Zebra 3.0 - out now

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beely wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 6:44 pm
VitaminD wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 6:02 pm Lots of male Karens that want to speak to the manager. The plight of developing products for consumers. Everyone thinks their way is the right way and it is somehow a zero sum scenario. :hihi:
Sorry, but this is ridiculous. No one is stamping their feet and demanding change. No one is saying their opinion is *the right way*. They are pretty politely and respectfully expressing feedback on a product they somewhat care about, on which to some degree is a forum where much of the exchange is about feedback and opinions, and which companies that listen to their users generally appreciate.

Nobody has to agree with any of these opinions, u-he isn't a committee, and design is all about making choices. That feedback may or may not be taken on board by the developer, and it may, or may not, affect their decisions going forward. Nobody is saying u-he's current choices are wrong, or should be different, and those who care have some options that we can pursue to tweak things if we feel it's necessary because we would ideally like something different - which is pretty much *the entire reason* these products have a whole user-accessible skinning system on board.

For the people that love everything about the current choices - that's great too!
In this very thread you can see several people saying the UI should be different. So clearly they're implying u-he's current choices are wrong. Or are you ignoring those posts?

They are bellyaching over relatively minor, subjective aesthetics and the code is still hot after a release, that had many open betas to do that bellyaching. Can you not function with the software as is because it is grey and not green or what have you? That's ridiculous. It would drive me up a wall if I was releasing consumer products. I don't see how Urs does it. I'd end up flatly telling people to go pound sand. I'd probably even take the time to translate it into their native languages too. Courteousness and all. :hihi:

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FrogsInPants wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 6:55 pm For those who preferred the earlier beta theme, I wonder, would it work to pull the theme files from one of those versions, or are there breaking changes?
That wouldn't work cause there were at the same time, lots of functional changes. The old theme files might be useful as a reference for colors if one is trying to duplicate the same look.

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VitaminD wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 6:55 pm In this very thread you can see several people saying the UI should be different. So clearly they're implying u-he's current choices are wrong. Or are you ignoring those posts?
No, they are saying they would prefer different choices. Not the same thing as the current choices are wrong. And I already said I understand why some of those decisions were made like that, some of which is to make the modulation colourings easier to see and pop out of the UI without getting messy. I get it, and I'm not going to say any design decisions are "wrong" until I've actually approached that design problem to understand the various factors and decide how I would handle it best. Design is all about making those decisions. It could well be that the current scheme *is* actually the best solution to the problem, even if I don't love that solution.
VitaminD wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 6:55 pmThey are bellyaching
Pretty derogative term for people expressing an opinion. Not very courteous of you, presumably just because you don't agree with those opinions, or how those opinions are being expressed.

(Note: none of those people are calling others who think differently derogatory terms like "karens".)
VitaminD wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 6:55 pmCan you not function with the software as is because it is grey and not green or what have you? That's ridiculous.
Now who's ignoring posts? I already said it's not going to affect my music making. I already said it's not a problem, and I already said we have the tools to improve it. There's nothing about my posts that are ridiculous - they only thing that seems problematic is that you don't agree with it. Which is fine, I'm not asking others to agree with me. And the few other people that have posted similar opinions have all expressed them pretty respectfully and in a similar manner.

Maybe I missed the ones throwing their toys out the pram and demanding their money back? Or I had those people on ignore (which is more likely, to be fair.)
VitaminD wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 6:55 pmCourteousness and all. :hihi:
Hmm, right...

Fun fact: When I bought Zebra 1 back in, oh 2006 or so, I also didn't love the look of the UI. I did however love how it *worked*, which is why I'm still here two decades later. Ultimately, that is more important, and I don't see anyone here saying differently.

Sorry if that's "ridiculous" to you, but it sounds like it's maybe a "you" problem...

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beely wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 7:07 pm
VitaminD wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 6:55 pm In this very thread you can see several people saying the UI should be different. So clearly they're implying u-he's current choices are wrong. Or are you ignoring those posts?
No, they are saying they would prefer different choices. Not the same thing as the current choices are wrong. And I already said I understand why some of those decisions were made like that, some of which is to make the modulation colourings easier to see and pop out of the UI without getting messy. I get it, and I'm not going to say any design decisions are "wrong" until I've actually approached that design problem to understand the various factors and decide how I would handle it best. Design is all about making those decisions. It could well be that the current scheme *is* actually the best solution to the problem, even if I don't love that solution.
VitaminD wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 6:55 pmThey are bellyaching
Pretty derogative term for people expressing an opinion. Not very courteous of you, presumably just because you don't agree with those opinions, or how those opinions are being expressed.

