Soooooo ...

[BBFG#]

He is doing classic rock you are telling him to get zebra over Diva?

Well, first he's doing something a little more than 'classic rock' and second, I specifically suggested Dark Zebra since it has the 'diva' type filters.

http://www.u-he.com/cms/118-tdz-news

Third, since it sounds like he has plenty to already cover 'classic', then Zebra2/HZ would probably fit and enhance what he has.

Dark Zebra HZ

[Dasheesh]

Seems like you are telling him to go twice as expensive for the same filters. Diva sounds better than zebra as well. It has a better room filling presence. What ever though, everyone has to make their own decision. Get what you luv to play.

[BBFG#]

Seems like you are telling him to go twice as expensive for the same filters. Diva sounds better than zebra as well. It has a better room filling presence. What ever though, everyone has to make their own decision. Get what you luv to play.

It's not just the filters but the range, since you get two synths for the price and they give you the choice of which you want to use. DIVA is undoubtedly great, but when it comes to these 'retro' emulations, I find myself wanting them and then never using them once I have them. I've realized I'm basically reminising for equipment I use to own and that's rather limiting in the realm of what's available today.

[crimsonwarlock]

Yes we go all the way back to your Virtual Sound Studio site......which was supposed to replace KVR......

Yep, that didn't happen... life got in the way

[DHR53]

I've owned Zebra for a long time... still haven't bought Diva. Could be my old computer, but Zebra does it all and is incredibly cpu efficient. I don't really think we've heard everything that can come out of Zebra yet... My .02

[dsan@mail.com]

Thanks BBFG# and Dasheesh for your replies. Sorry it took so long to get back to you.

Your comments are helpful too DHR53, thanks!

I think you are spot on BBFG# with Dark Zebra suggestion. I listened to the demos and those are the type of sounds I could use.

Soooooooo (I love that title ).....I'll be demoing both Zebra and Diva this weekend but i think I'm leaning toward Zebra.

But I am wondering, since I own Alchemy, Omnisphere, Predator and Blue (and a handful of others), will I find Zebra to be more of the same? I use Alchemy in just about everything and find Blue to be useful in many productions. I seldom use Predator as I just can't seem to find a way to fit in the sounds it has. Sometimes I give up early cause I can't get along with the GUI though.

Your input is greatly appreciated

Happy Musiking!
dsan

[Dasheesh]

feel free to hijack this thread guys, I'm done here, and I don't own any of those.

[dsan@mail.com]

Sorry Dasheesh....did not mean to hijack your thread but thought, since your opening post, it was a thread about Zebra, hence my questions about the subject matter.

If you prefer I can delete my questions, let me know.

Thanks!
dsan

[Dasheesh]

Run with it. Hope you find the answers you are looking for.

[pdxindy]

Thanks BBFG# and Dasheesh for your replies. Sorry it took so long to get back to you.

Your comments are helpful too DHR53, thanks!

I think you are spot on BBFG# with Dark Zebra suggestion. I listened to the demos and those are the type of sounds I could use.

Soooooooo (I love that title ).....I'll be demoing both Zebra and Diva this weekend but i think I'm leaning toward Zebra.

But I am wondering, since I own Alchemy, Omnisphere, Predator and Blue (and a handful of others), will I find Zebra to be more of the same? I use Alchemy in just about everything and find Blue to be useful in many productions. I seldom use Predator as I just can't seem to find a way to fit in the sounds it has. Sometimes I give up early cause I can't get along with the GUI though.

Your input is greatly appreciated

Happy Musiking!
dsan

One of the great things about Zebra is that you can really use the demo. It can save and load presets so you can download a couple thousand free presets and try before you buy. I worked with it every day for more than a month and saved lots of presets and so knew by then I would use Zebra a lot.

I have Alchemy, but not the others that you have. I use Zebra all the time and Alchemy less. Over time I have come to like synthesis more than working with samples. Everyone has their own aesthetic. I mostly use Alchemy for my own recorded audio samples.

The strength of Zebra is the ease of use in a semi-modular environment with a wide and flexible array of sound modules. It is not that Zebra can do a whole lot more than what you already have in the absolute sense, it is that it can do it easily and can combine different synthesis techniques fluidly which in practice translates to results you might not get to otherwise. For pure synthesis, there is no more fertile ground than Zebra.

