u-he Releases Zebra 3 - Modular Wireless Synthesis and Physical Modeling Engine

u-he has announced the official release of Zebra 3, a complete technical reconstruction of its flagship modular synthesizer. Rebuilt from the ground up, the updated instrument integrates analog modeling, physical modeling, and digital synthesis within a vector-based, adaptive user interface. The new architecture replaces the static grid of previous iterations with a dynamic "Generator Rack" where modules only appear when added to a patch via drag-and-drop.

Hybrid Oscillator Engines and Spline Editing

The synthesis core is powered by two distinct oscillator engines. The Wavetable engine supports up to 16-voice unison per oscillator, while the Additive engine manages up to 1024 partials with support for inharmonic spectra. A unified spline editor with Bézier handles is utilized for both oscillator waveform design and Multi-Stage Envelope Generator (MSEG) curves, allowing for geometric morphing between multiple states.

Physical Modeling and Advanced Filtering

Zebra 3 expands its physical modeling capabilities with specialized Modal Resonators and Comb filters. These are supported by dedicated Noise and Exciter modules, designed to simulate realistic transients and acoustic excitation sources. The signal path is further shaped by 13 filter models, including Ladder, Cascade, and State Variable variants, offering over 105 total responses.

Modulation Architecture and FM Capabilities

The modulation architecture treats pitch, gate, and trigger signals as primary sources, allowing for modular-style routing. New Mod Math modules enable the mathematical combination and transformation of signals, while Mappers function as either custom transfer curves or step sequencers.

Key Features

• Adaptive Workflow: Modules are added dynamically via drag-and-drop to maintain a decluttered interface.
• Dual Synthesis Engines: High-resolution Wavetable and 1024-partial Additive oscillators.
• Spline-Based Editing: Unified vector toolbox for waveforms and MSEGs with morphing capabilities.
• Physical Modeling Suite: Modal resonators, exciter modules, and advanced comb filtering.
• Through-Zero FM: Four dedicated FM oscillators that can accept any rack signal as a modulator.
• Expanded Filter Section: 13 models covering classic analog and original digital designs.
• Global FX Grid: Dedicated rack for delays, reverbs, and compressors with per-voice modulatable send levels.
• Modern Standards: Native support for CLAP, MPE, and MTS-ESP real-time tuning.

Pricing & Availability

Zebra 3 is available now for €249 for macOS, Windows and Linux in VST3, AU, AAX and CLAP plugin formats.

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