# Who's really using Zebra2 in cinematic / sound design?



## Bman70 (Sep 21, 2021)

I've seen, for some reason, a number of "Omnisphere skeptical" threads, but no Zebra skeptical ones. So, just for fun...

Everyone raves about Zebra2 / Dark Zebra here, but I wonder if it's just because we've heard that Hans Zimmer used it and people assume it's synonymous with his work. Even researching it, I have seen posts like "Who can argue with Mr. Zimmer?" OK, that's not a synth evaluation, it's an evaluation of being a fanboy.  

How many people bought it thinking it's the most amazing Zimmeresque tool ever, and it's just sitting unused because somehow it didn't make them sound like Hans? How many are thinking "Someday when I have an advanced degree, I'll learn Zebra and then it will be great." A synth shouldn't be judged on how good it "Can be" if you finally get around to learning it; but on how it becomes your go-to instrument, that you grab any time you really want some work done. And that you enjoy using. 

Also, for those using it, what kind of music, and sounds are you making with it? Do your rely on presets mostly, or create your own? It would be awesome to hear clips. Actually I'm wanting to buy Zebra2/DZ, just want to hear real world use cases, not just hype.


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## doctoremmet (Sep 21, 2021)

I’ll bite. I have bought many a synth, especially ZebraHZ, because I like the backstory so much. I also like Piano In Blue for similar reasons. There’s a long list of purchases like that.

And do you think I EVER made a track that comes even CLOSE to sounding like mister Zimmer???


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## AndrewS (Sep 21, 2021)

Zebra or Zebra HZ paired with any relevant soundsets from Matt/The Unfinished should absolutely be a part of your template. I do a lot of thrillers and his Zebra stuff is an invaluable part of my template. I've also found Zebra to generally be punchier than Omnisphere, so it's my go to when I need to add pulses and the like when working on trailer music.


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## JohnG (Sep 21, 2021)

I use Zebra in scores constantly. And Omnisphere and Diva and…. 

u-he and Spectrasonics are excellent, whether you’re a beginner or old hand.Some people denigrate synths as for being too “old.” So are French Horns.


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## José Herring (Sep 21, 2021)

Hmmmm...Your post reads like you have a biased against Zebra because Hans uses it. 

I was the same way for about 10 years. I didn't use Zebra because everybody had it. But then I kept hearing these amazing things so I got Zebra then eventually ZebraHZ. 

The best thing about Zebra besides it being a great synth is that it has presents done by Howard Scarr which provide great insight into synth programming at the upper echelons. The next thing is that Zebra and ZebraHZ sound fantastic. ZebraHZ even has the Diva filters so it's extra fantastic. 

It's a classic softsynth so some of the implementation of the GUI is a little funky but not too much. 

Zebra2/HZ is a versatile synth so you can program just about anything on it. It also is uber CPU efficient without sacrificing any bit of sound quality. 

People eagerly await Zebra 3 but in all honesty other than some minor GUI changes so that it's a little more comfortable to program and maybe better wavetable capabilities I personally think that Urs H is better off coming up with new stuff rather than mess with ZebraHZ.

@KEM did a mock up of Tenet OST using Zebra that's killer. Didn't get enough notice so I'll post it here.


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## Living Fossil (Sep 21, 2021)

Bman70 said:


> Everyone raves about Zebra2 / Dark Zebra here, but I wonder if it's just because we've heard that Hans Zimmer used it and people assume it's synonymous with his work.



Funny thing: i bought Zebra 2 right after it was released (2006?), when u-he was a 1 man company. It immediately became my number 1 synth (and replaced Absynth and Logic's ES2 for many sounds)
What i liked about it specially was how well it sounded in combination with orchestral elements (i believe the oscillators are a relevant part of the reason).

It was a while later when i read that HZ also mentioned its quality to merge with orchestral sounds (if my memory serves me right, he compared it to the CS80 in that regard).

At that time, there weren't any famous 3rd party sound designers programming for Zebra yet, but the earliest versions of Zebra already had some seriously good patches (even before Howie joined u-He, iirc). 

So my perspective somehow indicates that Zebra indeed has a very cinematic DNA...


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## doctoremmet (Sep 21, 2021)

José Herring said:


> it has presents done by Howard Scarr


THIS


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## doctoremmet (Sep 21, 2021)

José Herring said:


> @KEM did a mock up of Tenet OST using Zebra that's killer. Didn't get enough notice so I'll post it here.


@KEM is a talented young composer. The man has taste, the man is into TENET, the man attends Kanye album listening parties, the man has Serum, Zebra and Knifonium and puts them to good use. AND the man is VI Control djent God. He deserves our attention.


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## Bman70 (Sep 21, 2021)

Nice, well I hope it goes on sale again this holiday season. I am a little intimidated about rolling up my sleeves and learning actual synth "programming." I feel like Omnisphere cushions me a little from that, by being quite user friendly, but maybe I'm wrong. After months of figuring out Omni under the hood, I found Pigments was pretty easy to adapt to, so maybe some features will be familiar in Zebra as well. 

