Dongle-free Cubase 12 Pro/Halion Sonic SE 3 vs. dongle-required Halion 6

Virtual instruments HALion
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Hi, does anyone of you have experience with owning both Cubase 12 Pro and Halion 6? I currently am on Cubase 11 Pro and was thinking of upgrading, but wondered about the following:

Cubase Pro 12 includes Halion Sonic SE 3. Both of these should work with the new licensing system i.e. without dongle. Whereas Halion 6 is still legacy-bound to the dongle.

So how will Halion content behave when Cubase 12 Pro + Halion Sonic SE 3 + Halion 6 are installed and no dongle is present? I would assume the Halion Sonic SE 3 content would work and Halion 6 content not. Is that the case? Or does Halion 6 replace Halion Sonic SE 3 and therefore none of the original Halion Sonic SE 3 works without a dongle?

Thanks for clarifying!

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Yes, it is. You would also probably get error message about missing licenses for Halion 6.

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The way you described it sounds accurate. Hopefully they convert Halion 6 over to dongle less but I suspect they may wait until Halion 7 for that.

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Yes, putting work into an old H6 release does not sound smart, Steinberg will probably wait until H7 is out to ditch the dongle. I wouldn’t mind Halion 7 coming out soon :slight_smile:

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Since HyperSonic 2/($300) HALion 2 Steinberg seems to have little forethought about adding synths to versions + libraries for synths, that songwriters spend hours editing & selecting samples for songs. Now, Mystic, others galore and HALion Se3 are lost.

I’ve bought every version for 24 years and it keeps happening.

I’ve a MOTIF XF & TD50 (among others) but a just right or edited sample colors in my case symphonic tracks sometimes w/30-40+ parts that just sonically fit together. Its hard to take over & over without a consideration for a every version buyer that loses this value by offering a deal on a HALion Sonic 7 replacement. Hearing HALion Sonic 6 dongle issues scares me further from buying HS7.

HALion Se3 was just recently updated! yet support just told me I should unistall it from Pro 11/12 backwards (I figured I wont use it in 13 Pro forward but not backwards) & buy HALion Sonic 7 to use the libraires I’ve paid for by buying every upgrade since the start of Cubase. Will it support my edits * FX/panning/volume relations?

I own all Waves Audio plug-ins & VSTis & they undestand need of legacy & to write a code to keep plugins usable. My concern is I’ll buy HALion Sonic 7 & HAL will lock me out in a year or 3 & my parts, and their songs, out of the ship to die.
Please do not create plugins you will not support or develop. Thanks for really considering my letters over Hypersonic 1/2. Purchaser of over 13 Pro full versions. Protools…I’m thinking hard. Synths & libs were a real value aspect but thats history. Ive better VSTi from dedicated corps.

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HALion Sonic 7 is free and replaces HALion Sonic SE 3. You get a licence for it with Steinberg Licensing versions of many Steinberg apps, but you can also have a free standalone licence.

The replacement product for HALion Sonic 3 is HALion Sonic 7 Collection.

Steinberg, rightly in my opinion, decided that three versions of the HALion instrument did not make sense. With the release of version 7, they settled on a free instrument, a paid instrument with additional functionality, and started to sell the content from what was previously the middle-tier instrument as a content bundle for the free instrument. All HALion 7 products use Steinberg Licensing and are dongle-free - indeed, all current Steinberg software products use Steinberg Licensing and are dongle-free.

If HALion Sonic 7 is installed, Steinberg hosts will use it instead of HALion Sonic SE 3.

The situation with the other instruments you mention is very different as they were all developed by third parties.

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Hey Bamondrums,

I will admit, I had a hard time understanding what you meant-so put that on me for being basic.

I think one of the issues is that Steinberg doesn’t appear to be adding new synth engines and content?

I think the other issue is that it will be abandoned and you’ll be stuck with a duck?

If I was correct in identifying your concerns, I would like to give you my opinion! As far as abandonware or weird stuff not working between versions…I don’t think that has EVER been an issue. I, like you, had Hypersonic. I liked that little synth. Steinberg didn’t own the content, so when Wizoo got sold-they had to drop support. To me, that’s understandable.

