertz.
Sync
Allows you to set the Rate value in fractions of beats.
Depth
Sets the intensity of the pitch modulation.
Phase
Widens the sound image of the effect from mono to stereo. This parameter alsochanges the characteristics of the Cross FB parameter.
Shape
Adjusts the characteristics of the modulation. This is particularly noticeable when
Feedback is activated. With a setting of 0%, the sound sweeps linearly up and down.
With a setting of 100%, the sound sweeps exponentially up and down.
Mix
Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal.

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Modulation Effects
Feedback
Adds resonances to the effect. This allows for jet-like sweeps of the sound.
Cross FB
Mixes the feedback of the left channel with the right channel, and vice versa. The effectof this parameter is influenced by the Phase parameter.
NOTE
This parameter only takes effect if the Feedback parameter is set to a value above 0%.
Tone
Adjusts the tone color of the feedback. At lower values, the feedback is less bright.

Step Flanger
The Step Flanger expands the Flanger with a “sample and hold” section that divides themodulation signal into a definable number of steps.

Rate
Allows you to specify the frequency of the pitch modulation in Hertz.
Sync
Allows you to set the Rate value in fractions of beats.
Depth
Sets the intensity of the pitch modulation.
Phase
Widens the sound image of the effect from mono to stereo. This parameter alsochanges the characteristics of the Cross FB parameter.
Shape
Adjusts the characteristics of the modulation. This is particularly noticeable when
Feedback is activated. With a setting of 0%, the sound sweeps linearly up and down.
With a setting of 100%, the sound sweeps exponentially up and down.
Mix
Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal.
Feedback
Adds resonances to the effect. This allows for jet-like sweeps of the sound.
Cross FB
Mixes the feedback of the left channel with the right channel, and vice versa. The effectof this parameter is influenced by the Phase parameter.

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Modulation Effects
NOTE
This parameter only takes effect if the Feedback parameter is set to a value above 0%.
Tone
Adjusts the tone color of the feedback. At lower values, the feedback is less bright.
Type
Defines the length of the delay line that is modulated. Short produces a sharper
flanger effect, and Long produces a less defined, more blurred flanger sound.
S&H Mix
Blends the normal modulation signal with the stepped modulation signal. At 100%,
only the stepped modulation is used.
SmoothCreates ramps between the steps. This way, the stepped modulation signal sounds
smoother.
Steps
Determines into how many steps the modulation signal is divided. You can use up to 32
steps.

Phaser
The Phaser effect thickens and broadens the sound by means of phase modulation.

Rate
Specifies the frequency of the phase modulation.
Sync
Allows you to set the Rate value in fractions of beats.
Depth
Sets the intensity of the phase modulation.
Shift
Shifts the phase modulation upwards to higher frequencies of the spectrum.
Phase
Widens the sound image of the effect from mono to stereo.
Feedback
Adds resonances to the effect. Higher settings produce a more pronounced effect.
Low Cut
Attenuates the low frequencies.
High Cut
Attenuates the high frequencies.
Mix
Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal.

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Modulation Effects

TremoloThis effect produces amplitude modulation, that is, cyclic modulation of the level of the sound.

Rate
Determines the frequency of the amplitude modulation.
Sync
Allows you to set the Rate value in fractions of beats.
Depth
Sets the intensity of the amplitude modulation.
Phase
Widens the sound image of the effect from mono to stereo.
Output
Sets the output level of the effect.

Ring Modulator
This effect provides a sine oscillator that is multiplied with the input signal. This creates metallic,or bell-like, frequencies.
The integrated LFO modulates the frequency of the sine oscillator to vary the created frequencies
over time. In addition, an envelope follower is available, which can be used to modulate thefrequency of the sine oscillator, depending on the level of the input signal.

LFO Waveform and Shape
Waveform selects the basic type of waveform. Shape changes the characteristics of
the waveform.
●

Sine produces smooth modulation. Shape adds additional harmonics to the
waveform.

●

Triangle is similar to Sine. Shape continuously changes the triangle waveform to a
trapezoid.

●

Saw produces a ramp cycle. Shape continuously changes the waveform from ramp
down to triangle to ramp up.

●

Pulse produces stepped modulation, where the modulation switches abruptly
between two values. Shape continuously changes the ratio between the high andlow state of the waveform. If Shape is set to 50%, a square wave is produced.

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Modulation Effects●

Ramp is similar to the Saw waveform. Shape adds a gradually increasing amountof silence before the sawtooth ramp up begins.

●

Log produces a logarithmic modulation. Shape continuously changes thelogarithmic curvature from negative to positive.

●

S & H 1 produces random stepped modulation, where each step is different. Shapeputs ramps between the steps and changes the S & H into a smooth random
signal, with the control set fully to the right.

●

S & H 2 is similar to S & H 1. The steps alternate between random high and low
values. Shape puts ramps between the steps and changes the S & H into a smooth
random signal, with the control set fully to the right.

LFO Freq
Allows you to specify the frequency of the LFO for modulating the frequency of the sine
oscillator.
Sync
Allows you to set the LFO Freq value in fractions of beats.
LFO Depth
Sets the intensity of the LFO modulation of the sine oscillator frequency.
Frequency
Determines the frequency of the sine oscillator.
Mix
Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal.
Envelope Follower
Traces the input signal with an adjustable attack and release time and delivers amodulation signal representing the level envelope of the signal.
Sensitivity
All input signals are mixed down to mono before they are sent to the Envelope
Follower. The Sensitivity parameter sets the optimum input level for the Envelope
Follower.
AttackAdjusts the attack time, that is, the time the Envelope Follower needs to approachincreasing input levels.
ReleaseAdjusts the release time, that is, the time the Envelope Follower needs to approachdecreasing input levels.
Depth
Determines the output level of the modulation signal of the Envelope Follower.

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Modulation Effects

Frequency ShifterA frequency shifter shifts each frequency of the input signal by a fixed amount.

Unlike pitch shifters, which shift the frequencies by a factor, maintaining the harmonic relations,a frequency shifter alters the harmonic relations. Therefore, a larger frequency shift usually
results in a disharmonic sound. Furthermore, a frequency shifter alters the frequencies byadding an offset, while a pitch shifter multiplies the frequencies by a factor. The frequency shifteralters lower frequencies more than higher frequencies. For example, if the input signal has thefrequencies 100 Hz, 1000 Hz, and 10000 Hz and you shift the frequency by +100 Hz, the resulting
frequencies are 200 Hz, 1100 Hz, and 10100 Hz.
Freq Coarse
Sets the amount of frequency shift.
Freq Fine
Allows you to fine-tune the amount of frequency shift.
L/R Coarse
Sets an offset for the left and right channels.
●

Positive values shift the right channel upwards and the left channel downwards.

