THE DARK ZEBRA

and

ZebraHZ

Version 2.9

15. January 2020

installation • presets • story • terms of use

Introduction 3
The Dark Zebra................................................................ 3
ZebraHZ ...........................................................................3
Installation ........................................................................3
Default Paths ................................................................... 3
Formats, Support ............................................................. 4
License Agreement and Terms of Use ............................. 4

DIVA VCF 5
Where are the panels? ....................................................5
General settings ...............................................................5
HPF settings .................................................................... 5
LPF settings .....................................................................6

Lane Compressors 7

Resonators 8

The Dark Zebra Presets 9

Basses + Drones ........................................................... 10
Bells + Metallurgy........................................................... 11
Drums + Clocks .............................................................12
Effects + Chaos .............................................................13
HighArps + Chords ........................................................ 14
Leads + Horns ............................................................... 15
LowArps + Stomps......................................................... 16
Pads + Keys...................................................................17
Xtras ..............................................................................18

2
 Introduction
The Dark Zebra
A bank of over 400 meticulously created presets, a collaboration between Hans Zimmer
and Howard Scarr. Practically all Zebra2 sounds used in the The Dark Knight as well as
The Dark Knight Rises are included, plus several more that didn’t suit those scores.

ZebraHZ
Hans Zimmer’s custom version of Zebra2 includes the following extensions:
• 8 extra filters (4 x high-pass and 4 x low-pass) based on Diva models
• 4 comb filter modules instead of 2
• 8 MSEGs instead of 4
• 24 modulation matrix slots instead of 12
• the X/Y pads appear as regular modulation sources
• 4 polyphonic compressors, one per lane of the main grid
• 3 Polymoog™-style resonator effect modules, with extra full-range band

Installation
Double-click the installer (Mac or PC) and follow instructions.
IMPORTANT: If you are updating an existing ZebraHZ, please either use the same
paths as the original installation and select the same set of plug-in formats, or remove
the old installation before installing the new one. To avoid any crashes and other
“strange behaviour” while loading presets, please do not mix the old and new versions.
Serial Number: ZebraHZ uses the same serial number as Zebra2. Load an instance of
ZebraHZ, right-click on the data display then select enter serial number. If you can’t find
your Zebra2 serial, go to u-he.com/my-licenses/ and follow the “request” instructions.

Default Paths
Windows
Presets (local) C:\Users\*YOU*\Documents\u-he\ZebraHZ.data\Presets\ZebraHZ\

Presets (user) C:\Users\*YOU*\Documents\u-he\ZebraHZ.data\UserPresets\ZebraHZ\

Preferences C:\Users\*YOU*\Documents\u-he\ZebraHZ.data\Support\ (*.txt files)

MSEG/OSC C:\Users\*YOU*\Documents\u-he\ZebraHZ.data\Modules\

Microtuning C:\Users\*YOU*\Documents\u-he\ZebraHZ.data\Tunefiles\
1. Paths containing any non-standard characters are not supported.
2. If a previous installation into the VstPlugins folder did not cause any permanent file
permissions problems, you can safely reinstall there.

macOS
Presets (local) MacHD/Library/Audio/Presets/u-he/ZebraHZ/

Presets (user) MacHD/Users/*YOU*/Library/Audio/Presets/u-he/ZebraHZ/

Preferences MacHD/Users/*YOU*/Library/AppSupport/u-he/com.u-he.ZebraHZ...

MSEG/OSC MacHD/Library/Application Support/u-he/ZebraHZ/Modules/ 

Microtuning MacHD/Library/Application Support/u-he/Tunefiles/


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Formats, Support
• ZebraHZ supports AU, VST2, VST3 and AAX. There is no RTAS version, but RTAS /
Mac users should be able to load TDZ presets into the regular Zebra2 and achieve
acceptable results. Please note, however, that TDZ presets loaded into Zebra2 are
likely to sound wrong, as several ZebraHZ-specific features are missing there.

• To run ZebraHZ you will need a registered Zebra2. Please note that the product you
purchased is the soundset The Dark Zebra. The plug-in ZebraHZ is an update for
Zebra2 so you can use all of the Dark Zebra patches. Of course this means that resale
of Dark Zebra is only allowed if you also include your Zebra2 license in the sale.
Note that you can run Zebra2 and ZebraHZ in parallel, as they are separate plug-ins.
• ZebraHZ and Zebra2 require a serial number issued after mid-2009. If your serial
number is older, go to u-he support and request a new one – if your email address has
changed since then, please let us know. If you can’t remember when you purchased
Zebra2, please retrieve your original serial number before installing ZebraHZ.
Note: You can’t break anything. If you start Zebra2 with an obsolete code, it will ask you
to contact [email protected] so we can send you a new one. As always, right-click on
the data display to enter your serial number.