Also I like the skins idea. While I unequivocally prefer synths that allow sample import, it might be good to have a "pure" synth too, which could lend to a punchier sound as someone mentioned.


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## José Herring (Sep 21, 2021)

Bman70 said:


> Nice, well I hope it goes on sale again this holiday season. I am a little intimidated about rolling up my sleeves and learning actual synth "programming." I feel like Omnisphere cushions me a little from that, by being quite user friendly, but maybe I'm wrong. After months of figuring out Omni under the hood, I found Pigments was pretty easy to adapt to, so maybe some features will be familiar in Zebra as well.
> 
> Also I like the skins idea. While I unequivocally prefer synths that allow sample import, it might be good to have a "pure" synth too, which could lend to a punchier sound as someone mentioned.


It's not hard just a little unusual. I read the manual for about 20 minutes and was up and running. Every once in a while I refer to the manual if I can't figure something out and yet again I just read it for fun because Urs is quite a programmer himself and has some real musical insights in the manual. What struck me as funny is that in the manual he states that he had to learn to use Zebra even though he's the one that created it. I thought that was interesting. It's like you can write a piece but if you want to perform it you'll need to practice.


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## KEM (Sep 21, 2021)

José Herring said:


> Hmmmm...Your post reads like you have a biased against Zebra because Hans uses it.
> 
> I was the same way for about 10 years. I didn't use Zebra because everybody had it. But then I kept hearing these amazing things so I got Zebra then eventually ZebraHZ.
> 
> ...





doctoremmet said:


> @KEM is a talented young composer. The man has taste, the man is into TENET, the man attends Kanye album listening parties, the man has Serum, Zebra and Knifonium and puts them to good use. AND the man is VI Control djent God. He deserves our attention.



You guys are too kind!! I’m nothing more than a stupid 23 year old kid with a computer lol, it’s you guys on this forum that have all the knowledge and skill I’m looking to obtain one day!! That’s why I love this community, and one day when I’m a big Hollywood composer you guys can expect a call from me to work on some blockbuster scores…


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## ed buller (Sep 21, 2021)

Hans uses ZEBRA all the time. He also has Howard Scarr program for him. They are both masters at it. It's the most complete and best sounding softsynth. 

best

e


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## KEM (Sep 21, 2021)

ed buller said:


> Hans uses ZEBRA all the time. He also has Howard Scarr program for him. They are both masters at it. It's the most complete and best sounding softsynth.
> 
> best
> 
> e



Don’t forget Kevin Schroeder and @TheUnfinished himself Matt Bowdler are credited as synth programmers on the new Dune film!! Hans has all the god level synth programmers working with him


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## Pier (Sep 21, 2021)

Bman70 said:


> Nice, well I hope it goes on sale again this holiday season.


I doubt it. Urs hates doing sales. They do some, but it's pretty rare.


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## Pier (Sep 21, 2021)

Living Fossil said:


> Funny thing: i bought Zebra 2 right after it was released (2006?), when u-he was a 1 man company. It immediately became my number 1 synth (and replaced Absynth and Logic's ES2 for many sounds)
> What i liked about it specially was how well it sounded in combination with orchestral elements (i believe the oscillators are a relevant part of the reason).


I bought Zebra in 2010 and it became my number 1 synth for many years. I only paused using it when Hive came out LOL.

Personally I think the biggest factor in its sound are the filters.

I've asked myself why it became THE cinematic synth being already some 15 years old at this point and (other than all the publicity by HZ) I think it mainly comes down to its flexibility.

I love how Zebra sounds, but I've found that unlike other synths you have to put more work to make it sound great, or rather find the sound you like. It's a bit tedious, like all modular/semi modular stuff, but also you have to know which filters, distortions, effects, etc, work better in which situations. With Zebra I've found you need to have a plan, so to speak, to find those "pockets" where the sound you want is hidden. Whereas with other synths they always tend to have their sound no matter what you do like say Diva, Repro, Hive, or non U-He synths like The Legend, Dune, Obsession, etc. I don't know, maybe all this is because Zebra is so flexible or maybe because it's simply the synth I know better.


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## José Herring (Sep 21, 2021)

As far as sales the lowest I've ever seen Zebra2 is $149 which isn't really a savings worth waiting for. If money is tight and believe me I understand when even $200 is hard to come by, get the Zebra2 and learn to use it and then pay the extra $100 for ZebraHZ which you're going to want to get. After getting Z'edHZ as the English say I can't even use regular Zebra2 any more. IMO ZHZ should just be rebranded as Zebra3 and then call it a day.


