Mixed impressions on u-he Zebra

[TiUser]

I'm not going to argue with you but my spidey sense tingles when ever I see someone decide to refer to themselves by referencing a product. It's your chance to name yourself! You chose a product. Think about it.

Well, what does the nickname possibly tell at max.? I use a Ti, not more... can't see a rating like possibly "TiLover" would imply for instance. But you might be right, a problem is that many people possibly interpret a lot in words that is not in them... at least in this example this seems to be quite obvious to me... but obviously not to others...

Anyway, I kind of understand what you're getting at, though I don't agree with your assessment of Zebra 2. I had the same feeling about Massive, though I didn't feel it was a bad thing. I did feel that buying the full synth was more than I wanted to spend to get that tone though. Then I downloaded their free KORE player thing and I found myself digging some of the Massive based presets. They worked really well in some of my tunes. Not wanting to drop $200 on it I picked up the $59 Massive Expansion pack and I found that it was perfect for my needs. I don't like to spend a lot of my music time making presets.

Thanks, that's one type of answer I expected! Highly appreciated!!

So, I guess what I'm saying is that there's really no such thing as a "good" sound. Either the sound works in your tune or does not. Right now I'm listening to Beck's Odelay Deluxe and it's full of lo-fi and cheap crappy sounding instruments and guitars that sound like they're being put through overdriven transistor radios. Guess what? Beck makes it work beautifully.

My suggestion is that you should stop listening to Zebra 2 and just try putting it in your music.

btw, I have no idea what you're talking about with the "Origin" thread. I meant the thread where I say, (tongue in cheak) "analog synths! I hate 'em!"

Thanks, these are useful hints too, and abolutely appreciated, so not focussing my primary question, just to make clear for others who are in doubt what I am about

Boys, keep relaxed, I don't want to stress anything...

[TiUser]

Maybe my "problem" is that I think a synth should be free of any special "signature" and be able to do everything. I know that might be an illusion but maybe that's the point in my experience.

Hmm… Last time I listened, I could have sworn that all sounds have a signature.
I think in the real world they call it "timbre".

Take for example a saxophone. Many brands and players out there. Now, provided there are some people that can't tell the difference between a saxophone and a trumpet. The saxophone has its own signature and more specifically, individual players also. And with each individual player you can usually tell who the person is with three notes of their playing.

Same goes for a singer. The vocals have their own signature, and each individual vocalist will have a more specific signature. You can take a specific vocalist and stick them into ever genre, and I guarantee you will still be able to recognize them even if their inflections are different.

No I don't think it's possible to not have a signature. Wind has its own signature, and even silence does.

Up to a certain extent, every sound will have a common signature because the medium through which it travels is "air".

Yes the TI has a signature, the Nord Lead has a signature, and Zebra also does.

I don't blame you for not understanding Zebra. Zebra's sound is so pure that most people don't understand what they are listening to. It's ahead of its time. Maybe in another 10 years, inexperienced listeners will...

Best regards, ZEBRAUser
There is nothing like a 2 buck chuck
There is a time when even real wine can't compare to illusion

Thanks, these are very interesting thoughts and maybe illustrate the misunderstanding, but your examples might be excellent to clearify...

Now imagine that you record all these fantastic players and sounds (including all synths you referred to) with system A and it has a touch of "it sounds like System A" while recording it on System B it sounds "clean"... and keep in mind, I am talking about a perceptional impression... a difference... not really rating A better or worse than B... And you still can identify the great players, sounds, tibres, just with a touch of "A" or "B"... Now reduce it to synths engines, some have an "A" touch and some a "B" touch... and there we are.

Tell me I am nuts, I accept that as well, but maybe it's clearer not what I mean.

[Howard]

OK, back to the original post:

Maybe some of you can help me correcting a mixed impression of u-he Zeba VSTi. Without doubt it is flexible in structure and compared to that relatively easy to use. I was also pleased - if not thrilled - with the sound in a phase I checked it out with medicore multimedia speakers and a usual PC soundcard. Later I put it on my test notebook and sent all via my Virus audio interface and was a bit dissapointed. It sounded not bad anyway but not near as thrilling as before and kind of thin as many other VSTi's. Has anyone an idea why I got that impression?

While I was a TI owner I never used it as DA-converter for VSTi, so I can't judge the quality. However, maybe it is coloring all VSTi in a way that doesn't do Zebra2 justice...

[Spitfire31]

Just my 0.02 SEK:

I'm using Zebra 2 through my Metric Halo MIO 2882.

I wouldn't call the sound character thin...

FWIW,

Joey

[TiUser]

While I was a TI owner I never used it as DA-converter for VSTi, so I can't judge the quality. However, maybe it is coloring all VSTi in a way that doesn't do Zebra2 justice...

Difficult question, but I doubt that a bit. Anyway I have no possibility to check alternatives, it's just the best thing I have... Maybe somebody else can comment on this?

I still offer the option that I need to see a doctor

[rsmus7]

did you use some of the presets to judge the quality of Z2?

or did you programm some sounds by yourself?

it can always be that you don't like some presets,
but I would say that Z2 can sound like almost anything you can imagine,
but it surely needs understanding and learning a bit to get it where you want it.
I tried the TI a few times in musicstores, and it never really got me,admitted I used headphones,
but Z2 does, so maybe it is just personal taste?

