Zebra 3 Public Beta Revision 20399

[orbitfold]

Modal has profile A and B and a blend mode to go between. Why was this not set up similarly to OSC, MSEG with multiple curves (transfer functions) to blend between? It seems a bit odd to me that this UI is different/limiting as compared to OSC, MSEG. And of course, an editor for the frequencies would have been more natural than CSV files (they are easy enough to edit, but it seems a bit unfinished ... beta?)

I prefer CSV considerably to a GUI option. Or at least an ability to import CSV since that allows you to generate those modal profiles with a Python script or something like that. Are there people who prefer to tediously draw in such things with a hundred sliders? The search space for all modal profiles is vast and most of them will sound very similar to each other. So any usable GUI will have to be very limited and make a lot of assumptions.

[midi_transmission]

Just my personal opinion, but I realized my favorite solution is just more MSEGs. For soundscapes or complex pads it's doable to hit the 4 limit. But yeah, maybe I'm too used to Absynth.

Have you tried to copy & paste an MSEG into a Mapper yet? For evolving and particularly for LFO-like MSEGs this might be a quick fix.

That's cool that you can copy the curve! But forgive me by dumb question, how to retrigger the mapper like an MSEG with and ADSR like behavior? I guess there are way's but to be really honest, I want to use a MSEG like behavior (I do not care about curve vs. steps, just the other controls) and it feels like hard work. No hate, just honest feedback, having to think how to workaround the number of MSEQs in software where it's a not a technical limitation is quite a big pain point for me personally. Didn't dark zebra had 8 MSEQ (was never a zebra2 user so I'm not 100% sure)

That said, the mapper is really really cool on it's own! I would definitely like to keep these 4 mappers. Super fun to use for all kind of modulation and the workflow is moving you to different results than MSEQ or LFOs!

So my wish is still to have just more MSEG and/or to have MSEQ "mode" also in the mapper (the difference would be that you have steps in the MAPPER and a Shape in the MSEQ.

[stippenstoh]

Will Ctrl A - D be able to be mapped to a MIDI controller / Midi Learn in the future?

[JoeLowery215]

Some “issues” I’ve been noticing. I think these have been talked about already but just wanted to add support to those issues:

It’s definitely hard to tell what knobs have modulation sometimes. You have to go the Matrix and then click/move the mod knob to see the destination.

The Poly/Mono/Legato highlight doesn’t change when you select a different option (bottom left)

Having the ability snap to specific spline shapes would be helpful, or being able to just click on the images above the editor to select a certain spline shape. For instance if I want to start with a Square wave, I have to turn the knob and carefully select it perfectly.

I know we can set up duophonic mode but I loved how easy it was in Z2 (just a selector). I think a lot of people will miss that option.

Right now, 100% view mode gets cut off the bottom of my MacBook Pro. Being able to grab the corner to adjust the size would be great.

Please add the arp/sequencer back!

I wish the matrix section was bigger, as in the modules, they’re kinda tiny right now. Same with the effects.

BUT the most important thing is it sounds great.

[Urs]

Will Ctrl A - D be able to be mapped to a MIDI controller / Midi Learn in the future?

They *are* MIDI Control Changes. We're actually trying to make them into normal parameters as well, to suit workflows with DAWs or control surfaces that are not MIDI-centric.

[stippenstoh]

Thanks Urs, I am just a regular noob, I see knobs that look like keyboard controllers but I can't map them to keyboard controllers

[Urs]

Some “issues” I’ve been noticing.

Pretty much all of these issues will be addressed, most of them for initial release or even in the next beta.

Double Click a curve in the time line to set CurveMorph to that waveform. This works already.

Duophonic mode will be available via templates and tutorials only though. Maybe we can add it in a special drop down that switches the preset to certain configurations. It's something I've been thinking about, but we haven't done it yet, so can't promise anything.

[Urs]

dumb question, how to retrigger the mapper like an MSEG with and ADSR like behavior?

Hehehe, not dumb at all. I have to think about it. You still need some kind of linear MSEG or slow LFO that drives those... maybe I haven't thought that through enough... yet... might need a tutorial...

[NAD]

How to retrigger the mapper like an MSEG with and ADSR like behavior?

