u-he Zebralette 3, free Synthesizer plugin: release candidate, new licensing system, and Zebra 3 very soon

u-he Zebralette 3 is a free Synthesizer plugin that previews the new oscillator engine of the upcoming Zebra 3 synth. The release candidate is out now.

After almost 2 years of beta testing (1 year and 10 months, so to speak), u-he has now released the Zebralette 3 release candidate, including new features and improvements. This release isn’t happening without reason.

The long-awaited Beta testing phase for Zebra 3 is imminent. According to u-he, the first Zebra 3 beta is planned for release next week, coinciding with Zebralette 3. Finally! And they also use Zebralette 3 RC to test a new simplified licensing system.



U-he Zebralette 3 Release Candidate
Zebralette 3 Release Candidate (RC) includes some significant changes based on the upcoming Zebra 3 Beta. U-he has removed some parameters from Zebralette 3 that are no longer present in Zebra 3’s final feature set, and added new ones.

Users with less powerful systems will be pleased to know that the plugin’s CPU performance has been further optimized. Here is a list of the changes to the Zebralette 3 RC:

• License card import feature
• Osc wavetable mode: now with phase modulation in the modulation target list and new DC block option
• New ModNoise modulation source
• User-definable MIDI control modulation sources expanded (added Ctrl C&D)
• MSEG single trigger mode has been removed, and MSEG can now be used as VCA source
• New OSC FX bypass button
• S&H trigger system has been improved
• New preferences for mouse wheel and trackpad handling, for animation handling, and for reset behaviour on playback star
• Countless other small improvements & fixes

License Cards System
Alongside the release of Zebraellete 3 RC, u-he launched a new licensing system. Don’t worry, no subscription, no online requirement, etc.

They use small PNG images that store your serial numbers in the metadata, as you can see in the picture above. According to u-he, the idea was inspired by Plogue, who has adopted a similar concept for many years.

License cards work offline on multiple computers and do not require an internet connection, as they use a no-challenge/response system.

Currently, the new system is also being beta-tested with Zebralette 3 RC, where the PNG file can be imported for testing purposes.

The first commercial product to support license cards will be Zebra 3. There is no fixed release date for the first Zebra 3 beta, but a release is planned for next week. So, it’s coming very soon.

That’s why all owners of the original Zebra 2 + The Dark Zebra (TDZ) combo also have their Zebra 3 license in the new License Card. License card support for the other plugins will follow step by step in 2026.

The new Zebralette 3 Release Candidate is available on the KVR Audio u-he forum. Exciting news, and one thing is sure: the countdown for Zebra 3 Beta has now begun.

Source: https://synthanatomy.com/2025/12/u-he-zebralette-3.html

 

Even if you're not a fan of Zebra(lette) there's one point worth mentioning, you can create oscillator morphs as you wish and then export them so you can use them in synths of your liking, works with Vital, Serum and Wavetable (Ableton).

And if you've used Zebralette you know the oscillator and the waveforms it creates is just madness. So pick up ZL and screw around and import them into your synth of choice, trust me good shit is to be had.

 

Immediately updated but I hadn’t installed the update yet, I will when I get home and have some spare time to unpack… that license cards is just so digital looking it could fit the new wave u-he should be working on… give Zebra 3 the EX5 treatment and filling it with 90s digital waves… technically the Zebra 3 beta counts as it coming out since we finally would have a more available version while unstable to hear and test it before the release update… I’d probably have like five nickels for every time a major monster made an upgrade this year, we had Serum 2, Omnisphere 3, Absynth 6, Zebra 3… not too much time left in the year to add something like HALion 8 or whatever else

 

Crashes... in all DAW's any reason why? im on Mac Sonoma

 

Well, good shit could be had if only the OSC FX could be baked into the wavetable, but unfortunaly they can't.