Steinberg updates HALion (incl. Player, String Edition, Symphonic Orchestra & OEM) and The Grand (incl. Universal Binary)

Steinberg has released updates for HALion, HALion Player, HALion Player OEM, HALion Symphonic Orchestra, HALion String Edition and The Grand; all include Universal Binary support on Mac OS X.

The new versions:

• HALion v3.3.0.450 (link)
• HALion Player v3.3.0.450 (link)
• HALion Player OEM v3.3.0.450 (link)
• HALion String Edition v2.3.0.450 (link)
• HALion Symphonic Orchestra v1.3.0.450 (link)
• The Grand v2.3.0.450 (link)

As these are all based on the HALion engine only the changes for the full version of HALion are shown below. You can access the individual change lists for the other plug-ins from their respective links.

Improvements:

• Support for Mac Intel platform. To install 3.3 there are two options:
  • Install HALion from original DVD like usual and afterwards run the 3.3 web updater application.
  • Run the Web Updater application and afterwards copy and locate the content files manually (HSB files -> browser page -> HALion content folder -> locate content).
• Kontakt 2 and GIGAstudio 3 files can be imported now.
• Performance improvements when using Waldorf filters.
• New global-menu entry: "Save as Default Bank". It allows saving the current bank as default bank. This bank will be used the next time you reload the plug-in
• New overlap operation mode: each sample has an overlap value. This value allows the player (engine) to limit the number of played note for a given key and sample with or without sustain pedal.
• New editing option for the trackball: [Alt]/[Option] for Pitch only, [Shift]+[Alt]/[Option] for Modulation only.
• Browser: new button "abc" for alphabetic sorting
• The disk-streaming LED has a peak function now. If a disk-streaming error occurs, the ring around the LED will turn red and stay red until you click on it.
• Standalone PC: you can now avoid "emulated Direct Music Ports" by putting a file called "ignorefilter" next to the HALion.dll (exe). Afterwards all MIDI ports show up in "preferences".
• Standalone: new option in preferences for standalone. It allows receiving MIDI from selected port instead from Rewire connection. Audio will still stream over Rewire. This can be useful for plugging in MIDI manipulation applications in the MIDI chain between Sequencer output and HALion (use a virtual MIDI loopback driver like "MIDI Yoke NT" to do this).

Fixes:

• Fixed a possible crash when opening instrument-chooser on any slot and sending Cubase to background.
• Sometimes a "Wrong Output Configuration"" message popped up, even though the current settings were correct. Fixed.
• At LFO-frequency of 0.00 sometimes the LFO added alternating values playing different pitches
• Improved Akai import of velocity layers.
• Fixed several Roland Import problems.
• Fixed a possible crash issue when clicking on big GIGAtsudio files in the browser.
• Kurzweil and EMU stereo samples are imported correctly now.
• Import of 8bit samples could lead to a crash.
• The Step Envelope Preset-list is updated properly now.
• Wavepage / Envelopes: fixed a zoom issue on long samples
• Fixed problems with relative edit mode on sound page.
• Velocity X-Fade works correctly now.
• Fixed further condition which could lead to DC-problems.
• Finally fixed an issue that lead to a crash when closing a song using HALion.
• MIDI-In Indicator works properly now if no Program or Bank is loaded
• Options: Improved mouse behaviour with "Move only with shift" option enabled.
• Options: Quality settings beneath 12% could lead to strange noises.
• Standalone: tempo and time signature settings in preferences are stored now.
• Standalone PC: fixed a possible crash when the hardware audio / MIDI device set in preferences changed.
• OSX: Further improved AU compatibility.