KVR Audio

Urs · Post by **Urs** » Sun Jun 10, 2012 8:34 am

I'm a big fan of Christoph Kemper (brain behind the Virus) and while I don't necessarily like the sound of the Virus, I can fully understand when people do. (I'm actually wearing a Kemper Digital shirt on the photo we recently posted on Facebook)

Now, here's the story:

Originally HZ used a Virus or two. He then switched to Zebra for the comfort of having as many instances as he wanted, and where he wanted. He got one of the main Virus sound designers in. This was Howard Scarr who also happened to be a Zebra fan. This is how Dark Knight, Angels & Demons and Inception came about as orchestra/choir + 98% Zebra. He does use outboard gear, but nothing fancy - his workflow needs things in the box.

All was good until HZ found that a certain dsp-based platform outperformed Zebra in terms of quality of individual modules. So we sat down and figured that out. The fruits then became became apparent in Diva.

HZ currently uses a pimped version of Zebra that combines some unusually great stuff, some of which not seen in any published product. So we're living in the comfortable situation: We have a blockbuster soundtrack composed as a stress test for a prototype software.

If all goes well it'll come out in December.

mcnoone · Post by **mcnoone** » Sun Jun 10, 2012 9:02 am

pzhuravel wrote:you know some instruments younl just put a chord down and twist a knob and you're in love..?thats what virus has done to me today. Yes the bases cams be thick and warm, pads at fat lush and organic sounding. Maybe it's not a pure analog but something trully special is going on inside those chips:)

That's great.
Before you get it though, you might wanna check this one out too.
http://www.vintagesynth.com/misc/andromeda.php
The only hw synth I'll be be able to get is this.
http://www.vintagesynth.com/yamaha/an1x.php
At around $300usd it's quite a good sounding va.

mcnoone · Post by **mcnoone** » Sun Jun 10, 2012 9:10 am

Urs wrote: HZ currently uses a pimped version of Zebra that combines some unusually great stuff, some of which not seen in any published product. So we're living in the comfortable situation: We have a blockbuster soundtrack composed as a stress test for a prototype software.

If all goes well it'll come out in December.

That really great news.
It's amazing just how much you've done with Zebra.
Most companies just put synths out, and do only minor changes after that, but your company just keeps doing major changes, and additions, many years after.
It doesn't go unnoticed either.

osiris · Post by **osiris** » Sun Jun 10, 2012 9:31 am

@Urs:

Is this going to be Zebra + hardware? Can't wait.

pzhuravel · Post by **pzhuravel** » Sun Jun 10, 2012 5:10 pm

Urs wrote:HZ currently uses a pimped version of Zebra that combines some unusually great stuff, some of which not seen in any published product. So we're living in the comfortable situation: We have a blockbuster soundtrack composed as a stress test for a prototype software.

If all goes well it'll come out in December.

So I was correct the he's not really using zebra I'm giro to see the hybrid now:) are you guys going to offer an upgrade for zebra/diva owners?

Urs · Post by **Urs** » Sun Jun 10, 2012 5:36 pm

pzhuravel wrote:
Urs wrote:HZ currently uses a pimped version of Zebra that combines some unusually great stuff, some of which not seen in any published product. So we're living in the comfortable situation: We have a blockbuster soundtrack composed as a stress test for a prototype software.

If all goes well it'll come out in December.
So I was correct the he's not really using zebra I'm giro to see the hybrid now:) are you guys going to offer an upgrade for zebra/diva owners?

Hmmm.... he used Zebra "as is" more or less exclusively on Dark Knight, Angels & Demons and Inception. It's only the latest movie that he uses that pimped version.

There's of course going to be an upgrade (either free or maybe 30$) for Zebra users. Diva has not much to do with it, the new features are not directly related to Diva. The quality however does.

pzhuravel · Post by **pzhuravel** » Sun Jun 10, 2012 5:41 pm

Urs wrote:If all goes well it'll come out in December.

So I was correct the he's not really using zebra I'm giro to see the hybrid now:) are you guys going to offer an upgrade for zebra/diva owners?[/quote]
Hmmm.... he used Zebra "as is" more or less exclusively on Dark Knight, Angels & Demons and Inception. It's only the latest movie that he uses that pimped version.

There's of course going to be an upgrade (either free or maybe 30$) for Zebra users. Diva has not much to do with it, the new features are not directly related to Diva. The quality however does.[/quote] sweet I guess I'm putting zebra and deva back on my shopping list:) God I love the TI though.. You guys need to do the same thing I can only imagine if you do this. Your code
Work is impressively amazing. For vi deva I think is the biggest sounding instrument I've heard or owned.. And I own most of thrm

pzhuravel · Post by **pzhuravel** » Sun Jun 10, 2012 5:43 pm

sweet I guess I'm putting zebra and deva back on my shopping list:) God I love the TI though.. You guys need to do the same thing I can only imagine if you do this. Your code
Work is impressively amazing. For vi deva I think is the biggest sounding instrument I've heard or owned.. And I own most of thrm[/quote]

mcnoone · Post by **mcnoone** » Sun Jun 10, 2012 5:50 pm

pzhuravel wrote:God I love the TI though.

Did you try turning off all the reverb/delay effects on it.
Does it still sound good without the reverb and delay off?

george · Post by **george** » Sun Jun 10, 2012 5:53 pm

mcnoone wrote:
pzhuravel wrote:God I love the TI though.
Did you try turning off all the reverb/delay effects on it.
Does it still sound good without the reverb and delay off?

This.

A reverb can be a huge sound pump sometimes.

todd_r · Post by **todd_r** » Sun Jun 10, 2012 6:03 pm

Urs wrote:...a certain dsp-based platform...

Care to spill beans?

Kaboom75 · Post by **Kaboom75** » Sun Jun 10, 2012 7:27 pm

Is it gona be like a Virus TI 2 features but with DIVA analogness?

Urs · Post by **Urs** » Sun Jun 10, 2012 9:28 pm

todd_r wrote:
Urs wrote:...a certain dsp-based platform...
Care to spill beans?

The latest incarnation of Creamware Scope. I think the company is called Sonicore and the platform is now called Xcite (spelling?). They have what I think is a great Minimoog emulation called Minimax. Hans can be very demanding about particular things, and this one was mentioned quite often when it came to examples for great sounding algorithms.

Urs · Post by **Urs** » Sun Jun 10, 2012 9:35 pm

Kaboom75 wrote:Is it gona be like a Virus TI 2 features but with DIVA analogness?

Zebra 1.0 was similar to the classic Virus and designed to complement it. Both have then evolved into different directions. I don't feel the need to compete with the Virus, and neither seem guys at Access/Kemper feel any need to do the Zebra thing.

I did tell Christoph a few details about Diva's filters though, and I believe that Marc and Timo were quite impressed. Maybe they'll figure it out

Eric C. · Post by **Eric C.** » Mon Jun 11, 2012 2:55 pm

Zebra and Diva

Trying to stay away from buying virus ti any soft synths sound as good or better?