(Note: none of those people are calling others who think differently derogatory terms like "karens".)
VitaminD wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 6:55 pmCan you not function with the software as is because it is grey and not green or what have you? That's ridiculous.
Now who's ignoring posts? I already said it's not going to affect my music making. I already said it's not a problem, and I already said we have the tools to improve it. There's nothing about my posts that are ridiculous - they only thing that seems problematic is that you don't agree with it. Which is fine, I'm not asking others to agree with me. And the few other people that have posted similar opinions have all expressed them pretty respectfully and in a similar manner.

Maybe I missed the ones throwing their toys out the pram and demanding their money back? Or I had those people on ignore (which is more likely, to be fair.)
VitaminD wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 6:55 pmCourteousness and all. :hihi:
Hmm, right...
No, they are implying it is wrong to them, otherwise they wouldn't be asking for something else. If it was right to them, they wouldn't have complained. And they're taking their case to the manager of this establishment. :hihi: Apparently you're not catching the courteousness was humorous (it's in the emoji). I would not have the patience to deal with this. So I was complimenting Urs for his own.

But I'm not getting into a multi-quote long debate with you over this. Because, that also ridiculous. All I ask is people just be more patient with Urs instead of nitpicking everyyy little detail of the work of art he just released after years of blood sweat and tears.
Last edited by VitaminD on Tue Apr 21, 2026 7:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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FrogsInPants wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 6:55 pm For those who preferred the earlier beta theme, I wonder, would it work to pull the theme files from one of those versions, or are there breaking changes?
There's a very good chance that a few parameters (and/or a few complete modules even) would not be connected.

I don't think it would crash, but I can't rule it out.

The new layout is by far better and more consistent. I won't be long until brighter/greener/whatsoever variants are derived from it.

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Teksonik wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 6:26 pm
VitaminD wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 6:02 pm
234north wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 5:46 pm Urs, just another episode of "you cant please everyone"
Lots of male Karens that want to speak to the manager. The plight of developing products for consumers. Everyone thinks their way is the right way and it is somehow a zero sum scenario. :hihi:
Or hear me out....paying customers are simply expressing their opinions about a product. It happens for every product produced regardless of the market segment they occupy.

I tell you what doesn't help, blind sycophancy. :wink:

Again I am fine with the current GUI but I can understand if others are not, as I said everyone's eyesight is different.

Urs has posted that there will be more themes so people who might not be pleased with the current theme will eventually have options.

If I had the time and skill to make a light theme for those users right now I would but alas I do not.
He's already said new skins are coming in the future. If the team kept adding new things everyone wanted, the synth would have never shipped. So he had to take a point to freeze development for 3.0 and just launch it. New things will surely come in the future. But you'll have to wait for them. That's not sycophancy, that's honesty. :wink:

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I think we have a good track record of improving our software over time. Zebra 2 in particular, and I'm sure Zebra 3 as well.

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Urs wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 7:57 pm I think we have a good track record of improving our software over time. Zebra 2 in particular, and I'm sure Zebra 3 as well.
I've said this before, and while it's fun to make jokes about the development time between v2 and 3, most companies would have been calling Zebra 2.9.3 v5. An awful lot of changes happened between my purchase of v2 and 2.9.3.
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4th Law of Robotics: When turning evil, display a red indicator light. ~[ ●_● ]~

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pdxindy wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 6:29 pm
Teksonik wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 6:17 pm For the record I'm fine with the default GUI. I've been using it all morning without any eye fatigue.
The only thing I'd change is the Slider Center line so it stands out a bit better. See the Release slider:
I was asking because you mentioned needing to edit SVG files.
Here, I just edited the Env Faders in the Theme Editor. I didn't need to touch the SVG files directly.
Env-Fader-Edit.jpg
Ok great, what line in the .txt file determines the fader line color? Is it in this part and what value did you assign?

GR_PROPERTY graphic='fader-cap.svg' name='colour' id='13' value='Knob-Mid'
GR_PROPERTY graphic='fader-cap.svg' name='colour' id='15' value='Knob-Highlight'
GR_PROPERTY graphic='fader-cap.svg' name='colour' id='17' value='Module-Label White'
None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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VitaminD wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 7:31 pm He's already said new skins are coming in the future. If the team kept adding new things everyone wanted, the synth would have never shipped. So he had to take a point to freeze development for 3.0 and just launch it. New things will surely come in the future. But you'll have to wait for them. That's not sycophancy, that's honesty. :wink:
Calling people "Male Karens" just because they had the audacity to say something mildly negative is hardly called for and does just make you look like a sycophant. Your subsequent posts simply reinforce that impression.

