Improvements!

[jacobaaron]

So I've finally pulled my Virus TI out of the rack and I'm just about to take pics and put it on ebay, and replace it with Zebra (I've had the demo installed for ages).

Now, I know that most of Uhe's development resources are dedicated to Diva right now, but I feel like Zebra could use a bit of fine tuning.

Specifically, I think it would infinitely aid in the art of experimentation for Zebra to have an oscillator parameter lock (besides saving). While it is possible to sweep wave tables through and LFO and scroll through various oscillators, it is somewhat cumbersome to always have to reset the unison, tune, volume etc.

Urs, from my long term lurking I know that you are one of the hardest working and coolest developers in the business. I have also seen you post on this very topic suggesting that it might make its way into a future update. I guess I'm just checking in. For me, this is by no means a "deal breaker," I just think it would help to streamline Zebra's workflow.

Thanks!

-Jacob

[Howard]

Improvements, bugfixes etc. are planned for zebra2 fairly soon. DIVA is the #1 priority right now.

[xh3rv]

Specifically, I think it would infinitely aid in the art of experimentation for Zebra to have an oscillator parameter lock (besides saving).

A quick hack: load the oscillator with the new waveform into an unused oscillator, copy the waveset from the unused oscillator, and paste into the waveset of the used oscillator. Works between multiple Zebras as well. Pretty sure I picked that trick up in this thread, this has been suggested before

[Gonga]

Using Logic pro 8.
Saving a Zebra patch.
It will not allow me to input the user name area, but does allow me to input words in the other fields there.
It does not have this problem in either Live8 or Garageband5

This is the same sort of thing we SONAR users see Michael - except none of the patch dialog fields can be typed in directly, they have to be pasted in from the clipboard.

[mcnoone]

Would it be possible to make the preset popup menu/window in Zebra, to open to the preset that is selected, instead of the first preset within a folder, as it does now?

Hmmm... consider not doing it a bug... must be somewhere in the Cocoa layer...

This preset window problem only happens with the AU for me.
If I use the VST it pops up at exactly where the preset currently using is.
As is normal.
Just an AU problem then.

[Urs]

Well, the AU uses Cocoa, VST is stuck with old Carbon... need to eventually fix those little issues...

[Shabdahbriah]

Specifically, I think it would infinitely aid in the art of experimentation for Zebra to have an oscillator parameter lock (besides saving).

A quick hack: load the oscillator with the new waveform into an unused oscillator, copy the waveset from the unused oscillator, and paste into the waveset of the used oscillator. Works between multiple Zebras as well.

Interesting... will have to check this out.

thanks.

[jooster]

Since I do a fair amount of travel, all I can bring to feel "close" to Zebra2 is its user guide on my ipad... Not much of a way to make music, but reading I imagine

Soooh, wouldn't it be nice (this how all silly ideas start I am sure if we had an iPad Zebra app? Perhaps not the fully Zebra but more like Zebralette? I would be jamming away with it somewheres across the pacific ocean at 10K high. I did think to see if I could set up a VNC or RDP connection to remotely connect to my Mac from the plane if they have onboard WIFI but that wouldn't give me the sound (although cool to try out).

Another iPad centered idea perhaps a bit closer to ground is; how about using the iPad as a control surface for Zebra2? I.e., with iPad connected through WIFI on the same network you have the Zebra2 computer, it could conceivably be a control extension of Zebra2 e.g.:
- have the 4 XY controllers on the iPad and move them about with tapping.
- control filters, oscillators etc.

Alright, old ideas, I am sure somebody else thought of it already. I'll crawl back under my stone now...

[clif321]

There are multiple apps already in the App Store that will do the second thing you mention, i.e., provide a control surface through wifi for four midi xy pads. Two simple ones that come to mind are MidiMe and SimpleMidiPad, both of which have four-pad templates built in, but there are many more offering lots of different control possibilities including pads, knobs, sliders, buttons, etc. arranged any way you want. For some of these apps if you are running Zebra in Windows you will need a free Windows program called RTPmidi for the wifi connection, but once you've got that everything seems to work fine.

[CPCompany]

I am incredibly happy with Zebra 2, but I would liked some extra tutorial vidoes on youtube, although I did have fun with the ones that are already online.

As someone who finds reading pdf manuals on a laptop hard work, I would have loved some youtube tutorials explaining the various functions and parameters of Zebra 2.
A couple of competitors have great in depth tutorials and its much quicker and enjoyable for novices like me to learn this way.

[Howard]

I am incredibly happy with Zebra 2, but I would liked some extra tutorial vidoes on youtube, although I did have fun with the ones that are already online.

As someone who finds reading pdf manuals on a laptop hard work, I would have loved some youtube tutorials explaining the various functions and parameters of Zebra 2.
A couple of competitors have great in depth tutorials and its much quicker and enjoyable for novices like me to learn this way.

Sorry, but that's not going to happen. Zebra2 is so complex that any "video manual" worth having would be a MAMMOTH task. Of course you can print out the User Guide (PDF).

[CPCompany]

I am incredibly happy with Zebra 2, but I would liked some extra tutorial vidoes on youtube, although I did have fun with the ones that are already online.

As someone who finds reading pdf manuals on a laptop hard work, I would have loved some youtube tutorials explaining the various functions and parameters of Zebra 2.
A couple of competitors have great in depth tutorials and its much quicker and enjoyable for novices like me to learn this way.

Sorry, but that's not going to happen. Zebra2 is so complex that any "video manual" worth having would be a MAMMOTH task. Of course you can print out the User Guide (PDF).

You arent wrong. I know of one Zebra tutorial thats over 5 hours long.

Anyway, its nice to get a reply from one of the developers.

[bmrzycki]

I am incredibly happy with Zebra 2, but I would liked some extra tutorial vidoes on youtube, although I did have fun with the ones that are already online.

As someone who finds reading pdf manuals on a laptop hard work, I would have loved some youtube tutorials explaining the various functions and parameters of Zebra 2.
A couple of competitors have great in depth tutorials and its much quicker and enjoyable for novices like me to learn this way.

Sorry, but that's not going to happen. Zebra2 is so complex that any "video manual" worth having would be a MAMMOTH task. Of course you can print out the User Guide (PDF).

You arent wrong. I know of one Zebra tutorial thats over 5 hours long.

Anyway, its nice to get a reply from one of the developers.

I will say to be sure and read Howard's comments on the videos and then do the homework. You'll learn a ton that way and it's not from reading a manual.

[twisted-space]

Is there any possibility that the user manuals (for all products) could be available in a format other than pdf, ideally .mobi or .prf, but any ebook format would be ok.
PDF laid out for A4 or letter size pages is useless on kindle/most other e-readers.

[Howard]

Is there any possibility that the user manuals (for all products) could be available in a format other than pdf, ideally .mobi or .prf, but any ebook format would be ok.
PDF laid out for A4 or letter size pages is useless on kindle/most other e-readers.

Good idea! I'll look into that... (or does anybody here have a recommendation for a converter?)