Forgive me If any of these have been answered already I did'nt search. If they have, please could you point me to what the answer was?
Question 1
I know Zebra has some distortion and overdrive on the filters, but would you be able to somehow add more specifically to the filter section? Like a list of different saturation models? Im just thinking that with good enough saturation models, you could really beef up or destroy the sound in a lovely musical way.
I remember reading that part of Sylenth1's sound is the saturation that is built into the filter. I think I heard a bit of that in DIVA's filters when you push them hard enough.
Question 2
I am also wondering if you could add the option to increase the voice count per Oscillator to like 25 with a unison system similar to D.U.N.E. I think a big part of the perceived "Fatness" in Viruses and Sylenth is how the unison is spread in the stereo image. I wonder if you could get control over each voice in the unison spread too, like adjustable controls per voice for tweakheads like me. then you could apply spectral effects per voice in the unison spread.
Or would that be overkill.. ?
Question 3
In the additive/resynthesis engine is it possible to increase the amount of partials for a more detailed sound. Also how many partials are you limited to when designing a sound? Like if you convert a .Wav sound into Zebra. Im just thinking the more partials the more accurate the wave form will be right?
Question 4
The oscillators in Zebra are free running right? Do you think if you had an option to "Freeze" the sounds that you could get more voices?
I was reading this on wikipedia (I know not the greatest source)
"In the case of harmonic, quasi-periodic musical tones, wavetable synthesis can be as general as time-varying additive synthesis, but requires less computation during synthesis.[20] As a result, an efficient implementation of time-varying additive synthesis of harmonic tones can be accomplished by use of wavetable synthesis."
A few questions about Zebra.
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- KVRist
- 182 posts since 13 Nov, 2012 from Northern California
Just some observations...
I find the tools for standard fuzz-box, saturation distortions lacking in Zebra, nothing like the dedicated distortion in Sylenth (I have a demo) but you can use other techniques in Zebra to get a genuinely hairy "roughness" right at the Oscillator, or using the many filter options.
The Comb filters and other filters can help... comb being genuinely freaky-wild in my humble opinion.
As far as the "wavetable" route, you can carefully draw your own waves in the "Geoblend" and "SpectroBlend" wave building options just to the right of the wave window (the two on the bottom). Thats how I mad the ill-fated "Bazzilla" vocal patch... no one loved it, but it does show how much control the drawn waves offer. Distortion at the wave is a little weird and can be weak sounding without further filtering... but it's a good place to start getting distortion.
You can try this by opening a smooth pad patch just quickly drawing tight zig-zagz along a "GeoBlend" wave and see what happens. If you do enough damage, instant buzz!
With complex waves one can make VERY brash and detailed sounds...you can accentuate and manipulate various harmonics using MSEG and the Mapper... and drive the ear crazy trying to sort it out
Using automation (or hand modulation) to sift through the various drawn waves in series. As soon as you start to add extra distortion-like aspect with the filter (or indeed just from ripping two waves against each other)... it can sound quite coarse, even while under total control.
Give it a try
I find the tools for standard fuzz-box, saturation distortions lacking in Zebra, nothing like the dedicated distortion in Sylenth (I have a demo) but you can use other techniques in Zebra to get a genuinely hairy "roughness" right at the Oscillator, or using the many filter options.
The Comb filters and other filters can help... comb being genuinely freaky-wild in my humble opinion.
As far as the "wavetable" route, you can carefully draw your own waves in the "Geoblend" and "SpectroBlend" wave building options just to the right of the wave window (the two on the bottom). Thats how I mad the ill-fated "Bazzilla" vocal patch... no one loved it, but it does show how much control the drawn waves offer. Distortion at the wave is a little weird and can be weak sounding without further filtering... but it's a good place to start getting distortion.
You can try this by opening a smooth pad patch just quickly drawing tight zig-zagz along a "GeoBlend" wave and see what happens. If you do enough damage, instant buzz!
With complex waves one can make VERY brash and detailed sounds...you can accentuate and manipulate various harmonics using MSEG and the Mapper... and drive the ear crazy trying to sort it out
Using automation (or hand modulation) to sift through the various drawn waves in series. As soon as you start to add extra distortion-like aspect with the filter (or indeed just from ripping two waves against each other)... it can sound quite coarse, even while under total control.
Give it a try
Retired, Bored and ready to WRECK the JOINT... gonna drop some OLD-STEP, ya'll!!
