The SB modules are frequency shifters (but perhaps not in the form you want).

Thanks for this advice, i had completely forgotten about the SB-modules...

(i came up with this since hakey was asking for harmonic bending.
Anyhow, speaking about harmonic bending: what i would love to see, would be the possibility to shift the intervalls between harmonics in a constant way, with the possibility of adjusting the ratios (in intervalls rather than in Hertz).
This would allow e. g. a "compressed" spectrum, where the intervall between the first and second partial (and also between 2 and 4; 3 and 6 etc.) is a big seventh instead of an octave; etc.

ZebNarrator: "If you turn this dial more up your sound will be at least 20-40% better!"

No, nothing is impossible.
The only question wil be: will u do it or no?

I came across an interesting thread over at VI Control related to using sample sources as a basis for synthesis: http://www.vi-control.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26884 He uses a single Taiko drum sample as the source for all sounds in the demo track: https://www.box.com/s/fb81d8e193ec920d62ec He used Kontakt in this example and we certainly aren't looking for everything Kontakt can do in sample import, but I thought it was a great example of the kinds of things we want to do with samples in Zebra.

I hope this provides some inspiration and some conversation here!

I don't want samples in Zebra...

Why not? I think most of us want at least basic oscillator sample import and I believe Urs has already mentioned he plans to do something along these lines, the only question being what it looks like and how in-depth it goes.

Of course, you will never need to use samples if you don't want to so you can use Zebra the same even if it supports sample import for the rest of us...

Synths that use samples end up being about samples. Sound designers start making sample based presets and the lovely character of real synthesis takes more work, so sample based stuff is easier.

And I know Urs is going to add some sort of sample capability, but I can still say I don't want samples in Zebra

Of course you can! And you can help create and inspire presets that don't use samples also! I like the flexibility of having as many options as possible. That is part of what makes Zebra so great. I would be just as disappointed as you if people stopped using all of its other features!

In my observation people simply stop using synth features once sample playback ("dumpling") is added. Sound design becomes a piece of cake, but all sounds become stunning and dead at the same time. Without dumpling, chances are high one finds an expressive and alive patch in a few seconds.

We'll allow for import of oscillator waveforms from audio files though. That hasn't hurt any synth yet.

I think Alchemy has proven otherwise. An exception that confirms the rule, perhaps?

Synths like Alchemy and Harmor are a different kind. They haven't started out as synths, they've started out as resynthesizers.

I don't agree. I think Alchemy is excellent and am glad to have a synth that can work effectively with samples, but I think it tends to the same pattern. The pure synthesis side of Alchemy is (IMO) way under explored... and there are a million sample based soundscapes available. Okay, maybe I am exaggerating slightly, but that pattern is there.

I just love the 'purity' of Zebra as a synthesis workshop and would prefer it stay that way. I do like the idea of built in waveform import and would welcome some expansion of tools for crafting wavesets...

And speaking of Z3 improvements, I would like the modmappers to be able to be adjusted in finer than 1.0 increments. I would also like to be able to have a few more step# options... the highest odd # of steps currently is 11... sometimes I want higher... sometimes I want 20 or 18 too... instead of adding more options to the list, perhaps just user selectable 1-128

Also, I would like to be able to constrain the movement of a step, not just quantize after the fact.

Also, currently, you cannot check the value of a step without clicking which changes it...

I've zoomed throught the thread and not seen anyone asking for multithreading.

Can we has some?

Loving HZ atm, thanks urs =)