Halion Sonic

[danbroad]

I do see, however, that we're all hoping Halion Sonic will be workstation-like in different ways. I want the arp/flexphraser function, others want high quality realistic sounds.

Also interesting to note [and this is better in the hardware section, probably] that the Motif XS is still the daddy of workstations, with a market share of nearly 50% despite being one of the most expensive [second to the Kurzweil of the major players..]. Having owned a Korg M3 and a Motif XS, the M3 was really the poor relation, despite the better GUI.

Eric [or anyone], have you played with this yet? Still waiting on any opinion about the arps. Are they Motif-like in operation and usefulness?

[Uncle E]

Eric [or anyone], have you played with this yet? Still waiting on any opinion about the arps. Are they Motif-like in operation and usefulness?

We'll have it on our demo system soon and anyone in Southern California is welcome to come by to try it out. There's an Alesis Andromeda set up as the controller, too, so you'll have a good time.

[standalone]

I don't know if it has been already mentioned, but Windows XP is not officially supported:

http://www.steinberg.net/en/products/vs ... loads.html

[bobbybland]

I recently bought a copy of HS2 again,thank goodness 4 grymmjack,just in case HS doesn't do it for me,but I think it will,with Yamaha's sound designers on board,it should be nice.. To the guy trying to compare this plugin to the tyros I've played the tyros,and for 249.00 u ain't getting that type of quality. The tyros is a beautiful sounding board/arranger,which cost's more then the top workstations. We'd be lucky if we'd get a couple sounds in HS that could sound close to a Tyros.What you can do is get some really great D/A converters and nice monitors,n room,and it won't be as bad

Seriously though,I hope to hear more reviews on the product once folks get it in their hands,if it's an improvement in sound over Hypoersonic 2, I'll be stoked, just my 2cts..

And Dj Anthony nailed it, Omni and Alchemy are not romplers,they are synth's period that may have a few wannabe rompler sounds,but they don't sound like a workstation at all.. Dj Anthony,where'd you play that power brass from? It sounds awfully familiar

[djanthonyw]

Dj Anthony,where'd you play that power brass from? It sounds awfully familiar

Nexus.

[bobbybland]

Dj Anthony,where'd you play that power brass from? It sounds awfully familiar

Nexus.

[djanthonyw]

Dj Anthony,where'd you play that power brass from? It sounds awfully familiar

It might sound familiar because it sounds EXACTLY like the brass in
Madonna - 4 Minutes!

[danbroad]

To the guy trying to compare this plugin to the tyros I've played the tyros,and for 249.00 u ain't getting that type of quality. )

bobby, I remember you used the same username on the motifator forums - so you're familiar with what the XS can do. I'm not so bothered about the sound quality [although my DA converters are as good as the Yamaha's in my present setup] as I am about the arranger functions.

It's not, for me, so much about the realism of the brass or winds. It's about those arranger functions. I want a plugin that'll let me play - with both hands and in realtime, live - four or more parts that intelligently create the sound of a rock band, or an orchestra, or a jazz four-piece, or a dance track. I can layer these same sounds up track-by-track in the sequencer [I've been doing that for many years], but layering isn't as immediate when all I want to do is play and 'rock out'..

From the XS, do you remember the combis such as '2 guitars for Mrs R' or 'Bristol'? That's not so much about the sound, as the intelligent use of MIDI Data.

With the left hand playing a bass, the Motif recognises your chord structures to create latched drum grooves and sympathetic rhythm guitar strums whilst still letting you play whatever you want on bass. Likewise, the right hand can noodle away but the chordal structure is recognised and you might have piano, hammond or synth arps filling out the upper registers. So you can play your own bass and lead, but all these accompaniments are going on in the background, courtesy of chord recognition and programmed arpeggios.

Show me a VSTi that can do that, because 1] I can't find one in software, and 2] there's no reason it couldn't be done, because all that is is a combination of well written MIDI arpeggios and MIDI data recognition.

If anyone's unfamiliar with the concept I mean, watch the ever-Dutch Yamaha madman genius Bert Smorenburg here:


Hardware workstations still do something that software doesn't - even though software is vastly superior in so many ways, it doesn't cater for those 'just want to play, like I did on a home keyboard' moments. There's a place for both.

[Uncle E]

Show me a VSTi that can do that, because 1] I can't find one in software, and 2] there's no reason it couldn't be done, because all that is is a combination of well written MIDI arpeggios and MIDI data recognition.

Would Catanya help?

http://www.7aliens.com/product-catanya.php

[danbroad]

I've looked at this before, and no doubt with clever setup it's close, but I'm hoping Halion Sonic does away with a great deal of the setup time.

If I had the time, I'm sure the 7aliens product would let me do pretty much the same thing - I will note, however, that it'd mean running separate plugs for all the different groove elements - not a problem on my latest machine power-wise, but HS/the motif allow automation control from the front panel - without having to delve into the individual instrument GUI's and adopting several methods of VSTi control.

As it stands, Catanya [and Sonar's input arps] is the nearest thing to the workstation ethos I've yet seen.

[bobbybland]

danbroad,
I got ya, from what I've gathered this won't be on the same level at all,just basic performing,layers,splits,program changes,combi stuff.Programming on softsynth's/daw's haven't got as far along as the tyros or korg arranger imo.I do remember the patches,the way those patches reacted we're exactly where I'd love to see more instruments head,with accompaniments etc.. Hopefully this thing sells good,and more n more performers start asking for these features.K4 scripting is getting better,but I KNOW what your saying.The smarts in arrangers are thinking when your thinking,and that's a cool process,one day I'd like to own one as a master controller n feed it out to my daw/n synths n make alot of noise.. good luck on whatever you decide. I'm getting it,to test drive soon. I'm all for Steinberg/Yamaha stepping forward here,and getting back to business with what looks to be a great rompler.
cheers

[AdeVanEx]

I don't know if it has been already mentioned, but Windows XP is not officially supported:

http://www.steinberg.net/en/products/vs ... loads.html

from Gerrit Junge

Officially, Windows XP is not supported anymore. Nevertheless we made a lot of tests with Windows XP here inhouse and to my knowledge there is nothing that should keep you away from using HALion Sonic with Windows XP.
But as Windows XP is not supported anymore and this information is supplied without liability, I would suggest to wait and see the experiences of users who have/use XP and Vista or Win7 to keep the risk as low as possible.

[standalone]

That's what I suspected.

[AdeVanEx]

That's what I suspected.

I will wait for you to try it first

[standalone]

That's what I suspected.

I will wait for you to try it first

Meanwhile, don't hold your breath. I'll wait too.