Steinberg Halion 5 Manual

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Editing Samples in the Sample EditorGeneral Operations
Auto-Scroll
When this option is activated, the waveform display is scrolled during playback, 
keeping the playback cursor visible in the editor.
Read Root Key and Tuning from File
This context menu option allows you to set the root key and tuning to the values that 
are saved in the sample file, if available.
•Right-click in the Sample editor, open the Sample submenu, and select “Read 
Root Key and Tuning from File”.
The current zone settings are overwritten by the sample file settings.
This option is only available if the corresponding information is available in the sample 
file.
Show File in Explorer
•Right-click in the Sample editor, open the Sample submenu, and select “Show in 
Explorer” (Win) or “Show in Finder” (Mac).
Editing Samples in an External Editor
HALion allows you to specify an external Sample editor application that can be used 
to perform destructive offline editing on a sample. You can specify the location of this 
application in the Edit section of the Options editor, see 
“External Wave Editor” on 
page 52.
Note that not all sample editors provide the same functionality and that certain 
features, like transferring the sample loop markers, are not always possible. To get the 
best results, use Steinberg’s WaveLab.
•To load the current sample in an external editor, right-click in the Sample editor, 
open the Sample submenu, and select “Load into External Editor”.
The external sample editor is launched and the sample is transferred.
ÖThe menu entry is only available if you specified an external editor in the Options 
editor.
To ensure a safe and consistent workflow, HALion creates a copy of the sample and 
writes it to a temporary folder. This folder can be specified in the Options editor. If 
none is specified, the temporary folder of the operating system is used.
Changes in the external editor are made to the copy of the sample. When you save the 
sample in the external editor, HALion recognizes that the temporary file has changed 
and asks if you want to update the sample.
When writing the sample to the temporary folder, HALion also includes information 
about loop settings. These can be modified in the external editor, too. When replacing 
the sample afterwards, the new loop settings are transferred back as well.
ÖSample start/end and release markers cannot be transferred to an external editor.
If a sample is referenced by several zones, transformations of the audio signal are 
audible for all zones.
ÖWhen you remove a zone or a program that contains a zone referring to a sample that 
is still opened in an external editor, you are asked to close the file in the external editor. 
This enables HALion to delete the temporary file, which is no longer needed. 
						

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Editing Samples in the Sample EditorCreating Loops
Channel View Options
The Sample editor allows you to display either all channels, a specific channel, or the 
sum of all channels. The corresponding options are located to the left of the waveform 
display. If no selection is made here, all channels are displayed.
ÖFor stereo samples the surround channel selectors are not available.
Creating Loops
In the Sample editor, you can specify two independent loops, one for the sustain and 
one for the release phase. 
To set up the sustain and the release loop, you can set the start and end positions 
manually and/or use the functions to automatically detect the positions. For a smooth 
loop you need to find positions at which the loop end can be continued naturally at the 
loop start.
The loop settings can be edited using the toolbar options and the handles in the 
waveform display, but they are also available as numerical values on the Loop tab in 
the parameters section.
Setting Up a Loop
If the loops are not activated in the zone parameters, no loop markers are shown in the 
waveform display. When selecting a loop type in the parameters section, the 
corresponding markers are shown. By activating the Edit Loop function on the Sample 
editor toolbar, the loop type is set and the loop markers are set to the sample 
start/end range or the selection, if available.
Selecting a Loop Type
By selecting an option from the Loop pop-up menu on the Loop tab in the parameters 
section, you define the loop type. The following options are available:
Moving Start and End Markers
The loop start and end markers can be set to suitable positions by dragging the 
marker handles. 
In edit mode, you can also press [Shift] and drag the audio before or after the loop end 
marker to adjust the end or start position (respectively).
Show Channel Sum
Show Right Channel
Show LFE Channel
Show Rear Right Channel
Show Rear Left Channel Show Center Channel Show Left Channel
OptionDescription
No LoopThe sample is played without loops. You can also use this 
option to remove existing loop markers.
ContinuousThe loop is played continuously until the end of the amplitude 
envelope.
OnceThe loop is repeated once.
Until Release (sustain 
loops only)The loop is repeated until you release the key on the keyboard. 
						