As for the choice between Zebra and Diva, I absolutely would not do without both... Zebra has a range of sonic versatility that stands out. Diva has an analog vitality that stands out. Diva just sounds gorgeous and full and rich. They compliment each other well. Take your time to find out which one you will buy (first... hehehe)

[dsan@mail.com]

Thank you pdxindy!

Your review has helped to ease my angst.

Sage advice; take my time demoing. With the minimal restrictions U-He has on demos this is sound advice and I plan to. Most often though I find the Yeah or Nay within minutes.

I'm not really a tweaker so often the strengths of a VST are lost on me. Someday when I have more time to spend I plan on learning the ins and outs of every VST I own but for now I have to rely on ready made works of others to find the sounds I want to use in a production or I will never get anything done. I look forward to that day, believe me!

I have a feeling you have sold me (on both)

But BBFG# did a good number on me too with his suggestion of Zebra Dark. So, BBFG#, how did you know that would be my cuppa tea?

Thanks guys for all the help! Really appreciated!

Happy Musiking!
dsan

[BBFG#]

I'm using Alchemy and Zebra2HZ almost equally, I still prefer Alchemy for its granular pad sources though. Where Zebra catches up is in using both 2.6 and HZ in different instances, since they do have a character all their own and still compliment each other perfectly. I've also regained an interest in Zebralette for its quick simplicity and clarity in complimenting leads. But out of those three Zebras, HZ gets opened up the most.
I remember reading an Alchemy developer comment saying that he and Urs were having coffee one day discussing how they could keep from overlapping or something along those lines. And I think they mostly have created instruments that work well alone or with each other along those lines.

The other thing I seem to be using more of though has been Reaktor, specifically the Metaphysicals and the user ensemble Cloud Atlas, (with my eye on the ET ArcWave & WaveChaser).
What I use less of because of Zebra is Synthmaster, specifically it has been reduced to a few of the Nori soundbanks I think it shines at and fits so nicely with the AAS String Studio & Chromaphone there.

(All of that is probably quite a tell on my ambient-experimental-world-fusion roux)

[pdxindy]

Thank you pdxindy!

Your review has helped to ease my angst.

Sage advice; take my time demoing. With the minimal restrictions U-He has on demos this is sound advice and I plan to. Most often though I find the Yeah or Nay within minutes.

I'm not really a tweaker so often the strengths of a VST are lost on me. Someday when I have more time to spend I plan on learning the ins and outs of every VST I own but for now I have to rely on ready made works of others to find the sounds I want to use in a production or I will never get anything done. I look forward to that day, believe me!

I have a feeling you have sold me (on both)

But BBFG# did a good number on me too with his suggestion of Zebra Dark. So, BBFG#, how did you know that would be my cuppa tea?

Thanks guys for all the help! Really appreciated!

Happy Musiking!
dsan

Well... Zebra HZ is mostly a soundset... You do get a few features such as the Diva filters and the resonator. Myself, I usually use ZebraHZ just cause it is the same as Zebra but I rarely use the Diva filters in it. Just too much cpu use. It's the resonator and the per channel compressors that I use most with HZ. You have to buy Zebra to get it... Btw, if you get Zebra and then the HZ soundset, that means when Zebra3 comes out sometime next year you get that upgrade for free.

There are something in the range of 8000 presets for Zebra (commercial and free) so there will be plenty there for you to explore even if you are not a tweaker!

[pdxindy]

I'm using Alchemy and Zebra2HZ almost equally, I still prefer Alchemy for its granular pad sources though. Where Zebra catches up is in using both 2.6 and HZ in different instances, since they do have a character all their own and still compliment each other perfectly. I've also regained an interest in Zebralette for its quick simplicity and clarity in complimenting leads. But out of those three Zebras, HZ gets opened up the most.

One of my 'granular' presets for Zebra... (just 1 osc)

http://draigathar.org/sounds/Zdisto.mp3

[BBFG#]

I'm using Alchemy and Zebra2HZ almost equally, I still prefer Alchemy for its granular pad sources though. Where Zebra catches up is in using both 2.6 and HZ in different instances, since they do have a character all their own and still compliment each other perfectly. I've also regained an interest in Zebralette for its quick simplicity and clarity in complimenting leads. But out of those three Zebras, HZ gets opened up the most.

One of my 'granular' presets for Zebra... (just 1 osc)

http://draigathar.org/sounds/Zdisto.mp3

Nice!