Diva and Zebra questions

[Elektronisch]

I have both Zebra 2 and Diva and worked with Omnisphere 2 (but dont have it)

Diva has much higher quality oscillators, but its more limited and more CPU hungry.
Zebra 2 is much more versitile, lower CPU use and comes with Zebrify aka Zebra FX

If you are considering between those 2 i think Zebra2 is a better go to cover more ground.
If you consider Diva i would also check Waves Element 2 (i recently discovered), its much more cheaper and the sound is much fuller and has more clarity and more punch (the sound and clarity reminds me a bit Roland System 8/Jupiter 8 just with more punch). But its gui isnt scalable and i think its more CPU hungry than Diva.

[Urs]

since i 'm here , Uhe has done 1 time a sale , last year if my memories are good..

2017, for Diva's 5th birthday. Also, 2004, remember Group Buys?

Not really sales per se, but... We sometimes do customer surveys which we reward with coupons, I think twice in four years. And also, this year our newsletter fell into GDPR-limbo so we offered a coupon for everyone who subscribed to our new newsletter. Furthermore, sometimes we do specials with other companies. For example, we've done a special with Bitwig twice.

[hivkorn]

since i 'm here , Uhe has done 1 time a sale , last year if my memories are good..

2017, for Diva's 5th birthday. Also, 2004, remember Group Buys?

yes ! it what i was talking about

[Elektronisch]

since i 'm here , Uhe has done 1 time a sale , last year if my memories are good..

2017, for Diva's 5th birthday. Also, 2004, remember Group Buys?

Not really sales per se, but... We sometimes do customer surveys which we reward with coupons, I think twice in four years. And also, this year our newsletter fell into GDPR-limbo so we offered a coupon for everyone who subscribed to our new newsletter. Furthermore, sometimes we do specials with other companies. For example, we've done a special with Bitwig twice.

Its a bit offtopic but Urs how easy is to replicate that punchy/high attack sound in Diva?

[bmrzycki]

I think Omnisphere is wavetable synthesis. It also has fm, spectral, and granular synthesis

What Omnisphere 2 calls an Oscillator is a bit different from other synths.

At a high-level it has two modes: Sample and Synth. Both of these modes have what they call "synthesis functions" that either run in parallel to the source or mutate the Oscillator in series.

The Sample mode uses built-in sound sources and lets you mutate them with a few parameters. Depending on the source you can futher alter the sounds in "zoom" mode:

Sample mode is the method that you can import your own waveforms.

In Synth mode the sound is pure DSP, according to Eric. Spectrasonics calls this Wavetable DSP but keep in mind you can't load or draw your own custom waveforms. The zoom mode shows pretty much all the parameters you have for a Synth oscillator:


After both of these modes are the "synthesis functions". They aren't really part of the oscillator itself and I tend to think of them as per-voice FX before the Filter topology.

Some of the modes are their own sound generators like FM, AM, or Harmonia. Others like the Waveshaper or Unison alter the Synth or Sample input.

Some of the functions are more like "best hits" for that sound type. For example, the FM section only has 2 operators in a very simple [OP2] -> [OP1] layout. Don't expect it to have the depth of design that FM7 has, if you're looking for FM synthesis. Another is the Waveshaper, it's best-suited for more traditional wave mangling sounds. What it does, it does well though.

This is what I mean when I said Omnisphere does sound generation a bit different than Diva and Zebra.

[Howard]

Its a bit offtopic but Urs how easy is to replicate that punchy/high attack sound in Diva?

Fairly easy: In the TRIMMERS / RESET PHASE panel, set the Transient Mode to "osc reset" instead of "analog", then adjust the phase knobs to taste.
(And of course use punchy envelope settings)

[Elektronisch]

Its a bit offtopic but Urs how easy is to replicate that punchy/high attack sound in Diva?

Fairly easy: In the TRIMMERS / RESET PHASE panel, set the Transient Mode to "osc reset" instead of "analog", then adjust the phase knobs to taste.