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## Pier (Sep 21, 2021)

José Herring said:


> As far as sales the lowest I've ever seen Zebra2 is $149 which isn't really a savings worth waiting for. If money is tight and believe me I understand when even $200 is hard to come by, get the Zebra2 and learn to use it and then pay the extra $100 for ZebraHZ which you're going to want to get. After getting Z'edHZ as the English say I can't even use regular Zebra2 any more. IMO ZHZ should just be rebranded as Zebra3 and then call it a day.


Yeah... and you could spend years only using Zebra and still discover new things to do.

Also if you own Zebra HZ you'll get Zebra 3 for free when it comes out (hopefully in our lifetime).


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## KEM (Sep 21, 2021)

José Herring said:


> As far as sales the lowest I've ever seen Zebra2 is $149 which isn't really a savings worth waiting for. If money is tight and believe me I understand when even $200 is hard to come by, get the Zebra2 and learn to use it and then pay the extra $100 for ZebraHZ which you're going to want to get. After getting Z'edHZ as the English say I can't even use regular Zebra2 any more. IMO ZHZ should just be rebranded as Zebra3 and then call it a day.



I don’t think I’ve ever even used the regular Zebra, I bought HZ with it and I’ve only ever used that version


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## Living Fossil (Sep 21, 2021)

Pier said:


> Personally I think the biggest factor in its sound are the filters.


When Zebra2 was released, it didn't had exactly the actual filters yet, there were some updates; and later, the xmf filters were added (and later, even more filters – those from either Podolski or Tyrell – were added).
But it already had that sometimes "grainy" organic sound in the first release which i think relates to the way the oscillators are implemented. They have really quite a very special sound.
The interesting thing is, you can use Zebra with its (updated) original filters, with the xmf filters, the Tyrell/Podolski filters and (in ZebraHZ) the different Diva filters, or even without any filters (in Zebralette) and it will still maintain lots of its personality.

But i agree that the filters add a lot to the sound personality in this synth...


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## KEM (Sep 21, 2021)

Now that I’m thinking about it, the only things I really wish Zebra had was a built in OTT compressor and better wavetables. The flexibility of Zebra (and the great sound quality) is what I think makes us all so attracted to it, but given its age it’s obviously lacking a few modern features, if Zebra 3 is exactly like Dark Zebra but with a better GUI and the above features I mentioned then I’d be set for life


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## Pier (Sep 21, 2021)

KEM said:


> Now that I’m thinking about it, the only things I really wish Zebra had was a built in OTT compressor and better wavetables. The flexibility of Zebra (and the great sound quality) is what I think makes us all so attracted to it, but given its age it’s obviously lacking a few modern features, if Zebra 3 is exactly like Dark Zebra but with a better GUI and the above features I mentioned then I’d be set for life


Yeah, a multiband compressor like OTT (which Vital has) would be great. Or just a better single band compressor...

Personally I would love to get better reverb and delay. Or more variety of distortions.

I've been thinking about Zebra 3 for so many years I'm afraid when it comes out I will either be super disappointed or it will change my life.


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## crossrootsdoc (Sep 21, 2021)

José Herring said:


> As far as sales the lowest I've ever seen Zebra2 is $149 which isn't really a savings worth waiting for. If money is tight and believe me I understand when even $200 is hard to come by, get the Zebra2 and learn to use it and then pay the extra $100 for ZebraHZ which you're going to want to get. After getting Z'edHZ as the English say I can't even use regular Zebra2 any more. IMO ZHZ should just be rebranded as Zebra3 and then call it a day.


I imagine you mean Z'edHZ'ed


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## KEM (Sep 21, 2021)

Pier said:


> Yeah, a multiband compressor like OTT (which Vital has) would be great. Or just a better single band compressor...
> 
> Personally I would love to get better reverb and delay. Or more variety of distortions.
> 
> I've been thinking about Zebra 3 for so many years I'm afraid when it comes out I will either be super disappointed or it will change my life.



More distortion options was another thing I was debating on putting in that list, I always use external distortions like Trash 2, Decapitator, Bezerk, or even guitar amp sims, so I think that’s definitely a warranted request


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## givemenoughrope (Sep 21, 2021)

Zebra, ZebraHZ, Diva sound really good and musical. what else is there to even think about ?


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## R. Naroth (Sep 21, 2021)

Zebra provides a lot of flexibility in picking the modules you need and routing them the way you like. The comb filters are amazing. In ZebraHZ, I find it easier to replicate a referenced sound or one I have in my head. Omnisphere, Vital and Pigments, not so much. Having said that I still haven't fully figured out many of the Zebra features yet. So much more to learn.


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## Pier (Sep 21, 2021)

R. Naroth said:


> Zebra provides a lot of flexibility in picking the modules you need and routing them the way you like. The comb filters are amazing. In ZebraHZ, I find it easier to replicate a referenced sound or one I have in my head. Omnisphere, Vital and Pigments, not so much. Having said that I still haven't fully figured out many of the Zebra features yet. So much more to learn.


Can you share a resource to lean about using the comb filters?