As far as new content/innovation: I would agree that development seems to be exceptionally conservative. We got FM. That’s cool. We got the Spectrum Synth engine as well. That’s cool.

We got nothing in the way of updating the actual sounds though. I have been doing deep comparisons of all my hardware and software plugins and I can say very confidently that the Halion Library is right about at the classic Motif Level. NOT the ES or higher.

So essentially we’ve had the same old library for ages and I personally wouldn’t be doing that with people like UVI and Native Instruments releasing sounds like someone stuck a firecracker up their filter.

Overall…Halion 7 is a very very very good program and they did some changes that are not being talked about. Like its ability to trigger multiple layers is SIGNIFICANTLY tighter than it used to be. By miles. Also, it seems to be easier on the CPU when you really start pushing things into the stratosphere.

Anyway, good luck!
Amadeus e.d.p.

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“With Cubase license, you get HALion Sonic SE only. For HALion Sonic 7 or HALion 7, you need a dedicated license (even the libraries of course).”
Hi…"
Please understand, if I sound miffed it not of course at you! I just bought every single update/upgrade and did so partly to own libs and VSTis.

To clarify, I am talking about VSTi’s being added to Cubase Pro over years (we’re talking 8+ synths,) that are dead ends. If I’ve got long, 40 part symnphonic songs, yes, I use my MOTIF XF, TD 30 and Korg Kronos but I still rely on synths and libraries in symphonic songs, that took major time to arrange using VSTi’s that came with every version and update I’ve bought with Cubase Pro. My issues is not whether HALion 7 is a good product, it is for how long.I digress. When I bought Hypersonic2 ($300-'06) is was a Steniberg product.

My point is like Wave Audio: Legacy! The ability to keep writing code to allow it to at least function if development stop in general. Hypersonic 2 was $300 and iks the last time I will spend money on Steinberg VST’s. I have no guarantee HALion Sonic 7 will be OK in 2 years. Even if they stop development of it, they can not assure me it will be useful in Cubase versions up the road, or 3rd party platforms.
I appreciate your kind words, but if you’ve bought every single upgrade since SX3 & owned VST 5.0 and you do not care about lost synths, I am different. I expect libraries and VSTi’s will be con’t in legacy even if they end giving it out in new versions or stop development. Allow me to use it in platforms I did last week. Support has few answers that help me get back to work where I was. The do not know exactly when HALion Sonic se 3 was officially dropped, or why I can’t suddenly use it in Pro 11/or 12 where updates for it will available in 2022.

This aside, from HALion 2, HALion One, Mystic, HALion Sonic SE3 and the others, I pay for those items and libraries in every single update that has ever occurred (I’ve purchased them all)… I expect, the libraries, and the VSTi’s themselves work in those version where they existed or updates were supplied., Even Pro 11 and Pro 12 had HALion Sonic SE3 updates. Suddenly after working for years, in .8/12 Pro HALion Sonic SE3 is now has multiple issues.

Why did my HALion Sonic SE3 work in Pro 8/8.5/9/9.5/10/11/12 Pro yesterday but suddenly not. I do not now how you write, but I write with my MOTIF XF in mind, but VSTi (I’ve gotten into 3rd party synths that understand legacy) I compose tracks of symphonic ntaure and sound selection of sample is a pain staking process in which even so so synth can color a song with 40 parts because of the time spent making those arrangement decisions. Also, I buy Cubase in recent years as I’ve considered Protools, because they seemed to be creating new synths and libraries that assist value of the songwriter. If you do not use these synths, or aren’t a songwriter then you can’t understand. I you like investing time for a few years into ma synth then drop it, even if you’ve unfinished works with those VSTi’s or wish to rework those tracks, then how could you understand. If you are and do, I do not understand.

To end them 3-4 years after you get working on them, seems lazy. Write a 64 bit code, create a legacy version, but why drop them and the libraries constantly.

