You know, I love Urs' products, but, I'm not seeing the need for zebra if you have reaktor? Seriously, have you explored carbon? I suppose if one had a bunch of patches or was really familiar with the user interface, that could be compelling, but, outside of that, zebra is the kind of synth that everyone does conceptually, it has lots of features, lots of routing options, and it sounds decent; the same can be said for many reaktor synths. IMNSHO, zebra isn't subtly beautiful like ace or diva, or for that matter, reaktor.

I used to use zebra-cm but I found that between reaktor and massive, I didn't need it and it hasn't been re-installed for the last several machine updates. When I demo'd the full zebra a while back I didn't find anything about it sufficiently interesting (read innovative and compelling).

Building feature laden synths is easy in reaktor, what's hard is getting all of the subtle details of a strong emulation or novel workflow, either functionally or visually, right. For me, this drives any new purchase, I don't need "yet another LFO", or "97 bazillion ready to go patches"; what standalone synths must bring to the table is a really compelling feature that is non-trivial to implement in reaktor. In practice, that's actually a really high standard. I would say that very few synths (on the order of one new synth every three years or so) can both meet it and not be too similar to something that I already have.

It's REALLY worth the effort to get to know enough reaktor to take apart and reassemble other people's synths quickly.

Though... I think you're on the wrong forum!

no one's ever happy with his arse an' all.

I think ntom is (sorry bud ).

Since getting Reaktor I've found I think about synths in very different terms. I've kept a handful of old faithfulls (z3ta+, rhino, scanned synth plus...) and a couple of simple synths with a basically decent, easy sound (charlatan, tyrell n6) but found everything else I may have had or wanted kind of immaterial. Not because Reaktor can neccesarily 'do everything' but that it encourages you to be creative, to mix and match other peoples creations etc.



I never liked the sound of it, I persevered (because of Zebras reputation I guess) but let it go in the end. To be honest, found other synths on the CM disk more useful to me.

I'll go ahead and hop on the blasphemy train by agreeing with you.

Diva is my most-loved synth. It's a synth that makes your hair stand on end, like you're invoking something spiritual by playing it.

I don't feel the same about Zebra. It sounds brilliant, it looks good, it's incredibly capable... but I just don't get... hmmmn... inspired by it. It's a workhorse (with stripes). And I would certainly recommend it to others, especially people who're looking for an all-in-one solution and know enough about synthesis to make it sing. ...But if you've already got a few synths (with souls), I don't see it filling any particular gaps.

Yes, yes: I will likely burn for an eternity, hung by my toenails, just out of reach of my synths (my version of hell) for having said that on KvR. But there it is.

...Damn, I think I just realized the problem with thinking about what "my arsenal" should be.

I'm trying to make a left-brained decision about something that should be right-brained.

If by that you mean that features/patch count/price/etc should drive you less than artistic considerations? Certainly, but I try not to forget that it often takes genuine innovation to drive new ideas and, for me, that innovation most often falls on the technical side of the house.

geeeez, I did a google for arsenal (images) and all it shows is this.......



Never heard of them

That's Mark's favorite Premiere League team.

Er. I wouldn't do that if I were you hibs (not the football team).
Some of us live in Tottenham. In fact some of us live in Crouch End and we still do not support the gooners.

Please correct your mistake.

and he doesn't mind that???

robojam, I only have one thing to say to you:

Never a truer word spoken. And if there was, it never made me chuckle so much.

Zero.. you have a rapier wit. And you are pretty funny too.

Asked my younger Sis and Bro-In-Law, Apparently they are southern scum with a french wanker at the helm, Then they started on Chelsea and I shall not repeat the vulgarities of that hatred surge. Its all just some a bunch of dude's running around in shorts, "Soccer...GAY!" Letter's from Henry time (again) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4Wgw-4XiFU

Sports is for other people, I don't get it