We’re excited to roll out a new licensing system that will eventually replace traditional serial numbers across our product line: License Cards.
Our much anticipated Zebra 3 is now available as a public beta! Built on decades of experience gained from developing Zebra2 but surpassing it in every way, Zebra 3 is packed with powerful new modules that take advantage of Zebra’s renowned workflow. Those of you who have already experimented with Zebralette 3 should have an inkling of what to expect…
This core piece of Zebra 3 is finally out of beta, and with significantly reduced CPU-hunger. To recap: Zebralette 3 is a single oscillator plucked from the mothership and embedded within a minimal synth environment comprising ADSR and MSEG envelopes, two LFOs, modulation matrix, delay and reverb effects…
A step up for all Uhbik users, Uhbik 2 is now available. The update is free for existing Uhbik license holders. 100% backwards compatible with the original Uhbik: Simply install over the previous version.
Repro-5 lovers can now step into KYHON’s kaleidoscopic world with this off-the-wall selection of vintage synthesizer tones bursting with colour. Blue Flamingo spans 60 years of psychedelia, with many of the offerings evoking the golden era of the 1970s, but adding a modern edge.
After 15 years of distribution via Amazona (amazona.de), we are also hosting Tyrell N6 on this website. We’ve tweaked a few things so that Tyrell behaves well on current operating systems. We also took the opportunity to add the CLAP format, vastly improve VST3 implementation, and polish the factory preset library.
The many enhancements include support for the latest hardware and operating systems, two more formats (CLAP, native AAX), better GUI performance with additional scaling options, as well as an updated browser to bring it in line with our other recent releases e.g. Repro 1.1.3. A few details …
Repro version 1.1.3 supports CLAP and AAX (Apple silicon), implements MPE for polyphonic presets, doubles the size of the modulation matrix, adds range controls for the modulation wheel, a hiss mute switch (Velvet), an uninstaller for Windows, supports IPluginCompatibility for easy migration from VST2 to VST3. The effect panel positions now reflect FX signal flow!
While The Bazille Cookbook demonstrates Bazille’s sheer versatility, Strobos showcases its natural talent for complex movement. We asked six sound designers to contribute as many different flavours of ‘motion’ as possible, and the result was this wonderfully varied soundset. The library includes bass riffs, layered melodies, swirling effects, percussion loops – even a classic analogue drum machine clone or two!
The Zebra Legacy CLAP and AAX (with Apple silicon support) update is now available. Version 2.9.4 also includes the recently introduced experimental “Key Control” option for mouseless operation – you are invited to join the discussion about Key Control in our KVR support forum.
CLAP and AAX (with Apple silicon support) updates for Colour Copy, MFM2 and Twangström are now available. These versions also include the recently introduced experimental “Key Control” option for mouseless operation – you are invited to join the discussion about Key Control in our KVR support forum.
MPE–enabled updates for ACE, Bazille, Diva and Hive 2 are now available. These versions are more expressive (MPE = MIDI Polyphonic Expression) and include an experimental “Key Control” option for mouseless operation. Join the discussion about Key Control in our KVR support forum.
Take a nostalgic journey with Sugar & Spice – a performance soundset comprising over 260 presets plus many XY variations. Drawing inspiration from the iconic stage keyboards and synths of the 80s and 90s, this collection blends classic charm with modern flexibility. While focussing on nuanced response to velocity and aftertouch for the seasoned keyboardist, Sugar & Spice also offers more dramatic morphing via the XY Pads – you will find over 100 examples in the XY Showcase folders.
Satin version 1.3.3 includes native AAX support for Apple silicon and addresses several Pro Tools specific issues. This version also supports CLAP.
A core piece of Zebra 3 is now available. Zebralette 3 is a single oscillator plucked from the mothership and embedded within a minimal synth environment: ADSR and MSEG envelopes, two LFOs, mod matrix, delay and reverb effects. Like its predecessor, Zebralette 3 is freeware.
Automata marks a departure from our usual soundsets. While previous releases from a single creative mind would focus on a specific musical style, this collection delves into a more technical and underrepresented aspect of Diva: motion!
Diva v1.4.6 supports the next generation of Native Instruments’ NKS technology: optimized integration with the latest NI hardware (Kontrol keyboards, Maschine). For more information go to native-instruments.com .
Free for existing Filterscape owners (otherwise €129) a sleek new version of our morphing EQ based plug-in bundle is now ready for action! Launched in 2004 as our very first cross-platform product, version 1.0 was an important milestone in the company history. Now rewritten with modern code and a modern UI, it looks, feels and sounds like a brand new product. Or rather, three brand new products …
ModeAudio, a UK-based team of dedicated sound designers & developers, captures the dream-like tones of your favorite Indie Electronica artists. Washed-out, grainy, warbly, otherworldly…
Kling Klong is a collection of 170+ unorthodox percussion loops and hits offering countless variations via the XY pads. There are four categories:
Zebra Legacy is Zebra2 with all our Zebra soundsets for free (including The Dark Zebra), all at the extraordinarily generous price of 99€. This allows us to continue maintaining Zebra2 for many years to come while we focus on Zebra3 development… and beyond.
As of today, current Zebra2 owners can simply download and install Zebra Legacy free of charge. The price for a new license is 99 €.
After 10 years of speculation about an imminent Zebra3 release, things are starting to inch forward again. In 2012 we announced that the upgrade to Zebra3 would be free for existing owners of Zebra2 plus The Dark Zebra, otherwise $30 USD, and of course we will honour that promise. Please note that we switched our pricing to Euro a few years ago.
Firstly, MFM2 has just taken a giant leap forward: Most obviously, the original “3D disk” UI has been replaced by a much more practical design. Under the hood, we added CLAP as well as native support for Apple Silicon (M1) CPU, macOS Monterey.