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## TonalDynamics (Sep 21, 2021)

JohnG said:


> I use Zebra in scores constantly. And Omnisphere and Diva and….
> 
> u-he and Spectrasonics are excellent, whether you’re a beginner or old hand.Some people denigrate synths as for being too “old.”


Yep, and then 30,40,50 years later, everyone is fighting on the internet about which piece of software more PerFectLy recreates said synths

🤦‍♂️

Like the poet said, "Everything that was once old inevitably becomes retro-cool again"
(Tolstoy?)


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## JohnG (Sep 21, 2021)

Living Fossil said:


> When Zebra2 was released, it didn't had exactly the actual filters yet, there were some updates; and later, the xmf filters were added (and later, even more filters – those from either Podolski or Tyrell – were added).
> But it already had that sometimes "grainy" organic sound in the first release which i think relates to the way the oscillators are implemented. They have really quite a very special sound.
> The interesting thing is, you can use Zebra with its (updated) original filters, with the xmf filters, the Tyrell/Podolski filters and (in ZebraHZ) the different Diva filters, or even without any filters (in Zebralette) and it will still maintain lots of its personality.
> 
> But i agree that the filters add a lot to the sound personality in this synth...


I adore Diva. IDK what exactly are the differences in the filters, but Diva has some serious punch.

Still love Zebra / ZebraHZ


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## JohnG (Sep 21, 2021)

KEM said:


> I don’t think I’ve ever even used the regular Zebra, I bought HZ with it and I’ve only ever used that version


I use both but HZ more often.


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## Dirtgrain (Sep 21, 2021)

You can find (ctrl-f) several tutorial videos that feature the comb filters here: https://u-he.com/community/tutorials/zebra2-tutorials.html


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## TonalDynamics (Sep 21, 2021)

JohnG said:


> I adore Diva. IDK what exactly are the differences in the filters, but Diva has some serious punch.
> 
> Still love Zebra / ZebraHZ


I immediately fell in love with Diva the first time I heard it (guess that's 8 years or so ago by now), and it took me about 5 minutes to realize there was something very special going on in the sound engine, oscillators and filters.

If I had to use four words to describe what Diva sounds like to me, I'd have to say:

Clear, precise, rich, and colorful.

It also tends to not be overpowering somehow in the low-end (I am not a pro sound designer, this is just based solely on my observation), which can tend to plague a lot of V.I. synths

To this day it never lets me down and is my go-to synth for quick electronic inspiration

Truly a modern classic in my book


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## Bman70 (Sep 21, 2021)

Pier said:


> Can you share a resource to lean about using the comb filters?


I just found out that Omnisphere has comb filters but they're called Metal Pipe and Resonator. Does amazing things to a saw wave, I'll have to experiment more... (in preparation for Zebra2 haha)


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## Pier (Sep 21, 2021)

JohnG said:


> I adore Diva. IDK what exactly are the differences in the filters, but Diva has some serious punch.
> 
> Still love Zebra / ZebraHZ


ZebraHZ includes all the Diva filters.

Zebra (non HZ) has some great filters too. The LP Vintage2 is amazing, specially when overdriving it. The manual says:



> CPU-intensive version of LP Vintage, capable of self-oscillation.


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## KEM (Sep 21, 2021)

Pier said:


> Can you share a resource to lean about using the comb filters?



Comb filtering is still a bit of a mystery to me but I’ve found it works really well for making percussion, I’ve used it on Serum to make some really cool metallic percussions sounds when using it with just white noise, maybe give that a try and you might be able to figure out some other cool uses for it


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## R. Naroth (Sep 21, 2021)

Pier said:


> Can you share a resource to lean about using the comb filters?


@Pier Check this article out. I believe Zebra's comb filters use the "Karplus-Strong" algorithm as mentioned in this article. I don't understand the algorithm part of it but essentially, comb filter generates harmonics based on an input excitation signal. You have play with it to see which combination of mode/damp/tone/flavor fits you best. The more dynamic the input excitation signal is, the more interesting the possibilities are. You can model a plucked or bowed impulse using noise and MSEGs. I've tried the resonator/comb filters in Omnisphere and Pigments. Didn't find them friendly. I find the Zebra comb filters very musical and a place of constant discovery. I'll see if I can find more resources on this.

There is an experimental Cluster mode in the Zebra Comb filter. Has anyone been able to make use of it in any form? I made a "horror" patch with it once.


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## doctoremmet (Sep 22, 2021)

givemenoughrope said:


> Zebra, ZebraHZ, Diva sound really good and musical. what else is there to even think about ?


Bazille, if you’re an FM lover like I am.


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## el-bo (Sep 22, 2021)

Living Fossil said:


> […]or even without any filters (in Zebralette) and it will still maintain lots of its personality.


I’m really enjoying the u-he freebies, these days. So much synthy goodness to be had within the four that are currently available.