[Electrobop]

Thanks, that's one type of answer I expected! Highly appreciated!!

Tell me I am nuts, I accept that as well, but maybe it's clearer not what I mean.

No, of course you are not nuts. I wouldn't argue with a Nut!
It's like I said before, Zebra has an extremely clean, smooth, and clear sound.
And most people don't know what to make of it.
When it comes down to it, our whole reality is based on our perceptions.
Perception can be very narrow.
I can't argue perception with you.
Nope, no arguing here.

But if you really want a great synth, check this out
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=204964

Best regards, ZEBRAUser

never let your Zebra turn its backside to a Nut
there is a chance it might get infected with a virus

[TiUser]

did you use some of the presets to judge the quality of Z2?

or did you programm some sounds by yourself?

it can always be that you don't like some presets,
but I would say that Z2 can sound like almost anything you can imagine,
but it surely needs understanding and learning a bit to get it where you want it.
I tried the TI a few times in musicstores, and it never really got me,admitted I used headphones,
but Z2 does, so maybe it is just personal taste?

First of all - and again I am sorry to stress this point - but I am not about individual patches, how to tweak them for the better or create new ones from scratch...

Even I think it's off toping referring to my initial question I am willing to try to answer your questions anyway... but again and before I start I have to stress that the following comment has nothing to do with the subtle "noble plastic", thin "curtain" or whatever other words I have used before for my perception experience in ALL sounds. The quality of many patches shines clearly even through this "subtle curtain" quite obvious. Otherwise I hadn't take any further effort to check out zebra at all... Or in other words, it's definitely one of the finer VSTi's. You have to understand that it's not my intention to blame zebra for anything but to understand my perception and possibly find reasons why...

Yes, I checked out many of the presets availiable with the demo.

Yes, I tried to tweak patches and I played around with the modular synthesis elements from scratch too, so not too seriously... Don't think I am a great sound designer... but anyway - and I said that already - the possibilities in zebra are endless and the gui is comparably simple in comparison to the complexity of patches you can do. It's also unique to have such a variety of effects in the "main" section of zebra. Feature wise zebra is very well equipped.

I am relly not a sound design expert, but I realized that - now just referring to the synthesized sounds itself - I often preferred stacking voices to get a fuller sound, single oscillators sound often really very "pure", just to use one word someone else used. But that may just show my sound preference, it has nothing to do with my initial question about my general sound perception experience with zebra... keep in mind, I am still talking about something subtle and personal...

[vurt]

as the majority of people dont experience this id imagine the reason for it is somewhere in your system.

[TiUser]

No, of course you are not nuts. I wouldn't argue with a Nut!

Thanks, maybe I can save the money for the doctor now...

It's like I said before, Zebra has an extremely clean, smooth, and clear sound.
And most people don't know what to make of it.
When it comes down to it, our whole reality is based on our perceptions.
Perception can be very narrow.
I can't argue perception with you.
Nope, no arguing here.

clean, smooth, clear... maybe another word could be boring... ok, don't take that too serious, but words always don't really hit the nail when it comes to sound.
Maybe zebra sounds are for the "avant garde" only and others don't know what to do with them... but that still is not about my initial question

But if you really want a great synth, check this out
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=204964

The thread you refer to looks to be insane, 83 pages, heck, I didn't read that all, but I bet you mean the conclusion is either using zebra or real eggshakers for $1 each...

[dacaumodo]

Can't believe this thread is still running. It's like a Brazilian soap opera.

I'll attempt a summary of previous episodes for those who have missed:

A lot of folks dig Zebra quite a lot.

TIUser doesn't like it too much, all things conisdered. He's intrigued. He wonders: why the difference between the general enthusiasm and his own lukewarm response?

Folks try to convince him that Zebra really is the shit.

TIuser says, well yes but no, but you know, I don't know.

Thread goes on and on.

And now back to...

[TiUser]

TIUser doesn't like it too much, all things conisdered. He's intrigued. He wonders: why the difference between the general enthusiasm and his own lukewarm response?

The problem with the thread is that people simply don't understand my goal...

Like you many think I don't like the sounds or I don't like zebra but that's not really what I am interested in.

If I like it or not is not the point...

...the thread simply gets so long for the many off topic side discussions, that's all. When I count the posts that are close to the responses I expected, maybe 2 pages would be enough.

[Goratrix]

TIUser doesn't like it too much, all things conisdered. He's intrigued. He wonders: why the difference between the general enthusiasm and his own lukewarm response?

The problem with the thread is that people simply don't understand my goal...

After reading through this thread it seems to me you don't have a goal. But you might have a slight case of OCD, have you considered that?

[bmrzycki]

From what I can tell the goal is to somehow get into TiUser's brain, discover the neural impulses generated when listening to sounds, isolate the ones deemed to be pleasurable, and then create a synth that maximizes those neural paths for him.

You know, something that could be solved in 2-3 pages.

[Howard]

...I bet you mean the conclusion is either using zebra or real eggshakers for $1 each...

"Chicken Shake" sound for Zebra2? Done that already...