Thanks for pointing out the painfully obvious about how development works. I couldn't have possibly learned that in the dozens of private beta testing projects I've been on (sarcasm). One thing I did learn is that there will never be 100% positive feedback on any product simply because people all have different wants and needs.

Anyway how does all that help people who are having issues with the theme now? Again I have no problem with it but I see others do.

Some people are making it sound like editing a theme is a trivial matter so why not help those people out and make a light theme for them instead of calling them names?
None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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Teksonik wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 8:55 pm
VitaminD wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 7:31 pm He's already said new skins are coming in the future. If the team kept adding new things everyone wanted, the synth would have never shipped. So he had to take a point to freeze development for 3.0 and just launch it. New things will surely come in the future. But you'll have to wait for them. That's not sycophancy, that's honesty. :wink:
Calling people "Male Karens" just because they had the audacity to say something mildly negative is hardly called for and does just make you look like a sycophant. Your subsequent posts simply reinforce that impression.

Thanks for pointing out the painfully obvious about how development works. I couldn't have possibly learned that in the dozens of private beta testing projects I've been on (sarcasm). One thing I did learn is that there will never be 100% positive feedback on any product simply because people all have different wants and needs.

Anyway how does all that help people who are having issues with the theme now? Again I have no problem with it but I see others do.

Some people are making it sound like editing a theme is a trivial matter so why not help those people out and make a light theme for them instead of calling them names?
I didn't call people male karens for saying something mildly negative. I called people male karens because it was humorous in that karens are known to complain to management. And thats what is happening here.

It isn't about 100% positive feedback. It's about not whining that something isn't exactly how you wanted to see it when the software just came out of the oven. People were saying they'd effectively have to suffer through using it because the gui didn't look as they desired. And I say get over it.

Why would I help them? Just wait for the development team and/or a 3rd party to release new ones. See, no reason to bark and moan like a karen if you have patience. It will happen, if you can wait. They've already gotten the memo about it. So no need to keep picking on it.

If you have more to say to me, I'd implore you to just PM me. I'll read. And this thread won't get further bogged down.

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Teksonik wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 8:39 pm Ok great, what line in the .txt file determines the fader line color? Is it in this part and what value did you assign?

GR_PROPERTY graphic='fader-cap.svg' name='colour' id='13' value='Knob-Mid'
GR_PROPERTY graphic='fader-cap.svg' name='colour' id='15' value='Knob-Highlight'
GR_PROPERTY graphic='fader-cap.svg' name='colour' id='17' value='Module-Label White'
I enabled the editor and made the change there, so in this case, didn't even touch the txt file. But I just checked the txt file and it is indeed the 3rd line

GR_PROPERTY graphic='fader-cap.svg' name='colour' id='17' value='Module-Label White'

I changed the color name to:

GR_PROPERTY graphic='fader-cap.svg' name='colour' id='17' value='Palette-100'

Palette 100 is defined on line 301 and by default is white with no alpha transparency.

COLOUR name='Palette-100' rgba='ffffffff'

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pdxindy wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 9:46 pm ...

I enabled the editor and made the change there, so in this case, didn't even touch the txt file. But I just checked the txt file and it is indeed the 3rd line

...
There's a theme editor?

Image

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Urs wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 7:57 pm I think we have a good track record of improving our software over time. Zebra 2 in particular, and I'm sure Zebra 3 as well.
Maybe it was a minor concession, but the pianos and ePianos are a great bonus to have in a great synth. The percussion tracks are also welcome and inviting. I hope you get some beach time in Australia or wherever desired, to reflect on the accomplishments, and ponder the future
:party: :hyper: :party:

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Congrats. Wishing you guys success and well deserved time off! Even a vacation or something, haha. You guys earned it.

I can send a couple hundred more diverse presets your guys way anytime, out of a 1000+. Just didn't want to swamp you guys until after release, as instructed. If still interested, just let me know an ideal time to send them - hopefully after your guys extended vacation. Cheers
100 High Quality Soundsets: Omnisphere 2, Dune 3, Tone 2 Synths, Pigments, Uhe Synths, Halion, Spire, and others.

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