Been spending a bit more time with Zebra 2 lately to see if I can get the most out of it, but I keep running into two problems. One is that there does not seem to be an easy way to switch osc waveforms. You have to manually draw them in yourself. While this is a great feature, sometimes I just want to pull up a triangle, or a simple square, and even though it might only take a few seconds to draw some of these, the seconds add up over time. Or what if I create a complex waveform that I want to easily pull up later? There does not seem to be a way to do this.
Tying into this first issue is the lack of a simple pulse width or pulse width modulation control. If I'm not mistaken, if I want to pull up a basic PWM square bass sound, I have to manually draw in 16 different square waves of varying pulsewidths... every time. This seems really inefficient, and the result does not sound nearly as good as in other synths where there is a readily accesible PWM or automatable PW control.
Easy waveform loading / pwm?
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- KVRAF
- 4707 posts since 16 Mar, 2004 from Columbia, MD
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- KVRist
- 87 posts since 26 Jul, 2004
you can save the wavesets you draw as 'osc' presets.
right click on the 'default' button on the oscillator to save it (including waveset).
as for PWM. you only need draw 2 shapes. the first, and the last which you'd like to morph between. then it's simply a matter of 'CMD+drag' the first waveform onto the last in order to create a smooth morph sequence. check out the manual's OSC/waveform chapter here:
http://www.u-he.com/zebra/manual/?page_id=7
right click on the 'default' button on the oscillator to save it (including waveset).
as for PWM. you only need draw 2 shapes. the first, and the last which you'd like to morph between. then it's simply a matter of 'CMD+drag' the first waveform onto the last in order to create a smooth morph sequence. check out the manual's OSC/waveform chapter here:
http://www.u-he.com/zebra/manual/?page_id=7
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- u-he
- 30213 posts since 8 Aug, 2002 from Berlin
There's also a PWM function for *any* waveform on the Phase tab. Normal PWM is achieved by using a sawtooth ave with this.
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 4707 posts since 16 Mar, 2004 from Columbia, MD
Urs; so, to activate this, I select a sawtooth, click on the "Inv" button, then assign an LFO to the phase control? This seems to give a PWM type of sound, but I feel like this is not quite an intuitive method of working.
beatz; I think I understand - except the part where you say "CMD+drag". Are you referring to a keyboard shortcut? If so, I don't have a Mac so I can't do that. Additionally, I would think that this method of modulation would not sound as smooth as a sine LFO at a slower rate - in effect, it would be like a 16-step LFO. Finally, this method also assumes I know how to accurately draw pulse waves with different widths. I might know how to do this, but other users might not necessarily (and I'm also bad at drawing). All the more reason why I think an easier method is in order.
beatz; I think I understand - except the part where you say "CMD+drag". Are you referring to a keyboard shortcut? If so, I don't have a Mac so I can't do that. Additionally, I would think that this method of modulation would not sound as smooth as a sine LFO at a slower rate - in effect, it would be like a 16-step LFO. Finally, this method also assumes I know how to accurately draw pulse waves with different widths. I might know how to do this, but other users might not necessarily (and I'm also bad at drawing). All the more reason why I think an easier method is in order.
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- KVRist
- 87 posts since 26 Jul, 2004
CMD on a pc must be something like ctrl or something. Did you check out the relevant section in the manual. The PC and MAC modifiers are CLEARLY laid out. I realize 'reading the manual' can be boring, but targeting relevant sections is a common way of enhancing your user experience, even pros do it.
BTW the morph between waves is very smooth, and you can use the 'resolution' parameter to make it as smooth as you need. Once again the manual does an excellent job of explaingin this!
BTW the morph between waves is very smooth, and you can use the 'resolution' parameter to make it as smooth as you need. Once again the manual does an excellent job of explaingin this!
Last edited by beatz on Tue Oct 31, 2006 6:06 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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- KVRist
- 87 posts since 26 Jul, 2004
forgot to mention:
the 16 step LFO analogy is wrong. transition between the waves is ultra smooth. especially at hi resolution settings.
and using the alt+drag you only need to draw 2 pulse widths. max, and min, which you can store for quick recall.
ps. here is a quick example preset of LFO 2 slowly modulating the waves
Pulse Wave mod with Zebra2
This literally took seconds to make, and i found it quite intuitive, though i have put aside the subtractive synth basics cos zebra is not such a beast.
the 16 step LFO analogy is wrong. transition between the waves is ultra smooth. especially at hi resolution settings.
and using the alt+drag you only need to draw 2 pulse widths. max, and min, which you can store for quick recall.
ps. here is a quick example preset of LFO 2 slowly modulating the waves
Pulse Wave mod with Zebra2
This literally took seconds to make, and i found it quite intuitive, though i have put aside the subtractive synth basics cos zebra is not such a beast.
