[u-he Zebra2] The Resolution parameter

[zygomatic]

Hello, everyone!

I've been playing with u-he's Zebra2 and one parameter keeps escaping me and that's Resolution. Zebra's manual is informative but it seems to me that this parameter is much more than just an oscillator quality setting. It's not really clear how it interacts with other parameters. Which parameters does it interact with? What are the consequences of turning the Resolution parameter up or down? In which cases should I turn it up and when to turn it down?

Any info is welcome. Thanks!

[Urs]

Zebra's oscillators are in fact granular, but instead of samples, they create their grains from dynamically generated waveforms. The resolution parameter determines the size of the grains (lower resolution = larger grains) and thus their duration (higher resolution = smaller grains, more grains per period of time, more CPU). It's called "resolution" because its main audible effect is to determine how smooth the changes in waveforms (Warp, OscFX but also bandlimiting/anti-aliasing) are. We didn't want to call it "grain size" because it doesn't sound "granular".

[gentleclockdivider]

It's essential when automating osc'parameters ( at the cost of cpu increase ,esp for certain osc effects )
See it as a lag parameter , at minimum settings there is a lot of lag , at maximimum setting there is not .
For example , automating the dx parameter with an envelope or lfo will sound slow when reso is set to min , and fast when reso is set to max
Iirc ,the mimimum lag was around a few samples .

[zygomatic]

Many thanks to both of you! I'll experiment some more and get back to you.

[zygomatic]

It's essential when automating osc'parameters ( at the cost of cpu increase ,esp for certain osc effects )
See it as a lag parameter , at minimum settings there is a lot of lag , at maximimum setting there is not .
For example , automating the dx parameter with an envelope or lfo will sound slow when reso is set to min , and fast when reso is set to max
Iirc ,the mimimum lag was around a few samples .

I tried applying and modulating a Ripples effect with a slow LFO and noticed that there is audible stepping. Is that to be expected? However, If Resolution is at minimum or close to minimum, there's seems to be no stepping.

[zygomatic]

See it as a lag parameter , at minimum settings there is a lot of lag , at maximimum setting there is not .

Here's how the modulation of the Bandworks effect sounds (and looks) like with the oscillator's Resolution at maximum...

http://bit.ly/MaxReso

The stepping I mentioned in the previous post is evident.

And here's how the modulation of that same effect sounds like with Resolution at minimum...

http://bit.ly/MinReso

There's no stepping this time but there is noticeable delay before the onset of the effect that gentleclockdivider was talking about. In this case there seems to be a sweet spot for the parameter where it doesn't introduce a too noticeable delay and stepping and that's around the value of 3.

[Howard]

And that's why there's a 'Resolution' knob.

[psynical]

I tried applying and modulating a Ripples effect with a slow LFO and noticed that there is audible stepping. Is that to be expected? However, If Resolution is at minimum or close to minimum, there's seems to be no stepping.

Yes. Maybe try reading Urs response to you again?

>It's called "resolution" because its main audible effect is to determine how smooth the changes in waveforms (Warp, OscFX but also bandlimiting/anti-aliasing) are.