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## Buckster (Sep 22, 2021)

I own and highly rate Zebra 2 HZ, Diva and Hive 2 - all of which I own but I've recently been demoing Bazille - which when I first tried some time ago I wasn't impressed by but the more I've used it the more and more I love the sounds it produces - it sounds so clean yet also has so much character.

If I use Zebra ,2 HZ or DIVA afterwards they sound a bit muddy in comparison - all superb just Bazille to me sounds extra special


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## doctoremmet (Sep 22, 2021)

Buckster said:


> I own and highly rate Zebra 2 HZ, Diva and Hive 2 - all of which I own but I've recently been demoing Bazille - which when I first tried some time ago I wasn't impressed by but the more I've used it the more and more I love the sounds it produces - it sounds so clean yet also has so much character.
> 
> If I use Zebra ,2 HZ or DIVA afterwards they sound a bit muddy in comparison - all superb just Bazille to me sounds extra special


Bazille indeed offers a bit of a different flavour with its flexible FM options and the spring reverb. It and Hive 2.1 are two of the absolute BEST sounding synths (including hardware) that I have ever heard to be honest. But of course that is a highly subjective thing that has more to do with taste than anything else. YMMV.


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## wst3 (Sep 22, 2021)

I bought Zebra because it is, well, a pretty capable synthesizer. After purchasing Zebra I picked up Diva and Repro because u-He has demonstrated to me that they know synthesizers.

I bought Omnisphere after using it at another studio, and I bought it for the sound. It sounds amazing! It is also the only synthesizer I own for which I use the presets, and not just as a starting point<G>.

I bought Piano in Blue for the back story. It is a famous piano, and it is cool to have a facsimile thereof.

Since we are seldom able to demo software the purchasing decision includes an element of luck. So many buying decisions are based on guesses. Any time you can reduce the gamble is good.

Then there are bundles. I have the Arturia V bundle. I use maybe half a dozen of the instruments regularly. And while I haven't used them much, I love playing around with some of the historical plugins (Synclavier, Fairlight) that I could never have purchased in real life. All told the bundle was less than the cost to purchase the ones I use separately.

I always take advantage of trial periods, regardless of how they are implemented. I picked up almost all the Cherry Audio plugins after trying them.

And Ive been terribly lucky, I can't think of any purchases that were just complete failures. I can think of purchases I wouldn't have made if I had a crystal ball<G>. Case in point - Softube Modular. They do have modules that are not available from Cherry, so it wasn't a complete loss.

two cents worth, maybe a little less.


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## marclawsonmusic (Sep 22, 2021)

I originally bought Zebra2/ZebraHZ because of the Dark Zebra soundset (9 years ago). But I always return to Zebra as my main synth (over Omnisphere) because I like the way it sounds. Not sure exactly what it is, but it has a lot of depth / weight to the sound... like it fills the sound field more than other synths. Some of the patches are just massive.

So, for me, it has moved past 'nostalgia' to actually liking the way it sounds. I have also heard some tracks with Diva and think I'll look at buying that at some point. I just like the way it sounds.

Also another +1 to soundsets from The Unfinished. Matt has done great work for many years, so it was great to see his name on the Dune soundtrack.


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## shadowsoflight (Sep 22, 2021)

First, one of the great things about u-he is that they provide demos of almost everything - ZebraHZ being an exception, but Zebra 2 being included. Very helpful to get a feel for the synth yourself. With my limited hobbyist time I've decided to avoid preset programming for now, so I rely on high quality presets; the HZ soundset, and some by the Unfinished, Luftrum, and Sonic Underworld, are where I get most of my use. Those, unfortunately, don't have playable demos, though they all have good walkthroughs.



Bman70 said:


> How many people bought it thinking it's the most amazing Zimmeresque tool ever, and it's just sitting unused because somehow it didn't make them sound like Hans?



The very first song I wrote that used Zebra HZ felt Interstellar-esque*, so despite being light-years away from sounding like Hans it actually kinda worked this way for me 😆

*Personal opinion only. No guarantees on track quality are given.



Bman70 said:


> A synth shouldn't be judged on how good it "Can be" if you finally get around to learning it; but on how it becomes your go-to instrument, that you grab any time you really want some work done. And that you enjoy using.



I strongly agree! In my case, it has very much become one of my go-to instruments. Specifically, for basslines and arpeggiations. (Not to say I don't use it for other things, too.)



Bman70 said:


> Also, for those using it, what kind of music, and sounds are you making with it? Do your rely on presets mostly, or create your own? It would be awesome to hear clips. Actually I'm wanting to buy Zebra2/DZ, just want to hear real world use cases, not just hype.



As above, I am currently reliant on presets. The X/Y pads, mapped by most high-end sound designers including Howard/HZ, really help tweak a sound with minimal fuss.

