Halion Sonic

[harcon01]

I am using Cubase Elements and was thinking of purchasing Halion Sonic 2 for VST sounds. As  I am a novice with VST I therefore I have some questions:

1 Can you use Halion Sonic VST with vArranger
2 Do you have to have Cubase open or does Halion Sonic VST instruments run on its own within vArranger.
3 If it's possible to use Halion Sonic, would appreciate the steps involved. (I looked at the (English) forum and the is only and old thread back in 2012 on halionsonic set up before Dan did the changes to VST set up).

Assistance & advice would be appreciated.

Paul

[Lylo]

1, yes
2, Cubase no needed
3, you load Halion in the vsti slot, after you choose the out in the channel mixer and the channel in Halion is ready, you load the patch manually or you use the gm program change.

[Bernie9]

I am new to VST's also and can understand the GM sound set for styles, but what about the lead sounds,etc as compared to an SD2?

[Lylo]

With some vsti, the day and the nigth. 

[Bernie9]

Do they contain a map(INi) for choosing lead etc. ?

[agaton]

3, you load Halion in the vsti slot... you load the patch manually or you use the gm program change.

Halion Sonic don't understand Bank and Program Change pro Midi Channel.
You can chain up to 128 Multis (all 16 Midi Channel Parts) to be loaded in
one sequence or Style Part of vArranger2, from MIDI Program Change
messages, but not separately for each Midi Channel, what you need with
vArranger2. Because of that, Halion Sonic is not good Sound Engine for
vArranger2 !!!

[Bernie9]

I appreciate your expert opinion.  Since I am more of a musician than technician, I will look elsewhere or stay with my SD2 or SD4 until something better comes along that is relatively easy to use.

[Lylo]

Sorry but Halion Sonic can change the program changes for each channel, I am sure. For that you must use gm mode in the option menu. After you can modify the sound. For each program change, it's not obligate to exclusively use the gm sound. Only 128 program changes, it's the  limitation.

[balmusette]

Indeed, Halion recognizes pg but on version "Sonic 2". There is a section dedicated to this function in the manual. I use it every day...

[Lylo]

Sonic "1" also.

[agaton]

No !!! Sonic, only Multis PCG, and it is a big difference
between Multis PCG and Multitimbral Midi Channel PCG.
Sonic 2 has PCG in GM Modus !!!

One very good and professional review:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan11/articles/steinberg-halion-sonic.htm

[Lylo]

I'm sorry Halion Sonic can use program change on each channel, Halion Sonic with the free update 1.6 but Halion Sonic even so, on Windows XP.

[agaton]

I am sorry also, but Sonic 1 can not change Sound Programs on
separate Midi Channel Program Change events, only whole Multi.
It can be stored 128 Multies with up to 16 different Sounds on 16
Midi Channels. Multies on Sonic are something like on NI Kontakt.

Sonic 2 has specialy GM Mode and in this mode, can change sounds
on separate Midi Channels PCG Commands. Sounds wich have to be
in Midi Sound Program list (128 Programs) can be user deffined, but
to large Sound Programs (samples) can produce latency by Program
Change, and that can be worse for continuous live playing vArranger2.
It is not like on Hypersonic 2 wich can make that without any latency. 

[Lylo]

Lol 

In french but you understand with your eyes : http://youtu.be/Yx_Yu9576m0  (at 0:20)

[agaton]

I have unerstud it also in French  It has because it has GM Modus.
I had Sonic but it had not GM Modus. That was main problem to use it live
like one multitimbral Sound Engine. Cause of that all musicians who played
software instruments on live gigs stayed on Hypesonic 2. What version of
Sonic 1 have you, or what of version is on the clip ? I don't remember that
GM Mode function was implemented in Sonic 1 in any update, it is strange
for me !!! Maybe it was one of the last Sonic 1 versions, maybe !!!

[Lylo]

Steinberg.net/support/downloads/downloads software/choose product/Halion Sonic

Update to 1.5 and after update to 1.6.... Enjoy !   

[agaton]

Ahaaa... it is possible. I sold my Sonic 1 after only a few months
because it had not this Program Change. Later I bought Sonic 2
cause it has PCG pro Midi Channel, but it was not good investment.
Latency by Program Change by "heavy" sounds is to large, also on
SSD disks, and also on RAID 0 SSD-s congfiguration. A real pity,
many sounds are good.

[Lylo]

Have you try Indepence from Magix ? It's the best sampler for use with vArranger.

[agaton]

Yes I have it from the first day. It is amazing. Sounds are very
good, Controllers are very good, and new Best Service Engine
is the best Player, quick sound edit and control platform what I
saw till now.

[Lylo]

For me Independence it's the best vsti ever seen, I try to make a soundbank free for vArranger with sf2 converted but the work is hard and I postpone my project. In the futur I hope to finalise my soundbank because Independence without the sounds cost only 58€, a little price for the poor customers. In the pro version the sounds are really good but some instruments are missing, it's sad and Magix not announced update.

[agaton]

It will be very very hard job !!! I don't know if result will be
so excellent like original. It is very hard to make all of the
sound nuances of Independence programs in SF2 format !!!
The hardest thing is, that is 70GB of sample content, it will
be very long work.
The last Update is 3.1 but it was only Program update, not
any new sounds. Have you downloaded the new update for
Best Service Engine. It is important to have this new Engine.
I can send it to you, it is free. This is the same Player like
Independence, with same controls and quick controllers.

[Lylo]

Yes I know Engine but I prefer Independence because I can work with the samples inside.
Independence is in version 3.2 now, it is better with some improvements for stability and some detail as better sustain control.

[Lylo]

It will be very very hard job !!! I don't know if result will be
so excellent like original. It is very hard to make all of the
sound nuances of Independence programs in SF2 format !!!
The hardest thing is, that is 70GB of sample content, it will
be very long work.

You are right but the sf2 sound better in Independence and some big sf2 are very good.
In evidence the bank can't be also good as the Pro bank but we can have all the instruments for gm has the Pro bank don't have.
And I am crazy and want more, I want all the program changes of the SD2. 

[harcon01]

I have watched with interest the various comments about VST packages and appreciate the input. However per my original comment I was only thinking of buying Halion Sonic because I use Cubase. It would appear to me that there are better packages to use with vArranger.

Can I ask, what do members think is the best VST package to use with vArranger and reasons?