Zebra 3 Public Beta Revision 20399

[JoeLowery215]

Urs, I asked a few times but it seems the LFO can be used (with keyboard tracking) for audio rate modulation on pitch of the oscillators? Z2 doesn't get the same results...

I know audio rate modulation is hard to do well (aliasing etc) but I wish Z3/Z2 had cross mod.

Luv,
Joe

[Urs]

While LFOs go well into audio rate territory, they are not meant to be low aliasing crossmodulation modulators.

FM and audio rate modulation currently are a speciality of the FMOs, the filters and the RingMod. Anything else can be used as modulators though.

[dj_var]

Hello Urs.
First of all congratulations on making it to Beta stage and I am so excited, like everyone else of course, for the stable to come out hopefully soon, but takes as ling as it takes, better have a solid product at the end of the day.

Secondly, I would like to ask a few things:
- I noticed that the RESO BP filter (or I think that's what it was called if I remember correctly in Zebra2) is not in Zebra3 anymore. I would like to ask you if this is just being replaced/incorporated in BP Excite or another Filter model? I really liked that BP Reso model from before.

But also, I know the argument about the higher CPU usage in Zebra3 now due to it being more powerful, capable and versatile (6cores, 12 threads 5th Gen Core i7) but when I tested it on my laptop (2 core, 4 threads) Zebra Legacy runs at around 30% CPU (only about 10-15% extra CPU usage from when it isn't loaded). But when running Zebra 3 Beta, sometimes in some patches it reaches 30/50% (if not more ~80%) inside the Zebra CPU meter, sometimes it also starts to give me just a few xruns due to CPU overload, or with a patch called Cosmic Solitude (but then other patches play fine, without xruns). It really seems to me like a rather considerable increase in CPU usage. Are there any plans to keep on optimising Zebra3's CPU usage in this beta phase and further down the line with subsequent updates? I am just asking because I don't know what your plans are. I am not too bothered for that for my main workstation as it is a much more powerful machine than my laptop but when I'm on the go I would like to be able to sound design without having to worry about potentially running into too many potential xruns and feeling like I can't really tweak the performance either as everything is already pretty minimal and low anyway (like in the Airwave patch with barely 2 oscillators and nothing too complex anyway).
Does Zebra 3 really need to use that much more? If yes then of course I understand, I still understand that there are a lot more features packed inside every module and it's a lot more advanced than Zebra2 but I was wondering if you guys are still planning in optimising Zebra3's CPU usage even fuether before the stable release and also further on?

Thank you so much and regardless I am so excited for Zebra 3 and I am so glad I got the pre-order. I am really looking forward to having so much fun with it. You rock Urs and your team, you are the man. Keep up the great work and thank you so much for making such amazing products!

[Urs]

We're also still optimising here and there, but we have pretty much reached the end of our options.

Many, many, many presets can however be vastly optimised by not taking the most expensive option, or alternative settings that have little to no audible effect, but less CPU. We're working on that for the factory library.

Just also keep in mind, each oscillator is capable of something that is similar to synths like Loom or Harmor, but the whole synth in one oscillator. So a single patch in Zebra 3 can be like 3 or 4 of those. Likewise, some filters are on par with Diva and Repro. There are 4 filters. Some presets are thus pretty much like playing 2 or 3 Divas at once. Furthermore, by my counting, the Modal Resonator has up to four times the modal density of, say, Chromaphone, and even more than Object's modal part. So some Zebra 3 patches may be like playing several of those synths at once.

But most of all, many, many patches combine quite a few different aspects of all of this in a single preset. That takes some CPU.

That said, if you do Zebra 2 things in Zebra 3, you'll mostly end up with just about twice the CPU. If you do things that Zebra 2 can't do, chances are it's more expensive.

[dj_var]

Ok, well that's fair enough and makes sense. Revisiting some of those patches and having a bit more of a closer look at them, often the ones that were heavier were the ones with lots of unison voices and quite some modulation parameters too so that is really fair enough especially as you said that the oscillators in Zebra can be as much as those of heavy synths and its filters similar to those of Diva or Repro multiplied a few times so I am very happy with that and it does make sense. I really appreciate your response.

Thankfully my laptop can still just about handle those heavier patches in single, then of course I can either reduce voices here and there or freeze the track in the DAW. But also then running it mainly on Linux (my test so far was on Windows side which I don't plan to be my main production side) it should help giving me some extra performance.