License Agreement and Terms of Use

This license agreement is between you (the licensee) and Heckmann Audio GmbH,
the copyright holder and sole distributor of The Dark Zebra patch set. This agreement
is based on the common understanding that copyrighted material must not be
distributed without the written consent of the copyright holder, and therefore that anyone
intending to lend, copy or otherwise distribute this material will have read this
agreement before downloading, purchasing or otherwise obtaining the product
accompanying the license.
Stipulations:
1. Before using this patch set, you must have purchased a legitimate license for Zebra2 as
well as for The Dark Zebra.

2. You may not distribute resampled or otherwise replicated patches from The Dark Zebra
in any product, commercial, free or otherwise. This includes, but is not limited to,
sample libraries and sample-based synthesizers. You may, however, create such
derivates for your own musical works as long as these derivates are only distributed in
the context of the musical work.

3. The Dark Zebra may only be sold together with your Zebra2 license.

Heckmann Audio GmbH, Berlin


Imprint / Impressum


4
 DIVA VCF

DIVA VCF
Where are the panels?
ZebraHZ is a bit of a Frankenstein’s monster. Under the circumstances, the Diva filters
are integrated in the best way possible. Not in the generator rack like the other filters,
but as tabbed panels in the lower area, like the MSEGs.
Important: These filters are quite CPU-intensive, and are therefore mono i.e. not stereo.
Altogether, ZebraHZ has 8 Diva-style analogue filters: 4 highpass
and 4 lowpass / multimode filters. To access the controls, click on
the DIVA VCF button in the lower bar, second from the right.

General settings
At the far left of the DIVA VCF panel are the following general filter options:
• ACCURACY is an important global parameter, as it trades CPU-hit for realtime audio
quality (especially resonance). If your computer stutters while playing presets that use
D-filters, switch the accuracy to fast or even draft. You will soon learn which one your
system can handle. Mono presets should be no problem, even on older computers.
• OFFLINE ACC is the accuracy used for offline audio rendering. You should generally
render tracks to audio in the highest quality – to do this, set OfflineAcc to best. If you
find that your sound works best in Draft mode (e.g. because it is meant to be gritty), feel
free to switch this to Same.
• CUTOFF SLOP scales the amount of randomisation applied to all D-filter cutoffs.
• The RND button generates new random values for CUTOFF SLOP.

HPF settings
Next are the panels for the Diva highpass filters, which are tabbed like the MSEGs: To
switch between the 4 filter panels, click on one of the buttons D-HPF1 to D-HPF4.

There are two basic highpass models:

• HPF PRE is a very simple, CPU-friendly model with only a cutoff control.
• HPF BITE is a “character” highpass with cutoff modulation and resonance. As this is by
far the more CPU-hungry option, you can expect some powerful tonal shaping here.
Two REVISIONs are available, with different characteristics.

5
 DIVA VCF

LPF settings
The righthand side of the panel is for the main D-filters. They are shown in pairs that
are switched via the buttons at the bottom, D-VCF1+2 | D-VCF3+4. The central knobs
labeled “none” are modulation depths for a user-definable source (try clicking on them).
The upper two both modulate cutoff, the lower one modulates resonance.

There are five D-VCF MODELs: Ladder, Cascade, Multimode, BITE and Uhbie…

• Ladder: Classic 24dB or 12dB per octave filter with key-follow and resonance. Click on
the MODE selector to switch between 24dB (4-pole) and 12dB (2-pole).

• Cascade: A cleaner filter than Ladder with an extra switch (COLOR) for selecting an
alternative revision of this famous filter model. Unlike the Ladder, Cascade can also be
switched to 12dB per octave via the MODE button.

• Multimode: This one is based on the filter in yet another classic polyphonic synthesizer
(or two). Use the MODE button to select one of the following:
LP 24db .........a 4-pole low pass

LP 12db .........a 2-pole alternative

HP ...................high-pass

BP ...................band-pass

• BITE: This model sounds very different, a real character! The tone is highly dependent
on the input signal levels, the selected REVISION as well as the resonance (RES).
BITE can deliver anything from solid 2-pole to screaming mayhem.

