U-He Zebra Basic Overview Series: The Perform Window

Welcome back to another installation in this basic overview series for U-He Zebra. This week we explore the Perform window and share everything you need to know to get started!

If you are already familiar with synths that offer some kind of macro or performance controls to extend patches even further, then as we explore the perform window in U-He Zebra in this video you will will probably have no problem understanding any of the ideas os features shared. If you have never used a synth with features like the XY pads in Zebra, well then you’re in for a very pleasant surprise! The basic idea is that you can assign just about any parameter in a synth preset to either the X or Y axis on one or more XY pads. Once the pads have been programmed, you can then manipulate the sound via the parameters you mapped to each pad. In other words, you can adjust combinations of things in tandem, like filter cutoff and delay rate, or LFO rate and pitch. The number of ways you can choose to change your sounds in this way are seemingly endless!

The settings of the actual parameter sets the initial position on the assigned axis – This can also be adjusted in the XY Matrix. The available range accessible by the XY pad can be set by adjusting the two range points for any parameter in the XY Matrix grid. This gives you maximum control over just how much anything can be manipulated or changed via the perform window in U-He Zebra. This is similar to how most macro controls work in other synths as well. Each XY pad has independent X and Y control knobs, which can be mapped to your MIDI controller for more fluid and intuitive control on-the-fly.

A fun and easy way to get a better handle on this part of U-He Zebra is to dissect and reverse engineer other people’s patches. You can also leave one XY pad blank when you design some of your sounds and use this extra pad for experimentation. Try assigning a couple of parameters you would not normally associate with each other onto the X and Y axis of the pad and see where it takes you. The sky really the limit here, with the only limiting factor being your own imagination.