I have a large amount of material that uses Zebra 2 / HZ, which is either standalone or fan made for a particular video game. Just a simple hobbyist, but I'd be happy to DM you some examples of you'd like. (Also, feel free to check out some "demos" I did with Luftrum 13 (for Z2) in my pseudo-demo for charity signature link. There's one each of Synthwave, Psychill and Ambient examples)


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## Pier (Sep 22, 2021)

Henrik B. Jensen said:


> Dunno if this has been mentioned yet, but u-he synths can often be bought used on KVR.


Also here on VIC or on Knobcloud.

But Zebra, Diva, etc, are very sought after. There aren't that many "used copies" and it's rare to find a good bargain.


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## Dirtgrain (Sep 22, 2021)

I think there might be another NI u-he sale (but I have no timeframe). IIRC, Urs suggested that once they made the rest of the u-he lineup NKS ready, another sale might happen.


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## Bman70 (Sep 22, 2021)

So the u-he stuff are in demo format when you download them, and just require a purchased serial to activate? Is it an unlimited demo that just makes crackling sounds? I remember demoing zebra a year ago but I never used it.


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## Pier (Sep 22, 2021)

Bman70 said:


> Is it an unlimited demo that just makes crackling sounds?


Yes, exactly.

I'm not sure but I think you can even save patches?


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## Bman70 (Sep 22, 2021)

Pier said:


> Yes, exactly.
> 
> I'm not sure but I think you can even save patches?


Wow that's super generous if so. Going to try out Bazille now.


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## Bman70 (Sep 22, 2021)

It's interesting because during the Luftrum "guess the synth" thing, Omni seemed to be mistaken for Zebra quite a bit. I wonder if people tend to program different synths in different ways, but they can actually sound close to identical if programmed the right way by the right people.

I wouldn't have immediately thought Omnisphere with the Enigma soundset, since it seems to be programmed in a very electronic, hard-edged way instead of the more organic underscored sound that's common. Especially here I probably would have guess Zebra too: (Edit apparently VI-C doesn't let us share Soundcloud links with a specific time, but strips the time data before linking. I was talking about at 2:16.)


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## marclawsonmusic (Sep 22, 2021)

Bman70 said:


> It's interesting because during the Luftrum "guess the synth" thing, it seemed to be mistaken for Zebra quite a bit. I wonder if people tend to program different synths in different ways, but they can actually sound close to identical if programmed the right way by the right people.
> 
> I wouldn't have immediately thought Omnisphere with the Enigma soundset, since it seems to be programmed in a very electronic, hard-edged way instead of the more organic underscored sound that's common. Especially here I probably would have guess Zebra too: (Edit apparently VI-C doesn't let us share Soundcloud links with a specific time, but strips the time data before linking. I was talking about at 2:16.)



For me, things sound very 'up front' until that big sweeper at 1:25 - not sure if that's Zebra, but that's what I like. That sweeping thing fills the sound field and has so much depth too.

Everything else in the track is too much in my face for my taste. But I am not a hardcore synth person. Still a great soundset by Luftrum.


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## Bman70 (Sep 22, 2021)

marclawsonmusic said:


> For me, things sound very 'up front' until that big sweeper at 1:25 - not sure if that's Zebra, but that's what I like. That sweeping thing fills the sound field and has so much depth too.
> 
> Everything else in the track is too much in my face for my taste. But I am not a hardcore synth person. Still a great soundset by Luftrum.


Yeah it's generally too "hardcore synth" for me too. That's probably why it doesn't sound like typical Omnisphere (although it is).

But I love the bassy, pitchy dense sine thing that comes in at 2:16. Any tips on how that might be done / filters etc? Comb filter?

I might have to buy the soundset just to dissect those sounds.


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## Pier (Sep 23, 2021)

marclawsonmusic said:


> Everything else in the track is too much in my face for my taste. But I am not a hardcore synth person. Still a great soundset by Luftrum.


I agree, but OTOH this is a naked demo. No mixing, just the raw presets.

I've seen many people complain that presets often have too many effects so maybe that's what Sonic Underworld was aiming for here. BTW Luftrum is the curator/distributor, not the sound designer.


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## Pier (Sep 23, 2021)

Bman70 said:


> But I love the bassy, pitchy dense sine thing that comes in at 2:16. Any tips on how that might be done / filters etc? Comb filter?


Saw wave, LP + HP filter with resonance, monophonic patch with legato. That should get you 80% there I think.


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## jononotbono (Sep 23, 2021)

I love ZebraHZ so much! I've just made a video that may (or may not) be of interest to a wild Zebra rider. XY Pad control...


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## Pier (Sep 23, 2021)

@jononotbono maybe you should share that to U-He's forum on KVR:









KVR Forum: u-he Forum


KVR Audio Forum - u-he Forum




www.kvraudio.com


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## jononotbono (Sep 23, 2021)

Pier said:


> @jononotbono maybe you should share that to U-He's forum on KVR:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ah man, thank you! Something that annoyed me for a while is not be able to quickly control the XY Pads in Zebra! I've never posted on KVR before. 😂
EDIT... I say that and then go to register and my e-mail has been used!


