Exporting HS 3 Multi Programs to HS SE (help!)

Hi there,

I use HALion Sonic 3.1.10.85 (64 bit) with my Cubase Elements 9.5 and oftentimes as a standalone application.
I need to export a Multi Program from HALion Sonic 3.1.15.89 (64 bit) to my HALion Sonic SE 3.1.10.85 (64 bit).
I tried saving this Multi Program in my \HALion Sonic SE\Multi folder, but even though the formats of these multi programs seem identical (*vstpreset), the HS 3 multis will not open in HS SE.
As a matter of fact, the multis of HS SE can be imported by HS 3.

Can I get around this issue somehow, or is it just the intended limitation of HALion Sonic SE?

Thanks for your comments.
Paul

I don’t think Sonic will export for SE. Certainly not a full multi setup.

There are quite a few libraries (programs and layers) that come with Sonic 3 that don’t show up or work in SE.

Do you have HALion 6 as well?

If you have H6 it may be possible to export Sonic 3 specific presets in a format that works with SE. If the layers don’t have macro pages you will not be able to edit things in SE (but you can load it in and play it, and Quick Controls should work). Content from the “HALion Sonic Factory Content” library doesn’t have ‘macro pages’.

Note that for any such exported presets to work in SE, the target system will still need a full installation of Sonic 3, with a valid elisencer key in place.

As far as I know it’d need to be done slot by slot, and the multi itself rebuilt in SE.

If you don’t have H6 I’d be willing to see if I can convert one or two of your setups into something that’d work in SE. I can’t promise I’d get it right, but I’m curious and will give it a try.

Hi Brian,

Thanks for your response.

‘Do you have HALion 6 as well?’ → I do.

‘If you have H6 it may be possible to export Sonic 3 specific presets in a format that works with SE. If the layers don’t have macro pages you will not be able to edit things in SE (but you can load it in and play it, and Quick Controls should work). Content from the “HALion Sonic Factory Content” library doesn’t have ‘macro pages’.’ → But how can I at least play back the exported multi by HS SE? For instance, a pretty simple one - a combination of /GM 001/Acoustic Grand Piano and a soft pedal (by courtesy of misohoza Steinberg Forums), and a reverb FX. Please take a look at the screenshots.

‘Note that for any such exported presets to work in SE, the target system will still need a full installation of Sonic 3, with a valid elisencer key in place.’ → Would a trial version of Sonic 3 be enough to get the exported multi to be played back by HS SE on the receiving end?

‘As far as I know it’d need to be done slot by slot, and the multi itself rebuilt in SE.’ → Are we still talking about exporting/importing? :slight_smile: Rebuilding a multi from the scratch, especially the one with many slots and FXs, will let everybody down… :confused:



I don’t think there is a way to export Multi presets among the different variants of HALion. You’ll need to rebuild it in SE.

If your Sonic Player AUX bus effect chains have precise settings, you can make presets of those settings from Sonic…and it can save you some steps, but I’m afraid you’ll need to load it all in SE manually and then apply your effect presets one by one in SE.

If you study the Effects tab of Sonic, you can discover that each loaded effect can save a preset (I.E. Reverb, Studio EQ, etc.). Click the little “e” for each effect, then in the to right hand corner of the effect control panel you should see a little icon for making a preset.

In your example you have two Reverb units running, so you’ll want to make a preset for each.

I’m not positive, but I think these particular presets should be portable across all variants of HALion.

In the first slot you have a Piano sound that is included in the SE “Basic” Library that ships with Steinberg DAWs. If the target system has an installation, and eLisencer key for pretty much any version of Cubase or Dorico, that content will be there, and SE can find it and play it. Remember, the Free Sonic 3 SE player does NOT come with any content/libraries. To get the “Basic” Library, you need a Steinberg Host/DAW that comes with it, or an installation of Sonic or HALion. Some of that content may well require a valid eLisencer key to work. I’m not sure about the Basic LIbrary, but I would not be surprised if it doesn’t work without one of the eLisencer keys discussed above.

If you don’t have a key for the Basic Library on the target system, then yes, a Trial to Sonic 3 or H6 would work (until such time the trial key expires). In this case, why bother with SE though? Just export the preset as is, and run it in the trial of Sonic 3 on the target system.

In the second slot you have a third party library released by Igoor. As long as the target system also has that library installed, and either a Steinberg DAW, or the free Sonic SE key, this program will work.

After seeing your example screenshots, I don’t think you need to try exporting anything from H6. In this case there wouldn’t be any benefit other than preserving the state of your quick control knobs, and possibly merging the two sounds into a single program (if they are layered together, as opposed to working in a multi-timberal manner on different MIDI channels).

You’d still have to manually load your two pianos, and set up your effect chains. It’d probably be easier to just do it in SE, reset your Quick Controls by hand, and save the Preset to remember them.

Brian, thanks!