• Uhbie: Classic silky 2-pole state-variable filter model with crossfade (via SHAPE MIX)
between three different types: low-pass through notch, or bandpass (see Bandpass
switch) to high-pass. The definable knob next to SHAPE MIX is for shape mix
modulation.


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 LANE COMPRESSORS

Lane Compressors
Each lane in the main grid has its own polyphonic (i.e. per voice) compressor. Like the
Diva-VCF, all controls appear in the lower area. Click on COMP1-4 in the lower bar:

• On/Off: To save CPU, lane compressors can be switched on/off individually.

• GR: Gain reduction indicator

• Mode (the vertical 3-way switch)

ECO................ original lo-fi version, with low CPU-hit.

SMOOTH ......smooth compression, the best choice for most situations.

STRONG....... very powerful compression, best for bold percussive sounds.

• ATTACK is the time it takes the compressor to fully work after the threshold has been
reached. Attack can affect the brightness: very fast values cause the compressor to
reduce gain immediately, which can dull the attack of the original sound. When ATTACK
is set to zero, the attack is only one sample long.

• RELEASE adjusts the recovery time i.e. the time the compressor takes to return to unity
gain after the input signal has fallen below the threshold. Very short release can distort
low-frequency input, overly long release can ‘clamp’ the sound down and not release
enough before the next ‘attack’ arrives. When RELEASE is set to zero, the release is
only one sample long.

• INPUT adjusts the input level before the signal reaches the compressor.

• THRESHOLD sets the level above which compression is applied, and below which
compression is released. Lower values result in more compression than higher values.

• COMP sets the amount of compression – think of this as a dry / wet crossfade.

• OUTPUT compensates for any loss or gain resulting from the compression.


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 RESONATORS

Resonators

One of the very first polyphonic synthesizers ever made included a 3-band peaking filter
that could dramatically colourize a sound. For a video example of the original unit in
action, search for “Polymoog Resonator Section” in YouTube.

The ZebraHZ version is very similar, but is fully modulatable and includes an extra full-
range band. To open a Resonator, click on a cell in the effects grid and select one of the
three Res modules towards the bottom of the menu:

• INPUT adjusts the signal level at the resonator’s input. Important: ZebraHZ’s resonator
is strictly monophonic – stereo signals are summed to mono first.
• COLOUR selects one of 3 different analogue filter models in the order of CPU usage.
• MODE switches the type of filters used: LP = lowpass, BP = bandpass, BPi = bandpass
with the second filter (300Hz to 1.5kHz) inverted, HP = highpass
• 60 to 300, 300 to 1.5 etc.: the yellow sliders determine cutoff frequencies within those
ranges. Note: The filter on the right is full-range (60Hz to 7.5 kHz).
• R: the blue sliders adjust the resonance for each filter.
• G: the orange sliders set the output gain for each filter.

Tip: ZebraHZ’s resonator is worth studying in depth. It can help you train your ears to
recognize natural formants in the environment or in acoustic musical instruments, which
is very useful knowledge for synth sound design!


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 PRESETS

The Dark Zebra Presets

Most of these presets were programmed to be performed, not necessarily fired off in
your DAW. They make use of MIDI controls modulation wheel, pressure and pitch
bender as well as Control A, which is set to MIDI CC#02 by default.
To play these presets with the intended expression, please read the patch information in
the browser. For instance, here’s the information about Batpunk Seq+

Please note the following abbreviations:

MW Modulation Wheel (MIDI CC 1)
PB Pitch Bender
AT Aftertouch (channel or poly)
Ctrl A User definable (MIDI CC 2 by default)

Finally, all preset names that end in a ‘+’ (plus) sign make use of the X/Y pads.