●

Negative values shift the left channel upwards and the right channel downwards.

L/R Fine
Allows you to fine-tune the offset between the left and right channels.
●

Positive values shift the right channel upwards and the left channel downwards.

●

Negative values shift the left channel upwards and the right channel downwards.

Mod Coarse
Sets the maximum amount of frequency shift via modulation from LFO and Envelope
Follower.
Mod Fine
Allows for fine-tuning of the amount of frequency shift via modulation from LFO andEnvelope Follower.
Feedback
Sets the amount of feedback, that is, the amount of signal that is sent from the outputof the effect back to its input. The sound is similar to that of a phaser. You can control
the direction and the speed of this effect with the Freq Fine parameter.
Notches
Sets the number of notches the phaser effect produces when you use larger amountsof Feedback.

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Modulation Effects

LFO Section
LFO Wave Shape
Waveform selects the basic type of waveform. Shape changes the characteristics of
the waveform.
●

Sine produces smooth modulation, suitable for vibrato or tremolo. Shape adds
additional harmonics to the waveform.

●

Triangle is similar to Sine. Shape continuously changes the triangle waveform to a
trapezoid.

●

Saw produces a ramp cycle. Shape continuously changes the waveform from ramp
down to triangle to ramp up.

●

Pulse produces stepped modulation, where the modulation switches abruptly
between two values. Shape continuously changes the ratio between the high andlow state of the waveform. If Shape is set to 50%, a square wave is generated.

●

Ramp is similar to the Saw waveform. Shape adds a gradually increasing amountof silence before the sawtooth ramp up begins.

●

Log produces a logarithmic modulation. Shape continuously changes thelogarithmic curvature from negative to positive.

●

S & H 1 produces random stepped modulation, where each step is different. Shapeputs ramps between the steps and changes the S & H into a smooth random
signal, with the control set fully to the right.

●

S & H 2 is similar to S & H 1. The steps alternate between random high and low
values. Shape puts ramps between the steps and changes the S & H into a smooth
random signal, with the control set fully to the right.

Freq
Specifies the frequency of the LFO in Hertz.
Sync
Activate this to set the Freq parameter in fractions of beats.
Depth
Determines the direction and amount of frequency shift from the LFO modulation
signal.

Envelope Follower
The Envelope Follower traces the input signal with an adjustable attack and release time anddelivers a modulation signal representing the level envelope of the signal.

Sensitivity
All input signals are mixed down to mono before they are sent to the Envelope
Follower. This parameter sets the optimum input level for the Envelope Follower.

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Modulation Effects
AttackAdjusts the attack time, that is, the time the Envelope Follower needs to approachincreasing input levels.
ReleaseAdjusts the release time, that is, the time the Envelope Follower needs to approachdecreasing input levels.
Depth
Determines the direction and amount of frequency shift from the envelope follower
modulation signal.
NOTE
The maximum frequency shift via modulation from LFO or the Envelope Follower isdetermined by the parameters Modulation Range Coarse and Modulation Range
Fine.
Mix
Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal.

RotaryRotary emulates the sound of a vintage rotary speaker including amplifier, horn, drum, andcabinet.
By emitting the sound via a rotating horn and drum, the rotary speaker produces a Doppler
effect that thickens the sound. The horn and drum rotate at variable speeds, producing different
amounts of the Doppler effect. The amplifier of the rotary speaker adds a warm sounding
distortion, and the horn, drum, and cabinet color the sound in a unique way. The horn and drum
are recorded via (virtual) microphones that can be set to different angles to broaden the soundimage. Typically, rotary speakers are used with electric organs.

Rotation Speed
Changes the rotation speed of the horn and drum. When set to Fast, the Doppler
effect is stronger. When set to Stop, there is no Doppler effect because the drum andhorn do not rotate. Because the horn and drum accelerate and decelerate at different
speeds, the transition from Slow to Fast and vice versa generates highly interestingsounds.
Distance
Sets the distance between the microphones and the horn and drum. The amplitude
modulation of the sound decreases with the distance of the microphones. Set this tohigher values for less amplitude modulation.

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Modulation Effects
CabinetThe horn and drum sound different when recorded through the louvers of the cabinet.
Use this parameter to color the horn and drum with the sound of the cabinet. With asetting of 100%, you obtain the full sound of the cabinet.
Balance
Adjusts the balance between the horn and drum microphones. With a setting of 0%,
you hear only the drum. With a setting of 100%, you hear only the horn.
Slow
Adjusts the slow speed of the horn and drum at the same time.
Fast
Adjusts the fast speed of the horn and drum at the same time.
Accel
Adjusts the acceleration time for raising and lowering the rotation speed of the hornand drum.
Horn Mic Angle
Adjusts the stereo spread of the horn microphones. With a setting of 0°, the soundimage is mono. With a setting of 180°, the sound image is fully stereo.
Drum Mic Angle
Adjusts the stereo spread of the drum microphones. With a setting of 0°, the soundimage is mono. With a setting of 180°, the sound image is fully stereo.
Input
Adjusts the gain before the rotary and drive.
Drive
Adjusts the distortion of the amplifier.
OutputAdjusts the gain after the rotary and drive.
Color
Alters the sound of the Rotary effect by changing the timbre, which leads to therotation of the horn and the drum being perceived with greater depth.
Bass
Adjusts the tone color of the low frequencies.
TrebleAdjusts the tone color of the high frequencies.

VibratoVibrato emulates the chorus and vibrato effects of vintage organs. It thickens the sound bymeans of pitch modulation.

The effect provides direct access to the classic chorus and vibrato settings. In addition, there is a
Custom mode that allows you to freely adjust the amount of chorus or vibrato.

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Modulation Effects
Mode
Allows you to select between Classic and Custom mode.
●

Classic allows you to choose from several predefined chorus and vibrato settings.

●

Custom allows you to freely adjust the chorus and vibrato settings with the Rate,
Depth, and Vibr/Chor controls.

