Nikolator is Hügelton Instruments' physical modeling synth that simulates a musical Tesla coil, with voltage, current, arc, and discharge controls, a valve filter, and a 4 by 6 modulation matrix.
Plugin comparison
Nikolator vs u-he Zebra 3
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which synth to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
Contenders
The side-by-side
9.0Essential
u-he's cult-favorite synth, rebuilt from the ground up with spline-based wavetables, additive synthesis up to 1,024 partials, and an adaptive modular interface.
Technical matrix
Specs compared
| Signal | Nikolator | u-he Zebra 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Pay what you want, from $1 | €249 |
| Dubspot Score | — | 9.0 |
| Formats | VST3, AU, Standalone | CLAP, VST3, AU, AAX |
| Type | Physical modeling synthesizer (musical Tesla coil) | Modular wavetable / additive synthesizer |
| Sound source | Modeled resonant circuit, discharge, and air behavior | — |
| Voices | Monophonic and polyphonic modes | — |
| Filter | Paraphonic valve low-pass filter | — |
| Modulation | Drive envelope, 4 by 6 modulation matrix, assignable MIDI routing | — |
| Presets | 22 factory, plus user presets | — |
| Formats | Standalone, AU, VST3 (macOS); VST3 (Windows) | CLAP, VST3, AU, AAX (macOS / Windows / Linux) |
| Partials | — | Up to 1,024 (additive) |
| Released | — | April 2026 |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.