HALion 4.5 public beta

Dear HALion 4 users,

Today we are pleased to release a public beta version of the upcoming 4.5 update of HALion to offer you a preview of the new features and improvements we have been working on during the last couple of months. Although the update has not completed the full QA cycle yet and is therefore officially unsupported, we are making the current beta version of the update available to let you cast a glance at the new features and to publicly check if the improvements are working probably on hundreds of different operating systems and setups.

We created this thread in the HALion forum to collect your feedback on the beta version. Please understand that we are not able to implement any additional feature request into the HALion 4.5 update. Rather, the purpose of this public beta is to offer you as the user the new features as soon as possible and to collect feedback on the quality and usability of our software to ensure that we are improving HALion in the best interest of you.

Here is a list of the new features and improvements:

Multi-core support
On the option page of HALion you can now choose on how many cores the cpu consumption should be shared (given that you are working on a multi-core system)

Time-stretching and pitch-shifting
Based on the AudioWarp algorithm used in Cubase, a dedicated HALion time-stretching and pitch-shifting functionality has been implemented. There are two different modes for different types of audio materials. You can select a “Solo” mode for solo instruments that allows the correction of formants and a “Music” mode which is optimized for time correction of polyphonic audio material such as drums.
You can find the new AudioWarp features in the sound editor of a sample layer.

New sample file browser
The sample file browser has been completely reworked. You are now able to browse through the file structure of your devices and preview audio files instantly in the browser. There is a new search function included in the browser that let you find your desired sounds with just a few clicks. Additionally, you are now able to browse through file containers like ISO, HSB, VST Sound, GIGA and others directly in the import window right away.

Multi-Oscillators
In the OSC section you are now able to multiply the numbers of oscillators used on each osc channel up to eight. The number of oscillators can smoothly be increased. By editing the “detune” and the stereo “spread” of the osc channel, the sound can be further enriched and widened.

Additional improvements
-Customizable Startup Preset
-Multi-editing for MIDI Modules
o MIDI Modules of the same type (e.g. FlexPhraser) can be edited together if selected.
-Improved Sound Editor behavior
-New Navigation Icons on top of the Sound Editor
o Hide/Show option for Modules
o Customizable Sound Editor appearance
-Expression on Amp Level can now be deactivated
-Headroom options for importing samples
-The Distortion parameter is now available in Mod Matrix
-Now you can determine whether a MULTI is cleared before loading a new one or kept in RAM

Please read this before installing the beta:
The HALion 4.5 beta version is available for the purpose of providing Steinberg with feedback on the quality and usability of the software. The HALion 4.5 beta version may contain bugs or inaccuracies that could cause failures, corruption or loss of data and/or information on your system and/or peripherals (external HDDs, storage server systems, etc.) connected thereto. Steinberg strongly encourages you to back-up all data and information on your system prior to installing the HALion 4.5 beta update. You bear the full risk of using the beta version of the HALION 4.5 update. The final version of the HALion 4.5 update may differ from the preliminary beta version in terms of features and functionality.

You can find the download here.

Wow! this is as great as unexpected! downloading now… :slight_smile:

Can I start reporting bugs?



I think you can. :wink:

Regards.
Daniel.

O.K. I understand that but Chris could you please take a look at this thread?

Maybe it would be wise to hold off the 4.5 public BETA for some weeks and try to get the automation right first.

For me automation in Halion4 has some issues and the behaviour is different to any other VSTi plugin.

But anyway even when it’s not possible to hold off the 4.5 BETA then maybe for the next update.

Thank you very much for the hard work Steinberg is doing with HALion4

Hi can i use the HALion 4.5 beta with the HALion 4 trial. Thanks

wow, totally unexpected is right. 4.5 too, what a huge version jump, nothing in between? I hope this doesn’t mean the life cycle of Halion 4 is already coming to an end, as usually versions beyond a .5 are rare in Steinberg land.

Thanks a ton none the less, extremely excited to try the new sample browsing and time stretching capabilities.

I must say I’m very happy and impressed with the new browser and the time stretch feature.

The new browser can even pick up waveforms inside .SF2 files, and waveforms from almost any vstsound content file from Cubase. It’s also very intuitive to use.

The time stretch feature is amazing and also very funny to use, specially with chords, the legato function, and the formant key follow features. I have only played a bit with it, but I really love that thing.

The new icons in the zone editor are a must now, and greatly appreciated. If only the GUI render was faster…

Other interesting features is the multi oscilators in synth zones, which allows to have supersaws or super-anything, from 1 to 8, for each of the 3 synth oscillators! So in one zone you can have up to 24 oscillators sounding at the same time, and that’s before using the unison feature. With the unison enabled you can have 192 oscillators sounding at the same time in just one zone. It’s crazy!

But that place is where I found the first type A bug:

Steps:

  • Create a zone.
  • Enable multi-oscillator, and press the edit button for it.
  • Increase the multi-oscillator number to at least 4.1
  • Press a note on the keyboard controller, and while holding it…
  • Modify the stereo spread parameter

Result = CRASH

I would suggest disabling the (e) icon of the multi-oscillators if the MOsc option is not enabled. I think it’s more elegant than shadowing the parameters below.

Cheers

But that place is where I found the first type A bug:

Steps:

  • Create a zone.
  • Enable multi-oscillator, and press the edit button for it.
  • Increase the multi-oscillator number to at least 4.1
  • Press a note on the keyboard controller, and while holding it…
  • Modify the stereo spread parameter

Result = CRASH

I tried this and discovered the same problem, but I had the multi-oscillator on 4.0 as it happened.

Yes it’s 4.0, sorry.

By the way, I tried both in Windows XP and Windows 7 64 bit, standalone version, with the same result.

The new browser is much easier to use.
The Favorites option is very useful. :sunglasses:

got it installed. 2 of my very important feature requests were implemented with the browser tab and the time stretching. Absolutely brilliant and really put Halion 4 up there on the map against the competition. Great job Steinberg, you rolled out so much, so quick. I am extremely excited to see what else may come in the future for Halion.

I am glad for the multi-core support as well. It was actually a huge surprise as I was under the impression it was multi-core friendly from the start as most things are in this day and age.

Does anyone know the customizable start up preset works and how you go about setting it? I actually want Halion 4 to start with a blank slate, no preloaded slots at all. I am really sick of having to remove The 4th Dimension before I can start. I have tried various ways to get Halion 4 to start with a blank slate, but upon reloading Halion 4, The 4th Dimension still comes up!

Thanks.

Is this a bug perhaps? I cannot get the multicore output selector box to stick to what I have chosen. I choose 8 cores as that is what I have, but upon reloading Halion 4 it always reverts back to off and I have to change it again. I have tried changing it to 8 and saving a screenset, but this doesn’t work either.

Anyone figure out how to get the multicore selection to stick once chosen by the user?

Thanks.

  • Enable multi-oscillator, and press the edit button for it
  • Set the multi-oscillator number to 8.0
  • Press a note on the keyboard and hold it
  • Modify the multi-oscillator number parameter

Result = BlueScreen

Windows 7 x64, Cubase 6.0.4 x32

Thanks

To those who have downloaded the public beta…any change in how automation is processed?

Regards,
Daniel

Hello Guys,

I have tried to rebuild your “bug” with the multi- osc,
but I am sorry I have not found any issue.
If I try to rebuild it everything is working and I got no crashes or bluescreens.

Please send me via pm further information.

Nothing unfortunately. It isn’t in the release notes so I wasn’t expecting much.

PM sent.

Does this beta update totally wipe away the 4.0.1 version or is it possible to have them both installed?