Zebra 2 Review – The Ultimate Beginners Introduction & Tutorial
Check out our U-HE Zebra 2 review featuring a deep dive through some of the features, sounds, pros and cons of the U-HE Zebra.
Beginning with a quick overview and discussion about the unit, followed by a quick tour of the main features and a minimal to no talking sound demo of the presets to finish and let you come to your own conclusions!
UHE Plugin’s Flagship Synthesizer Zebra 2 is a Powerful, Dynamic and Fantastic-Sounding Digital Synthesizer which lives up to its name as a ‘Workhorse Synthesizer’ and one of the World’s Top Software Synths. How much is the U HE Zebra? It retails at around the 220 dollar mark, making it a tad on the higher end in terms of the digital synth market but it really does pack a lot of bang for its buck and is well worth the investment in terms of value and longevity of use. As a longstay favorite of Composers for Film and Media, this video should make it clear why.
ith the potential for evolving, multi-timbral textures coupled with its modular design; it’s simple and quick to create complex sounds that would take much longer on other synths. The matrix opens up the synth in an easy to understand and quick to apply way which is essential for keeping your creative juices flowing while designing and manipulating your sounds.
The interface, while not the most beginner-friendly, clearly and effectively shows the user/sound designer what is happening. In addition, the great sound and routing options make for a killer combination. On top of all this, the Oscillators sound big, thick, warm, and clean which is all you could ask of a Digital Plugin Synthesizer!
TOP QUALITY SOUND
When using digital synthesizers one issue you will often, or inevitably, run into is that while they can really bite through a mix with their sharp and bitey, perfectly in-tune oscillators, they can sometimes sound a little lifeless and thin. (Even when purposely detuning them) However this Soft Synth really packs a punch and the filters in particular shine gloriously for a digital synthesizer. (The filters are possibly the best I’ve ever heard from a digital synth!)
INTELLIGENT & ERGONOMIC DESIGN
One of the stand-out features on this synth, apart from it’s sound and filters, is the visual aspect and layout. While it’s not the most beginner friendly, when adding any element the GUI will add and drop the elements so you can see instantly and visually what is happening at any moment. Making the Sound Design process very intuitive and direct. It takes a bit of practice but it becomes second nature in no time.
PROCESSING POWER
For such a powerful tool the UHE Zebra runs pretty light, and while it’s of course most at home in the studio environment, due to it’s relatively low footprint it can be used on a low-spec system such as a laptop to make great patches on the move, ready to bring back into your studio and productions.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a top quality digital synth to add to your studio or just getting your first synth, much like Xfer’s Serum, you can’t go wrong with the UHE Zebra 2.
The sound, versatility and workflow of this top software synth mean that you’ll be using it for years to come.
There are pretty much no cons when it comes to this synth as it does everything it promises to deliver and more!
