u-he Zebra

Started by Elantric, December 03, 2014, 04:54:07 AM

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pasha811

#25
Recently I have shared all of my patches made with Zebrify into another thread about PD Space Guitar : https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=29736.msg218033#msg218033

Here is the best place to go on discussing Zebrify.

I thank Jassy for using and commenting on my patches.

You'll find them attached here.
My little give back to this great place!

Zebrify is free to try but it comes with Zebra as addition. So it's part of a package and that's why it not so 'famous'.
However the SY1K introduction sparkled new interest in various way of having a synth sound from a Guitar. Jam origin MIDI Guitar 2 - SY1K, PD Space Guitar, Sonicsmiths have different approach but what counts is that we can enjoy making music with it.
To me getting back to Uhe's Zebrify was a refreshing come back. Enjoy patches.  ;D 
Listen to my music at :  http://alonetone.com/pasha/

jassy

I can testify that the pasha811 presets contribution has a ton of great sounding, fat, expressive and very analogue Zebrify presets that take very good advantage of a top-of-the-line synthesizer made by U-he.
I have Zebra and Repro and every time I use them I am surprised by the analog warmth they give off.

Quote"Zebrify is the 'effects' version of Zebra2.

Zebrify includes several features that transcend what you normally expect from an insert effect, for instance audio oscillators - with carefully programmed pitch-detection, Zebrify can be used as a powerful guitar synthesizer.

Like the effects section in Zebra2, Zebrify is strictly monophonic i.e. single-voice. "
The tracking is really good.
I'm starting to think about using 6 instances of Zebrify to have a polyphonic guitar synthesizer, to see if I find the time and my pc can handle it.

jassy

#27
Im doing some tests running 6 guitar inputs from the SY1000 to 6 Zebrify instances and the results are stuning!.The cpu hit is absolutely manageable by an standar actual computer at very low latency (SY1000 64ms buffer in windows).
Im starting with pasha811 presets, which is a very good start, although Zebrify (Zebra architecture) is really complex and I still can't quite know how it really works, It is not a simple subtractive synthesizer and its modular functions make it more difficult to understand, some buttons do nothing and others change the sound radically, there are no presets, neither free nor paid (except those of our partner), the manual hardly explains much, there are hardly any tutorials ... it is a field to study at length, but the results are very promising, producing sounds and results not heard until now and that in many cases go beyond even the SY1000. The experience as a guitar synth is one of the best I ever experienced, because the sounds, tracking and playability.
Unfortunately you can't use oscillators in the classical sense, so you don't have the typical saw/square/etc type of sound to start, so you need to reach this by other strategies, for example when you add an OSC it keeps sounding all the time (maybe I haven't managed to do it) also you can't use Zebra presets (too bad!), As I understand the guitar is the oscillator by itself (which is good), anyway the manipulation possibilities are enormous and the results surprising and very musical.

pasha811: which presets from you upload are the ones used in your mp3 posted here?  seems to be very classic synth sounding and that type of sound is the one Im trying to find now   https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=29774.msg217900#msg217900

This guitar synth "Zebrify" would deserve their own thread for sure.

pasha811

#28
Quote from: jassy on January 17, 2021, 09:26:20 AM
pasha811: which presets from you upload are the ones used in your mp3 posted here?  seems to be very classic synth sounding and that type of sound is the one Im trying to find now   https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=29774.msg217900#msg217900

This guitar synth "Zebrify" would deserve their own thread for sure.

jassy,

In order of appearance :  :)

First Preset : PH - Solo Flute Alto
Second Preset : Solo Slow Brass Rez
Third Preset : Format Trumpet Guitar Solo

Welll, Zebrify is like Zebra so OSC depends on OSC Wave that you select.
In the Zebra Manual there's a section about Zebrify that gives you some hints.
https://uhedownloads-heckmannaudiogmb.netdna-ssl.com/manuals/plugins/zebra2/Zebra2-user-guide.pdf

The 'effects' version of Zebra2. Zebrify includes several features that transcend what you would  normally  expect  from  an  insert  effect,  for  instance  audio  oscillators.  With  carefully programmed  pitch-detection,  Zebrify  can  even  be  used  as  a  powerful  guitar  synthesizer!Like the effects section in Zebra2, Zebrify is not polyphonic but 'single voice'.
Input signals with a strong fundamental can be used to control the pitch of Zebrify's oscilla-tors. Patch up your own guitar synthesizer or voice-controlled 'Theremin'

So the OSC must be placed into a muted lane then routed to another lane and processed along with your input (GTR).
What Zebrify does is capture the envelop of your input and using it to modulate sound sources (Cross Mod Filer, Comb Filter, Shaper) while at the same time it detects the pitch of the incoming signal and pass it over to OSC so that it makes the correct sound.
Usually when the OSC is in a muted lane you have to choose the WAVE that OSC works on (SIN/SQR/all others there are plenty) apply a VCF under OSC to use Cutoff and Resonance then reroute to a Comb / XMF / Shaper. BEWARE YOUR EARS! keep low volumes until the sound is stabilized and usable. The engine bites.