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 PRESETS

Basses + Drones
Aerodrone
Analog Schmanalog
Arise Drone 1+
Arise Drone 2+
Bane Bass - rough
Bane Bass - smooth
Bane Drone
Base Metal
Basic Analog Drone
Bass Ivorish
Bass-DIVA+
Bass-TARD
Bombers Over Berlin
Boom Bass
Deehive
Deep Limbo Drone
Deep Pain Drone
Faith Healer
Feedback Drone Guitar
Feedback Soft Metal
Foundry Bass
Intro Dive
Landslide
Monstrosity
Octave Bass
Pulses Drone
RezDrone - filter
Ringmod Pulser
Scramble Bass
Square Slipper
Stereo Bass
Throat Bass+
Walteration


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 PRESETS

Bells + Metallurgy
Bell Labs 2+
Bell Pad+
BenderZING+
Breathing Bells with Fizz+
Chord Metal - thin
Chord Metal - thinnest
Foundry Bass
Gobichord - hard
Gobichord - soft
Hong Drum
Limbo hard
Ma Bell+
Metal Spank - bright
Metal Spank - dark
Metal Spank - slow
Partial to Bells
Punching Metal
RezDrone - cold 1
RezDrone - cold 2
Scaffolding
Scissors
Swordmaster
Tonk to Metal
Tortured Metal - hits
Tortured Metal - scream
Zingtar

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 PRESETS

Drums + Clocks
Alarm Clock Noise Pulse 16th c
AutomatiQ+ Noise Pulse 16th d
B-Begins Comb Pageturn - clean
Bane Beat 5-4+ Pageturn - loop
Bane Shatter Pageturn - tremor
Bataalimba+ Phase Train
Batcave HiHat - fast Punch Pots - comb
Batcave HiHat - slow Punch Pots - noise
Batflaps Performer Rattled
Batpunk Havana Club Snapper 3
Big Flamboo Square of the Hippo
Big Flapper Timber Tomsnare
Breathing Bright Tom Bombers
Breathing Cat Trilobite
Breathing Dark - fast Tungsten Toms+
Breathing Dark - slow Warpatch
Breathing Slow Water Pot

Chicken Shake
Clock Backward Time - fast
Clock Backward Time - slow
Clock Bones+
Clock Bongito
Clock Click - binary
Clock Click - tristate
Clock Hollow
Clock Scissors
Clock Spacebirds
Crash Cans
Drum Analog Noise
Echo Perk
Field Player+
Flapbeat fast 5-4 noise
Flapbeat fast 5-4 pan
Flapbeat slow 5-4 noise
Flapbeat slow 5-4 pan
Gobi Tech percussion
Gotham Storm
Gotham Ticker
Gretschen 8th+
Gretschen 16th+
Gretschen single+
Hatbox 5-4
Hatnoise Wave
Log to Stick
Noise Pulse 8th
Noise Pulse 16th a
Noise Pulse 16th b

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 PRESETS

Effects + Chaos
Aleatronic
Arise Noise
Arise Tones
Bane Shout - Basara
Bane Shout - Deshi
Bowed Chaos
Cloven Hoof
Construction at RCP
Dark Chaos
Demon Whispers
E-Donkey+
Eerie High Mono
Electron Chain
Electron Tank
Emo Trashing L100
Falling Noise
Faze Thunder
Ghosts
Hadron Hall 2
HeliBomber
Limbo - chaos
Limbo - slow
Long Swoop
Low Strangle
Noise Angels
Road Accident Kit
Rumbling
Splinters
Suffolkation Tardis
The Long Now - orbit
The Long Now - straight
Tomb End
Watershed
Wheel Noise - rumble
Wheel Noise - simple
Whispercussion+
Winged Dwarf
Winged Giant


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 PRESETS

HighArps + Chords
5-4 Buzzchord Fast Rusty Bomber
7-8 Batcave inspired Five Against Four - minor
8th Horn Pulse Five Against Four - neutral
Angel Falling - Dm Flamencomb Dark
Angel Falling - free Flamencomb Real
Angel Rising - Dm Gated Atlantic
Angel Rising - free Glass Peals and Flaps
Batagonia Gobi Banjo - fast
Batbeat Holes+ Gobi Banjo - slow
Batcave crystals Gobi Tech monohard
Batcave glass harmonica Gobi Tech polysoft
Batcave MSEG swim1 Gobinator
Batcave MSEG swim2 Hardface
Batcave octaves - analog Hektik 32 bright
Batcave octaves - mellow Hektik 32 high
Batcave overtone shift HiSeq Flute 4-4
Batcave psirens HiSeq Flute 5-4
Batcave syncing down HiSeq Hang
Batcave-ish pluck HiSeq Viral 1
Batcave-ish scrape HiSeq Viral 2
Berlin Speed HiSeq Viral 3
Bop Talk+ Little Roller
Bow Bounce Synth 1 Mock 15 Arp
Bow Bounce Synth 2 Straight Talk
Breathing Choir Strumflap

