u-he finally unveils Zebra 3 with new engine and more features

After a long time in beta testing, u-he has finally introduced Zebra 3, a complete rebuild of its long-running synth platform. This plugin combines analog, physical modelling and digital synthesis .

Zebra 3 Interface and Workflow

The latest addition to the Zebra series features an adaptive interface, where modules only appear when added to a patch and can be arranged via drag-and-drop. The synth includes over 1,200 factory presets, alongside a redesigned workflow.

Engines and Sound Design

The plugin offers two oscillator engines: a wavetable engine with up to 16-voice unison, and an additive engine supporting up to 1024 partials. The synth also includes FM oscillators, modal resonators, comb filters and noise-based excitation modules. The Generator Rack allows users to route signals freely and apply effects such as spectral processing, distortion and wavefolding anywhere in the signal chain.

Advanced Modulation System and Effects

Zebra 3 expands its modulation capabilities with envelopes, LFOs and multi-stage envelope generators (MSEGs). Modulation sources can be reshaped, combined and routed in modular-style configurations, including step sequencing and signal transformation. The effects section includes delays, reverbs, compressors and modulation effects, with per-voice send control for dynamic variation.

Zebra 3 supports most major formats across macOS, Windows and Linux, with support for MPE.

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