You know how we do it! What do you guys/gals want for an update? When do you think it’s gonna drop?
This is what I personally would like:
Please hire some competent Mac programmers and fix all these bugs. 4 years and counting is asking a LOT out of your customers.
Ability to re-arrange the modules in the synth zone. For example-I would probably like it better if the oscillator section was at the top. The voice control maybe close to the amplifier section. It would be cool if we could just drag and drop this area just like we can with the rest of the Halion interface.
Update the UI on the old “synths”. They are very dated and very small and just not professional looking. I would also like it if they updated those macro engine overlay synths samples and wavetables. HalionSonic users are stuck with a very strange UI experience.
The program tree is AWFUL! This was the biggest shock to me when I upgraded from Halion Sonic. This needs to be redesigned. It shows too much. It offers no ability to help you organize or work with your layers. Sometimes you can’t delete layers. They get deleted, but not on screen. Just an awful part of Halion.
Fix how and where you can grab the UI to resize things. Currently, it’s HARD to resize windows. You have to click on the right of the interface, because the left is locked. Please change this.
Ability to isolate all the effects in the program tree.
Fix the voice management problem. Sounds dropping voices because something isn’t right in this area.
More inserts, and another 2 busses would be GRAVY.
Put all the LFO stuff in one area.
Fix the System Control Panel’s messy interface. Whatever it’s called. I has the Steinberg logo and CPU load/etc. It’s probably some of the worst UI design in the game!
Fingers crossed!
edit
11. Re-design the envelope window. Make it so that it just shows the total view whatever is going on. This area of Halion is just more difficult than it has to be.
12. Default load states on the plugins
13. Preview of the presets.
14. Load times reduced for presets.
15. !!! Please and thank you!
Fix the import bug where the sample loop is wrong when importing non-HALion patches.
Add more filters for sound design (Look at Serum/Vital/Current/etc)
Add per voice Saturation, other FX too.
Add more bus effects.
Allow modulation targets for bus FX
Zone settings as preset shall not loose QC settings
Saving Bus FX Chains as FX presets.
FX Bus Chain enable/disable (not just individual)
Allow drag midi to/from Trigger Pad
Create template for a 4 layer sample player with UI and FX busses that allows for easy drag n drop of sampler zones from the MediBay.
QC drag to modulation target. Left click on QC to set modulation range.
As you can see I listed many quality of life features that are standard on todays high end synths. So please work on that so it is not lagging behind.
Thx
I agree all good, though I would like to see a scaleable GUI, and how about a new type of synthesis oscilator such as a true additive (rather than the limited organ), or perhaps physical modelling?
Having a synth with per-voice (or rather per-note) effects, or polyphonic effects, means that each note is processed by the effects section independently, exactly like each note is processed independently by the filter section. And that means that you can have different FX parameters for each note. For example you could use a chorus effect with the depth parameter controlled by the note velocity so each note will have more or less chorus “applied” depending on its velocity. Or you could use a distortion/saturation effect with the intensity controlled by the note velocity so each note will be more or less distorted depending on its velocity. But keep in mind, this is not like just modulating the depth parameter of the chorus effect with velocity in a “normal” synth. In such a synth with no per-note effects if you modulate the depth parameter with velocity and you have notes with long decay/release that overlaps then each time the depth parameter is modulated by a new note it will affect in the same way ALL the notes that are still playing not just the new note. Of course this feature is pretty much useful only if the parameters in the FX section can be modulated, which unfortunately is not the case in Halion at the moment.
I’m gonna be honest. This WOULD be incredible. Great idea Kta.
I wonder how hard would it be to implement this. The other side of it would be the CPU load. If it has to calculate different math per note-it could get spicy if you push things.
Great idea though. Steinberg please implement this in the next update!
Indeed, this could get CPU intensive in some situations. In that KVR thread I mentioned before Urs from U-he discussed this aspect:
The main reason for keeping certain effects in some kind of fx section behind the voices is CPU efficiency. Another reason could be that FX are often stereo, and they’re often used to make monophonic signals stereo. So if the voice architecture isn’t stereo, then what good is a reverb in it?
But there’s another issue, and it’s related to CPU use: Voices need to end, and the end is usually whenever the VCA envelope has run its course. So if in a polyphonic modular environment there are effects such as reverb or delay within the voice structure, they will be followed by a VCA, and that VCA will eventually close for the note to end. And then also the reverb whatsoever will… end.
When we added a reverb to Hive’s voiced filter section it was quite a thing to wrap one’s head around the fact that during the envelope’s release, also the reverb would be faded out.
THIS is actually the desired outcome. Modern productions often use big washy reverb. But the problem is the reverb will smear over the following chord. Many producers now render out each chord and then cut the tails when the next chord comes.
You can control this with midi note length and VCA if you have the reverb per voice.
Other ideas is to set a delay mix level go from 0 to 100% above 120 velocity. You play a chord at 110, no delay, but hit a single melody note at 120 and this note only gets a delay.
Your could set 4 per note FX each responding to a separate velocity range, your now get a chord or melody with each note being modulated, reverberated differently. I think this can be more exciting and easier to use than MPE. And all you need is velocity and mood wheel and you poay it with your existing keyboard.
I swear Halion’s original sound design team got paid a bigger bonus for putting big-boomy-awful reverb on EVERYTHING.
Just going through the library and resaving the good sounds is a costly endeavor time wise. But it’s so worth it in the end. Sounds like a much better instrument.