Type
Allows you to switch between three classic predefined chorus and vibrato settings (C1,C2, C3, and V1, V2 and V3, respectively).
Rate
Sets the frequency of the pitch modulation.
Depth
Sets the intensity of the pitch modulation.
Vibr/ChorControls the mix between the vibrato and the chorus signal. At 100%, you only hear thechorus effect.

Vintage Ensemble
This effect emulates the sound of classic ensemble modulation effects. It is based on a delay
with LFO-modulated delay times. A secondary LFO with higher frequencies is used to produce theso-called shimmer.

Rate
Sets the frequency of the LFO.
Sync
Allows you to set the Rate value in fractions of beats.
Depth
Sets the intensity of the delay time modulation by the LFO.
Shimmer
Sets the intensity of a secondary faster delay time modulation.
Shimmer Rate
Determines the relation between the speed of the primary and the secondary delay
modulation. For example, at a value of 10, the secondary modulation is 10 times faster.
Low Cut
Applies a low-cut filter to the signal. Only frequencies above the set frequency are sent
to the effect.
High CutApplies a high-cut filter to the signal. Only frequencies below the set frequency are sent
to the effect.

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Dynamics Effects
FX Level
Allows you to adapt the effect signal level to compensate for level reductions caused by
the low-cut and high-cut filters.
Mix
Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal.

Dynamics Effects
The Dynamics submenu contains the dynamics effects.
The Compressor, Limiter, Brickwall Limiter, Expander, Gate, and Maximizer effects work with aninternal look-ahead function to ensure the best possible audio quality.
However, this look-ahead function introduces a small amount of latency. Usually, this is notnoticeable, but in some cases, it might introduce unwanted side effects. For example, if you workwith parallel compression where signals are sent to an AUX bus and being returned to the rest of
the mix, this might lead to unwanted flanging effects.
If you are faced with latency issues, you have the following possibilities:●

For the Compressor, Expander, and Gate effects, activate the Live button to use the effects
without look-ahead functionality.

●

For the Limiter, Brickwall Limiter, and Maximizer effects, send the signals to one of theplug-in outputs and add the corresponding effect directly in the DAW, to make use of thehost’s delay compensation.

Compressor
Compressor reduces the dynamic range of a sound. This way, the sound gains headroom. You
can use this extra headroom to make the overall sound louder again.

The graphical control to the left indicates the compression curve. You can edit the Threshold andRatio values with the handles of this control. The input and output VU meters indicate the level
before and after the compression. The Gain Reduction meter indicates the current attenuation of
the level.
ThresholdSets the threshold. Sounds that are louder than the threshold are reduced in gain.
Sounds below the threshold remain unchanged.
Ratio
Sets the amount of gain reduction for sounds that are louder than the threshold. The
higher the ratio, the more the output is lowered. For example, if the ratio is set to 2:1
and the amplitude of the sound is 4 dB above the threshold, the output is lowered by
2 dB. If the amplitude is 8 dB above the threshold, the output is lowered by 4 dB.

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Dynamics Effects
High Ratio
If this parameter is activated, Ratio is automatically set to the maximum value.
This allows you to use the effect as a limiter, for example.
Soft Knee
If this button is deactivated, signals above the threshold are instantly compressed,
according to the set ratio. If Soft Knee is activated, the onset of the compression ismore gradual, producing a less drastic result.
Make-Up
Raises the overall sound. This can become necessary if too much gain reduction is
introduced by the Threshold and Ratio parameters. You can see the amount of gain
reduction in the Gain Reduction (GR) meter.
NOTE
This parameter is not available if the Auto button is activated.
Auto Make-Up Gain
Sets the Make-Up value automatically, depending on the current Threshold and Ratio
settings.
AttackDetermines how fast the effect reacts to sounds that exceed the threshold. The longer
the Attack time, the longer it takes to reduce the gain. With longer Attack times, theonset of sounds exceeding the threshold passes through unprocessed.
Hold
Sets the time period during which the compression is applied after the sound exceeds
the set threshold.
ReleaseDetermines how fast the Compressor effect reacts to sounds that fall below thethreshold. The longer the Release time, the longer it takes to return to the originallevel.
NOTE
This parameter is not available if Auto Release is activated.
Auto Release
Allows you to set the release time automatically. The Compressor analyzes the input
sound continuously to find the optimal setting.
Peak/RMS
Determines whether the input signal is analyzed based on Peak or RMS values or a
mixture of both. With a setting of 0%, the compressor uses Peak sensing only, and at
100%, RMS sensing only. Peak means that the compressor senses the peak level of thesound. RMS means that the compressor senses the average power of the sound. Peaksensing responds faster than RMS sensing. Typically, Peak sensing is used for transient
sounds and RMS sensing for sustained sounds.
Live
If this button is activated, the look-ahead feature of the effect is disengaged. Lookahead results in more accurate processing, but adds a certain amount of latency
as a trade-off. If Live mode is activated, there is no latency, which is better for live
processing.

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Dynamics Effects

Vintage Compressor
Vintage Compressor is modeled after vintage type compressors.
This compressor features separate controls for Input and Output gain, Attack, and Release. In
addition to this, there is a Punch mode, which preserves the attack phase of the signal, and a
program-dependent Auto feature for the Release parameter.

In/Out Meters
Show the highest peaks of all available input and output channels.
GR MeterShows the amount of gain reduction.
Input
Determines the compression amount. The higher the input gain, the morecompression is applied.
Ratio
Sets the amount of gain reduction for sounds that are louder than the threshold. The
higher the ratio, the more the output is lowered.
Attack (0.1 to 100 ms)
Determines how fast the compressor responds. If the attack time is long, more of theinitial part of the signal passes through unprocessed.
Punch
If this is activated, the early attack phase of the signal is preserved, retaining theoriginal punch in the audio material, even with short Attack settings.
Release (10 to 1000 ms or Auto mode)
Sets the time after which the gain returns to its original level. If Auto Releaseis activated, the plug-in automatically finds the best release setting for the audio
material.
Output (-48 to 24 dB)
Sets the output gain.

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Dynamics Effects

Tube Compressor
This versatile compressor with integrated tube-simulation allows you to achieve smooth andwarm compression effects. The GR meter shows the amount of gain reduction. Tube Compressor
features an internal side-chain section that allows you to filter the trigger signal.