Once again, thank you so much for your help, I am still very happy and delighted with Zebra and absolutely mindblown by what's possible with it.
Cheers Urs.

[dj_var]

By the way Urs, just a suggestion, how about implementing a sort of interactive tooltip system where on mouse hover a user can quickly understand what a control does? Like an info popup for example. I know my way into synthesis but sometimes rather than having to open up a manual (not that I have anything against that to be clear) for the odd control that I may not have full clarity on what it does, having a nice little, concice info on what a control does would be so helpful and that's how I learned a lot of things in my journey and has allowed me to effectively learn my way around a DAW when I way first starting out (Ableton Live for example has a little info box with the tooltips on mouse hover and that's what made a massive difference for me in terms of learning). So especially for a newcomer to Zebra that could be good for them to quickly understand what a particular control does. I think that such an approach would allow a user to be less distracted by having to jump back and forth from the manual and thus interrupting/losing a potential creative idea instead of staying more innthe creative flow. I just think that something as simple as that would make thongs that little bit easier. Perhaps the tooltips could be toggable globally in the settings.

[Urs]

AFAIK tooltips are also used for the OS accessibility features. So when we implement tooltips, we need to make sure that they work correctly with the OS. This is one of the next bigger projects and it's quite involved. No quick solution here, I'm afraid.

We are thinking about adding module descriptions in an alternative way though, depends a bit on how much time we have once the user guide and the UI are finished.

[dj_var]

This is one of the next bigger projects and it's quite involved. No quick solution here, I'm afraid.

No worries, thank you for your reply and I am glad that plans are underway. It doesn't bother me too much and I can definitely wait for it as I have already a very good understanding of Zebra and how it works. But it's nice to know that that's in the plans.
Cheers man, have a great weekend

[HcDoom]

Just bought it - was playing with it for the past 2h, my God - this is definitely the best sounding engine I've heard in the software world. Sounds so pristine, precise yet it can be warm or whatever. This is a huge leap in sound quality compared the current offers on the market. All other synths sound like half finished toys beside it when it comes down to the raw sound quality. Well done, u-he.

Regarding GUI - yeah, it takes a while to get used it, it can be complicated and simple as you want. I presume not a lot of people will like that, but - I like it and that whats important to me.

Waiting for an proper arp module and more detune options (ala Serum 2, Dune 3).

Bravo!

[Touch The Universe]

So in Zebra3, one of the presets Im working on. It sounds very quiet in the lower octave regions, but then when I play higher notes, like C4, C5, C6, then it can even get louder to eclipse. How do I make it so that it increases the volume at lower octaves, but lowers it in higher octaves in the modulation matrix?

[Urs]

So in Zebra3, one of the presets Im working on. It sounds very quiet in the lower octave regions, but then when I play higher notes, like C4, C5, C6, then it can even get louder to eclipse. How do I make it so that it increases the volume at lower octaves, but lowers it in higher octaves in the modulation matrix?

Mapper with 128 steps set to Key. Mapper set to modulate Volume below the Grid.

Now, the Mapper can set the volume for each Key independently.

Key Map Volume.jpg

[Grizzellda]

Hey Urs, just wondering if you have ever used video game controllers, like joysticks, or other types that are available, to control a synth or a DAW, and could you offer some good advice how to best use these things with Zebra.

[Touch The Universe]

So in Zebra3, one of the presets Im working on. It sounds very quiet in the lower octave regions, but then when I play higher notes, like C4, C5, C6, then it can even get louder to eclipse. How do I make it so that it increases the volume at lower octaves, but lowers it in higher octaves in the modulation matrix?

Mapper with 128 steps set to Key. Mapper set to modulate Volume below the Grid.

Now, the Mapper can set the volume for each Key independently.


Key Map Volume.jpg

Thanks, works like a charm. The first thing I tried was simply assign negative keytrack to volume mixer amp and that too seems to work. Your method is cooler though

[Urs]

Hey Urs, just wondering if you have ever used video game controllers, like joysticks, or other types that are available, to control a synth or a DAW, and could you offer some good advice how to best use these things with Zebra.

I have not... sounds like something I'd consult Youtube with...?

[Grizzellda]

Alright, I hear ya! I will consult around, (Wikipedia ) this concept has been out there for quite some time now...just kinda wanted to ask you actually!