u-he releases Zebralette 3.0 alongside the first public beta of Zebra 3.
Zebralette 3
This core piece of Zebra 3 tech (see below) has been officially released as freeware. A beta version has been available for a good while already, but the new release is significantly less CPU-intensive.
To recap: Zebralette 3 is a single oscillator plucked from the ‘mothership’ and embedded within a minimal synth environment comprising ADSR and MSEG envelopes, two LFOs, a 6-slot modulation matrix, plus delay and reverb. Waveform editing is spline-based, with a dynamic toolbox borrowed from vector graphic apps, various morphing options between ‘curves’ along a ‘timeline’, a pair of oscillator effect-mangling slots with a host of different algorithms, an audio engine switchable between traditional waves and additive synthesis.
Although Zebralette 3 isn’t a wavetable synth, its ‘curve sets’ can be exported as wavetables in .WAV format for use in other synthesizers (e.g u-he’s own Hive). Like its predecessor, Zebralette 3 is freeware.
Version 3.0 can be downloaded from the u-he website: https://u-he.com/products/freeware/zebralette/
Zebra 3 public beta 1
The first beta of u-he’s long awaited Zebra 3 is now available. Like its predecessor, Zebra 3 is a “wireless modular” system and comes with an almost overwhelming array of modules. With its unique oscillator, physical modelling capabilities and flexible triggering, Zebra 3 certainly belongs on the deeper side of synthesis.
Zebra 3 retains the overall layout and efficient grid-based patching system, but the code is all new. Here are a few key features:
Audio generation
- Spline-based oscillators, FM oscillators, complex noise generators.
- Filters with countless models ranging from ‘linear’ to ‘impossible’.
- Several physical-modeling devices including modal resonators, polyphonic EQ, comb filters.
- Mixer modules capable of 4-channel scanning.
- Distortion, wave folders, ring modulators.
- Utility modules for metering, mid-side processing and more.
Modulation etc.
- Innovative ‘pitch’ modules for independent articulation of oscillator / filter frequencies.
- Complex MSEGs (multi segment envelope generators), also spline-based.
- Multi-purpose ‘mappers’ with up to 128 values, can be stepped for sequencer-like behaviour.
- ‘Mod math’ modules with 15 algorithms including slew limiting, modulation delay and extra LFOs.
The Zebra 3 beta is fully functional and can be downloaded from u-he’s KVR forum (details there): https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=31
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