Halion 3 or Kontakt 2?

[ozinexile]

I guess this has been asked before, but anyway, here goes again.

I am a current user of Halion 2 with a number of commercial sample libraries that are either multi format or ones I have converted from Giga 2.5 or EXS. I also map my own samples and create instruments within Halion. Everything has been working well but I feel it is time for an update. I'm looking for new ways to use the samples I have.

I have EWQLSO Gold which entitles me to an upgrade to K2 and there are a few places in the UK that are still advertising the cheap upgarde price of £180. I've checked the features of both and am leaning torwards K2. Is there any reason why I should stay with Halion, apart from the lower upgrade price of £70? Does anyone have experience with both?

What is the efficiency like for both samplers. My machine is a P4 3.4 Ghz HT with 1.5 Gig ram running Sonar 4 that runs beautifully at the moment.

Cheers

[jasonsantiago]

Kontakt 2. Halion is not that good, I actually like version one the best, oddly enough.

[dougsyo]

Since you already have Halion2, I'd go with Kontakt2 over Halion3, for multiple reasons.

Doug

[mbncp]

I use hal2/3 as a sampler and k2 as a rompler.
Had a lot of problems importing giga and akai into k2 , hal did always a fine job.
Also k2 doesn't support folders, editing is always absolute, no per sample editing, only groups (try to import a 'complex' giga and you'll see what I mean). This makes editing really crappy, so make sure to keep hal2.

[Rhythmic]

Everything has been working well but I feel it is time for an update.

My machine is a P4 3.4 Ghz HT with 1.5 Gig ram running Sonar 4 that runs beautifully at the moment.

Cheers

In the years I have dealt with professional music software, etc. I have to ask why you REALLY feel you need to fix something that isn't broke? According your above statements you have a good setup running so why mess with it? Unecessary upgrades of any kind (in my experience) has caused a lot of UNNECESSARY grief. Something to think about also before you decide to upgrade or not.

[kevink]

I've never used Halion, but I've been a Kontakt owner since 1.1. By all reports, Kontakt is easier on the CPU than Halion, and of course it imports Kontakt format better than Halion does. On the other hand, EXS import has never worked properly in Kontakt, and Native Instruments has been negligent to the point of abuse in their lack of support for Kontakt end-user customers. That having been said, I've never heard anyone say that Halion was better supported by Steinberg.

My own setup is Kontakt 1.5.3 (I refuse to give NI another dime for an upgrade to K2) plus VSampler 3.5. VSampler is a really underrated product. The user interface is chaotic, but the sound quality is actually very good, and it imports EXS and other formats far better than Kontakt, for far less money.