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Editing Samples in the Sample EditorCreating Loops
Detecting Loop Start and End Automatically
The loop detection functions search for loop marker positions taking into account 
similarities within the sample. You can specify the size of the sample portion that has 
to match before a loop is accepted. Furthermore, you can define the quality that 
suggested loop markers should match.
To automatically detect a loop, proceed as follows:
1.Activate the “Edit Loop” button on the Sample editor toolbar.
2.Use the “Find Previous Loop Start/End” or “Find Next Loop Start/End” buttons on 
the toolbar to detect suitable marker positions.
The loop markers are set accordingly.
The following settings on the Sample editor toolbar also influence the marker 
detection features:
OptionDescription
Loop TransitionThis option allows you to search for rather short loops 
(t
 = transition) or longer loops (T = Timbre).
It can be useful to search for longer loops if the sample contains 
longer sound progressions or beats that need to be included. 
That way you can prevent the resulting loop from becoming static. 
When set to Timbre, HALion also suggests loop marker positions 
that might not be optimal regarding the local transition, but best 
reflect the tonal progression of the sound. In this case, you can 
use the crossfade function to smooth out the loop.
ThresholdHALion internally detects a large number of possible loop marker 
positions that are more or less well suited for the loop. These 
positions are ranked internally according to quality. The Threshold 
control allows you to specify the ranking level a marker must have 
so that it can be used. With the highest setting, only few suitable 
positions are suggested.
Loop ScoreEach detected loop marker is evaluated and attributed a rating, or 
score, that provides additional information about how well loop 
start and end match.
Note that this value is only updated when using the loop find 
functions. 
						

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Editing Samples in the Sample EditorCreating Loops
Using Edit Mode
Edit mode is useful to fine-tune and adjust a loop. The waveform is updated to reflect 
the result of your loop settings.
•To activate edit mode, activate the Edit Loop icon (“e”) on the Sample editor 
toolbar.
•To select which loop (sustain or release) you want to see and adjust in edit mode, 
click the “Sustain/Release Loop” icon (S/R) on the toolbar.
When the icon is green, you are editing the sustain loop. For the release loop, the 
icon is red.
To better see how loop start and end are correlating, a part of the waveform is 
displayed in blue on top of the loop. This part is taken from an area around the loop 
start (+/- the loop length) and then shifted to the loop end. The better both waveforms 
correspond, the smoother the loop will sound.
Setting Up Loop Crossfades
To create smooth loops, you can use crossfades. To set up a loop crossfade, proceed 
as follows:
1.Activate the “e” button on the Sample editor toolbar to enter edit mode.
Crossfade handles are displayed on the waveform.
2.Click the “Sustain/Release Loop” icon (S/R) on the toolbar to select whether you 
want to edit the sustain or the release loop.
3.Drag the crossfade handles with the mouse, or specify the crossfade range 
numerically in the parameter section.
To see the effect of the crossfade, you can activate the “Show Resulting Loop 
Crossfade” option on the toolbar. When this is activated, the resulting waveform is 
displayed in red. 
						

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Editing Samples in the Sample EditorCreating Loops
Adjusting the Crossfade Curve
You can specify a linear curve, an equal power curve, or anything in between. 
•Drag the middle of the fade curve up or down, or adjust the Curve value in the 
parameters section.
Adjusting the Tuning
Using the Tuning option on the Loop tab in the parameters section, you can set the 
tuning of the loop. This is useful to adjust the frequency of the loop.
Using Loopsets A and B
In the Loopset section on the Loop tab in the parameters section, you can set up two 
different sets of loops for the same sample. This is useful to compare different 
versions of the same loop, for example.
Additional Loop Options
The following operations can be performed using options from the Sample editor 
context menu.
Creating Loops from Selections
You can use a selection range as the basis for a loop. Proceed as follows: 
1.Activate the “Play Selection Looped” icon on the Sample editor toolbar.
2.Click the “Play Sample” icon on the toolbar.
3.Adjust the selection until you are satisfied with the loop.
4.Right-click in the Sample editor, open the Selection submenu, and select “Set 
Sustain Loop to selection” or “Set Release Loop to selection”.
Reading Loop Information from Sample Files
The “Read Loop from File” option allows you to set loop markers to the values that are 
saved in the sample file.
•Right-click in the Sample editor, open the Sample submenu, and select “Read 
Loop from File”.
The current zone settings are overwritten by the sample file settings.
ÖThis option is only available if the corresponding information is available in the sample 
file.
Using the Loop Submenu
The Loop submenu on the context menu contains the following options:
CommandDescription
Copy Sustain Loop to 
Release LoopCopies the start/end marker positions of the sustain loop to 
the release loop. 
						

