Zebra 2 & Operator

Ron_F · Post by **Ron_F** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 7:28 pm

Your chance to change the course of history!

I've got Live 6, Sampler & Zebra 2, do I want/need Operator as well?

I'd be really interested in your opinions.

Thanks,

Ron

hoffman2k · Post by **hoffman2k** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 7:33 pm

If you're looking for a hands-on synth, then operator might be a fine addition.

Nobody can really tell you to buy it or not. It's up to your taste/needs.
If you're considering the operator, then download the 700 free operator presets that can be found in the downloads section of www.thecovertoperators.com

Cheers

-B

LOFA · Post by **LOFA** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 7:36 pm

If you do at any point need Operator, I can imagine it still might be i your interest to stick with what you got already for now. Zebra 2 looks like it can do just about anything, and edit its output in Sampler sounds equally incredible.

The allure to Operator, for me, breaks down into two parts:

A) It is very minimalist+capable=elegent.

B)... thus it is great for beginners.

So if you are a beginner I would actually buy it, put the other two in a "shoe-box" in your closet or the corner, and master it's comprehensive tutorials.

I would then emulate these results in Zebra.

Then I would putz around with the endless, newfangled capabilites of Sampler. If I was a beginner, and in that order.

If you are seasoned, however, I would hold off until it was a matter of deep, experienced, subjective appreciation of it's functional design aesthetic.

Peace.

Tarekith · Post by **Tarekith** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 7:41 pm

If you already have Zebra2, my guess is Operator will bore you to pieces.

sqook · Post by **sqook** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 7:47 pm

Both of these synths have demo modes. You should try both out and make your decision based on that.

steff3 · Post by **steff3** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 8:09 pm

I have both of them and I like them both.

I do not really no it if makes sense sonically, but from the approach, the different ways you can work with them, I think it is very good to have them.

best

john gordon · Post by **john gordon** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 8:18 pm

no way.save your money.operator cant come close to zebra2 for any sound.

tylenol · Post by **tylenol** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 8:24 pm

I have both, though I haven't had zebra for long. There is a lot of overlap in capability, but my impression so far is that operator is still sort of a bread and butter synth for me. I'm trying to think of things that zebra can't do, and I haven't come up with any yet (except maybe using the LFO at audio rates in operator to get 5 oscillators; but then you can use a different sound source for the first oscillator in zebra, also getting 5). It is much easier to program, and a lot less overwhelming of an interface. Zebra has a beautiful interface for its level of complexity, but operator's is better (relative to its level of complexity). I also have the impression that operator is somewhat lighter on CPU for many purposes (though I haven't tested it systematically). It's better integrated into live so you don't get that pesky drag in arrangement bug that I hope they fix soon (and in general, bugs that affect external synths won't affect it).

Basically all of this comes down to ease of use -- for basic sounds (that you don't already have preset), I think it is still easier to make them in operator.

djadonis206 · Post by **djadonis206** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 8:29 pm

D E M O

Decide for yourself

here's a question for you - why do you need a new synth...you seem to be getting by with what you got. Why today, of all days with all the OTHER stuff you got going on in your life you want a new soft synth.
I mean if you neglect everything else that's really on your mind right now, a bandaid will only hide the issue...

it's up to you Larry - stand up against the wind or fall like the willow tree

steff3 · Post by **steff3** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 8:35 pm

A great function of Operator is the synced pitch shift via velocity.

I love that - and that noise can be in any operator for FM.

Of course, for 9x% of the sounds, Zebra will do the job more than nicely -it is a superb synth and if I had to pick one of the two - well, it would be Zebra.

best

melocoton · Post by **melocoton** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 8:36 pm

djadonis206 wrote:Why today, of all days with all the OTHER stuff you got going on in your life you want a new soft synth.
I mean if you neglect everything else that's really on your mind right now, a bandaid will only hide the issue...

Damn! That quote is like rolaids for your G.A.S.

Ron_F · Post by **Ron_F** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 8:52 pm

djadonis206 wrote:D E M O

Decide for yourself

here's a question for you - why do you need a new synth...you seem to be getting by with what you got. Why today, of all days with all the OTHER stuff you got going on in your life you want a new soft synth.
I mean if you neglect everything else that's really on your mind right now, a bandaid will only hide the issue...

it's up to you Larry - stand up against the wind or fall like the willow tree

I was genuinely interested in the viewpoints of the people here.

Of course I'll decide for myself, hence the smilie in my original post, but I didn't see any harm in soliciting opinions.

Ron_F · Post by **Ron_F** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 8:55 pm

LOFA wrote:If you do at any point need Operator, I can imagine it still might be i your interest to stick with what you got already for now. Zebra 2 looks like it can do just about anything, and edit its output in Sampler sounds equally incredible.

The allure to Operator, for me, breaks down into two parts:

A) It is very minimalist+capable=elegent.

B)... thus it is great for beginners.

So if you are a beginner I would actually buy it, put the other two in a "shoe-box" in your closet or the corner, and master it's comprehensive tutorials.

I would then emulate these results in Zebra.

Then I would putz around with the endless, newfangled capabilites of Sampler. If I was a beginner, and in that order.

If you are seasoned, however, I would hold off until it was a matter of deep, experienced, subjective appreciation of it's functional design aesthetic.

Peace.

Thanks for this, it's given me something to think about.

djadonis206 · Post by **djadonis206** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 8:57 pm

Ron_F wrote:
Of course I'll decide for myself, hence the smilie in my original post, but I didn't see any harm in soliciting opinions.

I do it all the time - my fingers from time to time think for themselves

as I bet, your name is not really Larry

hence the wink

peace

Ad

Ron_F · Post by **Ron_F** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 9:01 pm

I must admit, I didn't get the 'Larry' reference

Ron