Your opinion about Zebra 2

[layzer]

meh......

[EvilDragon]

Layzer: "if you gotta pay for it, it's meh".

[Robmobius]

Still one of the best synths around.

And you can't go wrong with anything by U-he.

[fmr]

In addition, the installation is quite special and atypical.

Windows


Presets (local) ...\VstPlugins\u-he\Zebra2.data\Presets\Zebra2\

Presets (user) ...\VstPlugins\u-he\Zebra2.data\UserPresets\Zebra2\

Preferences ...\VstPlugins\u-he\Zebra2.data\Support\ (*.txt files)

Themes ...\VstPlugins\u-he\Zebra2.data\Support\Themes\ (skin folders)

Module presets ...\VstPlugins\u-he\Zebra2.data\Modules\

Microtuning ...\VstPlugins\u-he\Zebra2.data\Tunefiles\

To rigorously uninstall absolutely everything (including Zebralette / Zebrify), delete all the

above except the Mac Themes and Microtuning folders, which might be used elsewhere.

Important: If a realtime malware scanner such as Windows Defender is allowed to check

the Zebra2.data folder every time it is accessed, the new browser will become unusably


slow. In such cases, please add that folder to the exceptions list (we don't put executable

files in there). Mac owners running similar software should add all the above /u-he/Zebra2/

resource directories to the exceptions list.


My question is my next or should I install all this? Sorry me who is doing the installation of my machine and I am lost.

Same questioning for the banks of additional patches or do I have to put all these elements?


Installing the patches


Copy the "Transmission" folder from "Transmission Patches" to:

C:\Program Files\u-he\Presets\Zebra2\

If you want to use the versions of the patches without reverb and delay effects, copy the "Transmission NoFX" folder instead.

Restart Zebra if it is running, and the Transmission folder and all sub-folders of patches and patch templates will now show up in your Zebra patch browser.

Installing the templates

The oscillator and MSEG templates go to a different place to be seen by Zebra. Go into the "Transmission Templates - MSEG Templates", select all the *.h2p files, and copy them all to:

C:\Program Files\u-he\Zebra2\Modules\MSEG\

Then go into the "Transmission Templates - Oscillator Templates", select all the *.h2p files, and copy them to:

C:\Program Files\u-he\Zebra2\Modules\Oscillator\

Note: Don’t copy the whole oscillator or MSEG templates folder itself into these paths, as they won’t show up - Zebra will only see template files in the root of the template directories. You need to copy all the template files inside their folders into the template paths above.

Installing the skin

Quit Zebra if it is running, and copy the Images and Scripts folders to:

C:\Program Files\u-he\Zebra2\Data\

This will overwrite the original gui, so we recommend you back up the original Images and Scripts folders before installing the Transmission skin.

Many thanks in advance for your help and explanations on the subject.

Basically, just install the VST and sound bank.

here apparently, more complex.

You are presenting things more complicated than they really are.

1. The zebra2.data folder can go anywhere you want. Mine, for example, is under Users\Public\Program Files\U-He (all the U-He synths data folders are in this location). The VST folder just contains the DLL and a link to this folder. Since it reads the link, you can later decide to chnage the place of the Zebra2.data folder as long as you also update the link.

2. I don't know where did you get the idea that the MSEG and Oscillator templates have to go into the root of the respective folders. I have mine neatly organized in sub-folders, and yet Zebra "sees" all of them.

3. The skins go to the same Zebra2.data folder, not C:\Program Files\u-he\Zebra2\Data\
So, in my case, I would have to copy them to:
C:\Users\Public\Program Files\U-He\Zebra2.data\Support\Themes

This will not overwrite the original theme. Actually, the current version of Zebra ships with several themes, and we can choose which one to use by right clicking over the name.

[anomandaris1]

I've tried the demo years ago - I wanted to create some "modern" EDM type sound - think aggressive NI Massive or Serum etc sounds. Well, it didn't go well. It sounded too thin. It can probably be achieved with some kind of fx chain (some compression, distortion and EQ). Maybe Zebra3 will do it better.

[chk071]

meh......

That is not quite correct... it's more like...

[himalaya]

I've tried the demo years ago - I wanted to create some "modern" EDM type sound - think aggressive NI Massive or Serum etc sounds. Well, it didn't go well. It sounded too thin. It can probably be achieved with some kind of fx chain (some compression, distortion and EQ). Maybe Zebra3 will do it better.

Careful use of unison, detuning can easily add 'body' to the sound which will prevent any 'thinness'. That's without ay EQ.

What kind of EDM sounds were you trying to achieve? Can you link some examples? (Just curious as hearing such examples is always a learning opportunity for me).

