u-he updates ZebraHZ, releases funk soundset for Repro, supplies hotfix for preset-sorting issue

u-he has announced the release of ZebraHZ 2.8 (Mac / Windows) - part of The Dark Zebra soundset, Funkstation - a soundset for Repro, and a hotfix for ACE, Bazille, Filterscape, MFM2, and Uhbik.

Apart from a sleek new look and the new searchable preset browser, ZebraHZ 2.8 has more synthesis "grunt" than the previous version: It now includes 24 modulation matrix slots and 8 MSEGs, so you are unlikely to run out of those in a hurry.

ZebraHZ also inherits the wave folder modules and the plate reverb (NuRev) from the regular Zebra 2.8. With two fundamentally different reverb units you can not only set up more interesting spaces, but dedicate one of them to e.g. emulating the body of an acoustic guitar.

Finally, the most recent special request from Hans Zimmer: the 8 X/Y sources now appear in the list of modulators so you can use them as direct performance controls.

New features which bring ZebraHZ into line with Zebra 2.8:

• New preset browser with powerful text search and smart folders.
• Wave folder modules adopted from Repro-1.
• Two new oscillator spectral effects ("DX" and "Smear").
• Expandable oscillator and MSEG editors.
• Added a second reverb unit, "NuRev" (plate with pre-delay).
• Much sleeker GUI.

New features exclusive to ZebraHZ:

• Double the number of modulation matrix slots – now 24.
• Double the number of multisegment envelopes – now 8 MSEGs.
• X/Y pad controls are also direct modulation source.

For more information, full feature list, and the download link, please visit The Dark Zebra product page.

Note: This product requires a Zebra2 license. Users who already own The Dark Zebra can request a download link for the updated 2.8 installer by submitting their registered email address to the form on the Account page.

Funkstation for Repro is a collection of old school sounds inspired by Parliament-Funkadelic, The Gap Band, Midnight Star, and the many artists who embraced synthesizers in the Funk music scene of the '70s and '80s.

This set includes many a nod to keyboard visionaries such as Bernie Worrell, Stevie Wonder, George Duke, and others who discovered and refined the funky side of synthesis.

Funkstation consists of 100+ patches that provide all the classic ingredients: meaty basses, juicy leads, polyphonic stabs and pads... in fact everything you need to create some serious synth-funk.

Price: €30. For audio demos and download, please visit the Funkstation product page.

u-he has also released a Hotfix to solve the file sorting issues introduced with the new Apple File System in High Sierra. The new sorting algorithm allows the preset browser to show presets in the correct, alphabetical order. For more information and individual downloads, please check this article.

Note: This hotfix will only work on 64-bit, AU and VST2 versions.