After 25 years of HALion and 30 years of VST, I want to start by saying: congratulations, Steinberg. As a long‑time HALion user, I’ve always admired how your instruments push sound design forward — ANIMA, Flux, Trip, Raven, Skylab, FM Lab, Dark Planet, and so many others have shaped my workflow for years.
But precisely because I’m a fan, I feel compelled to highlight something that has been holding the experience back for a very long time: the macro interfaces simply don’t scale when HALion is maximised to fullscreen, especially on modern 4K displays. The instruments stay tiny, fixed in their original size, while a huge empty gap surrounds them.
In 2026 — in an era where graphic design, UI scaling, and responsive interfaces are standard across the industry — it feels ironic that HALion’s beautiful instruments still appear locked in a small window inside a massive frame. Developers from FabFilter, Sylenth1, Vital, Native Instruments, UAD and many others have already embraced scalable, large‑format interfaces that adapt to today’s screens and resolutions.
HALion is a flagship product, a pioneer in the VST world. That’s exactly why I believe this is an area where Steinberg could shine with relatively “easy” wins: modernising the macro system so instruments scale fluidly with the main window, giving us the full visual experience these sound engines deserve.
I’m sharing this not as a complaint, but as encouragement. HALion has an incredible legacy — and with a bit of UI love, it could feel as modern visually as it already is sonically.
Here’s to the next 25 years. Congratulations again, Steinberg.