HALion Sonic from Steinberg is a workstation virtual instrument that is both versatile and easy to use. Over a thousand instrument sounds created by top sound experts offer a huge number of synthesizer sounds hybrid and acoustic instruments covering almost any conceivable style. The intuitive interface offers seamless handling and the sheer endless possibilities of creating entirely new landscapes deliver unlimited sonic dimensions. 

The audio and synthesizer engine that powers HALion Sonic is built on Steinberg's VST3-based HALion 4 sampler. Four different modes guarantee sonic variety - high performance disk-streaming sample playback for recreating natural instruments including all articulations and a dedicated sliced-loop mode for using and abusing loop-based beats. A drum mode provides all the tools needed to produce studio-grade drum tracks and finally a complete and fully editable virtual analog synthesis engine offers a full range of sounds and timbres. 

All 4 modes include unique morphing filters which seamlessly blend between up to 4 of the 24 different filter types. Virtually unlimited polyphony provides enough creative headroom and allows for up to 16 individual programs to sound at the same time. Each program is made of up to 4 different sound layers and features its own effect rack with up to 4 insert slots being able to access one of the 16 effect types including reverb modeling or the great sounding rotary cabinet emulation.

Ultimate virtual workstation

Full sonic power

A powerful multi-timbral audio engine with disk-streaming sample playback, a tone-wheel organ simulator and high-end virtual analog and granular synthesis — HALion Sonic offers a staggering level of sonic variety, with everything you need to bring your musical ideas to fruition. From ultra-realistic sample-based instruments to out-of-this-world granular textures and razor-sharp wavetable synthesis the HALion Sonic audio engine delivers at the highest level.

Studio and stage

Performance advantage

With its reliability and dazzling audio quality, HALion Sonic not only meets the requirements of professionals today, but also provides the best-sounding audio engine that was ever developed by Steinberg. Featuring multi-core support, the efficiency provided by sample compression technology and the RAM Save Mode, HALion Sonic is the new creative powerhouse at the heart of your production.

Outstanding library

The library

HALion Sonic features a remarkably extensive library including thousands of patches comprising both synthesized sounds and breathtakingly authentic acoustic instruments. Created by Steinberg and Yamaha sound designers, the world-class library combines simple, immediately playable expressiveness with superb sounding instruments and exclusive sounds. HALion Sonic covers an enormous range of styles, all the way from finest acoustic instruments to legendary synthesizers, club sounds and soundscapes, from ultra-realistic drum kits to the latest electronic beats.

HALion Sonic 3 introduces more than 700 new sounds in 6 brand-new instruments with quick access macro pages such as the Anima wavetable synthesizer, Hot Brass brass section and two new grand pianos.

FlexPhraser

Based on Yamaha’s legendary Motif Technology, the FlexPhraser in HALion Sonic adds stunning phrases and complex patterns to your sounds. Beyond dozens of different arpeggio types, FlexPhraser is the perfect tool for playing complete instrument patterns in sync to the host with a touch of a single key!

With the new user phrase editor, you can create your own patterns and phrases, letting you set velocity and pitch for sounds in up to 32 steps, while harnessing the additional power of two controller lanes driving even more parameters like filters and effects.

MediaBay

The highly intuitive design of the integrated MediaBay sound management system makes it a breeze to organize and find the desired samples, layers and presets. HALion Sonic minimizes search times and grants instant access to any sound within the huge content library.

Full control

Each instrument from the massive HALion Sonic library comes with eight predefined Quick Controls, offering lightning fast access to the most important settings for that sound. The eight SoftPads not only allow you to trigger specific notes or fire a phrase sequence from the FlexPhraser module, but also to take snapshots of chords which can then be triggered in a different order to create new chord progressions. All SoftPads and Quick Controls inside HALion Sonic feature MIDI Learn support and can be assigned to a MIDI controller within nanoseconds.

In the mix

Mix page

The Mix Page offers full access to the instrument slot settings, comprising level and pan as well as the aux effect sends and the output selector. Each of the 16 individual outputs can be freely assigned to any of the 16 instrument slots, making routing and mixing smooth and convenient.

High-quality effects

With its complete suite of 61 audio effect processors, including gems like the REVerence convolution reverb from Cubase, the unique Morph Filters or the acclaimed VST Amp simulation, HALion Sonic delivers that professional extra-touch in the mix or on stage — right out of the box. All effects can be directly added to each program or layer, implemented as an aux effect send or routed to the master output.

Cubase integration

Perfect workflow with Cubase

HALion Sonic perfectly integrates with Cubase: insert your VST workstation as VST Instrument or Instrument Track. The MediaBay integration also makes the process of finding and working with presets much faster and simpler.

VST Expression 2

HALion Sonic supports VST Expression 2 for full articulation and controller editing inside Cubase! VST Expression 2 makes working with instrument articulations as easy as it should be. Instead of handling all those MIDI controllers for switching articulations, it allows seamlessly integrated editing and full control over multiple articulations within the Key and Score Editors of Steinberg’s award-winning advanced music production system Cubase.