Zebra 3 Public Beta Revision 20399

[Fannon]

Could there be a "right click -> Remove all modulations" on CTRL A-D, maybe also other modulation sources? That would make it more convenient to re-assign it from scratch.

Here's what I got so far (right-click on Ctrl A):

Screenshot 2026-01-18 at 22.22.58.jpg

Idea (not sure if good one): would there be enough space to list all the modulations directly on this root level? Instead of "Remove Modulation ->" one time, you could have "LFO 1 Amount (42) ->", "..." (where then you can navigate into remove, maybe also reset).

It may be a weird to then have only "remove" as the only option - but you can see all modulation targets (and their modulation amount?) with just one right-click.

[cake builder]

Sorry of this a noob question, but I really can't figure this out, also tried to read the manual. How do I get an Lfo or a Mseg to modulate a parameter all the way from "top" to "bottom". The modulation visual indicator "ring" doesn't cover the full range and the pitch drop stops in the middle. Sorry for my lack of proper terminology here.

I'm running into the same issue as this user with modulation range. Using an MSEG to modulate the 'Tune' of an oscillator only allows me to travel 50% of the range. When I run the MSEG into the scope it appears to be unipolar, with no option (that I see) to make it bi.

Am I missing something or am I limited to half of the adjustable range when using an MSEG?

[Urs]

Could there be a "right click -> Remove all modulations" on CTRL A-D, maybe also other modulation sources? That would make it more convenient to re-assign it from scratch.

Here's what I got so far (right-click on Ctrl A):

Screenshot 2026-01-18 at 22.22.58.jpg

Idea (not sure if good one): would there be enough space to list all the modulations directly on this root level? Instead of "Remove Modulation ->" one time, you could have "LFO 1 Amount (42) ->", "..." (where then you can navigate into remove, maybe also reset).

It may be a weird to then have only "remove" as the only option - but you can see all modulation targets (and their modulation amount?) with just one right-click.

There's a difference between right-clicking a target (knob with a dot) and right-clicking a source (a crosshairs icon you'd drag somewhere). On the target you can soon directly select whichever modulation source there is, on the root level of the menu, just a s you suggest. On the source you can't, simply because, well, you select all of them by left-clicking it - no need to select a single one. On the source however we now also have an option to highlight all visible targets when you hover, and it'll show you arrows if a target is out of sight. Pretty big change. Next beta.

[Urs]

Sorry of this a noob question, but I really can't figure this out, also tried to read the manual. How do I get an Lfo or a Mseg to modulate a parameter all the way from "top" to "bottom". The modulation visual indicator "ring" doesn't cover the full range and the pitch drop stops in the middle. Sorry for my lack of proper terminology here.

I'm running into the same issue as this user with modulation range. Using an MSEG to modulate the 'Tune' of an oscillator only allows me to travel 50% of the range. When I run the MSEG into the scope it appears to be unipolar, with no option (that I see) to make it bi.

Am I missing something or am I limited to half of the adjustable range when using an MSEG?

MSEGs are unipolar. That's how they are also usable as VCAs.

[Lyhrus]

We do realise though that different MPE controllers need differently set up presets. Hence, we have started creating preset banks specifically for MPE controllers such as Osmose, which take existing presets and map AT and Ctrl A in meaningful ways. I'm sure this will happen for Zebra 3 as well, but we do also face economic challenges that require us to prioritise a larger audience first.

Great to hear that you‘re working on examples for Osmose and hopefully for Z3 soon as well. Looking the more forward to MPE on Z3 the more I dive into the wonders of this synth.

[jrgillam]

Just wanted to reiterate that it would be great to have more MSEGs. I’ve been playing around with Serum 2 and it’s just so fast and easy to set up a bunch of LFOs (which double as MSEGs) and drag them to targets.

Having fewer filters available and no per-lane compressors is also a bit of a bummer after being used to ZebraHZ.

Really incredible work Urs and team. Everything is sounding I’m so great. Looking forward to how it progresses…

[PieBerger]

Just wanted to reiterate that it would be great to have more MSEGs. I’ve been playing around with Serum 2 and it’s just so fast and easy to set up a bunch of LFOs (which double as MSEGs) and drag them to targets.

Having fewer filters available and no per-lane compressors is also a bit of a bummer after being used to ZebraHZ.

Really incredible work Urs and team. Everything is sounding I’m so great. Looking forward to how it progresses…

You can hack your way to more (basic) MSEGs by using Mappers in Map Smooth mode with Env/LFO/MSEG# as a Source. You can paste in shapes copied from either of the two spline editors i.e. Osc/MSEG. You could also derive additional complex modulation from the existing MSEGs and or Mappers via Mod Math.

[Urs]

I found, the examples that were compelling for "more MSEGs" were often examples where multiple MSEGs were combined to achieve dynamic shapes, like blend two envelopes based on velocity or something. And the result of that is, in Zebra 3 you can set up multiple curves in each MSEG and morph or crossfade between them. This gives you dozens of MSEGs for IMHO the most common need for multiple MSEGs.

In a few days we'll post an example where we use this to create a drum kit within Zebra. This is something that is very hard to achieve without multi samples or a dozen layers, but it is quite obvious and easily achieved in Zebra. Zebra has no layers, but at the same time it can have many layers in multiple degrees of freedom...

[stippenstoh]

As mentioned before, this reminds me of the debate about "layers vs nodes" in video post production software: people coming from layers, like me, usually struggle with the concept of nodes (modules) at first and it can indeed be less intuitive and accessible. Once learned and understood, the node/modules workflow can be more flexible, cleaner ect. It's just not made for every type of brain.

For this reason I think the tutorial series will be central for someone like me.

[Urs]

Funnily, I never got along with node based video stuff.

[animula42]

Please, please add the option that the carrier in FM could also be a wavetable oscillator. So basically two oscillators can FM eachother.

If that would be the case, reaching for Serum would be obsolete.

[PieBerger]

Please, please add the option that the carrier in FM could also be a wavetable oscillator. So basically two oscillators can FM eachother.

If that would be the case, reaching for Serum would be obsolete.

It's not a con of the vector system per sé. It's a con of the efficient unison wavetable playback system, same as in Hive. In future we can evaluate adding a third renderer, which does not have unison capability but Sync and/or FM instead.

[ThoughtExperiment]

Just a thought here: not everyone likes Serum. Not everyone wants Zebra to be more like Serum, or Phaseplant or whatever. I think Z3 has enough potential to wipe the floor with the competition by being like, well, Zebra3. Just my 2 penn'orth.

[PieBerger]

Just a thought here: not everyone likes Serum. Not everyone wants Zebra to be more like Serum, or Phaseplant or whatever. I think Z3 has enough potential to wipe the floor with the competition by being like, well, Zebra3. Just my 2 penn'orth.

100% this. I have both of these synths and they are good at what they do in their own way and Zebra should be allowed to be good at what it does in its own way too

[NAD]

Please, please add the option that the carrier in FM could also be a wavetable oscillator. So basically two oscillators can FM eachother.

Urs has mentioned that there is some structural obstacle to FM-ing the new spline oscillators. However it just occurred to me it might be simpler and perhaps even more convenient to have a selection of some basic waveforms in the FMO module (lol I'm guessing I'm not the first one to bring that up, right?...) But I mean saw/pulse/triangle, that sort of thing, not those funny sine based Yamaha ones that I don't really get... (ah what the hell throw 'em in too why not!...)