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Editing Samples in the Sample EditorCreating and Editing Slices
Creating and Editing Slices
You can slice samples in the Sample editor. This allows you to play them back in sync 
with the host application, for example.
•To access the slice editing features, select the Slice tab.
Creating Slices
1.In the Program Tree, select the sample that you want to slice.
The Sample editor toolbar and info line change to show the slice editing features.
2.Adjust the threshold, sensitivity, and beat grid parameters to set the slice markers 
automatically.
3.If necessary, move, add, or delete slice markers manually.
4.To create slices, click the Apply button in the upper right corner of the parameter 
section.
HALion creates zones from the slices. Together with a slice player that contains 
the MIDI sequence to play back the sliced loop, these zones are added to the 
Program Tree.
ÖYou can add and remove slice markers by [Alt]/[Option]-clicking in the editor. This 
adds or removes the corresponding zone in the Program Tree.
Copy Release Loop to 
Sustain LoopCopies the start/end marker positions of the release loop to 
the sustain loop.
Copy Loop A to B Copies the settings of loop A to loop B.
Copy Loop B to ACopies the settings of loop B to loop A.
Set Sustain Loop to 
Sample Start/EndSets the loop start and end marker positions to those of the 
sample start and end marker. This is useful for drum loops, for 
example.
Set Sample Start/End to 
Sustain LoopSets the sample start and end marker positions to those of 
the sample loop start and end markers. This can be used to 
create sliced loops from longer sample files.
Command Description 
						

							157
Editing Samples in the Sample EditorCreating and Editing Slices
ÖAfter slicing the sample, you can still edit the slice markers manually, but you cannot 
use the automatic slice detection.
ÖIf you change slice markers after creating slices, the sample start and end markers of 
the affected zones in the Program Tree are modified. If you add slice markers, new 
zones are added. If you remove slice markers, the corresponding zones are removed.
Revert
•To undo slicing and remove the layer with the sliced zones from the Program Tree, 
as well as any manual modifications to the slice markers, click the Revert button.
Reset
•To remove all slice markers that you edited manually and to reposition any moved 
markers, click the Reset button in the upper right of the parameter section.
Playing Back Slices
To play back or scrub slices, you can use the same tools as for playing back samples, 
see 
“Auditioning Samples” on page 148.
The Toolbar
When the Slice tab is selected, the toolbar contains the following slice-specific tools:
Play Slice
Switch to this mode to play slices when clicking them.
Lock Slices
Activate this button to prevent slice markers from being accidentally moved. Locked 
sliced are shown with red markers.
Jump to Previous/Next Slice
Click the previous/next buttons to jump from one slice to the next.
The Info Line
When the Slice tab is selected, the info line contains the following slice-specific 
settings:
Bars/Beats
Shows the length of the sample found by the automatic tempo detection, in bars and 
beats. You can adjust this value manually, which has an effect on the grid and the 
tempo.
Grid
Activate this button to display a grid.
Grid Resolution
Defines the grid resolution in note values.
Signature
Here, you can specify the time signature of the loop.
Offset
Offsets the grid by the specified value. 
						

