Got to write a spacey little part for a client's song. Tossed it into a mausoleum in Oslo (?) using @audioease #altiverb - first soloed and then in the arrangement. Samples from @steinbergmedia #halionsonic #composition #musicproduction #recordingartist #recordingstudio #producer #philly #philadelphia #phillymusic #reverb (at Hopetown Sound)
It's hard to do a product as broad and richly-featured as Steinberg's newest ROMpler justice in a written review. So I won't even try. Instead, I'll give you some details I ran into that may not appear in a cursory review, but may weigh upon your decision to buy or not buy this new toy. Spoiler alert: I opted for the former.
1. Halion 5 includes HalionSonic 2. That's right, if you want the power to create your own patches from scratch using all of Halion's synthesis and sampling features, you can buy Halion 5 instead of HalionSonic 2. And when you want all those advanced features out of the way so you can focus on playability, HalionSonic 2 will be right there waiting for you to pull it into your next musical masterpiece.
2. Automation is a heinous task. If you're happy using MIDI CCs to automate patch and effect parameters in the plugin, you're all set. If, on the other hand, you prefer to use host automation, you'll have to endure some pain. Most parameters, those on the built-in effects can only be automated via the QuickControl mechanism. These are the quick controls:
To automate any parameter you have to assign it to one of the eight quick controls on the bottom of the screen, one of the axes of the xy-wheel or the modwheel. By default, these already have parameters assigned to them, so you'll have to clear out the existing assignment before assigning the new parameter (unless you want the QuickControl to control both the old parameter and the new). To complicate matters further, each patch has up to four layers, and each layer has its own set of QuickControls. If you're trying to automate a parameter on a single layer, you'll have to assign a layer QuickControl to that parameter, and then assign a patch QuickControl to the layer QuickControl.
Confused yet? I was. Remember the old days, where you could just drag&drop an automation channel onto a knob and it would just work? Oh yeah, that was Kontakt.
3. B-Box is awesome! Drum machine-type synths are a dime a dozen. In fact, you probably have one in your DAW, Your DAW may even have a nice step sequencer to program it with. That said, it takes precious little effort to get a fresh-sounding, dynamic beat that sounds like it was ripped off the latest chart-topper.
Some details:
Each patch can have up to eight variations. Some or all of them may be pre-programmed, but you can program your own. The real power comes in the ability switch variations using the trigger pads on the bottom-left of the UI, to which you can assign MIDI notes. By switching among the variations mid-beat, you create a drum track that is unique and non-repetitive, while still having to exert precious little keyboard-drumming skill. For a quick demonstration, pull up the "Classic Disco" patch, hit any of the green keyboard keys to start playing the pre-programmed loop, and then use C3 and D3 to switch between the first two variations as it plays.
The knobs in the pattern view are per-drum, not for the whole patch. Note the dropdown above the "tube" knob. Switching it to "Hard Clip" on the kick and the snare and dialing up the clipping can be an easy way to add some kick to your kick.
Unfortunately, and quite maddeningly, you cannot change the type or the slope of the built-in filter.
Keep in mind, you can always trigger individual drums from your DAW and easily drag any pattern you find or create in B-box into your DAW as MIDI.
Don't forget to visit the "Aux" page. The killer feature here is the swing knob, which will quickly and easily add some life to your groove.
The mix page lets you control how much of each drum to send to reverb and delay and, most importantly, to route each drum to a different output for mixing in your DAW. Given the paucity of mixing options within the patch, I would have loved to see an option to assign individual outputs to all of the drums with a single click. Alas, no such feature is on offer.
B-box may not put the Toontracks and Steven Slates of the world out of business. But to those who want great drums and grooves without having to program great drums and grooves from scratch, B-box may be the answer to a prayer.
Herein, my love of VSTs shall be shared with the world. Tons of VST news today. Halion4 shipped today (still has the stupid dongle, library bigger than HalionSonic but not by much). NativeInstruments is selling Komplete upgrades at 1/2-price, so Komplete8 is probably coming soon. And IK has been working on SampleTank3 since time immemorial. In short, it's best to postpone sampler purchases.
