Halion 6 & Absolute 3

[wagtunes]

Okay, I think I understand now. That's a lot more involved than going into ArcSyn's mod matrix and choosing the word RANDOM.

Have to agree with the OP. Why can't HALion 6 just have a simple RANDOM source?

It's a fair point, regardless of how much control you have over your "randomness" the way it's set up now.

[SJ_Digriz]

Okay, I think I understand now. That's a lot more involved than going into ArcSyn's mod matrix and choosing the word RANDOM.

Have to agree with the OP. Why can't HALion 6 just have a simple RANDOM source?

It's a fair point, regardless of how much control you have over your "randomness" the way it's set up now.

I'm not going to answer because we will just circle jerk back to where we are now. Heck mono already pointed out the answer in his initial reply. But, there's random and then there's what kind of random. As soon as there is choice, there are settings.

[wagtunes]

Okay, I think I understand now. That's a lot more involved than going into ArcSyn's mod matrix and choosing the word RANDOM.

Have to agree with the OP. Why can't HALion 6 just have a simple RANDOM source?

It's a fair point, regardless of how much control you have over your "randomness" the way it's set up now.

I'm not going to answer because we will just circle jerk back to where we are now. Heck mono already pointed out the answer in his initial reply. But, there's random and then there's what kind of random. As soon as there is choice, there are settings.

I understand that. And I also understand the advantage of being able to control your randomness. With ArcSyn it's just pick the word and you get whatever it is the synth decides to throw at you.

But the point still stands. HALion 6 is a more involved process than ArcSyn's. That's all he's saying and it's not even open to dispute. It's just a fact. End of story.

[monomaker]

Are you conceding that all of the steps I listed are necessary in order to achieve the result? If so, how did I exaggerate the difficulty? I even pointed out you can save the LFO as a preset.

My entire point is that using LFO as a random number generator is a convoluted process and is easier in many synths by merely making random functions available as a source for modulation.

Anyway, actual good news - I can soundly beat my own method. You don't need the LFO's, I had already said about using the noise function to do it but I've just spotted a modification to make this method work for static values :

1) Select Noise as source.
2) Beneath that in the sidechain select Sample & Hold -> Trigger on Note On.
3) Win

This method is FAR superior, because it seems from my tests so far every time you note on any instances of noise being S&H'ed will produce a different random number. Plus it's far quicker than the LFO preset method.

I feel like this has been very productive and will increase the usefulness of Halion for me.

[wagtunes]

Are you conceding that all of the steps I listed are necessary in order to achieve the result? If so, how did I exaggerate the difficulty? I even pointed out you can save the LFO as a preset.

My entire point is that using LFO as a random number generator is a convoluted process and is easier in many synths by merely making random functions available as a source for modulation.

Anyway, actual good news - I can soundly beat my own method. You don't need the LFO's, I had already said about using the noise function to do it but I've just spotted a modification to make this method work for static values :

1) Select Noise as source.
2) Beneath that in the sidechain select Sample & Hold -> Trigger on Note On.
3) Win

This method is FAR superior, because it seems from my tests so far every time you note on any instances of noise being S&H'ed will produce a different random number. Plus it's far quicker than the LFO preset method.

I feel like this has been very productive and will increase the usefulness of Halion for me.

Well, I just purchased HALion and as busy as I've been haven't been able to dive into it yet. But I do see that this is one piece of software where I'm going to have to dive into the manual and watch some videos because I'm a bit lost trying to find my way around blindly. This thing is quite immense and involved.

Funny, I don't remember Falcon being this complex.

[SJ_Digriz]

conceded, the steps are necessary 1 time ...

You know ... I never saw that Sample&Hold in the sidechain slot before .. damn Good find. I've used it for other stuff, but can't figure out why I never saw the S&H in the menu.

[monomaker]

At least you know how to randomise parameters easily now!

I've tested a bit more and that method really does make a new number for every instance, so even if you use it a dozen times in a single zone, all of the numbers will be different.

Have fun with Halion, it is a world in and of itself. I might try doing some scripting with it next to attempt to get it to do some of the other things I wished it could (specifically, full keyboard microtuning).

[monomaker]

I've used it for other stuff, but can't figure out why I never saw the S&H in the menu.

Probably because it's only in the sidechain menu - p143 of the manual.

[SJ_Digriz]

Funny, I don't remember Falcon being this complex.

In many ways, starting with Falcon will be a detriment because the general layout is similar.

Halion has a lot deeper editing capability .. A LOT deeper. I think Falcon effects are better, and there are some editing things that are lot easier in Falcon. But, once you see how deep that rabbit hole goes you'll see why a lot of those design choices exist.

There are some quicky things that if you just get this, the rest is just figuring out the details.

IMO, just right click and clear the default preset from the top left dialog. The top left is very similar to Falcon. One preset per channel that can be saved as a patch with its audio and MIDI routing. Or, you can load a bunch of patches there and save a multi.

