Zebra 3 and Zebra Legacy

[Urs]

is it coming out in 2025?

We hope so!

[Hanz Meyzer]

If you guys also could keep an eye on the filters:
Might seem counter productive first, lowering the appeal of your analog emus, but why not also add some filter models from Repro and Diva (again), at least similar ones? It would be so helpful, if there were some amazing "analog like" sounding filters available (in stereo). Not saying that those aren't already existing... Zebra 2 filters already sound good. I am currently enjoying the Korg multi/poly, those filters sound so amazing OOTB, they did an impressive job here. Might be in combination with the post-filter-drive/saturation, if added subtly, it's better sounding than a real analog synth, in my opinion. This shows me (once again) how important musical sounding filters are. There are awesome workstation VSTis like Melda MSoundFactory, but lacking completely of musical sounding, easy-to-setup filters, as an negative example, so then limited in possibilites.

You did a nice test phase while developing Repro: Testers voted for the best sounding filter model. The resulting filters sound perfect now in Repro. Why not do such a test phase for Zebra 3, too? Even for more or all filter models, and also ask for each "what could be improved in this filter model in your opinion", just to collect some ideas and perspectives from outside of your developer's view?

Also I would like to remind about the importance of BP12 and BP24, also variants. Also in the noise module

[Hanz Meyzer]

...Also I would encourage you to make the dsp lanes in Zebra 3 optionally routable to separate outputs... IMHO it makes no real sense to squeeze the output of such a powerful synth into a single stereo out. And I think it is not costly in development time either... There are even visually output lanes already, nothing to change except a single option maybe, saved along with the song data.

Also Zebra 2 would benefit from that a lot, too. As a last action before retirement, maybe you could add multi out here, too?

Just leave out 1/2 untouched, and then add each single lane as indiviudal outputs, too. Done and done.

Seen this problem in Multi/Poly VST once again, it's a nonsense not to do, of course there are way better post processors, eqs, routing setups available than synth vendors ever could create in their lifetime.

(I actually would be happy if synth vendors completely would focus on synthesis, and leave the fx for other vendors. This works very, very well in Six Sines. Just my two cents here. I understand that it is harder then to create single-keypress-sellling-points. There are so many things to explore yet in synthesis...)

[Urs]

We hope to get multiple outputs into Z3 before initial release, but if we run into obstacles, we might have to postpone it until a subsequent update.

After all, almost half of the left over work on Uhbik 2 is related to multichannel processing, Surround modes etc.

[david.beholder]

@Urs do you feel pressure to release Z3 faster because other all-in-one sounddesign synths like say last Pigments and Serum?

[Urs]

@Urs do you feel pressure to release Z3 faster because other all-in-one sounddesign synths like say last Pigments and Serum?

I feel a lot of pressure, but the progress of other synths doesn't contribute much to it. I sure look at them and check out what they're doing, but I also have enough confidence in my team and myself to know that our designs will hold up. If there's any "threat" coming from there I guess I have learned to compartmentalise it

Our main pressure is completely different things, such as our ongoing legal stuff against our previous shop provider, our compliance with contracts to remove VST2 from official installers in a few weeks, what to show at Superbooth, how to integrate and efficiently use the 3 additional developers we just hired, and also when is our current round of updates finally done? - When we realised we had to modernise and re-release "everything" in 2019, I dod not expect not to take 6 years. Glad this is coming to an end and focus gets on new stuff.

(and if your question is related to the fact that maybe surprisingly we deliberately keep some features for future versions, it's not based on "pressure" as such, it's merely based on rather practical considerations, like "we can't possibly plan this while the rest of the synth is not yet finished". This is maybe something "agile", where the design of new features needs to iteratively be tested and re-considered based on what the main components turn out to be)

[bonch]

It's been worth it for us. Very happy with U-he plug-ins.

[limitlesssss]

(and if your question is related to the fact that maybe surprisingly we deliberately keep some features for future versions, it's not based on "pressure" as such, it's merely based on rather practical considerations, like "we can't possibly plan this while the rest of the synth is not yet finished". This is maybe something "agile", where the design of new features needs to iteratively be tested and re-considered based on what the main components turn out to be)

I think his question (and I certainly do not want to speak for him ) but I think his question might have something to do with the fact that Serum 2 was just released a few hours ago, but he didn't want to say it directly. I may certainly be wrong though.