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- KVRian
- 754 posts since 27 Nov, 2011
1. the different filter types sound different when you drive them hard. experiment also, oscillator effects represent different kinds of distortion, saturation being one of them
2. oscillators already have unison built in...click on where it says "single" and it will give you options for 2 / 4 / 11 stacked oscillators. the detune knob then adjusts the spread between them
3. not sure
4. the reset button makes it so the oscillator starts from the same wave phase every time. then you use the phase/pw knob for control over it
page 21 of the manual is what you want (mine might be out of date...you want the "OSC main panel" section)
also, oscillator effects represent different kinds of distortion, saturation being one of them2. oscillators already have unison built in...click on where it says "single" and it will give you options for 2 / 4 / 11 stacked oscillators. the detune knob then adjusts the spread between them
3. not sure
4. the reset button makes it so the oscillator starts from the same wave phase every time. then you use the phase/pw knob for control over it
page 21 of the manual is what you want (mine might be out of date...you want the "OSC main panel" section)
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- KVRAF
- 4197 posts since 23 May, 2004 from Bad Vilbel, Germany
Yes, 25-osc supersaw would be overkill imho. Zebra has 11, Virus has 9...
Tip for distortion: Follow the filter with a Shaper in "Wedge" mode and experiment with all parameters.
RE number of partials: IIRC it's 10 octaves in some oscillator modes, 6 octaves in others. I need to read my "own" manual again!...
Tip for distortion: Follow the filter with a Shaper in "Wedge" mode and experiment with all parameters.
RE number of partials: IIRC it's 10 octaves in some oscillator modes, 6 octaves in others. I need to read my "own" manual again!...
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- KVRist
- 182 posts since 13 Nov, 2012 from Northern California
Wow, just tried the Shaper with "Wedge" on the most recent crummy dub-step-distortion patch I've made in the past couple hours (this discussion has inspired me to DUB it... made six so far!).
I'm using many of the ideas discussed in this thread with a bit of Formant filter on top (More dubby that way).
This Shaper/wedge tip really defines the bass of the sound!
Awsome!
I'm using many of the ideas discussed in this thread with a bit of Formant filter on top (More dubby that way).
This Shaper/wedge tip really defines the bass of the sound!
Awsome!
Retired, Bored and ready to WRECK the JOINT... gonna drop some OLD-STEP, ya'll!!
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- KVRAF
- 26990 posts since 3 Feb, 2005 from in the wilds
Question #1
Zebra has multiple ways to add some distortion/saturation
There are the different filter types (including decimation SR reduction)
There are the XMF filters which have multiple modes (XMF, Analogue, Biased, Folded)
There are the shapers
There are the compressors... (strong mode)
Dark Zebra has the per voice channel compressors...
And the level of the osc affects the sound a lot...
There is a lot of capability there...
Zebra has multiple ways to add some distortion/saturation
There are the different filter types (including decimation SR reduction)
There are the XMF filters which have multiple modes (XMF, Analogue, Biased, Folded)
There are the shapers
There are the compressors... (strong mode)
Dark Zebra has the per voice channel compressors...
And the level of the osc affects the sound a lot...
There is a lot of capability there...
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- KVRAF
- 26990 posts since 3 Feb, 2005 from in the wilds
A couple ZebraHZ examples...
First one is a clean pluck from one Osc before going to the filters (one VCF and one XMF) and HZ per voice channel comp
http://draigathar.org/sounds/Zebrasatdown.mp3
Second is also 1 osc and uses shaper and also 2 filters(one VCF and one XMF), comp and HZ resonator
http://draigathar.org/sounds/Zebrasatsuma.mp3
btw, I think the Dark Zebra is worth it just for the extra features...forget the presets even (not that they are not fantastic!). Myself, I don't use the Diva filters much cause they eat cpu, but they are there... however, the resonator, per voice channel comps are both something excellent and regularly useful to me. Plus you get a couple extra VCF filter types as well... I like the drive on the TN6 filter...
I also think it would be useful to have a dedicated distortion module in Zebra (I'd particularly like a bitcrusher). However, there is a lot possible as is though it does take more work and exploration...
First one is a clean pluck from one Osc before going to the filters (one VCF and one XMF) and HZ per voice channel comp
http://draigathar.org/sounds/Zebrasatdown.mp3
Second is also 1 osc and uses shaper and also 2 filters(one VCF and one XMF), comp and HZ resonator
http://draigathar.org/sounds/Zebrasatsuma.mp3
btw, I think the Dark Zebra is worth it just for the extra features...forget the presets even (not that they are not fantastic!). Myself, I don't use the Diva filters much cause they eat cpu, but they are there... however, the resonator, per voice channel comps are both something excellent and regularly useful to me. Plus you get a couple extra VCF filter types as well... I like the drive on the TN6 filter...
I also think it would be useful to have a dedicated distortion module in Zebra (I'd particularly like a bitcrusher). However, there is a lot possible as is though it does take more work and exploration...
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- KVRAF
- 1888 posts since 13 Aug, 2011 from Berlin
This should be my standard reply in such threads. So much to learn with so beautiful instruments.V0RT3X wrote:Awesome, well I just need to explore it a bit more I guess.
Cheers for the replies fellows.
