u-he

zvenx · Post by **zvenx** » Thu Dec 15, 2016 3:58 pm

Hi, I really wanted to call this disappointment, but as a fanboi I couldn't.

u-he is one of my top 2 favourite software synth developers. It is a company I believe in and support because I think the value for money and the customer service is the best there is out there.
I buy even their effects which I rarely use but to help support the development of u-he to make more synthesizers which I use all the time.

Recently in their recent very rare sale, I bought some sound banks.
I bought them with expectations based on other soundbanks I have bought from u-he.
Quality, completeness, categorization, and performance mappings/real time modulation.
There are quite a few 'sound developers' who imho leave patches unfinished, a modwheel here and there and that's it. Once bitten twice shy, I don't ever buy from those again.

However because I have bought so many banks and software synths from u-he before i didn't expect that.
I bought three banks this time, two of them, are imho really good.... quality is there, they are complete, with a lot of real time modulation and patches are put in category.

However there is one, for Zebra 2, that I am exceedingly disappointed in. Exceedingly!
Not only that I don't care too much for the sounds, which is on me cause I did listen to the demos and liked what I heard and so I had that opportunity and that is entirely on me. Plus taste in sound is personal so that isn't part of the complaint.
However, It has only what I consider elementary modwheel programming, but no aftertouch, no xy performances, no information beyond the sound designers name in the info section. I thought buying a new 2016 bank from u-he would be 'safe' from those, what I consider incompleteness/laziness.
I urge Urs et al, when you are licensing third party sound developers to do banks, please ensure they meet your own standards. At least one of your users, me

, buy them with the expectation of u-he quality.

Sincerely,
rsp

Chris-S · Post by **Chris-S** » Thu Dec 15, 2016 7:58 pm

Most soundsbanks have their own thread here or in the soundware forum where users can report a positive or negative feedback.

So checkout the demos and inform before buy.

my two euro cents.......

zvenx · Post by **zvenx** » Thu Dec 15, 2016 9:17 pm

Chris-S wrote:Most soundsbanks have their own thread here or in the soundware forum where users can report a positive or negative feedback.

So checkout the demos and inform before buy.

my two euro cents.......

sure, but unless a soundbank has a demo set of patches, you really don't have any way to see what their modulation control settings are.

This bank had one thread with three comments for the record. And two mentions on this forum, one of which was mine

.

Without either a demo bank or a comprehensive walk thru how would I possibly know what extent of the modulations in the bank?

rsp

Stollmeister · Post by **Stollmeister** » Thu Dec 15, 2016 10:05 pm

I feel the same way about this actually.

Howard · Post by **Howard** » Thu Dec 15, 2016 10:31 pm

Thanks for the constructive criticism, zvenx! Valid points all, to be taken seriously. I'll talk to u-he HQ about it tomorrow (maybe suggest more discussion at Monday's meeting).

zvenx · Post by **zvenx** » Fri Dec 16, 2016 3:25 am

Thanks Howard. You guys have just set a high bar and spoiled me

rsp

david.beholder · Post by **david.beholder** » Fri Dec 16, 2016 6:43 pm

Not only that I don't care too much for the sounds, which is on me cause I did listen to the demos and liked what I heard and so I had that opportunity and that is entirely on me. Plus taste in sound is personal so that isn't part of the complaint.

However, It has only what I consider elementary modwheel programming, but no aftertouch, no xy performances, no information beyond the sound designers name in the info section. I thought buying a new 2016 bank from u-he would be 'safe' from those, what I consider incompleteness/laziness.

And that's okay. Some people use xy controls and aftertouch, some doesn't. The same story about sound designers.
What looks like real problem - bank didn't fit you from the begining - but that's totally different issue.

3ee · Post by **3ee** » Fri Dec 16, 2016 7:11 pm

I also agree that u-he (and everyone else especially who is known to put out quality stuff) should have a STANDARD to compare against before releasing these 3rd party stuff.

ghettosynth · Post by **ghettosynth** » Fri Dec 16, 2016 7:20 pm

david.beholder wrote:
Not only that I don't care too much for the sounds, which is on me cause I did listen to the demos and liked what I heard and so I had that opportunity and that is entirely on me. Plus taste in sound is personal so that isn't part of the complaint.

However, It has only what I consider elementary modwheel programming, but no aftertouch, no xy performances, no information beyond the sound designers name in the info section. I thought buying a new 2016 bank from u-he would be 'safe' from those, what I consider incompleteness/laziness.
And that's okay. Some people use xy controls and aftertouch, some doesn't. The same story about sound designers.
What looks like real problem - bank didn't fit you from the begining - but that's totally different issue.

Not that I have any dog in this fight, but, what stood about OPs complaint to me is the lack of documentation/description in the patches. I don't see how anyone can disagree with that as an indication of laziness or below standard for Uhe patches. I think that it is as well, especially if you pay for them.

david.beholder · Post by **david.beholder** » Fri Dec 16, 2016 7:36 pm

ghettosynth wrote:I don't see how anyone can disagree with that as an indication of laziness or below standard for Uhe patches. I think that it is as well, especially if you pay for them.

I don't oftenly use more than one xy and never aftertouch. If I would ever release sound bank it would be exactly the same way. If you call it laziness - you're wrong, it's my way of doing things.

ghettosynth · Post by **ghettosynth** » Fri Dec 16, 2016 7:41 pm

david.beholder wrote:
ghettosynth wrote:I don't see how anyone can disagree with that as an indication of laziness or below standard for Uhe patches. I think that it is as well, especially if you pay for them.
I don't oftenly use more than one xy and never aftertouch. If I would ever release sound bank it would be exactly the same way. If you call it laziness - you're wrong, it's my way of doing things.

I was specifically addressing the lack of descriptions which has absolutely nothing to do with what you use or don't use.

That said, if you can't think beyond what you would use, then well, I think that's laziness as well, and, since it's my opinion, it's intrinsically not "wrong."

Urs · Post by **Urs** » Fri Dec 16, 2016 7:42 pm

It's noted and we'll fix it

Thing is, this whole new wave of releasing soundsets also comes with a learning curve for the guys. This is the first time they got any negative feedback on this particular soundset, and they'll take it in. Upcoming releases will run through more thorough checks and sound designers will get more thorough guidelines.

Generally however people at u-he liked this set, so apart from a few flaws I think it's fixable.

zvenx · Post by **zvenx** » Fri Dec 16, 2016 8:06 pm

Thanks Urs for listening and taking action.

After going thru the whole bank I did find a few more favourites that I liked that were unconventional, but I took great care (at least I thought I did) to stress my issue was never the sound taste of the actual presets as that is always personal.

To others, including David, thanks for your responses.
rsp

Urs wrote:It's noted and we'll fix it

Thing is, this whole new wave of releasing soundsets also comes with a learning curve for the guys. This is the first time they got any negative feedback on this particular soundset, and they'll take it in. Upcoming releases will run through more thorough checks and sound designers will get more thorough guidelines.

Generally however people at u-he liked this set, so apart from a few flaws I think it's fixable.

zvenx · Post by **zvenx** » Wed Jan 11, 2017 12:01 pm

Thank you for addressing it.
It's reasons like this you continue to be one of my favourite developers.
rsp

Stollmeister · Post by **Stollmeister** » Thu Jan 12, 2017 2:58 am

Thanks for the update! This is much better.

u-he

KVR Audio

Feedback and expectations....