Diva and Zebra questions

[djmino02]

Does she ever offer sales on these plugins?

I'm also wondering how they compare with the synth engine in Omnisphere.

If anyone has these and can weigh in on the advantages and disadvantages of having Diva and Zebra vs just the synth engine in Omnisphere. I would be forever grateful.

[fluffy_little_something]

Who's she? Mrs Heckmann?

I don't have any of those, but I assume that the two U-he synths are more synth-oriented, whereas Omnisphere is more of a rompler. I don't think one can replace the other.

[wagtunes]

U-he does not run sales, ever.

Apples and oranges comparing these to Omni, which relies mostly on samples.

Between Zebra 2 and Diva, Zebra 2 is the more complex synth and capable of a wider variety of sounds. However, Diva has better filters.

I have them both. Neither is a replacement for Omni, which I also have.

Synths I use most, in this order (between just those 3)

Omnisphere
Zebra 2
Diva

YMMV

[fluffy_little_something]

Since Omnisphere is too much for my needs, I never downloaded the demo, if there is one. So, what genres is the sample content geared at?
If it is general in nature, not EDM-oriented, I could perfectly live with Omnisphere's synth features. Judging from the GUI's on Google Image, the synth part is pretty complete. I don't care about authentic analog sound, anyway

[wagtunes]

Since Omnisphere is too much for my needs, I never downloaded the demo, if there is one. So, what genres is the sample content geared at?
If it is general in nature, not EDM-oriented, I could perfectly live with Omnisphere's synth features. Judging from the GUI's on Google Image, the synth part is pretty complete. I don't care about authentic analog sound, anyway

Omni's samples cover just about everything. Here's what Omni doesn't cover, which makes sense because of their other products.

Piano
Electric Bass

For those you have to get Trillian and whatever their piano product is called. Don't own either. Don't need them. Pianoteq 6 (Piano) and MODO Bass (Bass) more than cover my needs there. I also don't use their guitars. For that I use dedicated sample libraries and/or sample modeling like Real and Vir.

Omni is one of my most used synths because it covers so much ground.

There is no demo.

[fluffy_little_something]

I see.

Can one build synth sounds from scratch?
I remember one could do that on the M1 for instance, but it just didn't sound and feel like a real synth to me somehow, despite the standard waveforms offered.

[wagtunes]

I see.

Can one build synth sounds from scratch?
I remember one could do that on the M1 for instance, but it just didn't sound and feel like a real synth to me somehow, despite the standard waveforms offered.

If you mean import your own samples, yes.

If you mean take a sawtooth and a square or whatever and add envelopes and filters and LFOs and FX to make a patch just like you can with Sylenth1 or any other synth, yes.

I honestly don't even understand the question unless you're essentially asking "Is it a rompler?

If so, no, it's not a rompler. It's a synth just like any other synth along with samples and sample import.

[djmino02]

Omnisphere synth engine is what I'm referring to. How does it compare?

She was a typo. Supposed to be uhe.

[wagtunes]

Omnisphere synth engine is what I'm referring to. How does it compare?

She was a typo. Supposed to be uhe.

Depends on who you ask. I think it's fine. Others say it sucks. Unfortunately, I can't tell you to demo it because there's no demo. If you can find a retailer who has one, go there and play around with it. Spend at least a few hours.

Then you'll have your answer.

[fluffy_little_something]

That is also what I meant. For instance there are different ways of producing a saw. In O. it might be sample-based (not sure), while in Diva and other leading synths it is created live so to speak.

The presence of envelopes alone doesn't say anything about their snappiness. Those on the M1 were not so good if I remember correctly.

[bmrzycki]

I'm also wondering how they compare with the synth engine in Omnisphere.

If anyone has these and can weigh in on the advantages and disadvantages of having Diva and Zebra vs just the synth engine in Omnisphere. I would be forever grateful.

I own all three (Omni 2, Zebra 2, Diva) so I'll give you my compare/contrast between them.

Zebra is the most neutral synthesizer I've ever used. It can be pulled in almost any direction once you understand the modules. The modules themselves are very powerful and are almost mini-synths in their design. Any kind of routing (except feedback loops) can be done. It also does excellent layered sounds. I love that as my knowledge grows of synthesis (and of Zebra) the instrument grows with me. Very rarely do I say "oh, I don't think that's possible with Zebra" at least when discussing pure synthesis methods. To me, Zebra the best pure synthesizer on the market, hard or soft. This is my desert island synth. Howard's factory sounds are also a great way to learn about the power of the modules as well as his impressive frugality. Huge, interesting sounds, come from 3-4 modules. I often think of Zebra as several synths within a synth...

Diva oozes character and warmth. I love it for a fast subtractive workflow, particularly for Bass and analog pad sounds. When I use it I end up thinking of the words "round" and "creamy". I prefer the modulation system in Zebra though and I usually end up tweaking presets instead of making my own. I never grew up with any of the emulated hardware devices so I find the invisible routing to sometimes feel limiting. Zebra has ruined me that way.

Omnisphere is huge, weird, and wonderful. I always feel like I'm invited over to Eric's house and he drags me to his synth lab and says "check this sound out!". The pure DSP engine is very good, especially with the additional layers in the 2.5 update. Previously you used to have to assign one of the 2 parts in a sound to create noise. Now you have 3 more engines. The granular engine gives me back a lot of what I felt about Alchemy 1.x in a supported product on Windows too. This is also a preset tweaker for me mostly because the tagging system and parameter locking is so darn good. You can lock the fx and the "feel" of a preset and just start tweaking or flipping sound sources. The workflow, for me, is completely different from Diva and Zebra but I do love it when I'm searching for new sounds or what-if crazy resonators. It's worth every penny, especially as a masterclass on sound design if you're willing to put in the time to reverse-engineer the sounds. As a live synth with it's Live mode nothing else comes close for workflow IMO. I'm excited to try it out with multitouch under Windows when I get a touch monitor too. Biggest drawback is the engine layout is still very much fixed in the generator->filters->fx model. Again, Zebra has ruined me about what is possible.

Overall, I love all three in different ways. It'd be like asking me about which of my three pet dogs is my favorite. What I would recommend is for you to really be honest with yourself and answer the following questions:
1. What do I want to do with a synth? Play live, use in a daw, create my own sounds, use as a preset player,...
2. Do I love the presets that come with it and do they inspire me? Unless you're the most die-hard synthesist you'll inevitably use some of the presets from the factory.
3. What is my imagined (or demoed) workflow? Zebra and Diva can be demoed without expiration. I recommend doing so.

Thinking about these things should help you decide, or at least get you moving in one direction. Honestly, I'd recommend all three. and the total cost is less than a mid-tier workstation keyboard with almost all synthesis covered for under $1000.

[wagtunes]

Excellent review.

[djmino02]

Yeah. Thanks for sharing.

I think Omnisphere is wavetable synthesis. It also has fm, spectral, and granular synthesis

[EvilDragon]

Omni also has your regular VA basic waveforms that are not wavetables, but generated, IIRC.

[hivkorn]

since i 'm here , Uhe has done 1 time a sale , last year if my memories are good..