Solo Flute Alto

Adjust the INPUT section to your taste and input levels. Envelope Follower (you can use AR Envelope as in SY1K) and Pitch Detection happen here.

Lane 1 : Your Guitar - Zebrify captures the Envelop (ADSR) and Pitch to drive the OSC - pass audio signal to COMB filer than Cross Mod Filter merges OSC and your Combed GTR signal.
Lane 2 : The OSC and the VCF . Pls have a look at OSC.  It is mapped to pitchness. So it gets the pitch from your audio source in Lane 1. Tone is +48 Semitones. If you lower it you get different sounds. Try -12 or +12.

The COMB filter is dangerous : Keep the feedback low or it will burst and explode. You can find info on it in the Zebra Manual.
THE XMF merges the two lanes. Use Cut off and Res to shape the sound and you could also mod Cutoff based on Transients and Pitch made by your guitar input (the INPUT Section). You can find info on it in the Zebra Manual.

For fun if you Mute LANE 1 and unmute LANE 2 you can hear the OSC tuned at +48 outputting a single note. If you play guitar the note changes. 
So your guitar determines the pitch of the OSC and it can be merged via XMF, SHAPER, COMB with it thus creating a very playable palette of sounds. Your Guitar determines KeyFollow Envelope and other parameters that can be applied to any module, changing the sound dramatically.

But...
you can make sounds without an OSC.
In the Format Trumpet Guitar Solo there is no OSC.
It's your Guitar driving the chain of modules.
The COMB filter drives a Formant filter (VCF2) then Guitar and itself (after formant) mix into the XMF1.
This was my first attempt to mimic the GR300 internals (hence the Shaper that distorts the input).
Well not really there but happy :-)

What's important is to read Zebra Manual carefully about those modules and parameters... or simply tweak OSC wave (it's a wave table) or my presets.  ;D

Hope it helps!
Cheers
Paolo





Listen to my music at :  http://alonetone.com/pasha/

jassy

Wow! Thank you very much for your detailed explanation, very informative and useful.
Im slowly understanding the nature of this synth, its modular typology makes it especially complicated at the beginning.
Asking about the way to use OSC for a more pure sound, other user from KVR has explained how to do it and it works, I paste his explanation here maybe it woul be useful also for you.

QuoteAbout gating the OCS, do the following per the screenshot. In gist, we control the OSC volume with EnvFol1, we mute the audible guitar signal coming from Input1, while outputting the OCS on another channel.
There's other ways to go about this, but this should be a good starting point.

pasha811

Quote from: jassy on January 18, 2021, 09:02:23 AM
Wow! Thank you very much for your detailed explanation, very informative and useful.
Im slowly understanding the nature of this synth, its modular typology makes it especially complicated at the beginning.
Asking about the way to use OSC for a more pure sound, other user from KVR has explained how to do it and it works, I paste his explanation here maybe it woul be useful also for you.

Happy to be useful. What you posted is the 'other face of the coin'. It's more straight forward than what I explained and I will immediately try that. Keep in mind that the overall complication about Zebra it's also about the great flexibility. In any case you have to study all the modules I use but cascaded after OSC, like happens in a Zebra Patch.

I was trying to mimic the GR300 explanation found on joness website here: https://www.joness.com/gr300/GR-300.htm so I approached the sound generation in a (to my knowledge) similar way.

What you have posted it's very useful and opens to a lot of direct OSC usages, more in line with what a Synth would act in line with Zebra Patch. All in all Zebra and Zebrify are a forgotten paradise, full of sun, sea, breeze and juicy synthy fruits!  ;D Enjoy!
Listen to my music at :  http://alonetone.com/pasha/

pasha811

Quote from: jassy on January 18, 2021, 09:02:23 AM
Wow! Thank you very much for your detailed explanation, very informative and useful.
Im slowly understanding the nature of this synth, its modular typology makes it especially complicated at the beginning.
Asking about the way to use OSC for a more pure sound, other user from KVR has explained how to do it and it works, I paste his explanation here maybe it woul be useful also for you.