Last edited by beatz on Tue Oct 31, 2006 6:08 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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- u-he
- 30213 posts since 8 Aug, 2002 from Berlin
Yes, that's the way.zircon wrote:Urs; so, to activate this, I select a sawtooth, click on the "Inv" button, then assign an LFO to the phase control? This seems to give a PWM type of sound, but I feel like this is not quite an intuitive method of working.
Well, in times of supersaw overhype, I think that PWM was something, hmm, not so important anymore. However, this principle has been greatly appreciated in FilterscapeVA, so I found it consistent to add it to Zebra in the same fashion. It does have the advantage that you can get the PWM effect from *any* waveform, including modulated tables, mangled stuff etc.
I don't know where they went, but there were some tutorial presets for PWM Synths...
... anyhow, I should write a blog entry about it in the manual once moving into new appartment and everything is done (I'm currently enforced to do a little vacation, with only sporadical access to computers... ugh...)
Cheers,
Urs-
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 4707 posts since 16 Mar, 2004 from Columbia, MD
Ok. Thank you both for the clarification. Believe it or not, I DID read the manual before asking this question, but again, the labelling and methodology of PWM in this synth is not intuitive so perhaps I was not putting 2 and 2 together. A simple subsection of the manual saying "Applying PWM to an Oscillator" and spelling out the steps clearly would be much appreciated. Also, while I can appreciate the added depth and power of this method of working, I think there is something to be said for "easy edit" kind of controls that have been popping up lately in synths like Absynth, FM8, and Albino 3. They exist because users really appreciate 'em! 
ps. I'm making a little demo using all Z2 w/ patches made from scratch in order to show off its capability as a more traditional, Virus-like VA (tarnce lolol)
ps. I'm making a little demo using all Z2 w/ patches made from scratch in order to show off its capability as a more traditional, Virus-like VA (tarnce lolol)
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- KVRAF
- 26963 posts since 3 Feb, 2005 from in the wilds
The problem with how it is, is that you cannot save just a waveform. Suppose I have two osc and I want to copy the wave, or waveset from one to the other. If you save the osc from first, then load in the second, it changes all osc settings.beatz wrote:you can save the wavesets you draw as 'osc' presets.
right click on the 'default' button on the oscillator to save it (including waveset).
I would like to be able to copy/paste the waveset from one osc to another without changing other osc settings
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- KVRist
- 87 posts since 26 Jul, 2004
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- KVRist
- 285 posts since 19 Nov, 2004
yes, but zebra doesnt look like a synth that likes limits
a little simple waveform library would very nice and i think not too hard to implement- yes this is a feature request:)-nit the library this can be done by users, just the load waveform-feature!
a little simple waveform library would very nice and i think not too hard to implement- yes this is a feature request:)-nit the library this can be done by users, just the load waveform-feature!
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- KVRist
- 370 posts since 13 Jul, 2003 from Berlin
If you ctrl-click in the wave editor there's an option to copy the waveset and paste it to the waveset of another OSC. This will not overwrite the settings in the OSC as far as I know.
Cheers
Hans
Cheers
Hans
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- KVRAF
- 26963 posts since 3 Feb, 2005 from in the wilds
Ha! I have even used that before and forgot!wonshu wrote:If you ctrl-click in the wave editor there's an option to copy the waveset and paste it to the waveset of another OSC. This will not overwrite the settings in the OSC as far as I know.
Cheers
Hans
One thing that is confusing for people. If Osc 1 waveset is set to spectroblend and you copy it and paste it into Osc 2 which is set to geomorph, you will not see the pasted waveset until you switch that Osc to spectroblend (or geoblend). Maybe it should switch when you paste?
I like that you can have separate waves for blend and morph...
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- u-he
- 30213 posts since 8 Aug, 2002 from Berlin
Yeah, the automatic detection of Morph vs. Blend is one of the next things to do... but it depends on being able to do this without changing the internal data representation or now... must think...
Urs
Urs