Zebra 3 feature suggestions

[recursive one]

Virus is a kind of instant gratification machine, but you can go quite deep if you take time to learn it. I mean TI2, it can go far beyond these hypersaws and simple VA sounds. Formant Complex is unique, i haven't found an adequate replacement in software yet.

I find Hive2 a lot similar to Virus in some way and I equally like it sonically. It has simpler architecture but there must be also quite some depth in Uhm scripting, which i haven't touched yet.

Zebra is very different, i actually don't understand why people keep comparing it to Virus. Different sound, different workflow, different aesthetics.

[Shiek927]

Virus is a kind of instant gratification machine, but you can go quite deep if you take time to learn it. I mean TI2, it can go far beyond these hypersaws and simple VA sounds. Formant Complex is unique, i haven't found an adequate replacement in software yet.

I find Hive2 a lot similar to Virus in some way and I equally like it sonically. It has simpler architecture but there must be also quite some depth in Uhm scripting, which i haven't touched yet.

Zebra is very different, i actually don't understand why people keep comparing it to Virus. Different sound, different workflow, different aesthetics.

For sure! and Zebra definitely has it's many strengths. I suppose I just hope Z3 will be as irresistible in it's own way where even basic patches have a depth and signature sound that makes it very juicy to a lot of people, so it's not just the more advanced sound-designers that enjoy it or realize it's true potential. Zebra always was most popular with cinematic and soundtrack producers, but never really hit home with dance musicians or anyone with more basic sound-design skills who (then) enjoyed NI Massive, Sylenth, Serum, and now the soft-synths of today. Hopefully Z3 can change that and have more instant gratification like you say where, simple or deep, more people can wrangle something pretty impressive in it's own distinct Zebra-like way.

Of course, I know many of these things like 'appeal' or 'character' is not so easy to program, nevermind predicting what most people would enjoy, so I might be rambling again

[Urs]

Zebra always was most popular with cinematic and soundtrack producers, but never really hit home with dance musicians or anyone with more basic sound-design skills ...

Many, many film composers out there then, apparently

[Ploki]

isn't there tons of EDM preset packs for zebra?
Also i actually bought it due to one supersaw lead in the library. just hit home.
don't care about all that HZ stuff

[recursive one]

Hopefully Z3 can change that and have more instant gratification like you say where, simple or deep, more people can wrangle something pretty impressive in it's own distinct Zebra-like way.

It's a bit early to speculate what Zebra 3 will be and what it will not be, but I don't think we should expect "instant gratification" in the Virus or Hive way. It seems the latest talk of Z3 was more focused on workflow improvements, like eliminating the redundancy in the oscillator/modulation editors and such.

Some people say Zebra's strength is in the lack of any iherent character - which allows making any character you want. Whether it's good or bad is another topic, I guess it depends on the user's synth backrgound, musical tastes etc. I think that's why I haven't really warmed up to Zebra yet. But many people seem to like it this way.

I do hope the latest U-He tech makes it way to Zebra though, a synth that could deliver high quality FM/PM like Bazille, fat oscillators and juicy filters like Repro, lush supersaws like Hive and manipulating Uhm wavetables with various specutral effects, also packed with full rack of effects of Colour Copy quality would be a killer, that's for sure.

[recursive one]

Also i actually bought it due to one supersaw lead in the library. just hit home.

Which preset? Gotta check it out

[Ploki]

Also i actually bought it due to one supersaw lead in the library. just hit home.

Which preset? Gotta check it out

Chhhh by Howard (it's in Leaders factory preset)

[recursive one]

Also i actually bought it due to one supersaw lead in the library. just hit home.

Which preset? Gotta check it out

Chhhh by Howard (it's in Leaders factory preset)

Cool, will check out!

As for Zebra vs Virus, for the fun of it, I occasionally dug up a really old Urs' post

My intention for Zebra in the first place was getting rid of the Virus. Zebra 1.0 pretty much resembled the Virus' architecture, but didn't have that aggressiveness that I really found annoying after some years. You know, I always had problems to line up the Virus in a mix with my sampler and the Wavestation. It always wanted to be the most prominent instrument.

That agressiveness is what I always really loved about the Virus. "Listen to me! I'm THE VIRUS! I want to dominate this f*cking mix!"

It was 15 years ago though. Virus is not really the most agressive sounding synth these days, Repro can easily rival it.

[Ploki]

Or bazille.
Imo if bazille had an easy view like presswerk it would be much more popular.
I didnt even consider it, then i got it in a trade and was floored with how damn good it sounds. Its just really not approachable and easy to make it sound totally bizarre

[v1o]

After Hive 2.1, Uhbik 2.0 and maybe a year in-between.

where is Tyrell N6 "pro" in this planning

Please note that we only just agreed to this with Amazona a few weeks ago in order to develop a concept on how to continue support for Tyrell N6. That concept will be spoken about and developed over the course of a year or two (while we do other things), and then we'll figure out what's viable and what we do.

Please complete Z3 first.

