Zebra 3 feature suggestions

[wilx]

I hadn't thought of Madrona wrt to visual/GUI implementation, but you're right - their stuff is excellent. I'm using Kaivo a fair bit on this project actually!

[EvilDragon]

Madrona's visualisation method falls apart with higher polyphony counts... which is why they don't have a plugin with more than 8 voices of polyphony (them chomping CPUs for breakfast also contributing to that). But they do sound awesome.

[Robinrobo]

They do sound awesome, they do chomp the CPU, but the visualisations can also be switched off.

[gentleclockdivider]

Are those over the top animated visuals really necessary ?
I see this could be helpfull for beginners etc. but there is really no added benefit besides eye candy
Not everyone has g-force gpu’s etc...
One of the currently most powerfull and best sounding vst has nothing but sliders ( tranzistow )

[spunkmuffin]

I'd just encourage the team to look at what Vital, Serum, Alchemy etc do well and how aspects of well-implemented visual feedback can vastly improve the overall experience.

Wow wilx so well-implemented visual feedback can vastly improve the overall experience? Wow that's incredible! So wilx just to be clear, well-implemented visual feedback can improve the overall experience not just a bit, not just quite a bit, not just a large ammount or lot, not just a whole lot, not just a whole lot of a lot of a large ammount, not just a huge ammount or a huge lot, not just an enourmous ammount, and not just a colossal ammount, but more than all that, rather, a VAST ammount?!?! WOW THAT IS AMAZING !!!!!

[wilx]

Someone had the strong coffee this morning!

And @gentleclockdivider - no. Over the top visuals are not necessary, in my opinion.

[gentleclockdivider]

Alchemy before the apple buyout had not distracting gui animations whatsoever

[wilx]

if you think the visual feedback here (let's say at 36:15) is 'distracting', you're very easily distracted!


And if that genuinely is distracting to you, rather than useful - being able to see at a glance exactly what is being modulated, by how much, and how fast, and in what direction - then fair enough. For me it's very useful indeed, and I'm sure that's the same for many, many users and potential users of these synths.

The way to have a discussion like this is to engage, find common ground & understand the other person's point of view. I understand this kind of visual GUI stuff is unnecessary or superfluous to some, which is totally fine. Maybe a less contrasty implementation or an option to disable it would suit everyone. But point-blank refusing to acknowledge that people find it useful (as evidenced by the many synths which use these kind of designs) is just odd. There's no practical benefit in joining a conversation just to say 'well I don't need this, so it's pointless', it just wastes everyone's time.

[pdxindy]

Zebra 3 Mod Matrix Suggestions

I've been using a new synth called Vital. I really like the mod matrix. Each slot has a bipolar option. So unipolar/bipolar is per target, not defined on the modulator for all targets. There is also a stereo L/R option which makes the left and right opposite. Very handy option. There is also a quick curve adjust called 'morph'.

Besides the quick curve adjust, there is a large remap curve. Select any mod slot and one can draw an arbitrarily complex curve per target.

I am quite liking being able to take say a Ramp LFO, and apply it to various targets and then control the subtle shape per target. Great for MPE stuff, subtle control of scanning through a wavetable in relation to controlling say the OscFX in Zebra. Then the LFO timing can be changed slightly and all targets follow.

This functionality would be awesome in Zebra 3.

[Urs]

Well, we do have a drawable remap curve in Zebra already, which will be a bit more sophisticated in V3. The ModMatrix in Hive2 can turn a bipolar modulation source into a unipolar one for each slot.

We won't have a stereo option for modulation targets, but we will have more parameters that control stereo things.

[EvilDragon]

Yeah but fixed number of remappers vs remapper per mod matrix target

[Urs]

Yeah but fixed number of remappers vs remapper per mod matrix target

Well, reminds me of one LFO and one Envelope per parameter. Not sure how much time I'd want to spend with it. I think the small but useful additions to our ModMatrix are quite handy, and perfectly within the territory of "still usable".

[Urs]

(remember, the whole concept of Zebra is economy - reuse as much as you can, wherever you can - instead of bloating the thing with as many things of each as copy/paste permits)

[pdxindy]

Yeah but fixed number of remappers vs remapper per mod matrix target

I am often wanting to adjust the curve of MPE parameters per target. I may have 4 targets for say pressure and each needs a bit different curve so that the sound really meshes while playing per note modulations.

The remappers per target are excellent for this. Then all the targets can be adjusted at once by slightly changing LFO ramp speed, or a tiny curve adjustment to the LFO etc.

Also, for a while I have been experimenting with vocal sounds as wavetables and it is hard to finely adjust the speed of scanning through the wavetable. The remappers make it easy to adjust the nuances of the wavetable scanning to get a natural sounding result which also fits the cadence of the song.

Anyway, just a suggestion for Zebra 3...

[pdxindy]

(remember, the whole concept of Zebra is economy - reuse as much as you can, wherever you can - instead of bloating the thing with as many things of each as copy/paste permits)

Actually, the remappers per target allow me to use 1 LFO for multiple targets which would otherwise need multiple modulators. And since the remappers are in the mod matrix and for most basic tasks the drag-n-drop modulation is all that is needed, most people will never need to see them.

Well, I'm just excited about this... not trying to convince you of anything. Zebra 3 is gonna be awesome for sure!