In/Out Meters
Show the highest peaks of all available input and output channels.
GR MeterShows the amount of gain reduction.
Input
Determines the compression amount. The higher the input gain, the morecompression is applied.
Limit
Increases the ratio of the compressor for a limiting effect.
Drive (1.0 to 6.0)
Controls the amount of tube saturation.
Attack (0.1 to 100 ms)
Determines how fast the compressor responds. If the attack time is long, more of theinitial part of the signal passes through unprocessed.
Release (10 to 1000 ms or Auto mode)
Sets the time after which the gain returns to its original level. If Auto Releaseis activated, the plug-in automatically finds the best release setting for the audio
material.
Output (-12 to 12 dB)
Sets the output gain.
Mix
Sets the ratio between the dry and the wet signal, preserving the transients of the
input signal.
Side-Chain
Activates the internal side-chain filter. The input signal can then be shaped according
to the filter parameters. Internal side-chaining is useful for tailoring how the gate
operates.
MonitorAllows you to monitor the filtered signal.
Filter Type (Low-Pass/Band-Pass/High-Pass)
If Side-Chain is activated, these buttons allow you to set the filter type to low-pass,band-pass, or high-pass.

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Dynamics Effects
Center
If Side-Chain is activated, this sets the center frequency of the filter.
Q-Factor
If Side-Chain is activated, this sets the resonance or width of the filter.

Limiter
Limiter prevents the sound from exceeding the set output level. This can be used to avoid
clipping in subsequent effects, for example.

The input and output meters indicate the level before and after the Limiter. The Gain Reduction
meter in the middle indicates the current attenuation of the level.
Input
Adjusts the input level of the sound. By increasing the input level, you can drive thesound more and more into limiting.
Output
Sets the maximum output level of the sound.
ReleaseSets the time that the gain needs to return to its original level. The longer the releasetime, the longer it takes to return to the original level.
NOTE
This parameter is not available if the Auto button is activated.
Auto
Sets the release time automatically. The Limiter continuously analyzes the input soundto find the optimal setting.

Brickwall Limiter
Brickwall Limiter ensures that the output level never exceeds a set limit.

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Dynamics Effects
Due to its fast attack time, Brickwall Limiter can reduce even short audio level peaks without
creating audible artifacts. However, this plug-in creates a latency of 1 ms. Brickwall Limiterfeatures separate meters for input, output, and the amount of limiting.
Threshold (-20 to 0 dB)
Determines the level where the limiter kicks in. Only signal levels above the set
threshold are processed.
Release (ms or Auto mode)
Sets the time after which the gain returns to the original level when the signal drops
below the threshold. If the Auto button is activated, the plug-in automatically finds thebest release setting for the audio material.
Link Channels
If this option is activated, the plug-in uses the input from the channel with the highest
level. If the option is deactivated, each channel is analyzed separately.
Detect Intersample Clipping
If this option is activated, the plug-in uses oversampling to detect and limit signal levels
between two samples to prevent distortion when converting digital signals into analog
signals.
NOTE
Brickwall Limiter is designed for the reduction of occasional peaks in the signal. If the Gain
Reduction meter indicates constant limiting, try raising the threshold or lowering the overall levelof the input signal.

Maximizer
The Maximizer plug-in raises the loudness of audio material without the risk of clipping.

Optimize
Determines the loudness of the signal.
Output
Sets the maximum output level.
Soft Clip
If this button is activated, Maximizer starts limiting or clipping the signal softly. At thesame time, harmonics are generated, adding a warm, tube-like characteristic to theaudio material.

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Dynamics Effects

ExpanderThe Expander reduces the output level in relation to the input level for signals below the set
threshold. This is useful to enhance the dynamic range or reduce the noise in quiet passages.

The graphical control to the left shows the expansion curve. You can edit the Threshold andRatio values with the handles of this control. The input and output meters indicate the level
before and after the expansion. The Gain Reduction meter indicates the current attenuation of
the level.
ThresholdSets the threshold. Sounds that are softer than the threshold are reduced in gain.
Sounds above the threshold remain unaffected by the process.
Ratio
Sets the amount of gain reduction for sounds that are softer than the threshold. The
higher the ratio, the more the output is lowered. For example, if the ratio is set to 2:1
and the amplitude of the sound is 4 dB below the threshold, the output is lowered by
2 dB. If the amplitude is 8 dB below the threshold, the output is lowered by 4 dB.
Soft Knee●

If this button is deactivated, signals above the threshold are compressed instantly
based on the set ratio.

●

If this button is activated, the onset of the expansion is more gradual, producing aless drastic result.

AttackDetermines how fast the Expander reduces the gain when the sound falls below the set
threshold. The longer the attack time, the longer it takes to reduce the gain.
Hold
Sets the time period during which the expansion is applied after the sound falls below
the set threshold.
ReleaseDetermines how fast the Expander effect raises the gain after the sound exceeds theset threshold. The longer the release time, the longer it takes to raise the gain.
NOTE
This parameter is not available when the Auto Release button is activated.
Auto
Activate this to set the release time automatically. The Expander analyzes the input
sound continuously to find the optimal setting.

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Dynamics Effects
Peak/RMS
Determines whether the input signal is analyzed based on Peak or RMS values or a
mixture of both. With a setting of 0%, the expander uses Peak sensing only, and at
100%, RMS sensing only. Peak means that the expander senses the peak level of thesound. RMS means that the expander senses the average power of the sound. Peaksensing responds faster than RMS sensing. Typically, Peak sensing is used for transient
sounds and RMS sensing for sustained sounds.
Live
If this button is activated, the look-ahead feature of the effect is disengaged. Lookahead results in more accurate processing, but adds a certain amount of latency
as a trade-off. If Live mode is activated, there is no latency, which is better for live
processing.

Gate
The Gate effect passes sound only to its output if the input sound exceeds the set threshold.
Sounds below the threshold are silenced.
An internal side-chain filter allows you to analyze a filtered version of the input sound instead.
This way, the gate detects only certain frequencies of the input sound.

Threshold
Determines the level that activates the gate. Signal levels above the set threshold
trigger the gate to open, and signal levels below the set threshold close the gate.
FilterActivates the internal side-chain filter. If this button is activated, the input sound isfiltered before it is analyzed. The gate opens only if the filtered sound exceeds the set
threshold. When the Filter button is deactivated, the filter controls are not available.
Filter Type
Sets the filter type for the side-chain filter. Select high-pass (HP) to detect highfrequencies, band-pass (BP) to detect mid frequencies, and low-pass (LP) to detect low
frequencies only.
MonitorAllows you to listen to the sound of the side-chain filter. The gate is inactive when the
Monitor button is activated.
CenterSets the center frequency of the side-chain filter.
Q-Factor
Adjusts the bandwidth of the filter from wide to narrow.