On the top right there is the preset flow representation. This is sort of like a more condensed version of the tree view in Falcon. Above the tree view is a couple of buttons for adding things. Once you've cleared the default preset .. Add the Synth "zone" to the empty preset (although your empty preset probably has a couple of MIDI block on it, like MegaTrig. That's normal .. don't sweat it)

Zones are the various signal generator engines (synth, drawbar, granular, wavetable) Click the edit button then the zone button on the middle panel. The signal flows from top to bottom in each engine, until you get passed the amp, then it's the internal engine modulators. There are global modulators that can be added in that right hand tree view.

Once the synth zone edit window makes sense. Load one of the sample based zones (granular or sample). These have multiple sub editors for the sample so are a little more complicated. But still, each zone is basically a self contained synth architecture going from top to bottom, with modulators at the bottom.

Once you get the top right tree view and the zone edit window figured out, the rest is just practice.

[wagtunes]

Funny, I don't remember Falcon being this complex.

In many ways, starting with Falcon will be a detriment because the general layout is similar.

Halion has a lot deeper editing capability .. A LOT deeper. I think Falcon effects are better, and there are some editing things that are lot easier in Falcon. But, once you see how deep that rabbit hole goes you'll see why a lot of those design choices exist.

There are some quicky things that if you just get this, the rest is just figuring out the details.

IMO, just right click and clear the default preset from the top left dialog. The top left is very similar to Falcon. One preset per channel that can be saved as a patch with its audio and MIDI routing. Or, you can load a bunch of patches there and save a multi.

On the top right there is the preset flow representation. This is sort of like a more condensed version of the tree view in Falcon. Above the tree view is a couple of buttons for adding things. Once you've cleared the default preset .. Add the Synth "zone" to the empty preset (although your empty preset probably has a couple of MIDI block on it, like MegaTrig. That's normal .. don't sweat it)

Zones are the various signal generator engines (synth, drawbar, granular, wavetable) Click the edit button then the zone button on the middle panel. The signal flows from top to bottom in each engine, until you get passed the amp, then it's the internal engine modulators. There are global modulators that can be added in that right hand tree view.

Once the synth zone edit window makes sense. Load one of the sample based zones (granular or sample). These have multiple sub editors for the sample so are a little more complicated. But still, each zone is basically a self contained synth architecture going from top to bottom, with modulators at the bottom.

Once you get the top right tree view and the zone edit window figured out, the rest is just practice.

Thanks. This will probably help a lot. Right now, my eyes are just glazing over looking at this thing.

[SJ_Digriz]

Oh, 1 more little nugget ..

Each entry in that right hand tree view has a corresponding window or panel in the middle section. However, clicking on the right doesn't always focus in the middle pain. So, learning which button to click in the middle panel to show the editor for the thing you have selected on the right is important. I've FR'ed cleaning that up multiple times ...

[wagtunes]

Oh, 1 more little nugget ..

Each entry in that right hand tree view has a corresponding window or panel in the middle section. However, clicking on the right doesn't always focus in the middle pain. So, learning which button to click in the middle panel to show the editor for the thing you have selected on the right is important. I've FR'ed cleaning that up multiple times ...

Thanks. If I get lost, I'll know where to come.

[SJ_Digriz]

Thanks. This will probably help a lot. Right now, my eyes are just glazing over looking at this thing.

Yeah, getting over that first hurdle of "wtf am I looking at" is tough. That's why I advocate looking at just that right hand list, and the synth zone editor itself. Don't worry about all the other buttons, tabs, lists and doodads. Those will make a ton more sense once you see the relationship between the items in the right hand list, and the editors that are available in the middle panel. And really, the engines are really straight forward once you realize that they are exactly what you already know but in a top to bottom signal flow.

Eventually you'll be able to make window sets so that you can customize the windows that are open for each zone type. It took me forever to find a suitable window set for the Wavetable synth .... can't wait for you to mess with that, you think your head is spinning now ROFL

[wagtunes]

Thanks. This will probably help a lot. Right now, my eyes are just glazing over looking at this thing.

Yeah, getting over that first hurdle of "wtf am I looking at" is tough. That's why I advocate looking at just that right hand list, and the synth zone editor itself. Don't worry about all the other buttons, tabs, lists and doodads. Those will make a ton more sense once you see the relationship between the items in the right hand list, and the editors that are available in the middle panel. And really, the engines are really straight forward once you realize that they are exactly what you already know but in a top to bottom signal flow.

Eventually you'll be able to make window sets so that you can customize the windows that are open for each zone type. It took me forever to find a suitable window set for the Wavetable synth .... can't wait for you to mess with that, you think your head is spinning now ROFL

Oh joy. I can't wait. (sarcasm noted) lol

[SJ_Digriz]

so for now think of the synth zone like it is retrologue (because it actually in many way is) or if you don't have that, a basic synth. So, in the zone editor, you are making a patch for Retrologue ... only no fancy GUI. In the right hand list you can have a shitload of instances of Retrologue.