Steinberg Media Technologies has released the trial version of HALion 4. The 60-day trial version is available through the Steinberg website and requires a USB-eLicenser dongle. The full retail version of HALion 4 is available through the Steinberg Online Shop and authorized Steinberg resellers for €349, including German VAT, and £295, including British VAT.

Combining sampling and synthesis technologies with mixing options, its unique morphing filter and FlexPhraser arpeggiator, the enhanced MegaTrig tool, more than 40 studio-grade effects and a vast library that spans over 1,600 sounds make HALion 4 an eminently powerful virtual instrument. HALion’s most prominent advantage is possibly the implementation of VST 3.5, with its innovative Note Expression for editing expression data polyphonically.

Features at a glance:

• 32-bit floating-point Steinberg audio engine with up to 192 kHz, 32 stereo outputs and 6-channel surround support.
• Flexible user interface for customizing and saving windows and screen sets.
• Multi-monitor support for perfect overview of large projects.
• Virtual Analog Synthesis Engine offers multiple oscillator types, additional sub and noise oscillators and cross-modulation support.
• VST 3.5 and VST Expression 2 support for unique instrument articulation management and expression control on single-note level.
• Flexible signal routing with free assignable buses per layer, virtual audio mixing console with 8 inserts per channel and 4 Aux sends.
• MegaTrig for easy programming of playing styles and articulations without page-filling scripting.
• Drag and drop for quick and easy sample mapping.
• Unlimited undo/redo plus Undo History for hassle-free sound experiments.
• Automatic on-the-fly mapping during import.
• Outstanding library with more than 1,600 instrument sounds created by top sound experts at Steinberg and Yamaha.
• 64-bit Disk-Streaming technology for high performance sample playback.
• Integrated MediaBay sound management system for immediate access to the library.
• Flexible Quick Controls per program and layer for instant access to sound and FX parameters and easy automation in the host.
• Unique morphing filters seamlessly blend between up to four of the 24 filter types.
• FlexPhraser module for dynamically driving beats and arpeggios, plus complex tonal phrases with automatic articulation switching.
• Wide range of audio effects on board including REVerence convolution reverb to fuel each program and layer with up to 8 insert effects.
• Advanced Cubase integration including seamless exchange of extended parameters like slice information and VST Expression Maps.
• Comprehensive import compatibility of HALion 3 sounds (FXP, HSB) and common formats as Giga, EXS and Kontakt.
• Professional standalone version included.
• Cross-platform compatibility with PC 32/64-bit (VST 3, VST 2.4) and Mac OS X 32/64-bit (VST 3, AU) plug-in support.