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Effects Reference
Dynamics Effects
AttackDetermines how fast the gate opens when the sound exceeds the set threshold. The
longer the attack time, the longer it takes for the sound to fade in.
Hold
Sets the time period during which the gate is applied after the sound falls below the set
threshold.
ReleaseDetermines how fast the gate closes after the sound falls below the set threshold. The
longer the release time, the longer it takes for the sound to fade out.
NOTE
This parameter is not available when the Auto button is activated.
Auto
Sets the release time automatically. The gate continuously analyzes the input sound tofind the optimal setting.
Peak/RMS
Determines whether the input signal is analyzed based on Peak or RMS values or a
mixture of both. With a setting of 0%, the gate uses Peak sensing only, and at 100%,
RMS sensing only. Peak means that the gate senses the peak level of the sound. RMS
means that the gate senses the average power of the sound. Peak sensing responds
faster than RMS sensing. Typically, Peak sensing is used for transient sounds and RMS
sensing for sustained sounds.
Live
If this button is activated, the look-ahead feature of the effect is disengaged. Lookahead results in more accurate processing, but adds a certain amount of latency
as a trade-off. If Live mode is activated, there is no latency, which is better for live
processing.

Envelope Shaper
The Envelope Shaper effect can be used to attenuate or boost the gain of the attack and release
phase of audio material.
Be careful with levels when boosting the gain and, if needed, reduce the output level to avoid
clipping.

Attack - Gain
Changes the gain of the attack phase of the signal.
Attack - Length
Determines the length of the attack phase of the signal.
Release - Gain
Changes the gain of the release phase of the signal.

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Effects Reference
Spatial and Panner Effects
Output
Sets the output level.

Spatial and Panner Effects
The Spatial + Panner submenu contains the stereo panorama effects.

Stereo Pan
This effect allows you to set the stereo position and width of the signal.

Input Swap
Swaps the stereo channels.
Pan
Sets the pan position of the signal. The panning is available for mono and stereo input
signals.
Width
Adjusts the stereo width of the signal from stereo to mono.

Stereo Enhancer
The Stereo Enhancer effect expands the stereo width of stereo audio material. It cannot be usedwith mono files.

Width
Controls the width or depth of the stereo enhancement. Turn clockwise to increase theenhancement.
Delay
Increases the amount of differences between the left and right channels to further
increase the stereo effect.
Color
Generates additional differences between the channels to increase the stereo
enhancement.
Mono
Switches the output to mono, to check for unwanted coloring of the sound, which canoccur when enhancing the stereo image.

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Effects Reference
Legacy Effects

Legacy Effects
The Legacy submenu contains legacy effects that were used in HALion 3.

HALion 3 Legacy Effects
The HALion 3 effects on this menu are added to ensure compatibility with older projects.

Amp Simulator
Amplifier modeling effect.
Model
The type of amplifier model. This changes the tone character.
Mode
Mono/Stereo operation. Mono saves CPU, and in some cases sounds more solid.
Drive
Overdrive amount.
Feedback
Feedback amount. The result depends on the input signal.
TrebleTreble boost. Optionally in or out of phase for different tones.
Mix
Wet/dry mix.

Bit Reduction
Digital, lo-fi, quality degradation.
Mode
Determines whether the bit depth is fixed (Linear) or depends on the signal level(Companding).
Rate
Simulated sample rate.
Depth
Sample bit depth.
Slew Rate
Maximum rate of change of output waveform, for a soft, wooly distortion.
Mix
Wet/dry mix.

Chorus
A straightforward chorus effect that can be used to widen sounds.
Rate
The modulation rate.
Depth
The amount of pitch modulation.

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Effects Reference
Legacy Effects
PreDelay
The initial delay, to vary the tightness of the chorused voices in relation to the dry
signal.
Mix
Wet/dry mix.

Compressor
A simple compressor effect.
ThresholdCompression threshold.
Ratio
Compression amount.
AttackAttack time.
Release
Release time.
OutputOutput level trim.

Delay
A simple mono-in/stereo-out delay.
Time
Delay time.
Sync
If Sync is activated, you can set the delay time in fractions of beats.
Feedback
Controls the number of delay repeats.
Balance
Ratio of left delay time to right delay time.
Damp
High-cut filter to soften delay repeats.

Distortion
Hard clipping distortion.
Drive
Distortion amount.
Bias
Adjusts the balance between even and odd harmonics, that is, the character of the
distortion.
Tone
Distortion tone.

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Effects Reference
Legacy Effects
Out
Output level trim.
Mix
Wet/dry mix.

Early Reflections
A short, dense reverb for simulating small acoustic spaces and to thicken or blur sounds.
Time
Length of reverb tail. It also allows you to change the sound from dense earlyreflections to a trashy, grainy 80’s-type reverb.
Low EQ
Low-cut EQ.
High EQ
High-cut EQ.
Mix
Wet/dry mix.

Enhancer
Psycho acoustic spectrum shaping.
High DepthHigh frequency boost, combined with mid cut.
High Tune
High/mid tune.
Low Depth
Low frequency boost.
Low Tune
Low frequency tune.

Ensemble
Chorus with a more complex modulation waveform for a lively thickening effect.
Rate
The modulation rate.
Depth
The amount of pitch modulation.
Shimmer
Creates a more complex modulation effect.
Width
Stereo width adjustment.
Mix
Wet/dry mix.

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Effects Reference
Legacy Effects

Flanger
A classic flanger effect.
Rate
Sweep rate.
Depth
Sweep depth.
Feedback
Feedback amount. Increase for a more intense flanging effect.
PreDelay
Initial delay. Adjusts the minimum delay time/maximum flange frequency.
Mix
Wet/dry mix.

Gate
Simple gate effect.
ThresholdGate threshold.
Range
Level reduction when gate closed.
AttackAttack time.
Release
Release time.
OutputOutput level trim.

Hall Reverb
A simple reverb with adjustable pre-delay and damping.
PreDelay
Delays the wet signal to simulate larger acoustic spaces or to create a slap-back effect.
Time
Length of reverb tail.
Damp
Progressive damping of high frequencies.
Low EQ
Low-cut EQ.
High EQ
High-cut EQ.
Mix
Wet/dry mix.