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## Pier (Sep 23, 2021)

jononotbono said:


> Something that annoyed me for a while is not be able to quickly control the XY Pads in Zebra!


I once saw HZ has a controller with 8 faders on his desk and I've always suspected is used exactly for that.

Personally I never use those XY pads.

Do others use those XY pads frequently?


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## jononotbono (Sep 23, 2021)

Pier said:


> I once saw HZ has a controller with 8 faders on his desk and I've always suspected is used exactly for that.
> 
> Personally I never use those XY pads.
> 
> Do others use those XY pads frequently?


Using actual XY Pads with the Zebra XY Pads opens up the thing to a performance level. Just so many creative doors open up with being able to control them (especially all 4 at the same time). That's 64 parameters that can be controlled simultaneously if one goes down that road!


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## Pier (Sep 23, 2021)

jononotbono said:


> Using actual XY Pads with the Zebra XY Pads opens up the thing to a performance level. Just so many creative doors open up with being able to control them (especially all 4 at the same time). That's 64 parameters that can be controlled simultaneously if one goes down that road!


Oh yeah, absolutely!

I could be wrong, but I imagine not much people use those in realtime and instead rely on the modwheel. There's seriously a lack of XY midi pads in the market (other than touchscreen solutions).


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## Golden Frog (Sep 23, 2021)

For macOS, the XY pads in Zebra or Hive can be controlled via a MacBook Trackpad or Magic Trackpad using AudioSwift. Up two three fingers can be used at the same time to control three XY pads. Trackpads with Force Touch sends aftertouch and AudioSwift also has a return to a default value feature when you lift the fingers.

There are two ways to play in real time.

1- Here is a demo with ZebraHZ where one finger controls the first XY pad. Then when the second finger touches the trackpad, only the second XY pad gets controlled, and so on:




2 - Now for complex modulation, each finger can control a different XY pad independently at the same time. This is a demo using Hive 2:




For more information ➡️ https://audioswiftapp.com/xy-pads-for-sound-design-with-a-trackpad/


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## tosza (Sep 24, 2021)

Well, if you have a tablet and the Lemur software/app, you can easily control *ALL 4 X/Y pads* _- and of course all other parameters as well -_ in real time with my free Zebra/ZebraHZ controller ( https://vi-control.net/community/threads/u-he-zebra-zebrahz-complete-lemur-controller.114715/ ). Juuust sayin'.


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## TheUnfinished (Sep 24, 2021)

Don't think anybody will be surprised to hear that I like Zebra quite a bit. 

But it's always my go-to synth when working on projects (be it my own music or programming/production work for others). There's very little it can't do and do well.


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## Kevin Schroeder (Sep 25, 2021)

For the Dune movie we worked a lot with ZebraHZ and a little bit with Dune 3.


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## jononotbono (Sep 25, 2021)

Kevin Schroeder said:


> For the Dune movie we worked a lot with ZebraHZ and a little bit with Dune 3.


Oh god, I almost got so excited then and thought for a second you revealed that the trilogy has already been made 😂


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## Pier (Sep 25, 2021)

Kevin Schroeder said:


> For the Dune movie we worked a lot with ZebraHZ and a little bit with Dune 3.


Hi Kevin, welcome to the forum!

I knew you'd be using Dune in Dune 

See this Dune 3 thread:






Dune (the synth) is pretty awesome.


Yep, another +1 from me. Dune 3 is easily one of the best softsynths ever made. It sounds absolutely stunning and is super easy & efficient to use. As for the GUI, I actually think it’s tasteful - it’s not early 2000’s cartoonish like Omni, and not overly trying to look like physical hardware...




vi-control.net


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## Living Fossil (Sep 25, 2021)

Kevin Schroeder said:


> For the Dune movie we worked a lot with ZebraHZ and a little bit with Dune 3.


No Hive?

p.s. Welcome to this forum!


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## Kevin Schroeder (Sep 25, 2021)

Thanks!

I always use ZebraHZ for really complex sounds. DUNE includes many of them.


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## KEM (Sep 25, 2021)

Pier said:


> I once saw HZ has a controller with 8 faders on his desk and I've always suspected is used exactly for that.
> 
> Personally I never use those XY pads.
> 
> Do others use those XY pads frequently?



I’d like to, I want to get more movement out of my sounds but I’ve never touched an XY pad despite always being intrigued by the concept of them, can you automate them? If you can then I’ll definitely start using them


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## KEM (Sep 25, 2021)

Kevin Schroeder said:


> Thanks!
> 
> I always use ZebraHZ for really complex sounds. DUNE includes many of them.



The snippets you posted on Facebook sounded really cool!!