Cat Appeal
Cat Chanel
Cat Cutter
Cat Pulse
Cat Techno 1 - hypersaw
Cat Techno 2 - busy
Cat Techno 3 - resins
Chord Metal - bellish
Chord Metal - flappy
Chord Metal - harmless
Chord Metal - mild 1
Chord Metal - mild 2
Chord Metal - straight
Chord Mombassa
Chord Vitamin B
Chord Vocal
Chordination
Combplayer fast
Combplayer hard
Combplayer slow
Combplayer soft
Dream Roll

14
 PRESETS

Leads + Horns
Aetherial Tron
Angelis
Asynth2
Bane Brass
Bat Horns
Benderphone
Berlin One
Big Wing Blade
Blade - high hard
Blade - high soft
Blade - original raw
Blade - reverb
Blade - synced wobble
Chord Bender Choir
Chord Bender Saws
Crazy Diamond poly
CSBO 4th
CSBO duelling XMFs
CSBO effects
CSBO glide
CSBO innocent
CSBO simple
CSBO swell+
Distant Sun
Faze Four Fan Fare
Flappy MG Mono
Flappy MG Poly
Forlorn - full
Forlorn - pure
Forlorn - stringy
Hans Forlorn
Hornstar
Instability
Jazz Tonto+
Lonely Batcall complex+
Mock 15
Ostinato 1_4
Ostinato Sad
Phazor
Pitched Noise poly
Power Chorder
Power Leader
Singing Triangles
The Giorgio Room
Triangle Ghost
Vintager
Virus Horns


15
 PRESETS

LowArps + Stomps
3rd Plodder
8th Primitive Stomp HS
16th Primitive Stomp 1
16th Primitive Stomp 2
16th Stomp - chug timps
16th Stomp - five hills
Army Base 1
Army Base 2
B-Begins aggressive
B-Begins simple 1
B-Begins simple 2
B-Begins simple 3
B-Begins VIRUS clean
B-Begins VIRUS distort+
B-Begins VIRUS noise
B-Begins VIRUS punch
Bass Propeller
Bass-DIVA stomp
Batpunk Seq+
Batpunk Seq1 - speaker
Batpunk Seq2 - ricky+
Batpunk Seq3 - orient+
Breathing Bass
Cat Bass Seq+
Cheops1
Cheops2
Chug1 - fast+
Chug2 - cutter
Chug3 - large
Deshi-Basara Beat
Dr Pump
Flaps osc
Flaps ugly
Ghana Beat+
Heartbeat Drone
Hektik 32 low
MiniPump - 8th
MiniPump - 16th
Octave Jump 1
Octave Jump 2
Octave Jump 3+
Octave Jump 4
Plod Bass
Precinct 14
Precinct 15
Rien de Pulse
Rolling Metal
Sync Chord Stomp
Three Quarters Breathing
Vitamin B

16
 PRESETS

Pads + Keys
Aetherium+
Alternator Flute
An Enoding
Analog Piano
Atlantic Swell
Bathwater Harp+
Beano
Bling+
Blue Glass
Bouncer
Box of Tron
Cat Pluck
Choir-ish Pad
Classic Stringer
Comb Strings
Comba Karma
Elevenotron In
Elevenotron Out
Fluttery Strings
Forgotten Angels 2
Forlorn - waver
Harp
Liquid Rust
Lonely with Windchimes
Minor Raise
Nepalese Temple+Flutes
Nepalese Temple+Railway
Newmantics
Nightshore
Organigram
Pad 59
Percalliope
RezDrone - vocal
Rusty Harp
Sad Pad
Sad Strings
Saengerbuben
Strings and Horn Split
Supersquare Poly
Violin Fluff
Waterpiano
Ztrings 1
Ztrings 2
Ztrings 3
Ztrings 4
Ztrings 5


17
 PRESETS

Xtras
Atomic Ruster
Bendybass
Canned Flutes
Comedy Lab
Flagship Brass+Strings
Howard Square
Kraft
Marcato Chunks
Maximini
Minibass 1
Motor 49
Oscar Harpsi
Rasp Room
Resonator Learner
Scrapie
Sharpsichord
Shepard Template
Snapper 1
Snapper 2
To Boldly Go
Underwater Pianette
Voyage 59
Wet Potz

18