Hello and sorry in advance if this is easier than I’m making it out to be…
I have Cubase 15 Pro (updated to 15.0.30) With what I believe to be HALion Sonic 7.5 (updated from 7.0)
I would like to take advantage of the upgrade to the full version of HALion 7.5. My question and confusion are which upgrade path am I eligible to use in order to purchase it? On one hand I feel I should be eligible for the Upgrade/Update for either $39.99 or $59.99 having the latest version of HALion Sonic and I’m uncertain what “Sonic Collection” is.
Yet it also appears I’m only eligible for the full version for $139.99 due to a message that my version of HALion Sonic is considered the “free” version. I hardly feel the price of Cubase 15 Pro and what is included with it to be “free”.
So anyway, any help and/or clarification would be greatly appreciated. I would like to know what cost I’m getting into before proceeding…Many thanks in advance!!
Hi Chris, thanks for the interest in HALion 7.5. Indeed, Cubase Pro 15 comes with HALion Sonic 7.5, but this is just the player that you could also download for free from our website. It doesn’t come with any content. HALion Sonic Collection does come with content, and thus that version is eligible for an upgrade to HALion 7, whereas HALion Sonic itself isn’t.
This is mentioned on the shop page: “If you want to upgrade from the free HALion Sonic (e.g. included in Cubase) please buy the full version instead”.
So, the full version it is, I am afraid.
Hi @SoundPerf , if I could just add, from a long-time user’s perspective, there has never been a better time to pick up HALion. I see how the naming of the various products can be confusing, but Cubase and HALion are separate product lines, just like SpectraLayers and WaveLab, basic versions of which are also included in Cubase 15.
HALion is a very deep product so it might be an idea to try the free 30-day trial first. If you then find that you’re unlikely to want to create your own patches inside HALion, you also have the less expensive option of HALion Sonic Collection.
There is a very useful comparison table so you’ll be able to see what you get above and beyond your existing HALion Sonic.
Thanks…you bring up one of the things that is also making my decision a little tougher. I own a Yamaha Montage M8x which is a pretty deep machine and can produce very complex sounds which is what I like to do. I do tend to make atmospheric/cinematic music more as I get older. Not being an expert sound designer learning the M8x has been a process. I wonder if I’ll get the full use of another multi faceted sound design tool like the full version HALion. I do appreciate that the price right now for the full version is a very good deal. You also have a good point of just exploring Sonic Collection instead. Normally the present price of the promo wouldn’t be a big deal but I’m actually a guitarist first and I recently have spent a good bit of $$ in that area. While she’s very supportive, the wife can get a little stressed about credit card surprises. Thanks again…knowing me I’ll spring for the full version. It’s really too good to pass up.
Edit: I forget to add that the M8x has a poly after touch keyboard and supports MIDI 2.0. I have been following Windows implementation of native midi service and MIDI 2.0 and they are actually taking it seriously. So while it’s not exactly an Osmose like what Dom was using it would make good use of HALion 7.5.
It’s great to see such progress with MPE in HALion x 7.5 but I haven’t yet had time to explore it, and to get my head properly around working with MPE and Note Expression, and then there’s the close relationship between what Yamaha and Steinberg are doing together, so you are well served with the Montage in any case.
Another thing is, if you do go for the Sonic Collection, the upgrade to the full HALion is just the difference in price, which I’ve always thought was a very fair policy, so if you still want to upgrade, you could do so within the sale period with no penalty.
One final thing (but perhaps @Ed_Doll might confirm), but if the trial of HALion (full) is the same as the licensed version, you will find that running HALion Sonic 7.5 with the trial license provides access to all of the HALion (full) content if you install it, so this would be the equivalent (if I’m correct) of a purchased HALion Sonic Collection license. There doesn’t seem to be a separate trial license for just HALion Sonic Collection on its own.
Thanks again…knowing me I’ll spring for the full version. It’s really too good to pass up.