[Urs]

LOL, yes. I got that.

Maybe you should ask them if the beta of Zebralette 3 and the much talked about preview of Zebra 3 at NAMM had something to do with their final push to finish Serum 2? - I guess they'll give you the same answer as I do: Not as much as people out there think.

I totally get the excitement, but what happens at u-he headquarters is a lot more complex, more involved and a lot less focussed on Serum 2 than such a simple answer warrants. In any case, we showed Zebra 3 at NAMM two months before screenshots of Serum 2 appeared. We also laid out our priorities for the release. So how could it be rushed by Serum 2?

(Btw I knew Serum 2 was coming many, many moons before word got out on KVR. Unlike what people out there think, most of us devs are friendly with each other and talk. I see no reason to feed any notion of rivalry here. I'm happy for Steve and Dave, and I have no fears whatsoever regarding Zebra 3, which people seem to read into things.)

[Urs]

Hey, there was one thing that "rushed" the transition of Zebra 2 to Zebra Legacy. When u-he transitioned from one man show to limited liability corp, we used The Dark Zebra as valued asset to offset some financial stuff beyond my comprehension. This became an issue because we had to write it off over the years, while we were still selling it. So we had to close a deal with financial authorities to eventually defunc TDZ to have it fully written off. Turning Zebra 2 into Zebra Legacy served that purpose.

Those are important things. "Competition Envy" not so much.

[limitlesssss]

LOL, yes. I got that.

Maybe you should ask them if the beta of Zebralette 3 and the much talked about preview of Zebra 3 at NAMM had something to do with their final push to finish Serum 2? - I guess they'll give you the same answer as I do: Not as much as people out there think.

I totally get the excitement, but what happens at u-he headquarters is a lot more complex, more involved and a lot less focussed on Serum 2 than such a simple answer warrants. In any case, we showed Zebra 3 at NAMM two months before screenshots of Serum 2 appeared. We also laid out our priorities for the release. So how could it be rushed by Serum 2?

(Btw I knew Serum 2 was coming many, many moons before word got out on KVR. Unlike what people out there think, most of us devs are friendly with each other and talk. I see no reason to feed any notion of rivalry here. I'm happy for Steve and Dave, and I have no fears whatsoever regarding Zebra 3, which people seem to read into things.)

Thank you Urs. For a lot of us (me included), your synths will always remain Number One. We'll be waiting for Zebra 3 whenever it's ready. Thank you again.

[PieBerger]

(Btw I knew Serum 2 was coming many, many moons before word got out on KVR. Unlike what people out there think, most of us devs are friendly with each other and talk. I see no reason to feed any notion of rivalry here. I'm happy for Steve and Dave, and I have no fears whatsoever regarding Zebra 3, which people seem to read into things.)

Obviously, plugin developers are actually a cartel, scheming behind the scenes to empty all of our wallets!

[clangorous]

@Urs do you feel pressure to release Z3 faster because other all-in-one sounddesign synths like say last Pigments and Serum?

...
(and if your question is related to the fact that maybe surprisingly we deliberately keep some features for future versions, it's not based on "pressure" as such, it's merely based on rather practical considerations, like "we can't possibly plan this while the rest of the synth is not yet finished". This is maybe something "agile", where the design of new features needs to iteratively be tested and re-considered based on what the main components turn out to be)

Agile or not, it's a smart approach that you are taking. Requirements, design, epics and stories, etc., all stages of software development are goals. The mistake so many people make (because it's what we are taught - we have to challenge everything to find the truth) is plotting SMART goals or some other framework that simply organizes the thinking about the goals. It looks good until you start asking real questions. Goals require calibration or else they are just a wish. u-he is amazing at this.

But whatever framework you use, which apparently is an Agile process, u-he is not just a software company. In an age when people launch companies that have NO user interaction, no help whatsoever from actual humans, u-he understands that we are not just buying software. u-he has the best support and the best community I have ever experienced. u-he is people, and that's how the magic happens. You care about every detail. Hence, you produce the best tools whatever it takes. So much respect for the whole team.

[Krakatau]

"u-he understands that we are not just buying software. u-he has the best support and the best community I have ever experienced"



true, from the beginning urs policy was to count on user's feedback intensively ...twenty years ago !

[ThomasLehmann]

"u-he understands that we are not just buying software. u-he has the best support and the best community I have ever experienced"

correct