Zebra 3.0 - out now

[pdxindy]

Yeah I feel the same on the UI. The UX and thoughtful design touches are wonderful - I have no issues with how it *works*, it's just an aesthetic thing for me too, I just don't love some of the choices made, though I understand why they went in that direction. The finished thing just doesn't feel great for me because of that (whereas I've never had this feeling with any other u-he UIs).

There are two things I dislike. The gradient behind the menus and the menu text color being too close to the labels. So I removed the gradient and made the menus a color. Tweaked other colors too, but still experimenting with them. Here's my edit...

Z3-GUI.jpg

[Urs]

We changed the UI because it was heavily criticised. Just look for comments talking about "scavenger hunts". While the audio signal flow was always clear, the modulation flow wasn't. Unlike Zebra 2, a lot of focus is on the Modulation Matrix and less on the direct modulations. So we did two things: We developed new ways to visualise modulation assignments, and we decided to colour-code modulations. Both led to bright, saturated colours on dark, grey backgrounds. it is the direct and inevitable result of the main criticism that happened from December to January.

We certainly want to add more themes. There are other valid design principles, such as emphasis on module differences, light themes, high contrast themes or plain beautiful themes. The current design can be the base of any of those.

It is just, we have to start somewhere, and this is the ideal starting point - the ideal "base design" from which we (or anyone) can take things.

[234north]

Urs, just another episode of "you cant please everyone"

[ultrashall]

Hi, Urs. Thank you for delivering Zebra - I've been looking forward to it, since I bought it in beta state at the beginning of the year.

However, I've got a problem now:

Zebra 3 beta - still with the old GUI - worked well on my system (Cubase 14, Windows 11, Graphic card: NVIDIA GeForce GT 730 (GK208) [ASUS].).

However, since the new GUI had been introduced, Cubase crashes (freezes) every time when I try to open Zebra's GUI. Loading the synth into the DAW and playing the default sound - without opening the GUI - is no problem, on the other hand.

May you advise me, what I can do to avoid these crashes and make Zebra work correctly?. A little update for Zebra, which will fix the problem, would also be nice, of course...

Kind regards,

ultrashall, Germany

[aMUSEd]

I know we may not see official NKS support as long as the future of NI is somewhat uncertain and I'm fine with that, but I value being able to control my plugins with hardware knobs as much as possible - and also being able to browse from the keyboard with previews - so I have made a NKS template and conversion of factory patches which may tide us over for now.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7vbuc30q ... 23n9u&dl=0

The template mapping is an attempt to balance making the controls I find most useful when playing accessible while not getting into too much menu diving. If I covered every param it would be a nightmare to use. So this just has 16 user pages and even then that might be too much - a selection of modules - ctrl's etc at the top. A proper NKS export such as we get from Zebra 2 would of course only have the modules in the patch mapped, but I can't do that. I will try and improve it over time.

[VitaminD]

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.

[ultrashall]

Update: I've tested Zebra 3 now with the VST-host "Cantabile" and here it works well. So it seems to be a Cubase-related problem.

Hi, Urs. Thank you for delivering Zebra - I've been looking forward to it, since I bought it in beta state at the beginning of the year.

However, I've got a problem now

[Urs]

Maybe contact our support team...

[Teksonik]

If you are only changing colors... then there's no need to edit the SVG's.

I would want to edit some of the .svg files like TFXout-bg.svg

What do you want to change on the GUI?

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:

Z3 Slider.png

I just enjoy messing around with themes and skins. I've done edits to my taste for Hive 2 and Zebra 2 and many other plugins that allow user skinning.

If you really want to help why don't you make a light theme for those who need it? I won't use a light theme because they hurt my eyes but others has expressed a desire for one.

[VitaminD]

Update: I've tested Zebra 3 now with the VST-host "Cantabile" and here it works well. So it seems to be a Cubase-related problem.

Hi, Urs. Thank you for delivering Zebra - I've been looking forward to it, since I bought it in beta state at the beginning of the year.

However, I've got a problem now

Contacting support would be the best bet.

However your videocard is 12 years old. Nvidia doesn't even support it anymore. The last driver update for your hardware was Driver Version: 475.14 Release Date: Tue Jul 09, 2024

I have Cubase 14, and an Nvidia videocard (5060TI) on newer drivers with no problems in Zebra3. FYI

[Teksonik]

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.

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.

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.

[pdxindy]

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

[Kyunghee]

......
Hopefully Plugmon will do a lighter theme for those who want it so maybe if people express the willingness to pay for such a theme it will incentivize him to make one.

For me I just want a different theme not a different workflow.
And truth be told, his skins aren't without issues for me.

Fair enough. I've never been a fan of his Hive 2 skin for example.

Seems like if all is needed for a light theme is to edit the Zebra3_orig.txt script someone should be able to do it if they're willing to put in the time. Someone used A.I. to change colors so maybe it could create a light theme.

Addressing enCiphered's post above, I find the default attractive enough. I also find it easy on my eyes for long periods of use but we all have different eyesight, different monitors,etc.

Obviously the more themes there are the more each individual is likely to find one that fits their taste and needs.

Did you guys bring your concerns up during the public beta period?

Plugmon's skin is the main reason I use Hive 2 . Hopefully he'll cook something for Zebra 3 cause the current look is not it.

[beely]

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.

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!

[FrogsInPants]

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?