Zebra 3 Public Beta Revision 20399

[Urs]

Gosh... it's Christmas...

So the 101 wavetables... that's just the export. Internally Zebra(lette)3 has a resolution of several billion frames - it's seamless, really. I do have the funky idea to let Zebra 3 export the full 256 frames that Hive (and Serum) support. As in incentive for Zebralette 3 folks to install the payware demo... they could export the better resolution with the demo then... but at least they'd have the demo and maybe check it out...

Tuned Feedback: I did that in Zebra 1.5 roughly 20 years ago... was mostly uncontrolled - and pretty much out of tune - rubbish... not so keen on it... creates more questions than answers...

[jtsterays]

Can I replicate Bazille's fractalize with the spline Osc?

[Urs]

Can I replicate Bazille's fractalize with the spline Osc?

Yes, but you need to combine two OscFX, Sync and Window.

[jtsterays]

Can I replicate Bazille's fractalize with the spline Osc?

Yes, but you need to combine two OscFX, Sync and Window.

Sounds like a good osc preset in the future. Or maybe as OscFX to save 1 fx slot, with the Guides for the modes (saw,tri,max), cause in bazille you can do both PD and fractal.
Also in bazille, you can choose other waveforms with PD, and in Z3 there's just a depth knob, what's up with that? I feel like the guides/curve set option would be perfect here, no?

[Urs]

In Z3 you can recreate every PD waveform (and combination) just by morphing the spline itself. One does not necessarily need OscFX for that. So Fractlize can be on top of anything.

The whole process is of course not the same as in Bazille, and it does not try to be the same.

[jtsterays]

I see, sounds like I need to spend more time with the Osc. Thanks for the info.

[Rnaroth]

I am having a tough time figuring out how to get Zebra2’s Shape module equivalency in Zebra3. Folder module seems to have a mind of its own. This is one of the workhorse modules I use for sound design in Zebra and I am feeling a bit lost with out it. . Thank you.

[jtsterays]

I am having a tough time figuring out how to get Zebra2’s Shape module equivalency in Zebra3. Folder module seems to have a mind of its own. This is one of the workhorse modules I use for sound design in Zebra and I am feeling a bit lost with out it. . Thank you.

Z3 doesn't have a waveshaper module. I asked for one with the same wave editor like the spline Osc, hopefully they will do it one day.

[misterandy]

Love the sound of Zebra 3! The UI in it's current beta state creates some unwanted friction though, as several folks have pointed out. One of these is the lower bar that feels a bit messy, as I've mentioned in an earlier post. When we have three different knobs that just says "2", "3" or "4" where you have to look at the first knob in the series for context to know what it represents, the flow halts a bit. Here are two possible suggestions that I think would be better, the first of which I think you had in an earlier design:

Lower bar suggestions.png

Another one that bothers me is that it's not possible to use mouse scroll to adjust the base value of the modulated parameter when it's modulated via the matrix (the yellow color). You have to click a "hidden" spot on the UI to hide the yellow modulation marker to access the base value of the parameter, and that just makes things time consuming.

Modulation .png

Maybe it's just me though and nobody else have any problem with these ones

[eassae]

Thanks u-he!

[sarmad5]

@Urs I am loving how adventurous zebra 3 is!
Do you think a (midi) note repeat section in pitches tab for each pitch makes sense? I can retrigger envelopes right now using other modulators, but unfortunately the initiation of oscillators only respond to midi notes. If there is a workaround, please let me know. Thank you.

[Ah_Dziz]

Any way to reliably spread gates across multiple note ons to make quasi poly patches where each voice interacts with one another? I want one gate per voice across 3 or 4 voices.

[Urs]

Maybe I do not have enough coffee in my veins yet, but I do not exactly understand the previous two requests...

Currently voices are started by notes played. That is a pretty fundamental thing. We are toying with options to add a latch mode. This would run 1 voice permanently, and maybe it could offer Gate to be used as trigger to move things while that voice is running.

Retriggering oscillators might be possible, but it sounds rather esoteric as an option. If it's for OscFX such as Spectral Decay, there are tricks to achieve retriggering.

A tutorial video with an arpeggiator patch should pop up soon, if that is what you're looking for (basically triggering different parts of the synth at different times with different keys)

(maybe elaborate a bit more and I'll be able to be more precise...)

[ThomasHelzle]

I'm sure this has been mentioned before, but I only find the time to look into Zebra 3 now during my short winter break:
- The Icon in front of the dropdown for direct modulation (the two arrows up and down) signified to me that this is a dropdown, not at all that I can use it to set the amount, only reading the docs revealed that to me - before I thought it was broken... .

- Being spoiled by Synthmaster 3 etc., I also find it hard to know how much modulation is going on, for instance when it's bipolar where the visual ring for those direct modulations is only going in one direction.

- Visually the UI looks great already, but "logically" I find it confusing in many areas. Like in an oscillator, the labels aren't clearly "connected" to their controls. So on first view, "Phase" seemed to mean the rotary below it to me, only when looking at it longer, I understood that it means the dropdown above.
While it's valid to define that labels are always below their controls, visually this is not well defined and slows down recognition.
This was something I found always a bit vague with u-he synth UIs and tried to improve in Bazille back in the day.
Call it a kind of logical flow, of instantly recognisable connection between label and control.
This also is the case with my first point - the up-down arrows being an active control to set the modulation amount just does not follow instantly/obviously from the arrangement and graphics for my brain.

And if this has been discussed to death already, I'm sorry, can't read all of it ATM

The sounds that come out of it are stunning though!!!

I guess with Synthmaster 3 and Zebra 3 I'm fully set up in the virtual synth department

Thanks to the whole team!

Tom

[Rnaroth]

I have been doing a deep dive on Zebra 3. I acknowledge that this is beta and things will evolve. First of all this is an amazing Synth, I appreciate the amount of thought that went behind its design.

What I love:
* Ability to save Module presets.
* The new UI.
* Single interface for editing Curves
* Pick-whipping modulation sources, adjusting modulation on the knob.
* Modal
* Eq filter in main grid, Resonator mode in EQ
* 8 Tap effect
* Granular Reverb
* The insane Filter picker. The new AP and Phasers are great.
* Simplified Distortion
* Folder
* The new OSC effects
* The updated Noise module (so many options…)
* Updated FMO and Ring filters look nice but I haven’t played with it.
* Util module is nifty
* The extra lane in global grid
* Ctrl C and Ctrl D
* Scopes (great to know what that modulation curve looks like)

What I miss:
* Step sequencer (Can't express an idea with a patch)
* Wave Shaper module (A huge one. I simply am unable to shape a sound without this)
* Vintage filter (So many uses..)

Nice to have:
* Step Sequencer like Dune 3. Also, please add in-built velocity modulation knob for each step.
* MPE support for keyboards like Osmose
* XY Pad is easier than etch-a-sketch Knobs
* More MSEGs. Unless there is a way to pick one of the curves inside an MSEG directly)
* More filter slots. I'll run out of filter modules very quickly as opposed to Z2.
* Right click on a knob, do "Select Modulation". Currently, you can remove modulation this way, so I think that would be feasible.
* Some UI to show the Folder module visually (Like Z2)
* Z2 XMF's "Over" knob as one of the filter options. (Is it possible in Z3?)

I will 100% adopt Zebra3 and use it for its strengths. But, for fine tuned work I will need Zebra2 because the waveshaper and step-sequencer are integral to my style of sound design.