Does it also randomise the phase?

[Howard]

Does it also randomise the phase?

If I understand you correctly, you wanted maximum punch from the oscillators, so you need to set consistent phases. That's what "osc reset" does. Otherwise Diva behaves much more like an analogue synth: the oscillator phases at the onset of notes are quasi-random.

Off to check out that Waves synth...

[Elektronisch]

Does it also randomise the phase?

If I understand you correctly, you wanted maximum punch from the oscillators, so you need to set consistent phases. That's what "osc reset" does. Otherwise Diva behaves much more like an analogue synth: the oscillator phases at the onset of notes are quasi-random.

Off to check out that Waves synth...

Nope, waves elements has punchy, clicky sound witch is random with retrigering off, its more prominant in the lower frequency area (i think, i didnt checked thro analyzers but somewhere from 50-140hz and even higher). Sometimes it reminds me even a bit Virus Ti.

[Howard]

Ah OK, I guess you mean the envelopes. Diva generally avoids attack clicks, so even the "INIT Alpha" template (the most digital one) has both Attack times set to 1.00 (instead of zero) by default. Use the "DIGITAL" envelope option and set the Attack to 0.00.

BTW Waves Elements (which appears to aimed at Sylenth1 more than anything else):
Phase/pitch consistency is via the VCO/DCO option (not RTRG). To quote the manual "VCO starts the oscillation at a random phase and jitters the pitch within a contained range; DCO starts the oscillation when triggered by a note and is more consistent."

[tehlord]

I don't have any of those, but I assume that the two U-he synths are more synth-oriented, whereas Omnisphere is more of a rompler. I don't think one can replace the other.

Why do people keep thinking this years after release

[Elektronisch]

Ah OK, I guess you mean the envelopes. Diva generally avoids attack clicks, so even the "INIT Alpha" template (the most digital one) has both Attack times set to 1.00 (instead of zero) by default. Use the "DIGITAL" envelope option and set the Attack to 0.00.

BTW Waves Elements (which appears to aimed at Sylenth1 more than anything else):
Phase/pitch consistency is via the VCO/DCO option (not RTRG). To quote the manual "VCO starts the oscillation at a random phase and jitters the pitch within a contained range; DCO starts the oscillation when triggered by a note and is more consistent."

I quickly tried your suggestion (but on phone headphones on my laptop) and it didnt produce same result

AH so i suppose those are VCO pitch inconsistencies that produce that "punch" (thought about that). Is it possible to emulate same behaviour in Diva without modulating adsr to have that randomness?

Uhe hive on Normal mode with one osc having flow and other random + 0 attack on envelopes feels like the sound is somwheat in the "element" direction, but not as "in your face".

[Urs]

Hehehe, may I kindly request audio examples? I usually visualize "punchy" as the opposite of "snappy". Punchy envelopes start slowly and accelerate from there, snappy ones start fast and slow down from there. Or so. But with these terms, I never really know what people mean.

[Examigan]

since i 'm here , Uhe has done 1 time a sale , last year if my memories are good..

2017, for Diva's 5th birthday. Also, 2004, remember Group Buys?

Not really sales per se, but... We sometimes do customer surveys which we reward with coupons, I think twice in four years. And also, this year our newsletter fell into GDPR-limbo so we offered a coupon for everyone who subscribed to our new newsletter. Furthermore, sometimes we do specials with other companies. For example, we've done a special with Bitwig twice.

Also, not exactly a "Sale" but there were nice intro prices offered here and there. I think Repro-1 was at $99 for its intro price.

[Elektronisch]

Hehehe, may I kindly request audio examples? I usually visualize "punchy" as the opposite of "snappy". Punchy envelopes start slowly and accelerate from there, snappy ones start fast and slow down from there. Or so. But with these terms, I never really know what people mean.

By punchy (virus ti punch knob) best to describe snappy, strict, percussive, like the sound has a short kick beneath