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Effects Reference
Legacy Effects

Limiter
Hard level limiting.
Drive
Input signal drive.
AttackAttack time.
Release
Release time.
OutputOutput level trim.

Long Delay
This effect provides the same parameter set as the Delay effect, except that longer delays of up
to four seconds can be set.

Modulate L/RThis effect features three modes of signal distortion, where one side of a stereo signal is used tomodulate the other.
Mode●

Ring Mod: Ring modulation.

●

Env Mod: The signal level of the right channel is modulated by the level of the leftchannel.

●Duck: The signal level of the right channel is reduced when the level of the leftchannel increases.

Thru
Defines which input signals are used as the dry signal for the Mix.
SmoothSmoothing of modulation.
Drive
Level trim.
Mix
Wet/dry mix.

Multiband
Three-band compressor.
Drive
Input signal drive (increase for more density).
Lo/Hi
Balance of low and high frequency bands.
Mid
Level of mid frequency band.

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Effects Reference
Legacy Effects
AttackAttack time.
Release
Release time.
OutputOutput level trim.

Non-Linear Reverb
A gated reverb with a sharp cutoff.
Time
Length of reverb tail. It also allows you to change the sound from dense earlyreflections to a trashy, grainy 1980’s-type reverb.
Low EQ
Low-cut EQ.
High EQ
High-cut EQ.
Mix
Wet/dry mix.

Overdrive
Softer distortion with a gradual onset.
Drive
Overdrive amount.
Bias
Overdrive character. Adjusts the balance between even and odd harmonics.
Out
Output level trim.
Mix
Wet/dry mix.

Pan & Tremolo
Autopan and Tremolo effect as used in vintage electric pianos.
Rate
Sweep rate.
Phase
Relative phase of left and right channel amplitude modulation, to vary from tremolo to
autopan.
Shape
Shape of modulation waveform from thin pulse, through sine, to fat pulse.
Mix
Wet/dry mix.

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Effects Reference
Legacy Effects

Parametric EQ
Two-band parametric equalizer.
Gain 1/2
Cut/boost amount for the two bands.
Freq 1/2
Sets the center frequency for the two bands.
Width 1/2
Sets the bandwidth for the two bands (Q).
OutputOutput level trim.

PhaserA four pole phaser for subtle phasing effects.
Rate
Sweep rate.
Depth
Sweep depth.
Feedback
Feedback amount. Increase for a more pronounced effect.
StereoOffset between left and right modulation.
CenterSets the center frequency around which the modulation occurs.
Mix
Wet/dry mix.

Rotary Speaker
Simulation of a rotary speaker cabinet with high and low rotors.
Rate
Master speed control: Stop, Slow, Fast.
Dirt
Amount of overdrive.
LoHi
Crossover frequency between low and high rotors.
Width
Stereo width.
Tone
Adjusts the tone of the overdriven signal.
Low/High Speed
Speed of the high and low rotors.

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Effects Reference
Legacy Effects
Low/High Acceleration
Acceleration of the high and low rotors.
Mix
Wet/dry mix.

Shelf EQ
Simple tone control.
OutputOutput level trim.
Bass
Low frequency cut/boost.
TrebleHigh frequency cut/boost.

Stereo Delay
A stereo-in/stereo-out delay.
Time
Delay time.
Feedback
Controls the number of delay repeats. For minimum feedback, set the slider to the mid
position. By moving the slider to the left or right, cross delay is applied, where left
output feeds back into right input or vice versa.
Sync
If Sync is activated, you can set the delay time in fractions of beats.
Balance
Ratio of left delay time to right delay time.
Damp
High-cut filter to soften delay repeats.

Stereo Width
A stereo width enhancer with 4 modes.
Mode●

Adjust mode adjusts the existing width of the stereo signal.

●

Swap mode adjusts the existing width of the stereo signal and additionally swaps
the left and right channels.

●

Comb mode applies a stereo comb filter effect.

●

Haas mode synthesizes the stereo width by delaying one channel.

Delay
Delay time (not used in Adjust and Swap modes).
WidthOverall width adjustment.

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Effects Reference
Legacy Effects
Low/Mid/High
Width adjustment for the low, mid, and high frequencies.
OutputOutput level trim.

TalkBox
Modulated vowel formant filter.
Rate
LFO modulation rate.
Depth
LFO modulation depth.
Vowel
In center setting, vowels are produced when there is no modulation.
Env Mod
Amount of vowel modulation by input signal level.
Env Att
Rate of response to a rising input signal level.
Env RelRate of response to a falling input signal level.
Mix
Wet/dry mix.

Tape Delay
Simulation of a vintage 4-head analog tape delay.
Time
Delay time.
Sync
If Sync is activated, you can set the delay time in fractions of beats.
Feedback
Controls the number of delay repeats.
VintageAmount of vintage color and tape flutter.
Mix
Wet/dry mix.
Head 1
Delay level 1 (the output is panned left).
Head 2
Delay level 2 (the output is panned right).
Head 3
Delay level 3.

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Effects Reference
Legacy Effects
Head 4
Delay level 4.
Pan 3+4
Varies the panning of delays 3 and 4 from center to hard left/right.
Vol 3+4
Varies the volume of delay outputs 3 and 4.

Wah Pedal
An auto-wah effect.
Rate
Modulation rate.
Depth
Modulation depth.
Pedal
Adjusts the filter frequency.
Mode●

Auto Wah: Envelope controlled wah effect.

●

Pedal Wah: No modulation. The Pedal parameter sets the frequency.

●

Mod Wah: LFO modulation. The Rate parameter controls the modulation rate.

Resonance
Sets the amount of filter resonance.
Tracking
Adjusts the envelope tracking speed in Auto mode, and the envelope rate modulationin Mod mode.
Mix
Wet/dry mix.