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## Mega (Sep 25, 2021)

Pier said:


> I bought Zebra in 2010 and it became my number 1 synth for many years. I only paused using it when Hive came out LOL.
> 
> Personally I think the biggest factor in its sound are the filters.
> 
> ...


This is my sentiment as well. Honing in on the sound I want takes more time than w/ Massive X & Repro. The routing system is the main thing that jams me up! Also, the GUI isn't fun to look at so, I tend to work w/ Zebra on days when I'm only sound designing. It takes me a while to find the sweet spot of the sound I want but when I do, it definitely lives up to the hype!


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## Pier (Sep 26, 2021)

KEM said:


> can you automate them? If you can then I’ll definitely start using them


Yeah the Xx and Ys can be automated.


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## KEM (Sep 26, 2021)

Pier said:


> Yeah the Xx and Ys can be automated.



Alright I’m gonna do that on some stuff I’m working on now, I’ve never used the Omnisphere orb either for the same reason but I’ll also experiment with that


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## Pier (Sep 26, 2021)

KEM said:


> Alright I’m gonna do that on some stuff I’m working on now, I’ve never used the Omnisphere orb either for the same reason but I’ll also experiment with that


What DAW do you use?

In Live and Bitwig you can easily automap the XYs to controller knobs/faders. Let me know if you'd like to know how and I will create a new thread on this.


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## KEM (Sep 26, 2021)

Pier said:


> What DAW do you use?
> 
> In Live and Bitwig you can easily automap the XYs to controller knobs/faders. Let me know if you'd like to know how and I will create a new thread on this.



Cubase!!


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## Pier (Sep 26, 2021)

KEM said:


> Cubase!!


Sorry no idea how to do that there...


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## KEM (Sep 26, 2021)

Pier said:


> Sorry no idea how to do that there...



I’ll see if I can figure it out


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## Pier (Sep 26, 2021)

KEM said:


> I’ll see if I can figure it out


Maybe with quick controls?


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## R. Naroth (Sep 27, 2021)

Kevin Schroeder said:


> Thanks!
> 
> I always use ZebraHZ for really complex sounds. DUNE includes many of them.


Thanks for being part the forum Kevin, really appreciate the insights into what goes on behind the scenes. 🙏🏽


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## Rasoul Morteza (Sep 27, 2021)

The Osc FX in Zebra are really nice, same goes with its UI. As for the OP's question, of course.

It's very versatile, you just have to meet it, and it has to meet your workflow/style.

Cheers


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## R. Naroth (Oct 8, 2021)

Zebra also comes in handy for foley and other sound elements such as wind, thunder, seashore, ambient sound, beeps, space rumble etc. i have a bunch I’ve collected over the past couple of years. Will post them here, just need to clean up some of them.


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## R. Naroth (Oct 8, 2021)

Here is the link to the sounds: https://sonictales.gumroad.com/l/celluloid-se
The synthesis is rather very basic in most of these sounds. Many of these were created while I was experimenting and learning Zebra. Some were happy accidents. Hope you find them useful.


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## SteveK (Oct 9, 2021)

Pier said:


> Yeah the Xx and Ys can be automated.


I’ve struggled to work out how to automate them as I can’t open any context menu to assign a mod or automation source...


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## SteveK (Oct 9, 2021)

Pier said:


> What DAW do you use?
> 
> In Live and Bitwig you can easily automap the XYs to controller knobs/faders. Let me know if you'd like to know how and I will create a new thread on this.


That would be great please. I’m Live 11. Thanks!


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## Pier (Oct 9, 2021)

SteveK said:


> That would be great please. I’m Live 11. Thanks!








How to get automap in Ableton Live with any controller


In response to a petition from @SteveK I'm creating this mini tutorial on how to get automaping of controls in Live. The idea is that you have a controller with knobs/faders (ideally 8) and those will get automapped to a selection of parameters from the currently selected device. Here's a...




vi-control.net


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## Pier (Oct 9, 2021)

SteveK said:


> I’ve struggled to work out how to automate them as I can’t open any context menu to assign a mod or automation source...


You mean inside Zebra or in your DAW?


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## SteveK (Oct 9, 2021)

Pier said:


> You mean inside Zebra or in your DAW?


In Zebra. Thanks for the separate guidance thread for Live mapping. Much appreciated.


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## Inventio (Oct 9, 2021)

I think Zebra has the quality of an instrument: its sound can be controlled in many ways, it can be subtle or more in the foreground, diffuse or detailed, so it's extremely useful in a cinematic context, especially within the orchestra, because you can decide which role it would take in the orchestration. 

I also personally find that the interface is very clear in its graphically modular architecture.


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## marclawsonmusic (Oct 10, 2021)

R. Naroth said:


> Here is the link to the sounds: https://sonictales.gumroad.com/l/celluloid-se
> The synthesis is rather very basic in most of these sounds. Many of these were created while I was experimenting and learning Zebra. Some were happy accidents. Hope you find them useful.


A big THANK YOU for sharing!


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