Rane HAL1x Design Guide - Page 184

HAL SYSTEM DESIGN GUIDE TIP: As a Drag Net user, were you often tempted to include every relevant block in every preset, even if the preset didn't change a value in the block-just to be sure of every parameter value when recalling the preset? Rest assured that, in the HAL System, this practice is not necessary. You should include in a preset, only those blocks containing a parameter value to be changed by the preset. l The ability to activate and deactivate presets greatly simplifies their use as you no longer need to worry about the layering effect of recalling one preset over another. However, if that layering is what you want, you can still accomplish it by using the appropriate preset types or by simply not deactivating a preset if you want to layer another one over it. For example, in Halogen, a Command preset behaves like the presets you're accustomed to in Drag Net. You can assert the Command preset (equivalent to recalling a Drag Net preset), but you cannot un-assert a Command preset. The disadvantages of a Command preset are the same as the disadvantages of presets in Drag Net-it's hard to know at any given time what state the system is actually in, you often need to create pairs of presets, and these preset types generally require more time to configure. For these reasons, we recommend the use of the newer preset types (Toggle and Selector). But if you're used to the Drag Net way and want to stick with what's familiar, Command presets are there for you. TIP: Our advice to you? Read the details on preset types and working with presets before getting started with your design! l In the HAL System, just like in Drag Net, you need to provide end users with remote control over the activation (and deactivation) of presets. This process is very different in Halogen. For more details, see the section on control linking below. l A new preset feature in the HAL System that we know you will LOVE is the ability to test your presets offline, from within the software! How great is that?! You no longer have to wait until your hardware is installed to find out if your preset configurations work correctly. Working with Control Links You're going to love configuring control links in Halogen! The process has been simplified and streamlined. Following are some of the key differences: l As previously mentioned, you no longer use a separate Remote Map to create your system's control links. Instead, you use a simple drag-and-drop operation in Halogen's Processing Workspace-the same location where you configure all aspects of your audio processing. l You no longer have to define and manually create the behaviors for your remote controls. Instead, you simply choose the appropriate remote control device (Digital Remote, or DR) and, if necessary, select in Halogen the appropriate control mode for your purpose. See Digital Remotes for details. l In Drag Net, you set the volume range on the remote device itself. In Halogen, you configure this range on the level control and then link this control to the remote device, or DR. The DR always goes from 0% to 100%, but that range is defined in the level control. l Speaking of level controls, in Drag Net, you always had to drag in an extra Level block to align with an input or output block. This step is no longer needed as Halogen's Input and Output blocks contain their own level controls. l Regarding terminology changes, Drag Net control links contained a Group Master, which defined the control that the other linked controls would match when the link was activated. This same concept exists in the HAL System, but uses a different term: Link Master. Another terminology change is the broad term for the overall functionality: Group in Drag Net means Control Link in Halogen. 180