[Shiek927]

It's a bit early to speculate what Zebra 3 will be and what it will not be, but I don't think we should expect "instant gratification" in the Virus or Hive way. It seems the latest talk of Z3 was more focused on workflow improvements, like eliminating the redundancy in the oscillator/modulation editors and such.

Indeed. For me, when I say instant gratification, I'm more-so thinking of patch creation where even the simple stuff really, really shines. A good example is Diva where, while it has an even simpler architecture than Zebra or Virus, it's near impossible to get a bad sound out of that thing whether we're talking simple Pop basses or complex ambient textures.

Of course, the reason being is probably less to do with ancient voodoo magic and more just because of how lively and analog the thing is haha. It's got the same sort of juicy instability like those old synths that knocks your socks off. With how organic sounding Zebra2 already is, and the tech that's been developed overtime like Bazille and Repro, I think it's safe to say Z3 is going to turn out juuust fine

Some people say Zebra's strength is in the lack of any iherent character - which allows making any character you want. Whether it's good or bad is another topic, I guess it depends on the user's synth backrgound, musical tastes etc. I think that's why I haven't really warmed up to Zebra yet. But many people seem to like it this way.

That agressiveness is what I always really loved about the Virus. "Listen to me! I'm THE VIRUS! I want to dominate this f*cking mix!"

Haha! same! a tiny bit more inherent character won't kill anyone

I do hope the latest U-He tech makes it way to Zebra though, a synth that could deliver high quality FM/PM like Bazille, fat oscillators and juicy filters like Repro, lush supersaws like Hive and manipulating Uhm wavetables with various specutral effects, also packed with full rack of effects of Colour Copy quality would be a killer, that's for sure.

On that, there's no doubt. Leveraging all the technology that's been developed over the past decade or so is part of the reason Z3 is being made

[Urs]

Please complete Z3 first.

Certainly.

OTOH it won't necessarily be my responsibility to maintain and update TyrellN6. If any of the other developers take this project over, it can happen in parallel while the Z3 team continues to do Z3.

[dayjob]

one of the interesting aspects of this thread is when a suggestion for a feature is made and someone chimes in with

"you can already do that in Z2". I've learned a bunch of things from these feature suggestions

[recursive one]

For me, when I say instant gratification, I'm more-so thinking of patch creation where even the simple stuff really, really shines. A good example is Diva where, while it has an even simpler architecture than Zebra or Virus, it's near impossible to get a bad sound out of that thing whether we're talking simple Pop basses or complex ambient textures.

Yep, we are on the same page here. By instant gratification i don't mean "load the first preset, it's what all the cool guys are using to make EDM bangers", i mean that there's a lot to explore in the synth but the sound engine is somehow pre-adjusted to make it easier to arrive to something great without a lot of trial and error.

Kind of fool-proof version of Zebra lol. (actually, that's pretty much what Hive2 is).

[Shiek927]

For me, when I say instant gratification, I'm more-so thinking of patch creation where even the simple stuff really, really shines. A good example is Diva where, while it has an even simpler architecture than Zebra or Virus, it's near impossible to get a bad sound out of that thing whether we're talking simple Pop basses or complex ambient textures.

Yep, we are on the same page here. By instant gratification i don't mean "load the first preset, it's what all the cool guys are using to make EDM bangers", i mean that there's a lot to explore in the synth but the sound engine is somehow pre-adjusted to make it easier to arrive to something great without a lot of trial and error.

Kind of fool-proof version of Zebra lol. (actually, that's pretty much what Hive2 is).

Exactly! some synths utilize templates to help you. Even Hive arguably has a bit of that with the ability to save settings, like in the oscillators, filters, LFO, and mod matrix which is actually really handy and helps speeds thing for sure. That sort of user-friendliness goes a long way and something else I wouldn't mind in Zebra3, especially considering that this thread is full of "you can actually do that already in Z2" as someone just said haha. Looking to immerse yourself in a sonic playground for your next movie, Mr.Zimmer? step right up. Looking to quickly put together some side-chain bass for your next Youtube banger? just pull up some oscillators, click on the appropriate choice in the LFO drop-down menu, and you're on your way.

But a lot really is just in the sound engine itself and how juicy it is. Getting a bad sound of a Roland Juno 06 (or alternatively u-he Diva or Repro) is tough when every corner is giant analog majesty, even if it's just some simple saw-pads or bass patches. It epitomizes instant gratification. It's why I also pointed toward the Waldorf Q which is equally lively and organic and that's a totally digital synth with almost Zebra levels of modulation. There may have been some German voodoo going on to pull that off




For funsies, here's some more clips I love that show just how much juiciness and character digital synths can ooze. These are sonically some of the best digital synths you'll find out there and their timbres are just earvana . I hope Zebra3 will follow in these sorts of footsteps and show just grand digital can be when mixed with the best analog out there. But as before, given Zebra's inherent depth, Repro/Bazille's fat warmth, and Hive's user-friendliness, Z3 has a bright future ahead since all these ingredients put together make for one banging synth