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Note Expression
Steinberg’s Note Expression technology was developed for creating realistic instrument
performances. Note Expression allows you to create automated modulations for each note.
HALion Sonic supports Note Expression for volume, pan, and tuning.
If you use a Steinberg DAW that supports Note Expression, you can automate the Note
Expression parameters for any program in HALion Sonic per note.
Furthermore, in programs that give you access to the modulation matrix, you can assign up to
eight Note Expression controllers to the available modulation destinations. These are applied inaddition to the preassigned pitch, pan, and level modulations.
NOTE
The Note Expression controllers of a program are shared by all its layers. This means thatthe controller data affects all layers simultaneously. Depending on how the Note Expression
controllers are set up, each layer can react differently.
NOTE
If you use HALion Sonic with host applications that do not support Note Expression, the Note
Expression editor page and the Note Expression controllers in the modulation matrix are visible,
but they do not have any influence on the program.

Note Expression Editor
The editor shows the Note Expression controllers on the left and the assigned modulation
destinations on the right. This gives you a quick overview of how the Note Expression controllers
are routed in the modulation matrix and what their influence on the sound will be.
●

To open the Note Expression editor, open the Edit page and select the Program tab.

NOTE
A Note Expression controller can be assigned to several destinations.
Name
If you assign a Note Expression controller for the first time, it assumes the name of themodulation destination that it is assigned to. Any further assignments do not change
the name. You can manually specify a name by entering it in the Name field.

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Note Expression
Note Expression Editor
Bypass Note Expression Controller
To deactivate the effect of the controller, click the Bypass Note Expression Controller
button. It is linked to the Bypass button of the corresponding modulation destinationin the modulation matrix.
Depth
This slider adjusts the intensity of the Note Expression modulation. It is linked to the
Depth slider of the corresponding modulation destination in the modulation matrix.

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Using the Standalone Version of
the Plug-in
You can use HALion Sonic independently of a host application.
If you use HALion Sonic as a standalone application, an additional section is available at the
top of the control panel. In this section, you can define key commands, set up audio and MIDI
interface routings, adjust the master volume, and access the integrated MIDI scratch pad, whichallows you to record your musical ideas without having to start a MIDI sequencer application. It
can also be used to play multitrack arrangements that trigger the different programs.

Preferences Settings
You can configure the standalone version of HALion Sonic via the Plug-in Preferences dialog.
●

To open the Plug-in Preferences dialog, click the Open Preferences button
to the rightof the audio output field, or right-click in the topmost section of the control panel, and selectPlug-in Preferences from the context menu.

Preferences Dialog
The Plug-in Preferences dialog has several pages on which you can make settings.

MIDI Page
MIDI Input Ports
Use this pop-up menu to specify a MIDI input.
Channel Filter
Determines whether MIDI events are recorded on all MIDI channels, or only on one
specific channel.
Filter ‘All Notes Off’ Controller
Activate this parameter to avoid unwanted “All Notes Off” messages. Such messages
are sent by some keyboards when the last key is released. This causes HALion Sonic tostop playback, even when the sustain pedal is still in use.

Outputs Page
You can use the Audio Output Ports pop-up menus to assign different audio outputs. You canassign different audio outputs for each channel.
●

To map an output to a channel, select it from the pop-up menu.

●

To set the front and rear channels to incrementing audio output ports, hold down Shift , andselect an audio output.

●

To assign the audio outputs to the front and rear channels in pairs, hold down Alt/Opt Shift , and select an audio output.

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Preferences Dialog

Metronome Page
On the Metronome page, a number of settings can be made regarding the use of a metronome.
Mode
Activates/Deactivates the metronome or sets it to Count In mode.
AccentAccentuates the first beat of each bar.
Level
Adjusts the volume of the metronome.
Connections
Allows you to select a separate stereo output for the metronome.

General Page
Don’t prompt for confirmation when quitting HALion Sonic
If you want the plug-in to close without prompting when you quit the program, activate
Don’t prompt for confirmation when quitting HALion Sonic.
High DPI Mode●

If High DPI Mode is activated, the plug-in uses high-resolution bitmaps when it isdisplayed with a scaling of 150% or higher on a high-resolution monitor, such as
4K (UHD), 5K, etc. This allows for sharper images on high-resolution displays.
NOTE
Windows systems currently only support scaling factors that are multiples of 100.
For example, if you use a scaling factor of 150%, in HALion Sonic, the scaling factor
is set to 200%.
High DPI Mode may not be compatible with some combinations of software andhardware. If you experience display issues with your setup, you can deactivate
High DPI Mode.

●

If High DPI Mode is deactivated, the native monitor resolution is used.

ASIO Driver Page
From the ASIO Driver pop-up menu, you can select your audio hardware driver.
Release Driver when Application is in Background
Activate this option if you plan to use several audio applications simultaneously.
Input Latency/Output Latency
The input and output latency values for your audio hardware are displayed. Latency isthe amount of time it takes for your system to respond to any messages that are sent
to it. High latency results in a noticeable delay between pressing a key and hearing thesound.
You can change the latency via the Buffer Size parameter in the control panel for yourdriver, which you open by clicking the Control Panel button on the Advanced tab.
Sample Rate
Below the latency values, you can set the sample rate for the connected audio
hardware.

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Using the Standalone Version of the Plug-in
Selecting the MIDI Input and the Audio Output
Audio Priority
Determines which of the HALion Sonic processes gains priority when accessing
processor resources on your computer.
●

In Normal mode, non-audio processes and audio playback get roughly equal
priorities.

●

In Boost mode, audio precedes MIDI in priority. Try this mode if audio playback
problems occur when playing back MIDI and audio material.

Activate Steinberg Audio Power Scheme
If this option is activated, all power safe modes that have an impact on real timeprocessing are deactivated. Note that this is only effective for very low latencies, andthat it increases the power consumption.

Advanced Page
Once you have selected the driver, you can specify which inputs and outputs to use and namethese on the Advanced page. Click the Control Panel button to open the control panel for theaudio hardware, and adjust the settings as recommended by the audio hardware manufacturer.

Selecting the MIDI Input and the Audio Output

The MIDI input pop-up menu lists all MIDI devices that are installed on your system.
●

Select the MIDI device that you want to use from the Main MIDI Input Port pop-up menu.
The MIDI activity LED in the top left corner of the control panel indicates incoming MIDI
messages via the selected MIDI input. The LED lights up on receiving note-on and controller
messages. This way, you can check if HALion Sonic and your MIDI keyboard are connected tothe same MIDI device input.

The Audio output pop-up menu lists all outputs of the selected ASIO device.
●

To select an audio output for the main stereo channel of the plug-in, open the Audio Output
Ports pop-up menu.

