u-he at NAMM 25

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

I wait for this someday by U he

It's very unfortunate, we had to bury this project. After three years and starting over twice, it was starting over again because nothing modelled could ever compete with samples drums. We tried to salvage models for Zebra 3, but found that different methods of modelling get us a lot more diverse and interesting sounds for Zebra 3.

I think spiking that project was 100% the right call. Shooting for realistic physical models, had two big flaws IMO: 1) it was never going to compete with samples for realism, and 2) the project didn't focus on U-he's biggest strength: synthesis.

But for the sake of all that is good in the world, get a synthesis-based U-he drum machine in the pipeline please! Imagine coalescing some Z3 concepts and analog modeling into a U-he drum machine with a mod matrix, quality FX, and a decent sequencer (polyrhythms, different key-triggerable patterns, different time-sigs beyond just 4/4). To make it more interesting you could nclude some West Coast options like Bernouli gates or other probability sequencers. A drum machine is the big glaring gap in the U-he product line and honestly, uTonic is still king in VST drum synthesis all these years on because there's just not a ton of great drum synths out there.

I think you guys would absolutely kill it with a U-he-quality drum synth but you go oddly quiet whenever it comes up. No interest? Fear of a lack of sales? Something you really want to do but don't know how to balance with other projects?

[Opaque]

I wait for this someday by U he

It's very unfortunate, we had to bury this project. After three years and starting over twice, it was starting over again because nothing modelled could ever compete with samples drums. We tried to salvage models for Zebra 3, but found that different methods of modelling get us a lot more diverse and interesting sounds for Zebra 3.

I think spiking that project was 100% the right call. Shooting for realistic physical models, had two big flaws IMO: 1) it was never going to compete with samples for realism, and 2) the project didn't focus on U-he's biggest strength: synthesis.

But for the sake of all that is good in the world, get a synthesis-based U-he drum machine in the pipeline please! Imagine coalescing some Z3 concepts and analog modeling into a U-he drum machine with a mod matrix, quality FX, and a decent sequencer (polyrhythms, different key-triggerable patterns, different time-sigs beyond just 4/4). To make it more interesting you could nclude some West Coast options like Bernouli gates or other probability sequencers. A drum machine is the big glaring gap in the U-he product line and honestly, uTonic is still king in VST drum synthesis all these years on because there's just not a ton of great drum synths out there.

I think you guys would absolutely kill it with a U-he-quality drum synth but you go oddly quiet whenever it comes up. No interest? Fear of a lack of sales? Something you really want to do but don't know how to balance with other projects?

For the past few days, I've been using Zebralette for this month's one synth challenge and it's honestly surprisingly good for percussion synthesis, having never used Zebra before. The options in wavetables, osc effects and movement, particularly in the full version or this new one, will surpass most things that regular drum synths do, which mostly sound cheesy. For me, it either makes sense to have full flexibility with something basically modular or go for 'stable' samples.
And for polymeters/polyrhythms/layering, etc. most people would still use midi I believe.

But, of course, I'm not arguing against anything, they might as well do some kind of a drum synth if there's people preferring that, all the better

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

For the past few days, I've been using Zebralette for this month's one synth challenge and it's honestly surprisingly good for percussion synthesis, having never used Zebra before. The options in wavetables, osc effects and movement, particularly in the full version or this new one, will surpass most things that regular drum synths do, which mostly sound cheesy. For me, it either makes sense to have full flexibility with something basically modular or go for 'stable' samples.
And for polymeters/polyrhythms/layering, etc. most people would still use midi I believe.

But, of course, I'm not arguing against anything, they might as well do some kind of a drum synth if there's people preferring that, all the better

Zebra2 is killer for drums too. But I think a specialty drum machine plugin, with that particular workflow and design-principal in mind, would be beyond insanely good.

[Fannon]

I think spiking that project was 100% the right call. Shooting for realistic physical models, had two big flaws IMO: 1) it was never going to compete with samples for realism, and 2) the project didn't focus on U-he's biggest strength: synthesis.

But for the sake of all that is good in the world, get a synthesis-based U-he drum machine in the pipeline please! Imagine coalescing some Z3 concepts and analog modeling into a U-he drum machine with a mod matrix, quality FX, and a decent sequencer (polyrhythms, different key-triggerable patterns, different time-sigs beyond just 4/4). To make it more interesting you could nclude some West Coast options like Bernouli gates or other probability sequencers. A drum machine is the big glaring gap in the U-he product line and honestly, uTonic is still king in VST drum synthesis all these years on because there's just not a ton of great drum synths out there.

I think you guys would absolutely kill it with a U-he-quality drum synth but you go oddly quiet whenever it comes up. No interest? Fear of a lack of sales? Something you really want to do but don't know how to balance with other projects?

