Voice Management Section

Voice Manager

Determines which Voice Management settings are applied to the selected layer.

• If this parameter is set to Off, the layer uses the Voice Management settings of the layer one level up in the hierarchy. If no layer with active Voice Management settings exists at this level, the settings of the program are used.

• If this parameter is set to On, you can make individual Voice Management settings for the selected layer.

• If this parameter is set to Program, the settings of the program are used, regardless of any Voice Management settings made for layers higher up in the hierarchy.

Voice Mode

Determines which notes are stolen during playback and whether new notes are triggered when the Polyphony setting is exceeded.

• Last Note Priority – New notes have playback priority over the notes that were played before them.

  If you exceed the maximum number of notes, the notes that were played first are stolen in chronological order (First in/First Out) and the new notes are triggered.

• First Note Priority – Older notes have playback priority over newer notes.

  If you exceed the maximum number of notes while older notes are still being held, no notes are stolen. New notes are only triggered if a free voice is available.

• Low Note Priority – Low notes have playback priority over higher notes.

  If you exceed the maximum number of notes by playing a lower note than the ones that are held, the highest note is stolen and the new note is triggered.

  If you exceed the maximum number of notes by playing a higher note than the ones that are held, no note is stolen and no new note is triggered.

• High Note Priority – High notes have playback priority over lower notes.

  If you exceed the maximum number of notes by playing a higher note than the ones that are held, the lowest note is stolen and the new note is triggered.

  If you exceed the maximum number of notes by playing a lower note than the ones that are held, no note is stolen and no new note is triggered.

• Steal Lowest Amplitude – New notes have playback priority over notes with a low amplitude.

  If you exceed the maximum number of notes, the note with the lowest amplitude is stolen and the newest note is triggered.

• Steal Released Notes – New notes have priority over notes that enter the release phase.

  If you exceed the maximum number of notes, the oldest note that is in its release phase is stolen and the new note is triggered.

  If no note is playing in release and you exceed the maximum number of notes, the first played notes are stolen in chronological order and the new notes are triggered.

Trigger Mode

Defines the trigger behavior for new notes.

• Normal triggers a new note when the previous note gets stolen. The sample and the envelope of the new note are triggered from the start.

  To minimize discontinuities, use the Fade Out parameter of the zone.

• Resume does not always trigger a new note.

  If the new note stays within the same zone, the envelope is retriggered, but resumes at the level of the stolen note. The pitch of the zone is set to the new note.

  If the new note plays in a different zone, the sample and the envelope of the new note are triggered from the start.

• Legato does not always trigger a new note.

  If the new note stays within the same zone, the envelope keeps running. The pitch of the zone is set to the new note.

  If the new note plays in a different zone, the sample and the envelope of the new note are triggered from the start.

• Resume Keeps Zone does not trigger a new note upon note stealing. The envelope resumes at the level of the stolen note and the pitch of the zone is set to the new note, even if the new note plays in a different zone.

• Legato Keeps Zone does not trigger a new note upon note stealing. The envelope keeps running and the pitch of the zone is set to the new note, even if the new note plays in a different zone.

Note

If Resume or Legato are selected, you might hear an unnatural attack, depending on the sample. To avoid this, activate Use Start Range on the Glide tab in the Voice Control section for the zone.

Voice Groups

Allows you to create and use voice groups, that is, groups of zones that can be edited together.

Poly Tab

The Poly tab contains the polyphony settings for programs and layers.

Mono

Activates monophonic playback. For solo instruments, this usually results in a more naturally sounding performance.

Mono can also be used for programs that use dedicated note-off layers. When the played note is released, the note-off layer is triggered.

Retrigger

This option is only available in Mono mode. If Retrigger is activated, a note that was stolen by another note is retriggered if you still hold the stolen note when you release the new one.

This way, you can play trills by holding one note and quickly and repeatedly pressing and releasing another note, for example.

Polyphony

When you play a note, one or multiple zones can be triggered. Each triggered zone equals a voice. The number of voices that you trigger with each note is displayed in the Voices field of the program. Use this parameter to set an upper limit for the number of notes that can be played simultaneously in polyphonic mode.

If a program has a lower Polyphony value than its layers, the maximum number of notes that you can play is limited by the Polyphony value of the program.

Key Poly

With this parameter, you can specify an upper limit for the number of notes that can be played for a key. The notes that were played last have priority. For this parameter to have an effect, the Mono button must be deactivated.

Note

Key Poly is limited by the Polyphony setting.

Low Amp

By default, the oldest note is removed first when notes are stolen due to a Key Poly limitation. If you want the note with the lowest amplitude to be removed instead, activate Low Amp.

Min Low Notes

Defines the number of low notes that cannot be stolen, regardless of the Voice Mode setting.

Make sure that the polyphony of the program is high enough for your specific Min Low Notes setting and allows to play additional higher notes.

Sus/Rel Tab

The Sus/Rel tab contains the sustain and release settings for programs and layers.

Ind Sustain

Activate this parameter to use individual sustain settings for the selected programs or layers.

Sustain Mode

While you hold the sustain pedal, HALion plays back the notes that you play repeatedly until the Key Polyphony value is reached. When you release the sustain pedal, the notes of the keys that are no longer held enter the release phase. Depending on the selected Sustain Mode, the notes of the keys that are still held either keep playing or also enter the release phase.

• If Hold Loudest is selected, the loudest note keeps playing.

• If Hold Last is selected, the last note that you played keeps playing.

• If Hold First is selected, the first note that you played keeps playing.

• If Hold All is selected, all notes keep playing.

• If Release All is selected, all notes enter the release phase.

Play Release

By default, the release phase of stolen notes is not played back and the notes fade out in the time specified by the Fade Out parameter of the zone. Activate this option to fade out the notes with their normal release phase instead.