RELATED LINKSASIO Driver Page on page 180

Scratch Pad
The scratch pad allows you to record and play back MIDI files in Standard MIDI File format (SMF).
You can load existing MIDI files, and you can record your own files and save them.

Info icon
Hover over the info icon in the top left corner of the scratch pad to display the name of
the loaded MIDI file.

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Using the Standalone Version of the Plug-in
Scratch Pad
Song position indicator
The song position indicator shows the position of the transport cursor. Above the song
position indicator, the position is displayed as a number.
●

To move the transport cursor, drag the song position indicator to a new position.

●

To switch the time format between Time and Bars, click Select Time Format in the
top right corner of the display.

Transport controls●

Click Play to start playback of the MIDI file.

●

Click Stop to pause the MIDI file at the current position. Click the button twice toreset the song position to the start.

●

Click Record to start recording.

●

Activate Loop to play the entire MIDI file in a loop.

Tempo
●

Set this parameter to Track to follow the original tempo of the MIDI file.
With the Adjust Tempo parameter, you can scale the playback relatively to theoriginal tempo of the MIDI file.

●

Set this parameter to Fixed to enter the tempo manually. You can either enter thevalue directly in the value field, or you can enter a tempo by repeatedly clicking the
Tap to set Tempo field next to the value field.

The scratch pad and the metronome use the Tempo setting.
Time Signature
Determines the time signature. You can enter a new time signature in fractions ofbeats.
Load MIDI File
Allows you to load a MIDI file. The scratch pad can play back multi-track MIDI files
sending notes on all 16 MIDI channels. It also sends MIDI program change messages
when a MIDI file is loaded.
Save Recording as MIDI File
Allows you to save the MIDI file.
Record Mode
Determines when to start recording after you click Record.
●

To start recording immediately, select Direct.

●

To start recording with the first MIDI note, select MIDI.

●

To start the recording after a count-in of one bar, select Count In 1.

●

To start the recording after a count-in of two bars, select Count In 2.

Metronome
Allows you to activate a metronome that you can use for recording and practicing.
Metronome Volume
Sets the level for the metronome click.
RELATED LINKS
Using the Metronome on page 183

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Using the Standalone Version of the Plug-in
Loading a MIDI File

Recording Your Performance
PROCEDURE
1.

Click the record symbol below the Record button to select a record mode.

2.

Click the Record button to start recording.
To indicate that the recording is running, the song position indicator moves from left toright.

3.

When you are done recording, click the Stop button.

RELATED LINKS
Scratch Pad on page 181
Saving a MIDI File on page 183

Using the Metronome
PROCEDURE●

To select the playback mode of the metronome, click Metronome, and select one of theoptions from the pop-up menu:●

If On is selected, the metronome is activated and plays continuously.

●

If Count In is selected, the metronome plays only during the count-in of a recording.

●

To deactivate the metronome, select Off.

Loading a MIDI File
You can load MIDI files in Standard MIDI File format (file name extension .mid).
PROCEDURE
1.

Click the Load MIDI File button below the transport buttons.

2.

In the file dialog, select the file that you want to use.

3.

Click Open to load the MIDI file.

MIDI Channel Filter
If a multi-track MIDI file is loaded, you can play back all MIDI events or only the events of a
specific MIDI channel.
●

To specify events for playback, click the MIDI Channel Filter field to the right of the info
icon, and select an option from the pop-up menu.

Saving a MIDI File
PROCEDURE
1.

Click the Save Recording as MIDI File button below the transport buttons.

2.

In the file dialog, specify a location and a file name.

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Using the Standalone Version of the Plug-in
Master Volume
3.

Click Save to save your recorded performance as a MIDI file.

Master Volume

Use the volume control on the right to set the master volume of the outputs of the standalone
version of HALion Sonic.

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IndexA

Effects (continued)
Ring Modulator 150
Rotary 154
Step Flanger 148
Stereo Pan 166
StereoEnhancer 166
Studio EQ 126
Tape Saturator 141
Tremolo 150
Tube Compressor 160
Tube Saturator 142
Using 118
Vibrato 155
Vintage Compressor 159
Vintage Ensemble 156
VST Amp 140
VST Bass Amp 142
WahWah 136
Effects Page 118
Envelopes 47
Selecting nodes 52
Setting up the Loop 54
Synchronizing to host 53
EQ Effects 126

Audio Output 181

B
Browser
Loading Files 103

D
Delay Effects 124
Distortion Effects 137
Dynamics Effects 157

E
Edit Page
Amplifier Tab 45
AUX Tab 58
Envelopes 47
Expressions Section 59
Filter Tab 43
Inserts 74
Keymap Tab 58
LFO Tab 54
Oscillator Tab 40
Pitch Tab 39
Voice Tab 36
Effect Slots 118
Effects 117, 118, 120
Amplifier 137
Auto Filter 129
Bass Tape Ducking Delay 124
Brickwall Limiter 161
Chorus 147
Compressor 157
Distortion 139
DJ-EQ 128
Envelope Shaper 165
Equalizer 128
Expander 163
Flanger 147
Frequency Shifter 152
Gate 164
Graphic EQ 127
Limiter 161
Maximizer 162
MorphFilter 133
Multi Delay 125
Octaver 145
Phaser 149
Resonator 134
Reverb 122
REVerence 120

F
Filter Effects 129
FlexPhraser 75

H
HALion 3 Effects 167

I
Insert Effects 74

K
Keymap 58

L
Layers 88
Editing 32
Loading 89
Legacy Effects 167

M
Master Section 15
MediaBay 94
Results List 100

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IndexV

MIDI Controllers 113
Assigning 113
Factory Controller Assignment 115
Parameter range 114
Unassigning 114
MIDI File
Loading 183
MIDI Input 181
MIDI Page 112
Mix Page 117
Mixing 117
Modulation Effects 146
Modulation Matrix 63
Multis 88

VST Bass Amp 142

N
Note Expression 177
Editor 177

O
Options Page 27

P
Panner Effects 166
Pitch Shift Effects 145
Preferences Dialog 179
Preferences Settings 179
Presets 88
Module Presets 11
VST Presets 11
Program Page
Parameters 32
Program Slot Section 13
Programs 88
Loading 89

Q
Quick Control Assignments 21
Quick Controls 18
Bypassing 23
Managing 22

R
Reverb Effects 120

S
Spatial Effects 166
Standalone Plug-In Version 179
Saving MIDI Files 183

T
Trigger Pads 24

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