Tried. Unfortunately it does not work for me. :-(
I get very low level volume so I cannot compare with the fuller sound coming from some of the patches I shared.
Sometimes it doesn't work at all depending on the OSC WAVE. Can you share the other parameters are you using?  ???

Thanks
Paolo
Listen to my music at :  http://alonetone.com/pasha/

jassy

I think the real key for this is the "envfol1" modulatin the OSC volume, as seen in the screenshot that I uploaded. Modulator at max and volume at min, this way the volume opens when you play a note and closes when you stop de string.
Try this preset, its pretty fat I think.
Anyway, in this way the tracking seems more lazy and imprecise... tweaking the input section helps to get more controlled sounds.
Seems that Zebrify has two modes of traking, one tracks de pitch of the guitar the other the guitar sound is the oscilator.
In this preset (based on one of you!) there is and XMF1 in the lane 1, if you unmute and activate it then it mixes both worlds, like in some of other of your presets.
This guitar synth works very well in mono, but you need to try in exaphonic mode, it opens a new world. A cheap second hand GP10 will allow you to do that.


pasha811

Quote from: jassy on January 18, 2021, 05:19:50 PM
I think the real key for this is the "envfol1" modulatin the OSC volume, as seen in the screenshot that I uploaded. Modulator at max and volume at min, this way the volume opens when you play a note and closes when you stop de string.
Try this preset, its pretty fat I think.
Anyway, in this way the tracking seems more lazy and imprecise... tweaking the input section helps to get more controlled sounds.
Seems that Zebrify has two modes of traking, one tracks de pitch of the guitar the other the guitar sound is the oscilator.
In this preset (based on one of you!) there is and XMF1 in the lane 1, if you unmute and activate it then it mixes both worlds, like in some of other of your presets.
This guitar synth works very well in mono, but you need to try in exaphonic mode, it opens a new world. A cheap second hand GP10 will allow you to do that.

Thanks! I'll give it a try. Strange is that I am using the setup in the screenshot but I got no sound. I will have to double check. I got a G10 so I can extend the Hexa-Zebrify!
Well.. we can call ourselves the Zebra-brigade  ;) but we need to enroll another one!  ;D
Listen to my music at :  http://alonetone.com/pasha/

pasha811

Solved.
My GTR Input was too low. However I have discovered a way to make pitch more stable by using pitchness as a modulator mapped to OSC Volume opposed to EnvFol1. Guitar sound decays in a very peculiar way so pitchness is more stable after I have tweaked the INPUT section.
Then you can play with WAVES and you are in presence of dozens of sounds. 8)
As an example you can find an Mp3 I have created and the patch used attached.
Check the input section carefully there is where you shape the pitch to MIDI that drives OSC.
This method is more 'direct' than the one I used so far and by means of a correct usage of WAVES and modules can lead to more straight synth sounds. Thanks for letting me know!  ;D Zebra Rocks and so Rocks Zebrify! :o
Listen to my music at :  http://alonetone.com/pasha/

jassy

Quote from: pasha811 on January 19, 2021, 12:08:33 PM
Solved.
My GTR Input was too low. However I have discovered a way to make pitch more stable by using pitchness as a modulator mapped to OSC Volume opposed to EnvFol1. Guitar sound decays in a very peculiar way so pitchness is more stable after I have tweaked the INPUT section.
Then you can play with WAVES and you are in presence of dozens of sounds. 8)
As an example you can find an Mp3 I have created and the patch used attached.
Check the input section carefully there is where you shape the pitch to MIDI that drives OSC.
This method is more 'direct' than the one I used so far and by means of a correct usage of WAVES and modules can lead to more straight synth sounds. Thanks for letting me know!  ;D Zebra Rocks and so Rocks Zebrify! :o
Good find.
Yes the Input section is the key to have different flavours or type of control over the osscilators and many other parameters of Zebrify. Even transient can be used as a osscilator driver. Every parameter in this section offers diferent ways of translate the guitar playing to control the synth engine. Depending of the sound desired one or other can serve better. Its worth experimenting. I whish the SY1000 would have a section like that to control how the guitar drives the sound.
Im creating sounds in mono and then I save them and load in 6 instances to have a polyphonic sound. The problem is to have a container to encapsulate the 6 instances of Zebrify and be able to save presets that load the 6 instances with a PC command other way doing it one by one is unmanegeable.
Im experimenting with different mini vst hosts to see what serves better that pourpose. Patchwork, Metaplugin, KV_Element...
Let the Zebra-brigade to continue, Im sure others will discover it soon.