[anomandaris1]

I've tried the demo years ago - I wanted to create some "modern" EDM type sound - think aggressive NI Massive or Serum etc sounds. Well, it didn't go well. It sounded too thin. It can probably be achieved with some kind of fx chain (some compression, distortion and EQ). Maybe Zebra3 will do it better.

Careful use of unison, detuning can easily add 'body' to the sound which will prevent any 'thinness'. That's without ay EQ.

What kind of EDM sounds were you trying to achieve? Can you link some examples? (Just curious as hearing such examples is always a learning opportunity for me).

Something like this.

https://soundcloud.com/cymaticsfm/outbr ... xfer-serum

https://soundcloud.com/totalsamples/vr- ... demo-track

[DJErmac]

Zebra 2 is my favourite U-He synth (and the only one I still own actually). When it was released it was a mindblowing product, incredibly powerful. It has its own sound, with a unique buttery touch. Now, after those years, things have slightly changed : everytime I try to use it in EDM productions, I always end up replacing the Zebra tracks with other synths in the end. No matter what you try, it always sounds "old" in the middle of Rapid, Thorn or Avenger tracks. If used wisely this can be interesting btw. Now, my conclusion is that I can't wait for Zebra 3 !!!

[fmr]

No matter what you try, it always sounds "old" in the middle of Rapid, Thorn or Avenger tracks. If used wisely this can be interesting btw. Now, my conclusion is that I can't wait for Zebra 3 !!!

This is the kind of opinion I can't understand, no matter how I try to.

You say Zebra sounds "old", yet people keep claiming for emulations of the "oldest" synths that ever existed (some even from the pre-polyphonic era).

So, exactly what does sound "old" in Zebra2, when compared with the likes of Rapid and/or Avenger? Is it the effects? The oscillators? The filters? What?

[voidhead23]

i'm all about the modern/futuristic/hyper aggressive sounds, and think it sounds great at that (and the more cinematic stuff as well). i could probably live without every other soft synth except Zebra.

[DJErmac]

You say Zebra sounds "old", yet people keep claiming for emulations of the "oldest" synths that ever existed (some even from the pre-polyphonic era).

Two totally different things. First, that would be denying any difference in the sound of those emulations. Every emulation sounds different right ? Some are better than some right ? Then, you can't deny than the sound of the synth itself matters, no matter what the synth is trying to do. Then, Zebra CAN sound old, even if it's trying to sound old, modern or anything. Secondly, as I'm mostly into modern sounds, I'm not into those classic emulation sounds, so I know there is a market for that but I'm not interested and have nothing to say about this. The people who are will or will not think Zebra 2 sounds old, that's something I don't know.

So, exactly what does sound "old" in Zebra2, when compared with the likes of Rapid and/or Avenger? Is it the effects? The oscillators? The filters? What?

This is a feeling. Maybe, maybe if I tried soooo hard to compare for hours trying to recreate the exact same sounds with the same effects and everything, I would end up with the same result, sometimes with some sounds, maybe (for what ?). But the thing is that when I try with a Zebra 2 sound and work the way I work, I end up with a track that sounds thinner than a Avenger or Rapid sound that sounds similar. My goal is not "Zebra 2 to Avenger comparer" you know, it's to produce tracks. So I use what works best. And most of the time, Zebra 2 sounds do NOT work for front sounds in EDM, when I get exactly what I want with Thorn or Rapid instantly. But as I said they work great if you know what you're doing since they sound totally different, you can use them to create a contrast, for example arpeggios in the background... I still say I love Zebra 2 sound for its buttery sound, to me it sounds sweet, clean and focused. But for modern fat power, you have to search somewhere else or wait (bet ?) for Zebra 3 imho.

[himalaya]

@anomandaris1,

Thank you for posting the examples. Lots of 'formant', wavetable, and FM sounds in there, most of which are very 'clinical', precise, very digital sounding. The immediate advantage of Serum over Zebra, is Serum's wavetable engine, which allows to import all manner of ready, digital 'formant' waveforms, whereas we need to make them from scratch in Zebra. But a lot of the more piercing, very sharp wobbles can be made with FM, which Zebra supports. So I don't see anything that should stop us from making such patches. Might give it a go myself (and fall flat on my face being unable to! haha! )

[Delta Sign]

For what it's worth, here is my super quick take on a modern bass in Zebra:
https://soundcloud.com/deltasign/modern-zebra-bass

I don't really have an idea how these are supposed to sound like, but that's what I came up with.

[DJErmac]

Reminds me of those classic dubstep sounds. ^^