This makes it possible to play a complete performance (for example a string line that moves between legato, spiccato, and pizzicato) in real time without have to break it down into several MIDI parts and record it in a number of passes. These offer different performance articulations within a single program, with the user switching between them via a number of MIDI notes located outside the normal range of the instrument. While I can understand there being no piano (Steinberg have The Grand to plug that gap), the harp is perhaps a little more surprising.įor the majority of the instruments, the combination of program types covers the most frequently used performance articulations such as legato, staccato, spiccato, pizzicato, and trills, with a variety of other expression style programs also included.Īs with most modern orchestral libraries, however, HSO also includes a large number of key-switched programmes.
The brass programs include solo and tutti (usually based on a group of three) types, while the woodwind and percussion programs are generally based upon solo instruments.Ī full list of the instruments and program types is readily available as a PDF from the Steinberg web site, so there is little point in me reproducing these details here except to say that for the majority of orchestral work, HSO covers all the instrumental bases.ĭo note, however, that instruments such as piano and harp both often associated with classical and orchestral music are not reproduced here. HSO covers all the major orchestral instrument groups in some 27GB of sample data, but isnt priced too far out of reach of the cash-strapped UK media composer, and as its title suggests, it is provided with a custom version of Halion Player as the front-end.įor the strings there are solo, tutti (large single-instrument sections), and ensemble (multiple sections mixing violins, violas, cellos, and double basses) programs provided. There are, of course, products that sit between these two extremes ( EWQLSO Gold Edition, for example) and Steinbergs new Halion Symphonic Orchestra ( HSO ) falls firmly into that camp.
When writing music for picture, TV and film composers often need to mock up a convincing sampled orchestral score for the director to approve or, when budgets are limited (which is most of the time), for use in the final audio mix.įor more demanding composers, at the other end of the spectrum would be libraries such as EWQLSO Platinum Edition or, more recently, VSLs Vienna Instrument series (reviewed in SOS July 2006). While synthetic versions of orchestral sounds still have their musical applications, many recording musicians and composers need their orchestral sounds to be as realistic as possible.
Within many HSO programs these tweak the Ambience (amount and time) and Body (the amount of body resonance) settings. Thanks to its outstanding sound quality, realism and expressiveness, HALion Symphonic Orchestra is your go-to solution for maximum orchestral output. The instrument set provides a full, richly detailed orchestra with its full range of vibrant, evocative sounds, instruments and textures. The wide selection of playing techniques allows full control over a range of articulations, including crescendo, decrescendo, accents, half and whole tone trills, bowing, portamento, pizzicato and espressivo by using innovatively programmed facilities like key-switches and crossfades among others.in exceptional quality The content for HALion Symphonic Orchestra was painstakingly recorded using top-grade equipment ensuring the highest sonic fidelity performed by one of Europes leading orchestras.
Halion Symphonic Orchestra Review Manual Provides A.