Sample Slicing

Virtual instruments
#1

I’ve had HALion 4.5 for a while now and am just getting into using the Sampler aspects (been using it as a synth engine while learning the ins/outs). I have a question on sample editing; it looks like there is no “edit” functions in HALion to do things like Slicing. Would I need to get something like Wavelab to do edits to HALion Samples? Or should I just use Cubase’s Sample editor?

I’m currently just dragging in Samples I’ve recorded from a Cubase track, so let’s say I have a four bar Sample that I want to mangle a bit should I just create slices in Cubase Sample editor then drag them in?

In some cases I could use HALion modulation or put a few start/end tags on the sample to I do the tricks but that really depends on what I am going after. It would be easier to just import the Sample and cut it up in HALion.

Also, if Wavelab is the answer would Wavelab Elements be good enough?

Thanks,

x.

#2

Cubase’s slicing function works just fine for this, so yes, you can slice in Cubase and simply drag these slices to an empty slot in HALion. This will automatically create a ‘slice player’ module, with which each slice will be placed on its own zone. You can now freely rearrange the slices to your liking, all while keeping in time with your projects tempo. You can create layers and have each of these slices processed differently from one another etc. HALion has extremely powerful slice ‘playing’ functions, it just cannot perform the actual slices itself.

Oh ya, let us not forget the randomize function either, which most times, can come up with some pretty clever new arrangements for your slices, that are totally usable and that you likely wouldn’t have come up with yourself in such a short period of time. Top stuff!

#3

Cantankerous, thanks for the info. I messed around with the loop layering/maximizing functions and got some crazy results (what I was looking for). Looks like all I need is this the Cubase sample editor and some pre-import slicing.

What if I wanted to edit the sample after import? Can I call up the Cubase sample editor from Halion (I would be running Halion in the vst instrument rack, so Cubase would be running).

#4

What you could do, is drag the sample out of HALion back into Cubase, you can drag and drop freely to and from them both!

#5

good to know!