I am trying to use for GENERAL MIDI the "HALION SONIC SE" vst but seems to be NOT COMPATIBLE, errors appearing.

Anyone using it? what GENRAL MIDI generator can i use?

THanks
Montxo

I don't use Halion SE but have it and just loaded it (i.e., I added the Halion Sonic dll) and it works and plays?


what errors are you getting?

Maybe delete the VST from the list (Plugins - > Options - > Remove VST )


then ADD the .dll again

Larry

Hi Larry,
- I can open it in the plugins dialog ( for example, assigned to the Default Synth)
- Open a MIDI file
- an PLAY. It seems to receive the midi data ( the leds bars moves on the tracks) BUT I can not make it to sound. Seem to recieve the data but NO SOUND at all.

Any idea?

which bars where?


do you have Sonic set for GM mode? (Options, then look for Global group third one down, then the "Program Changes" click it and select GM mode

For BIAB, unless you assign each track to a unique Halios Sonic SE instrument, you'll need to set it to GM mode (as Larry indicated) for it to respond automatically to each track. I've not used Sonic SE, but that's how the Halion Sonic itself works (the full Halio ships with Halion Sonic, which is what I now use as my default GM synth for BIAB).

Hi Larry,
thanks for help.. but I cannot find where to set SONIC for GM mode nor the GLOBAL group you mention nor the Program Changes. you mention.
I have BIAB 2019(634)

Can you please tell me the location?
THanks.

Montxo

Hi John,
thanks for the reply.
My english is basic: Do you mean that you now use HALION SONIC as you GM generator with BIAB?

If you load a MIDI file, the instruments on the diferent track (all tracks in the 6th track of the BIBA mixer) are played by HALION SONIC?

THanks,
Montxo

Hi Larry,
sorry, my english is bad.
What do you mean with: " which bars where?"

THanks
Montxo

Hope this helps if you set it like this it plays all tracks as a GM Module.

Hi Beatmaster,
thanks a lot.

Ok, the problem is that I have not see that window for Halion SONIC. I am trying to use the version included with CUBASE 9 Halion Sonic SE 2 which seems to be NOT compatible with BIAB.
What version is that? is it version 3 of CUBASE 10?

Thanks a lot,
Montxo

I suspect if that SE version came bundled WITH Cubase then that particular version only works in Cubase.


Other DAW's have similar "special" versions of software or plugins that only work inside that DAW.

An example: Samplitude comes with Independence Pro (it is like Halion) but it only works in Samplitude.

Mixcraft has some special edition VSTi's that only work in Mixcraft; Sonar had VST's that only worked in Sonar; FL Studio has a few,...

Larry

I think it was Cubase lite version this came with, Think Larry might be coerrect.

I am, look here at comparison chart. You can get Sonic SE for free but it comes with NO sounds. When used in Cubase it has access to SOME (looks like3GB's) sounds but only when in Cubase



https://www.steinberg.net/en/products/vst/halion_and_halion_sonic/product_comparison.html

I'm pretty sure I also have Sonic SE. I'll give it a try and let you know.

Okay, I have Sonic SE v3, not v2. I think v2 got overwritten when I upgraded my Cubase Artist to the latest version. In version 3, you can definitely set it for GM mode (see below). I also loaded a MIDI file onto the Melody track and everything played properly (with or without the style enabled).

Since I don't have Sonic SE v2 anymore (Steinberg seems to deactivate previous versions when you upgrade), I can't test that one unfortunately. But Sonic SE v3 definitely works as a GM synth for BIAB.

John is right, a virgin SE (i.e., no other version of Halion installed) should work outside Cubase - assuming it works in Cubase (meaning you have the sound libraries, as well as Sonic SE, properly installed)

John's picture points out what to look for.

And given Steinberg says their FREE version will have access to a “…plethora of sound content…” i.e., any Steinberg sound set that’s installed there should be no reason the Cubase included HALion Sonic SE wouldn’t work outside Cubase either – so I was mistaken

https://www.steinberg.net/en/landing_pages/halion_sonic_se_3/halion_sonic_se_free.html

I could have checked but I never re-installed Cubase 9.5 when I built new PC a 18 months ago so only thing installed here is HALion and HALion Soinc (sans SE).

Good Luck

Larry

Thanks everybody, Your help is unvaluable!!!
Learning a lot.
CHEERS,

Montxo

Hi John,

Most interesting discussion.

So how good is the Halion Sonic SE3 GM VST Synth - i.e. how good are the sounds compared to others e.g. CoolSoft VST Synth 2.72.2?

I'm always after a better GM VST Synth particularly for the basics i.e. electric guitars, piano, basses, organ, drums and horn sections & instruments.

Thanks & Best Regards

Nigel.
I would not even consider Coolsoft as a "SYNTH" it has it's place but not as an instrument.
For GM, Halion Sonic is probably most stable and advanced of all the software GM synths I tried. My next choice is VST SynthFont. It is a very advanced "shell" that you can use with separate SF2 fonts or complete banks (free or paid) to assemble your "own" GM bank. At the end of the game it will sound as good as your samples are

Hi,
how you put the images into the messages as attachment? I insert one wiht the insert image but only the web link appears, not the image directly

Thanks
Montxo

Please refer to this post which should help

Are there any audio samples available using the GM option in HALION SONIC SE ?

this thread might help anyone wanting the free halion se sounds

https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=577563#Post577563

i installed as insrtucted and using the advice above got the GM set to play. you also get a load of other sounds which you can load to individual midi channels on the Halion