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Zebra
Reviewed By tribalogical [all]
June 18th, 2004
Version reviewed: 1.5 on Mac
Having used Zebra from its first beta, I have to say the latest 1.5 version is a significant enhancement from the previous version, and well worth the price.
The addition of the new modulation routing alone has me in fits (the good kind :). But it doesn't stop there. It brings a deeply expanded flexibility of programming throughout, with added features laid out in 'tabs", which bring the new controls into play without making it any harder to use. That's quite a feat, from a UI point of view.
I usually find programming patches a rather tedious process, but I enjoy -- actually, get kind of enthusiastic -- tweaking sounds in Zebra. The way the controls are laid out just make a solid, intuitive sense, and is quite simply a fun process. You can easily jump from "planned, fundamental sound creation" to "wild, experimental, surprising results", which happens often, as the nature of this beast is playful (and even mischievous sometimes).
Ultimately though, it's about the sound, and the Zebra has few equals in the soft-synth realm. I own a few dozen synths (soft mostly, but a few old-skool hardware synths as well), and I reach for Zebra more often than any other... and that's including all the fab eMagic plugs built-in to Logic Pro.
It can be subtle or extreme, smooth or harsh, and is capable of being incredibly variable. I like it most of all for "morphing" type patches, and use the XY controls extensively (you've got to try those to "get it"). I've discovered sounds -- and performances -- I simply cannot duplicate on any other synth. Not simple nuances in the timbral differences, but broad, rich, unique sounds that no other synth seems quite capable of.
It also has no issues at all with stability in Logic Pro. It's rock solid and dependable. I would happily use it in a live situation.
Other comments:
The presets are plentiful (I contributed a *very* few to the massive 500 included), and most are quite useable. Urs' support is direct, responsive, and amazingly friendly... you won't find better!
The only downside for some might be that the docs for 1.5 are still at v1.0. The 1.0 manual covers all the basics though, and as I find it easy enough to use the Zebra without them, it isn't really an issue for me. I give it a 9 *in principal* in the docs rating, but as they are written so well and clearly, I give that a 10 in reality anyway... :)
In short, if you use AU at all on your OSX Mac, this one is a must-have...
peace,
tribalogicalRead Review
The addition of the new modulation routing alone has me in fits (the good kind :). But it doesn't stop there. It brings a deeply expanded flexibility of programming throughout, with added features laid out in 'tabs", which bring the new controls into play without making it any harder to use. That's quite a feat, from a UI point of view.
I usually find programming patches a rather tedious process, but I enjoy -- actually, get kind of enthusiastic -- tweaking sounds in Zebra. The way the controls are laid out just make a solid, intuitive sense, and is quite simply a fun process. You can easily jump from "planned, fundamental sound creation" to "wild, experimental, surprising results", which happens often, as the nature of this beast is playful (and even mischievous sometimes).
Ultimately though, it's about the sound, and the Zebra has few equals in the soft-synth realm. I own a few dozen synths (soft mostly, but a few old-skool hardware synths as well), and I reach for Zebra more often than any other... and that's including all the fab eMagic plugs built-in to Logic Pro.
It can be subtle or extreme, smooth or harsh, and is capable of being incredibly variable. I like it most of all for "morphing" type patches, and use the XY controls extensively (you've got to try those to "get it"). I've discovered sounds -- and performances -- I simply cannot duplicate on any other synth. Not simple nuances in the timbral differences, but broad, rich, unique sounds that no other synth seems quite capable of.
It also has no issues at all with stability in Logic Pro. It's rock solid and dependable. I would happily use it in a live situation.
Other comments:
The presets are plentiful (I contributed a *very* few to the massive 500 included), and most are quite useable. Urs' support is direct, responsive, and amazingly friendly... you won't find better!
The only downside for some might be that the docs for 1.5 are still at v1.0. The 1.0 manual covers all the basics though, and as I find it easy enough to use the Zebra without them, it isn't really an issue for me. I give it a 9 *in principal* in the docs rating, but as they are written so well and clearly, I give that a 10 in reality anyway... :)
In short, if you use AU at all on your OSX Mac, this one is a must-have...
peace,
tribalogicalRead Review
