The "Zebra2 plays Virus" challenge

[zvenx]

sorry to crash the gushing party. But I would love to hear the mp3's comparing the two. I do not like Zebra for the exact reasons that I love the virus. I find all the mp3's I have ever heard, and the four or five times I have downloaded the demo and played it, the zebra very digital, not warm, something missing category.. whereas the virus I find between the filters and the da's the most warm, fat sounding modern non analog synthesizer.
just my I am sure unpopular 2 cents.
rsp

[cYrus]

So your not talking about Zebra2 there, then

sure not a raw zebra osc (without any modulation) sounds better to me than a raw virus osc (especially saw)

"Hoover"? Is that really THE Virus character-sound?

i would say "supersaw" - well it's more popular on the JP but the virus is the one which is use more for such sounds this days. (as the JP sounds way worser to me than a virus)

I find Z2 much faster than Virus (including TI), even for this. I tested myself just now by making a 16-osc Hoover from scratch (no pre-saved oscillator), including filter and mod-wheel controlled Cutoff in just under one minute. Tip: Save any temporary oscillator as "..." (the default name).

i have to try those "templates" - still use the zebra demo. thanks for the idea!

Yes. Um...actually, no . You just need to know Zebra2 as well as you do the Virus. Most people don't know Zebra2 at all.

sure, you need to know every synth to get the most out of it. as zebra has way more possibilities than your average VA synth it will take time to get known to everything. especially for preset users (i don't count me to this cat - i do usually all my own presets) so they rely on the delivered presets.

btw. i didn't want to bash zebra. i'm just saying it's not easy to compare complex synths. a lot of users prefer simple things which sounds in a click like their favorites. that's way a vanguard is so well known even if the sound is way pretty cheap.. imho

[cYrus]

3 b
6 a
8 a
10 b

so i guess it's all zebra then?

perhaps you can send me a pm if you don't want to resolve it yet?

[mkastrup]

Michael,

Sure, here's a very simple example that audibly shows the difference.

lol great, just tried it. Doing it with no detune dont take up much CPU no matter how many i stacked but once the detune is on to dual and quad...whooops heh heh Its certainly a good tip to remember if you need something unison like. Good thing some of us have FREEZE. Thx bmrycki

/Michael

[johnny2johnny]

Get over it. Software is so much easier & faster to develop, there are so many obstacles less, it overtook hardware big time, long ago.

and I have to agree on this one...


I just dont see the point of hardware... and truthfully, i dont think any software synth can sound exactly like a virus, just like if I knew anything about computer code I could not make a synth to sound exactly like Zebra...

each has the unique..... HUMAN, please dont get me wrong on this.... Each has the unique human imperfections of the maker of the instrument...

You would have to live Moogs life to make a moog, Kurzwells life to make a Kurzwell...

(sp) I know, and Urs' life to make a Zebra....

as you would have to live my life to write my music, and I would have to live your life to write yours...


But I am just all for software synths, I just cant see hardware, A. it is so expensive, and B. how is it really better?


Personally I dont go anywhere near any preset patches, that sound like a hoover.... Played out, yeah?


does anybody really need to hear the song Stairway to heaven 1 more time?


this next generation software is awesome. I am waiting for the DAWs to catch up with the synths...

I mean, I didnt want ableton live 6, or cubase 4... ( although cubase 4 was coded from ground up )

I would have loved to have seen, Ableton Horizons 1.0

Or Steinberg Warp Speed.....


my guess... NI, is probably working on a complete live performance and production platform beyond Kore.. witch was kinda a flop....


if they came out with some next generation daw, for todays software synths... that would be awesome....


but, The synths are limited by the daw... Face it. A Zebra, in a protools rig, MORE THAN I CAN AFFORD... I mean a real Protools HD rig.... say going through TANNOYs... the most expensive presicion ones...


If you set up side by side, with a virus, with a saw wav....

and nothing else... You would hear to very different synths...

my guess, just by knowing the virus.... The Zebra would ring through warmer, and fatter...


I'm guessing based on the Zebra demo.... Cause its on my shopping list... but you know takes time to sort these things out....


I dont own a virus, but I have heard them hundreds of times, and I just think they are tinny.... And the only way to truly compare synths would be in an enviorement few people on kvr have access too...


a super treated room ( a mastering room ) And with the most expensive moniters... and best cables? and driving the software on a Receptor....


Then you could get a clear picture of the true tones...

[Urs]

so i guess it's all zebra then?

perhaps you can send me a pm if you don't want to resolve it yet?

Not quite. PM sent

[hasenbraten]

a few TI presets that use the graintables and formant filter:
http://www.speedyshare.com/112380635.html

I tried the Zebra Demo and liked it too but it was a bit hard to get into it.

[Urs]

a few TI presets that use the graintables and formant filter:
http://www.speedyshare.com/112380635.html

I tried the Zebra Demo and liked it too but it was a bit hard to get into it.

Funny stuff!

The last one is cool as it's even usable

[shogger]

Ok. 4 patches in two flavours each. At least one "a" is a u-he synth and at least one "a" is a Moog synth. Post your solution and why you think which is which.

Hasn't had much resonance on kvr because it was already solved in another board. If you want it to work, don't use google.

Thanx Urs.

You said it's a Moog? An analogue hardware Moog?

My votes goes like this:

3a sounds better to me. Like the osc and filter sound more.

6a sounds better to me. 6b Osc are too soft sounding for me.

8a sounds better to me. The detune sounds more unrandom and therefore I think it's the soft synth.

10a sounds better to me. The first sweep in 10b sounds grainier which I don't like as much as 10a.

But which is what, I dunno.

Shogger

P.S. Will Google now after the fun test.

[shogger]

I didn't find this thing on Google. Would you please tell me Urs?

Shogger

[bmanic]

When talking about the Virus one should not forget the effects section and the distortion "module" of each osc in this synth. It really does have some pretty usable effects whereas the reverb, for instance, in Zebra2 is far from being flattering (imho of course).

Zebra 2 is a very capable synth, that's for sure, but it does tend to sound a bit hard somehow.. or clinical being another word. This I suspect, is not the character of the synth itself, it's rather my slight dislike for the GUI of the thing that keeps me from exploring the synth further.

Soundwise, the filters in Zebra 2 sound to me like complete opposites of the "soft"/"round" FabFilter twin filters. The Virus can be both hard and cold, soft and fluffy. A lot of this depends also on the shapes of the envelopes and with the flexibility of Zebra 2 I would imagine it is possible to create almost any kind of synth sound with it.

This reminds me to check out the demo of Zebra 2 again.

Cheers!
bManic

[D-Fusion]

Here is my guess
Zebra 2 is:

03B
06A
08A
10B

So what do i win

[mkastrup]

Cant say for sure but i like

3b
6b
8b
10a

To me these where the softest sounding.

[george freeman]

I love them both but the Virus TI makes me smile. The filters are just amazing to me. It will inspire you to write songs..... need I say more?

[D-Fusion]

Is the ZebraCM Based on Zebra 1 URS?