Playback samples like in a piano roll - frustrated newb

Virtual instruments
1

I’m having the hardest time finding answers to this, and I’m sure there is one out there on the forum, but I have been searching this for too long now and would love to just ask the question and get a clear response. Can I load in a sample that is simply a tone from my sample library (like a circuit bent SK1 tone) into Halion 5 and play it back in a “Piano Roll” like fashion, akin to FL Studio? It’s honestly the main reason that I wanted to get the program, and I really want to get into it, but it has been brutal trying to figure out the simple functions that I seek. I want to load in samples and play them back like newly created synth tones, and I’d like to tweak the sounds and apply some effects and such (which I will be able to do in Cubase 8, I already know this one). I hope I don’t sound too dumb for asking this.

2

Yes you can.

The piano roll is part of Cubase though. Halion has a “built in” keyboard, but not a piano roll. Halion inserts as an instrument track or rack instrument, so you have access to all the necessary midi editors.

If you drag a sample into the program tree it will automatically map it across the keyboard. You will have to create the loop points though.

Hope this helps.

3

Thanks for your response. I was able to drop the sample into the tree, but it did not map out individual notes. All that it did was play the sample back in the same note on several keys. Is there a specific type of file necessary? I used a wav. file.

4

Wav is fine. I only use wav without problems.

It could be that the sample is set to fixed pitch. If you go to Edit tab => Sample tab, check at the bottom that the sample editor is set to Main. There is a setting called Fixed Pitch which has to be off for all pitches to play…

5

I hope i understand the question, but i think you are looking for the following:

  • Search in het Halion browser for a program called the “init program” and load it
  • remove the mapping of that program in the edit-mapping tab, it will be a single mapping over the entire keyboard
  • locate your sample you want to use in a browser or in the media bay
  • throw your sample in to the edit-mapping tab on a root key you prefer (where you just had removed the mapping of the init program)
  • expand that mapping of your own sample to your needs (lower higher)
  • in the edit-zone tab search for Audiowarp and switch it to musical mode

That should get you started with basic (timestretched) sample playback from scratch in Halion.
Not the easiest way to get started with, but it’s a trade off on the GUI level.
Halion is a very extensive package and indeed not the easiest on the planet to get started with without background

kind regards,
R.

6

Thank you aposmus and roel! I’ll look into it at my first opportunity

7

Update: I have it working now, and I think the problem was loading the sample in as a fixed note. It immediately sounded great. Thanks for the info!