KVR Audio

4damind · Post by **4damind** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 10:08 am

Some valid pairs are Zebra vs Synthmaster, Serum vs Massive. But Zebra vs Serum? They are completely different synth. If you have Zebra you can also have Serum and will find a usage for both.
Ok, I would pick Serum but not because Serum is better, it's a synth capable to create different sounds.
For this semi-modular VA thingy I would prefer Synthmaster (I'm not the biggest fan of Zebra, I don't like the sound and the GUI).

marvotron · Post by **marvotron** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 10:57 am

If you do go with zebra then I highly recommend this skin :

http://plugmon.org/zebra-pokemod/

Its made it so much more pleasant to work with.

You have to buy the preset pack to get it (although the presets are of zero interest to me) but its totally worth it.

loachm · Post by **loachm** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 11:30 am

marvotron wrote:If you do go with zebra then I highly recommend this skin :

http://plugmon.org/zebra-pokemod/

Its made it so much more pleasant to work with.

You have to buy the preset pack to get it (although the presets are of zero interest to me) but its totally worth it.

...WOOOOOW!!!!

sqigls · Post by **sqigls** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 11:42 am

pepelogu wrote:If I had to choose between Zebra and Serum I would definitely go for... Spire.

this

I can't get into Zebra PURELY for the crap GUI (in my opinion yes)
The sound is great, each component is a winner on it's own, but very 'round' compared to Serum, which is obviously very bright and 'edgey' (perfect for EDM and all the modern styles which get overly compressed and smashed into our eardrums via MP3 by wannabe DJs everywhere we go, seemingly).
With the CPU hit it's again obviously a tough issue unless you have a 12 core beast of a machine…
even then maybe???... It's a superb sound though, high def, deep… well thought out, by a deadly sheik geek.

Spire is a good choice in my opinion though. The GUI seems to invite tweaking.
I think in the long run, a synth that has an inviting GUI is worth more than one which doesn't, even if the latter has a better sound... simply because you don't sit there forever wasting your time trying to tame something out of it. Or at least when you do, it feels like a fun flowing experience rather than a head scratching, time consuming one.
Spire has a great sound which is versatile and layers well. Spire and Diva, in my opinion, are a good team.
I think Spire is a great happy medium.

The new Spire beta is also very CPU efficient, when it's stable, it will be the go-to synth in my opinion.

trimph1 · Post by **trimph1** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 11:53 am

Both do different things. I would have both...I have both

Igro · Post by **Igro** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 11:55 am

Serum has an amazing workflow, but Zebra sounds really musical, you can't beat it in this domain. Serum is too digital for the experienced ears, but it's ok for making mainstream "electronic"

music.

I don't own either, but i'm going to get Zebra soon. For edgy sounds i've got Massive and Razor.

Apostate · Post by **Apostate** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 11:58 am

Igro wrote:Serum has an amazing workflow, but Zebra sounds really musical, you can't beat it in this domain. Serum is too digital for the experienced ears, but it's ok for making mainstream "electronic" music.

Great points. But you can make great electronic music with Gladiator, Electra, Sylenth, Spire...Zebra.

I am going to take a chance and posit that there are more things you can do in Zebra that you can't do in Serum than vice versa. And see if anyone wants (or can) fill in the blanks, since I'm just an idiot taking a position

Igro · Post by **Igro** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 12:01 pm

Yes, of course you can. It's just a new trend to make music really bright (it's like adding more and more sugar every day/month/year to your tee and cakes till you get diabetes), and Serum has this brightness straight away. But ears and brains might tire from the constant HiFreq attack in the end, especially when you will be creating your own music starting with a saw wave.

Sampleconstruct · Post by **Sampleconstruct** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 12:02 pm

Igro wrote:Serum has an amazing workflow, but Zebra sounds really musical, you can't beat it in this domain. Serum is too digital for the experienced ears, but it's ok for making mainstream "electronic" music.

One of those statements...tsssssss

Apostate · Post by **Apostate** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 12:51 pm

Sampleconstruct wrote:
Igro wrote:Serum has an amazing workflow, but Zebra sounds really musical, you can't beat it in this domain. Serum is too digital for the experienced ears, but it's ok for making mainstream "electronic" music.

One of those statements...tsssssss

About that specific statement from Igro...I agree about the digital sound of Serum in a respect, as Zebra seems to have more presence in its sound. This goes back to what I wrote about Serum having (to my ears) a kind of flat yet strangely abrasive sound.

That said, it's obvious Serum needs no defending, for one thing it has some truly extraordinary modulation features (the effects section and what you can do with it is golden in my opinion). This might be another loaded position, but the addition of a more "analogue" filter or two, adding the kind of presence found in Zebra, Z3ta, Helix, etc. would be a welcome addition. Certainly the European-named filters in Serum are no laughing matter, really good...probably the best there, by far. The rest are meh for me.

tristan- · Post by **tristan-** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 1:24 pm

ZEBRA 3 - WHEN WHAT HOW?

Apostate · Post by **Apostate** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 1:29 pm

tristan- wrote:ZEBRA 3 - WHEN WHAT HOW?

ME TOO!

Lotuzia · Post by **Lotuzia** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 1:35 pm

Apostate wrote:
Igro wrote: Y has an amazing workflow, but Xsounds really musical, you can't beat it in this domain. A is too digital for the experienced ears, but it's ok for making mainstream "electronic" music.
Great points. But you can make great electronic music with X, Y, Z, A... B.

You can make great electronic music with pretty much any -capable- synth .

You can even make great music in any style with good synths, me think.

Apostate · Post by **Apostate** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 1:39 pm

Lotuzia wrote:
Apostate wrote:
Igro wrote: Y has an amazing workflow, but Xsounds really musical, you can't beat it in this domain. A is too digital for the experienced ears, but it's ok for making mainstream "electronic" music.
Great points. But you can make great electronic music with X, Y, Z, A... B.

You can make great electronic music with pretty much any -capable- synth .

You can even make great music in any style with good synths, me think.

+1

ImNotDedYet · Post by **ImNotDedYet** » Mon Oct 26, 2015 4:37 pm

Zebra's pretty awesome with all the modulation capabilities, and keep in mind it's wavetable in its own right...not as capable as some others out there.

Dark Zebra/Zebra HZ is incredible as you now get the Diva filters as well, but keep in mind this brings about a decent CPU hit. For those thinking Serum may be too CPU intensive, Dark Zebra may be in the same boat.

I've never used Serum. Zebra HZ is one of my gotos, and I even prefer it over Diva these days only because the modulation abilities on Zebra are so much more and varied. In the end, it all depends on the sound(s) you're looking for along with the workflow. And it sounds like you've already answered those questions in the OP.