If I'm understanding you correctly, you might want to check out the preset I posted here. It has an MSEG controlling a mapper to mimic the quantized amplitude envelope of a Casio VL-1. Try it!

[JoeLowery215]

How to retrigger the mapper like an MSEG with and ADSR like behavior?

If I'm understanding you correctly, you might want to check out the preset I posted here. It has an MSEG controlling a mapper to mimic the quantized amplitude envelope of a Casio VL-1. Try it!

Wait this sounds cool! Explain!

I’ve done that before but for fast quantized pitches. I forget was vintage synth it was, maybe the Sid chip, fast pitch changes are stepped so I used the Mapper to step the pitches

Also I think some other vintage synth, the saw wave is actually stepped Squares since the chip could only produce square waves

[Blowfish Tide]

Modal has profile A and B and a blend mode to go between. Why was this not set up similarly to OSC, MSEG with multiple curves (transfer functions) to blend between? It seems a bit odd to me that this UI is different/limiting as compared to OSC, MSEG. And of course, an editor for the frequencies would have been more natural than CSV files (they are easy enough to edit, but it seems a bit unfinished ... beta?)

I prefer CSV considerably to a GUI option. Or at least an ability to import CSV since that allows you to generate those modal profiles with a Python script or something like that. Are there people who prefer to tediously draw in such things with a hundred sliders? The search space for all modal profiles is vast and most of them will sound very similar to each other. So any usable GUI will have to be very limited and make a lot of assumptions.

Well, it's not that simple to create versatile modal profiles. I tried, and yes, Python helped with prototyping and understanding what those profiles do. But I haven't even scratched the surface. It's one of the Zebra 3 parts that I would definitely like to play more in the future. Please leave the CSV import for profiles, it's a very cool idea.

[Urs]

No worries, we won't change it. We made that decision some time ago, and this is it.

We might eventually publish software that creates such profiles, e.g. in a dedicated Modal Synthesis plug-in, or as part of an analysis tool.

[Weasel-Boy]

Pretty much all of these issues will be addressed, most of them for initial release or even in the next beta.

Speaking of which, is there a time line for the next beta you'd care to share?

[JoeLowery215]

No worries, we won't change it. We made that decision some time ago, and this is it.

We might eventually publish software that creates such profiles, e.g. in a dedicated Modal Synthesis plug-in, or as part of an analysis tool.

Great idea! Also, I’ve noticed using Cthulhu that I’m able to create legato even if midi notes don’t overlap in Zebra…but they have to be touching, while in Serum, the midi notes have to actually overlap

Is this a mistake or by design? It makes it actually more useful in Zebra actually!

[p3tr0m]

Just got into the demo of Zebra 3 the last days and really love it. I was pleasently surprised on how easy it is to create organic sounding drums, sfx and pads. Reminding me a lot of that analog diva sound. Can't wait for the full release.

A few questions and feedback I got:

1.) The modal engine quickly became one of my go-tos for creating organic impacts and sound design. Is it planed to add more modal profiles on release? More drum and percussion focused presets as well as further instruments resonances would be really amazing.

2.) I would love to permanently have indications on what parameters are modulated by what. Currently these highlights vanish for me when re-opening a patch and I have to go to the matrix view again (which is visually hard to parse) or double click MSEGs to pull up the hints again. It would be amazing if these displays could remain visible by default, maybe color coded in a way to quicker get an overview what is going on in the patch. Maybe there already is a possibility for this which I did miss.

3.) A tooltip system would be very helpful in displaying a bit more information about the parameters. I think this would ease the process of learning and getting into zebra3. This system would even allow for interactive tutorials that could widen the potential audience for zebra3 as I think making this deep synth accessible to new users will be challenging.

4.) Is a fully flexible rescalable UI something that is being worked on or planed for the future? On some displays (also with other Uhe synth UIs) it would be amazing to have further flexibility aligning the UI with a simple window scale drag.

5.) Is there an option to lock the analyser wave form to a static wave instead of a moving wave a bit like the wave analyser in DIVA?

6.) Is an alternative ADSR module/ mode planed that allows to create non linear ASDR curves? Or is there a way to use an MSEG as main envelope of an OSC? This would be amazing for designing impacts.

Thanks in advance. Keep up the amazing work.