Can we get HALion in a wrapper that'll run in effect slots?

I am making this request on behalf of people using a host that does not support routing audio into inputs for instrument plugins via simple ‘chaining’ protocols that are gradually becoming a standard with the inclusion of VST3 protocols.

Please provide plugin wrappers that can be loaded into effect slots. The reason for this request is to allow sampling inside hosts that do not support side-chaining, nor allow ‘instrument plugins’ to be hosted in effect slots.

Obviously there still might be some issues in many hosts with trying to get MIDI into the HALion instance hosted this way, but users could still set up such an instance to make samples in HALion.

While the latest versions of many leading DAWs usually have some way or another to route audio into HALion, older apps do not. None of the leading scoring packages can do it without a third party chainer (I use a plugin version of Bidule for this purpose) in an effect slot, and it is unlikely that any of them will support ‘side-chaining’ in the forseeable future. Being able to load HALion as an effect plugin would make it possible to sample from inside these hosts as well.


In theory, users could also opt to host HALion in an effect slot on quad or surround sound group-bus tracks to get a pair of inputs into HALion and up to 6 of HALion’s outputs back into the mix as well. If possible, it’d be nice if all possible outputs get connected automatically according to the fader type (stereo, quad, surround, etc.). It would also be nice if HALion had an option to bypass the sampler and route any audio coming into its inputs straight through (in case the user needs to host HALion in a way that shares a bus with true instrument plugin).

If HALion could also be run in effect slots where a stream is naturally routed into HALion, and then HALion’s outputs routed back into the fader then it should be possible to route audio into a HALion instance in order to use its built in sampling features.

I.E. In Dorico it could be hosted in an effect Slot of the FX fader long enough to make some samples, or in an unused instrument fader already existing on the Dorico mixing console.

I.E. In Sibelius or Finale, an instance of HALion could be hosted in one of the AUX Send effect slots, and audio from any stave could be routed there.