Fully agree. Such a plugin would be awesome, I'd be definitely in the target group for that. There are already too many drum plugins which are either sample based or they go for the same 808/909 or like-ish emulations. It looks like Synthmaster 3.1 got a new feature that each layer can be a drum part, this seems to go into the direction - though I would prefer u-he synth quality

On the other hand, many will just create one track per drum part in their DAW anyway and then you can just use Zebra 3 etc. as it is. Sequencing, patterns, etc. can be done very flexibly via MIDI or sequencer plugins.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

Fully agree. Such a plugin would be awesome, I'd be definitely in the target group for that. There are already too many drum plugins which are either sample based or they go for the same 808/909 or like-ish emulations. It looks like Synthmaster 3.1 got a new feature that each layer can be a drum part, this seems to go into the direction - though I would prefer u-he synth quality

On the other hand, many will just create one track per drum part in their DAW anyway and then you can just use Zebra 3 etc. as it is. Sequencing, patterns, etc. can be done very flexibly via MIDI or sequencer plugins.

The weird thing about 808's is it's an insanely basic design, but my Behringer RD-8 will still wipe the floor with the dedicated 808 plugins I've used. I couldn't tell you why. But it's not close. I suspect U-he could solve that.

The "one per part" thing is just a workflow killer for me. Personally, I'd rather be locked into a particular drum synth that's fully-featured versus trying to compile the best of every drum sound on various synths/tracks. I know some DAWs handle that better than others, but it's just not for me.

[Fannon]

Interesting, that the 808 synths do not compare well. But I assume that good 808 samples are then doing a better job?

I can understand your workflow issue with that. It is more convenient to have this all in one plugin, then you can also have full kits and sequences together. From there, you can still export to MIDI / separate tracks if needed.

It would indeed be interesting how u-he thinks about having such a dedicated drum-synthesizer plugin.

[MrJubbly]

I wait for this someday by U he

It's very unfortunate, we had to bury this project. After three years and starting over twice, it was starting over again because nothing modelled could ever compete with samples drums. We tried to salvage models for Zebra 3, but found that different methods of modelling get us a lot more diverse and interesting sounds for Zebra 3.

Are you aware of VISCO by Forever 89?

I really like that for drums. I use it a lot in new projects.

I also like the look of that previously abandoned u-he drum plugin. I hope your company might revisit the idea again in the future. Perhaps, after Zebra 3 has been released?

[Caine123]

i wonder, was there any mention if Zebra 3 would have a granular engine? i would love to have u-He make a granular synth/module.

another dream would be an Alchemy competitor from u-He ;D.

[Opaque]

i wonder, was there any mention if Zebra 3 would have a granular engine? i would love to have u-He make a granular synth/module.

another dream would be an Alchemy competitor from u-He ;D.

I think I read somewhere it's pure synthesis, which makes sense considering the existence of stuff like Falcon, Pigments, Ableton's Granulator, even Dawesome and kontakt stuff, etc. and, on the other hand, Zebra seems to be leaning more towards fm, modal, additive, whatever synthesis types for potentially physical modeling side of things, if anything.

[aMUSEd]

i wonder, was there any mention if Zebra 3 would have a granular engine? i would love to have u-He make a granular synth/module.

It has a really cool granular Clouds like texture effect now

[Echoes in the Attic]

i wonder, was there any mention if Zebra 3 would have a granular engine? i would love to have u-He make a granular synth/module.

another dream would be an Alchemy competitor from u-He ;D.

He has said there are no plans to do granular synthesis with samples. Though there is a granular effect.

[FarleyCZ]

My 18yo self can't believe what my 34yo self is seeing. YES! Urs? I apologize in advance for all my annoying nerdy questions I'll have at Superbooth this year. (Hope you guys will be there. I'm too broke and busy to fly to LA. )

[Tj Shredder]

I wait for this someday by U he

It's very unfortunate, we had to bury this project. After three years and starting over twice, it was starting over again because nothing modelled could ever compete with samples drums. We tried to salvage models for Zebra 3, but found that different methods of modelling get us a lot more diverse and interesting sounds for Zebra 3.

A modeled drum synth does not need at all to sound like the real thing. Its much more interesting to have new sounds, but sounds that behave like real physical objects. Anyway, if Zebra 3 has those models, all is good. Its easy enough to place them in a Bitwig drum device…

[mcbpete]

The nearest VSTs that I could imagine what a u-he drum machine might be like are:

Sonic Charge Microtonic - https://soniccharge.com/microtonic

crossed with Inear display Ephemere -
but with the sequencer of Xils Stix - https://www.xils-lab.com/store/stix/ :

[Kyunghee]

There's a recent plugin from unfiltered audio (Battalion) that's close to the ideal vst drum machine in my opinion (at least the synthesis part, the sequencer can be greatly improved).