I can fairly say , this is the easiest most intuitive FM synth engine i’ve used , the sound is just beautiful , the choice of OP’s , waveforms and the mixing and matching is just brilliant , so inspirational , i could see the rest of the Yammy FM engines being ported over ,if they do then this Lab will blow the whole Virtual synth community wide apart .
Well done Yammy and Steinberg ,it’s a beast
+1, this is a great implementation, although I’ve only scratched the surface so far.
Interesting fact: I discovered that, not only can you import .syx from the DX7 and TX81Z, it also happily imports sysex dumps from the venerable FB01. That, I did not expect!
[EDIT] Unfortunately I haven’t yet been able to import single voices in .syx from the FB01, but I can confirm that H7 has no problem with banks from DX5, DX9, DX11, DX21, DX27, DX100 as well as the DX7 and TX81Z.
Same here about scratching the surface but i think any of the Dx off spring will import/export
.3 different engines Hal/X/Dx , will do some null tests one day to see the difference but im very impressed so far , and i haven’t even touched the spectral Osc 
Add sample, noise operators , ring modulation and MPE …
The FS1R Formant Operator Type would be nice as well 
It would be rude of Steinberg not to hound Yammy to allow this now they have migrated most of the legit FM’s over , it really would make it the best workstation on the market
There’s a lot to improve to the fundamentals like modulation, effects and so on before it can claim to be the best. Currently it lags behind the competition in all those areas.
The FM engine in HALion is nice but looks very much like a rushed v1.
And considering the resources that Steinberg is willing to put into HALion, it might very well stay there.
You are a man on a mission , i think we get the point that you want all Fx’s ported from the Montage or what not but this is about the engine it’s self the quality of the engine is certainly a step up from previous engines But like everything in the world it’s down to personal taste
Which can be said about you as well. Repeating that something is what it is not doesn’t make it so, no matter how much you want to believe.
For a start, it should at least have a workflow that’s actually suited to a softsynth (why could FM8 figure this decades ago?) and softsynth type envelopes, with the current hardware emulating ones as an option.
But my problem is not with what it doesn’t have, as this would be solvable in theory.
It’s with the pace of development.
6 years and what they add is some existing tech developed by someone else.
Yeah, I don’t think Steinberg put the necessary resources in it to be what it could be.
That’s your opinion , you seem to be forgetting Halion was started before most soft synths were even born , Halions a bit Marmite , you do like it or you don’t , it’s it’s own concept , why make it to be like every other softsynth on the planet ?
I agree with you but Halion has always been this way , if Steinberg had actually spent their time evolving and marketing properly in the first place im pretty sure NI would of gone under .
Halion seems to be on the back burner , one of those things they just keep up to date so it’s still supported , but that’s my personal opinion
A Juno 106 lags massively behind a modular system in terms of modulation and effects, yet it’s universally heralded as one of the best synths ever.
I’m not saying H7 is on that level, but it’s been around for decades and is still a solid sounding instrument at it’s core. Like a 106, you are free to apply whatever effects, routing and modulation you want.
So yes, it lags behind in such areas, but that doesn’t necessary make it any worse. Like the 106, it’s what’s at the core. Integration with Cubase, CPU efficiency, Multi-outs and such elements are substantial for most users on this forum for them to herald it the best for their needs, of course.
I’m really curious to hear a preset from a competing product that you couldn’t do with HALion. Do you have an example to better explain perhaps?
Yeah, sure, that’s how it works, especially in softsynths world.
Boy, I do know that just stating some plain facts can really trigger the HALion fanbois.
You can easily do a patch in Falcon (competing with HALion at the same price) using it’s modulation system with its effects and plenty of sequencers/arpeggiators, that would be impossible to do in HALion.
Just to stay with the FM zone in HALion, you don’t have complex envelopes or modulators for the OPs. It’s a direct port of Montage’s engine, a FM hardware synth of 7 years ago. What makes sense in a hardware workstation doesn’t in a softsynth. Even FM8, much older than Montage itself, has better envelopes and modulators.
And is it a problem for someone to state some dissatisfaction with this?
Not at all , but how many synth workstations are out there still supported 20 years later ? And staying true to the original work flow ? Also if your dissatisfied ,don’t buy into newer versions
I’m not a fanboy, I wouldn’t even put it in my top 5 instrument plugins.
Yet, it’s my most used when I’m coming up with ideas as it’s so integrated with Cubase and exists in many of my templates - mainly as it’s quick to load, low on resources and covers a lot of ground.
For that task, as damning as I could be about it’s interface and antiquated elements - it is the best solution for me. It’s a true workhorse, even if I don’t find it wholly attractive.
Of course, if we’re talking standalone, but the same is true of a Juno 106 versus a Behringer Deepmind. But that doesn’t mean that studios would rather have a Deepmind available to it’s clients.
So it is very much based around the pros and cons, and how those match to the needs of the individual. Therefore arguing about what’s ‘best’ is a very tough topic, and we just need to respect individuals opinions. (Fanboyism aside of course 
)
I suspect that the reason you bring this up alot is that you want it to be a better product, and you’re not actually hating on it? At least, that’s the impression I got last time we spoke on the matter.
It’s not that tough, and of course everyone’s has opinions. Including me, who’s opinion is that is pretty much impossible for HALion to claim the title of best synth workstation of today, when it’s so stuck in the past.
Which doesn’t detract from it’s many qualities which are very real.
In that case can you stop derailing my thread as this WAS a feel good thread about Halion FM , if you are dissatisfied with the way Halion is , start your own thread and leave this one alone .
And I wouldn’t disagree with that sentiment.
But I’m using a DAW that is stuck in the past, prefer music from the past and HALion has just been at my side for so many years. It’s such a workhorse for me, as it is for many others.
If I were a 20 year old running Bitwig I’d probably look at H7 and laugh, But I haven’t that perspective.
One or two posts above you were saying the complete opposite. Make up your mind.
How does this forum thing works in your view? If I start a thread bashing HALion (I won’t), should you be stopped from “derailing” it with positive opinions? 
I actually agree with your opinion about FM Lab, which is a nice synth for the price, especially for someone who enjoys the MODX like me. This whole drama started when I objected to the idea of HALion being considered “the best workstation”.
Peace and enjoy HALion or whatever makes you happy.
Yep, it’s for instance kind of steppy modulation wise and therefore it’s pretty close to the Montage, behaviour wise. But in my case the FM Engine probably will serve its purpose, due to the unisono voices, free algorithms with negative Levels/Feedback and more.
I would definitely welcome multi stage envelopes (like the assignable User EG as option) and a bit additional overview look wise, even so I’m new to Halion I try to get along with the “Screen Set”, to group the needed parameter Windows. It’s possible get along after a while, but could be quicker with additional operator parameter overview windows. Currently it reminds me a bit to a 7" Workstation Display.
I would guess they’re using some type of universal UI maker for the sound generators within Halion.