Snow Black

To host 6 instances of Zebrify you could try Unify by pluginguru.com. I don't have Zebra to try it out but Unify is a VST plugin that can host other plugins, including itself! Highly recommended!
Moog Guitar Paul Vo Collectors Edition, Fernandes with sustainer & GK3, Fender Strat with sustainer & GK3, Brian Moore i9-13, Variax transplant & Firehawk FX, Fretless guitar with ATG luthier kit, SY-1000, GP-10, SY-300, VG-99, FC-300, GR-55, VG-8ex, US-20, GX-2, Roland Street Cube EX, Tech 21 PE

jassy

Quote from: Snow Black on January 19, 2021, 11:50:51 PM
To host 6 instances of Zebrify you could try Unify by pluginguru.com. I don't have Zebra to try it out but Unify is a VST plugin that can host other plugins, including itself! Highly recommended!
Good idea, but does it support routing 6 audio inputs to 6 instances of a vsti?

Snow Black

Good point, it doesn't at the moment, actually not even one audio input in the current version (apart from audio file input), but there are plans to support multiple i/o. Updates are relatively frequent (there's one due this week) so keep an eye out.
Moog Guitar Paul Vo Collectors Edition, Fernandes with sustainer & GK3, Fender Strat with sustainer & GK3, Brian Moore i9-13, Variax transplant & Firehawk FX, Fretless guitar with ATG luthier kit, SY-1000, GP-10, SY-300, VG-99, FC-300, GR-55, VG-8ex, US-20, GX-2, Roland Street Cube EX, Tech 21 PE

Gaustu

Quote from: jassy on January 19, 2021, 04:53:24 PM
Im creating sounds in mono and then I save them and load in 6 instances to have a polyphonic sound. The problem is to have a container to encapsulate the 6 instances of Zebrify and be able to save presets that load the 6 instances with a PC command other way doing it one by one is unmanegeable.
Im experimenting with different mini vst hosts to see what serves better that pourpose. Patchwork, Metaplugin, KV_Element...
Let the Zebra-brigade to continue, Im sure others will discover it soon.
It looks very strange to vote as an ideal the synth which is monophonic and to run 6 instances a tricky way . There are some synths on the market having not less possibilities of modulation and complexity, midi flexibility but true poliphonic, 6 channels ready w/o need to run 6 instances. Sytrus for instance
Parker PDF85 modified: Sustainiac, SD TB-4, Piezo Hexpander 13 pin out.
GR-55 mod with 13 din thru, 6 analog outputs D-Sub => Presonus FS Mobile  8 analog inputs.
NI Reactor matchHEX Guitar Framer Ensemble custom.

jassy

Quote from: Gaustu on January 06, 2022, 01:06:45 PM
It looks very strange to vote as an ideal the synth which is monophonic and to run 6 instances a tricky way . There are some synths on the market having not less possibilities of modulation and complexity, midi flexibility but true poliphonic, 6 channels ready w/o need to run 6 instances. Sytrus for instance
Do those synths have audio input driving like zebrify?

Elantric

#41
https://www.gearnews.com/u-he-zebralette-3/

u-he is offering a sneak preview of the upcoming Zebralette 3 software synth at NAMM 2024. The new version of Zebralette, a long-standing freeware favorite, is almost ready to enter the public beta testing phase.
u-he Zebralette 3 is almost here!
Like the predecessor, Zebralette 3 is an offspring of the more powerful Zebra, so this means that there will eventually also be a Zebra 3. The purpose of Zebralette is to showcase the capabilities of Zebra's oscillators and MSEG (multi-stage envelope generator).

The free software synth offers one Zebra oscillator and one MSEG, as well as a bunch of modulators and effects from u-he's bag of tricks. That doesn't sound like much, but as the oscillator is so powerful, it's a pretty versatile synth in and of itself. Over the course of ten years, u-he has worked to expand the sonic possibilities even further and improve the consistency between the visual editors.




https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=606111



pasha811

Thanks Steve! As you know Uhe It's my fav! :-)
Listen to my music at :  http://alonetone.com/pasha/