I’ve bought Cubase Pro versions for 24 years and I am disappointed in my choice, seeing the issues it has created with dead end synths. Whether HALion Sonic 7 is great I do not care, because I never know when they will drop it and am tired of guessing, when HALion Sonic SE was to be a for the loss of Hypersonic 2. If you’re ok gthat cool, I am not, and am now continuing the buy 3rd party including Kontak 7, and the new Avenger 2. As well I moved to owning all Waves Audio plugs (as I use Server One) and UAD as I use Apollo. But the main reason is I see there products 20 years ago are nearly all useful now.

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This is incorrect.

The replacement for HALion Sonic SE 3 is HALion Sonic 7. A licence for HALion Sonic 7 is included with Cubase and Nuendo from version 12 onwards. You can also get a free standalone HALion Sonic 7 licence from the Steinberg website.

The replacement for HALion Sonic 4 is HALion Sonic 7 Collection - this is a chargeable product.

The replacement for HALion 6 is HALion 7 - this is a chargeable product.

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David,
Thank so much. I appreciate this kind of help after being w/Steinberg since VST 5.0 and every single update/grade since SX3 right up until Pro 13 plus .5’s (lol)!

Still was stunned when HAL SE3 just stopped working in 11/12 Pro a week after loading Pro 13. I’ve a MOTIF XF fully loaded, TD-30 VDRUMS amongst others but VSTi’s still are part of my symphonic works: 30-40 parts. I’ve got songs I did with Jon Anderson in 2010 that were semi stranded…!

Oh…Media bay went nuts but I’ll mess around after a few more days I’ll get back if any questions! I’m concerned about the included sound sets (factory) reloading to media bay/showing up in Cubase as mine but it’s more value/convenience. No worries just for now.

Big Thanks,

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There is an issue with the current version of MediaBay. If you delete your preferences, things might get more sane, but I would wait for a new release before doing anything. MediaBay updates to the latest version automatically when you load Steinberg Download Assistant.

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Things feel much better, my bad somehow missing HALion Sonic 7, as it take over SE3 way better for the things I’ve used it for. Big thanks.

Really was glad to get that email, to point me in the right direction. I love Cubase for composing and this has made me very happy, per where I was! Big Thanks!

ps- media bay sent a fix last week, not before and I always update when I check Waves Audio/UAD etc (cause I plug in to the web only then, 2-3x a month, as I need ethernet for Waves Server One) but I haven’t tested out it all, but HAL Sonic 7 looks sweet as a SE3 fix! again…big thanks…that quote was perhaps not specific to "Cubase 11/22Pro license!)

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Thanks for your remarks. I was contacted and made aware of HALion Sonic 7 which came with my Pro11/12 and is a perfect fix and improvement to SE3. I guess, just a guess, we might differ in that although I’ve a loaded MOTIF XF Korg Kronos/TD-30, I write big symphonic tracks (30-40+ parts) & that time spent on VSTi’s put in in some tough spots as any use of vsti’s takes time ands you find pads, neat sounds and make them fit well. That’s a lot of time for me; so I backed out of most of these Cubase VSTi’S. I shifted my choices in VSti, To 3rd parties I trust legacy with. Glad you’re not slowed by these synth drops, but as I say, I owned 5.0VST then SX3 Z& every single upgrade pro since…close to 10 synth vstis. Thanks for a calming perspective. I’ve found my sea legs with this now. Hey, I did 2 tracks with Jon Anderson in '10 and that wasn’t an easy shift when it came to reworking them in 8.5! cheers.

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Hopefully you are on a PC. If you are on an Apple Silicon Mac….I would NOT buy Halion- regardless of the version. At least right now.

Here is what you’re up against on a M Series Mac

1, STABILITY: Constant crashes. Like over 14 plus a day! Pray it doesn’t happen when you’re saving changes to your sound because that sound is now corrupted and lost forever.

  1. The media bay is broken. Bad. Sometimes you can’t even click on stuff. Does not show ANY of my library from the program tree load to new layer option! I have to do workarounds.

3… USER INTERFACE: It’s broken 100% in Logic unless you use Rosetta. The interface cannot remember what it was configured to if you just open and close the program

So, if I was being honest….I would wait given your history and probably the long wait we’re in for regarding updates. Halion either has a very very tiny development team or they aren’t executing with excellence. The Mac M1 has been out since 2020. This is inexcusable in my opinion. They need to fix this like yesterday.