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Editing Samples in the Sample EditorCreating and Editing Slices
The Parameter Section
The parameter section contains different parameters, depending on whether slices 
have been created or not.
If no slices have been created, the following parameters are available:
Slice Detection Mode
The slice detection automatically sets slice markers in the sample waveform. There are 
two modes for the slice detection: 
- Transient mode allows you to set the minimum peak level that a transient needs to 
become a slice marker.
- Grid mode sets the slice markers according to a beat grid. 
Transient and Grid mode can be combined to detect slices that match both 
conditions.
Threshold
Determines the minimum level that a transient must have to be detected as start of a 
new slice.
Sensitivity
The transient detection evaluates all transients and classifies them according to their 
quality. The Sensitivity control allows you to define the degree of quality that must be 
matched to set a slice marker.
Min Length
Determines the minimum length of a slice. Use this to avoid creating unwanted short 
slices.
Grid Catch
In Transient+Grid mode, you can use this control to specify how close to the grid a 
transient marker must be.
Export MIDI
To export your slice markers as MIDI phrase, drag the MIDI export field to your host 
sequencer or another destination that can handle MIDI files. This MIDI file is used to 
play the sliced loop.
ÖYou can export the MIDI phrase at any time. It is not necessary to create slices first.
Apply
Click this button to create slices. Click again to reset slicing and remove all manual 
marker edits.
Modifying Start and End of Individual Slices
Sometimes, it can be useful to shorten a slice without changing the position of the 
adjacent slice markers. This can be done by dragging the corresponding marker on 
the Sample tab. If you modify the end marker, the following slice start marker turns 
blue. If you modify the sample start marker of a slice, this marker turns blue.
ÖThis does not influence the timing of the note events of the MIDI phrase that triggers 
the loop. 
						

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Editing Samples in the Sample EditorCreating and Editing Slices
Editing Slices
When slices have been created, the parameter section changes to display the slice 
editing functions. Here, you can adjust Coarse Tune, Cutoff, Resonance, Distortion, 
Morph X, Morph Y, Level, and Pan. Furthermore, the parameters AUX1–4 are 
available on a separate AUX tab. Which parameters are available on the parameter 
section depends on the selected filter type and mode.
The functionality of the SEL/ALL and ABS/REL buttons is identical to that of the 
corresponding buttons in the Sound editor, see 
“Editing Selected Zones or All Zones” 
on page 98 and “Absolute and Relative Editing” on page 98.
Editing the parameter curves
You can edit the parameters using the controls as usual. If you click the parameter 
name above the control, you can also view and edit the corresponding parameter in 
the waveform display. Only one parameter can be shown at a time. To hide the 
parameter curve, click the name label again.
To edit the curve using the mouse, proceed as follows:
•To set the level of a slice, click in the graphical editor.
•To change the value of a single step, drag it up/down.
•To adjust all steps at once, [Shift]-drag a step.
•To reset a step to a level of 0 dB, [Ctrl]/[Command]-click the step.
•To reset all steps, [Shift]-[Ctrl]/[Command]-click in the graphical editor.
•To draw a ramp with steps, [Alt]/[Option]-click and draw a line.
The Aux Tab
AUX 1–4
You can send the signal of the selected slice to the global, or, if available, the local 
AUX busses. Use the controls to specify the level that is sent to each AUX bus.
Fade Out
Defines a fade out for the selected slices. This can be used to remove unwanted 
clicks if the audio material is difficult to slice. 
						

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Editing Samples in the Sample EditorCreating and Editing Slices
Replacing Samples
In the Program Tree, you can change the sound of specific samples, for example, to 
replace the snare drum in a drum loop. This can be done by replacing the sample or 
the sample zone. If you replace the sample, zone parameters like filter settings, etc. 
remain unaffected. If you replace the entire zone, the sample and all zone parameters 
are replaced.
You have the following options:
•In the Program Tree, drag the new sample or sample zone directly onto the sample 
or zone that you want to replace.
•Drag the new sample or zone from the Program Tree onto the slice in the slice 
editor that you want to replace.
If the replacement sample is longer than the original, you can change the playback 
mode of the zone to “One-Shot”, to make sure that the sample is played until the end.
ÖIn the slice editor, samples that were replaced are shown in a different color. 
ÖThe Slice editor does not show the waveform of the replaced sample, only the original 
sample waveform.
ÖRe-slicing the loop deletes all previously created zones. This means that any 
replacement samples are also discarded.