Zebra3 Info

[Urs]

LFOs built into envelopes are great for preset libraries with all the same wub wub. Anything not same samey requires those LFOs to be as complex as dedicted LFOs, in case of which you're better off with separate modules.

/rant

[jme-audio]

Don't know wub wub preset libraries but I think a little movement in the sustain phase helps to make a sound less static, and hence you also have F/R. However it is quite hard to use F/R together with LoopS to achieve desired rate and depth for LFO like movement. Maybe the additional stages parameter could offer some new and more effective mode for this. A Triangle LFO would really suffice. While you are right that this would be very limited, it is exactly what is needed for a little tremolo to give a bit life to the sustain. Still one could use an external LFO for doing more crazy things. I imagine this Tremolo-Stage could use both, its own knob as well as the F/R-knob to allow the needed amount of control (Rate, Depth), while being of course different to the LoopS-Mode.

[Urs]

Fair enough. I haven't given Z3 envelopes much thought yet. I think Z2 ones are too bloated. Will need to find middle ground.

I'm generally afraid of features though which might creep into everything and become a (possibly short lived) fashion. If suddenly a lot of presets have some kind of tremolo which becomes a characteristic property of that synth... doesn't seem like a very good idea. I'd rather have people add tremolo when it fits, not just because it's just a little turn of a knob.

[jme-audio]

Yes, agree. For classic concepts like ADSR it is better to not deviate too much from the original concept. With bloated envelopes the intuitivity is lost easily. Hence I like classic ADSR the most. Still for modern synths some extras are welcome. How good this works, has a lot do with how the layout is done. When optionality is emphasized like in ACE, this works without drawbacks. Also the mix of sliders and knobs helps with this in ACE. Then I wouldn't assume that all knobs are used, just because they are there.

Such UI with faders would correspond with an increased module height.
What do you think about my proposal to give Zebra variable height?
One decides for a zoom level (either by menu or by horizontal resizing) and can change the height of Zebra by vertical resizing. An increasement in height then should relate just to the height of the middle pane that holds the modules.

While I like zoom on some plugins I see no reason in my environment for zooming Zebra much, still more height would be very useful. You already noted that the limited visible space for modules is a problem for some patches. And this problem could be easily reduced, maybe even totally avoided, by just making the height resizable. I have seen that many plugins can do this, f.e. Kontakt and Reaktor. So when you do a new GUI, you should really check out if this would be possible with Zebra.

[pdxindy]

Yes, agree. For classic concepts like ADSR it is better to not deviate too much from the original concept. With bloated envelopes the intuitivity is lost easily. Hence I like classic ADSR the most. Still for modern synths some extras are welcome. How good this works, has a lot do with how the layout is done. When optionality is emphasized like in ACE, this works without drawbacks. Also the mix of sliders and knobs helps with this in ACE. Then I wouldn't assume that all knobs are used, just because they are there.

I quite like the Env's in Bazille. The Amp Mod allows you to do things like add a tremolo, or add volume with AT etc. The rate mod lets you add a lot of variation, change env shape, and so on. They can also be looped.

Here, I just made an example drone in Bazille. A quick basic saw pad with two 'simple' ADSR envelopes. One envelope is looped creating the drone and the other looped and modulating filter cutoff.

https://draigathar.org/sounds/Bazenv1.mp3

[Weasel-Boy]

I was just wondering....since this is the Zebra 3 Info thread, when exactly will we actually be able to buy Zebra 3? I mean for god sakes, this thread is five years old.

[spunkmuffin]

when exactly will we actually be able to buy Zebra 3?

You can buy it now! You will just have to wait till next year to use it.

[Hanz Meyzer]

This will be the best synth ever made in human history, the only one you will need for the next century

[jme-audio]

Yes, agree. For classic concepts like ADSR it is better to not deviate too much from the original concept. With bloated envelopes the intuitivity is lost easily. Hence I like classic ADSR the most. Still for modern synths some extras are welcome. How good this works, has a lot do with how the layout is done. When optionality is emphasized like in ACE, this works without drawbacks. Also the mix of sliders and knobs helps with this in ACE. Then I wouldn't assume that all knobs are used, just because they are there.

I quite like the Env's in Bazille. The Amp Mod allows you to do things like add a tremolo, or add volume with AT etc. The rate mod lets you add a lot of variation, change env shape, and so on. They can also be looped.

Here, I just made an example drone in Bazille. A quick basic saw pad with two 'simple' ADSR envelopes. One envelope is looped creating the drone and the other looped and modulating filter cutoff.

https://draigathar.org/sounds/Bazenv1.mp3

Yes! That are both very great parameters (ACE can do that too btw.). Altough very versatile usable, its primary use case would be to apply NoteCV as a source, to make envelopes softer and/or faster for higher notes (like on a real piano). I must agree, this is really a must-have. I wasn't very specific about options in my last post, but these are indeed the most useful.

Btw. Your drone is very beautiful. Do you have soundcloud or similar, where I can listen to more stuff from you?

[vvilms]

Just restating something I've said before. I would LOVE to be able to modulate the resolution param.

[Urs]

Just restating something I've said before. I would LOVE to be able to modulate the resolution param.

I'm not sure resolution as such will be in there anymore. Instead, I'm thinking about a method to smooth out transitions which allow for greater control over wave-sequence-like behavior, and a way to trigger immediate updates. Not sure though.

At the moment I'm back to work on the waveform/MSEG editor. Shapes up nicely, and might turn out a lot more intuitive to use than the old one, despite obviously a lot more features.

[spunkmuffin]

Yay he's working on Zebra and not that Repro thing.

[vvilms]

Just restating something I've said before. I would LOVE to be able to modulate the resolution param.

I'm not sure resolution as such will be in there anymore. Instead, I'm thinking about a method to smooth out transitions which allow for greater control over wave-sequence-like behavior, and a way to trigger immediate updates. Not sure though.

At the moment I'm back to work on the waveform/MSEG editor. Shapes up nicely, and might turn out a lot more intuitive to use than the old one, despite obviously a lot more features.

All of ^this sounds like bliss.

That said, it would still be really nice to have a modulatable resolution parameter in Z2. (I know you've previously mentioned your thoughts, or the lack thereof, about it, but I still can't shake the feeling that I'd be able to get a lot out of that seemingly simple addition. (I obviously wouldn't press for it if I knew it would take much of your time.)

[jbw]

Are there going to be significant interface changes with version 3?

Bazille, Satin, and Presswerk (other u-he stuff I own) just look so smooth!

Would be great to see Zebra get the same treatment, though I guess 2.8 is getting somewhat of a facelift, no?

Whatever the case, happy u-he camper here.

[G-Roove]

I would love to have an easy way to use MSEG like a StepSeq
something like in Dmitry Sches Thorn or Tantra
or at least like in Reason Europa