Bricks is a modern, aggressive, lo-fi soundset with enough dusty basses, sombre pads, fractured leads and deep vintage flavours to keep everyone’s creative juices flowing.
This giveaway has ended. You’re welcome to sign up to our newsletter anyway, but the raffle has ended.
Over two years in the making, Metaphorium for Hive 2 is now available! 220+ presets programmed in-house by Howard Scarr, Viktor Weimer (TUC) and Urs Heckmann himself.
We saw Apple’s switch to their own CPU architecture as a welcome opportunity to up our game and “go native”, so to speak. After several months of hard work, we have new plug-in versions, all refactored to offer a massive performance boost on recent Macs with Apple Silicon CPUs, especially if your host application has also gone M1-native. This means more instances of your favourite u-he plug-ins!
Version 2.1 comes with four new filter types, support for the latest Apple macOS and M1 hardware, 100 new presets, an alternative skin by Plugmon and much more.
Our FM/PM based monster modular Bazille has been updated and is now available.
Mix! Route! Mucord! Pan!
Zebra2, Zebralette and The Dark Zebra version 2.9.2
75 dynamic percussion sounds for Repro-1 by Electric Himalaya
Catalina updates!
What a way to end the year: u-he and Diva were voted winners in two categories of the KVR Readers’ Choice Awards 2019!
We’re very happy to announce the release of Zebra version 2.9!
We’re happy to announce that Zebra version 2.9 is coming soon! The official release is scheduled for the end of November, the update will be free for existing Zebra2 owners.
128 millennial sounds for Repro-1 by The Unfinished.
Hive 2.0 comes with a new interface, more modulation options, NKS support and much more.
Much more than a simple blast from the past for Dub Reggae fans, twangy guitar playing ’60s surfers and ’70s retro rockers, Twangström is an ultra flexible box of tricks…
We just updated Hive to version 1.2! While this update is focused on the introduction of wavetable scanning, it also includes other new features, bugfixes, and almost 500 new factory presets.
Funkstation is a collection of old school Funk sounds by Howard Scarr, inspired by Parliament-Funkadelic, The Gap Band, Midnight Star, and the many artists who embraced synthesizers in the Funk music scene of the ’70s and ’80s.
We have released a hotfix to solve the file sorting issues introduced with the new Apple File System in High Sierra.
Apart from a sleek new look and the new searchable preset browser, ZebraHZ version 2.8 has more synthesis “grunt” than the previous version: First, we doubled the number of modulation matrix slots (now 24) and MSEGs (now 8) so you are unlikely to run out of those in a hurry!
u-he is once again taking part in the IMSTA FESTA in New York this year (September 22nd).
Colour Copy was inspired by classic bucket-brigade delays (BBD), then extended with modern features such as the unique colour morphing, adjustable stereo taps, dynamic ducking of the feedback signal, freeze and MIDI note tracking.
We have finally equipped our multi-talented dynamics processor Presswerk with the new preset browser, which features tagging and powerful search functions.
Created by our very own Howard Scarr, Zebratron was heavily inspired by tape-based keyboards and other innovative instruments of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Several of the presets are remarkably similar to signature sounds of that era, while others reinterpret their “flawed” aesthetic.
On July 2nd 2018 we will be switching the reference currency in our online shop from USD to EUR* and all prices will appear tax-inclusive. For instance, what is currently “129$ + applicable taxes” will simply appear as “129€”. This is the total price for everyone, whether tax is included or not.
Typical! After releasing the new versions we immediately found some minor annoyances that needed to be fixed pronto…
Along with numerous minor bugfixes and improvements, Satin now comes with NKS compatibility and our new preset browser, which includes preset tagging and powerful search functions. We’ve also worked hard on the UHX compander subsystem so that the original behaviour is more faithfully reproduced. Alas, this meant adding a legacy button for the sake of backwards compatibility, but we’re sure it was worth it.
We proudly present 60 new action-packed presets that transcend EDM: Pulsing arpeggios, glassy cityscapes, yearning synth leads and dark, grimy basses - all driven via modulation wheel, aftertouch and breath (MIDI CC 2). Vectors will have you racing along gleaming futuristic highways, accompanied by breathtaking vistas of high-tech cyberpunk cities that hide their dark side behind a veneer of neon lights…
Due to the May Day holiday in Germany, the u-he offices will be closed May 1st. Customer support will not be available.
Like so many companies, we took part in the grand GDPR clean-up and asked our newsletter subscribers to re-subscribe to our newsletter, this time not only asking for double opt-in but also explaining purpose and storage - all wrapped nicely into a slightly more complicated-but-compliant signup form.
We are excited to roll out a new version of u-he.com. A new look, new sections, and much easier to update. The site is more flexible so we can bring you new tutorials, features, videos and more—check out the community section to see some of the new stuff. Plus, everything is now phone / tablet friendly.
It is spring in Berlin, and that can only mean it is time for Superbooth once again. The last two events were tonnes of fun and, of course, some work—full of synths, people and music.
The year is almost over, so we are taking a small break over the Christmas and New Year’s period to relax and be merry. We will be back in 2018 for more synths and sounds.
We are wrapping up 2017 with the release of Repro v1.1, a free update for Repro-1. A year ago we released Repro-1, a brash and raw monosynth. This year we added a new polyphonic family member: Repro-5.
We are pleased to start the public beta for Repro-5.
Our latest soundset takes a different approach than our previous releases—it is smaller and highlights a single theme. Compact and concentrated inspiration.
Due to the Reformationstag holiday in Germany, the u-he offices will be closed October 30th and 31st. Customer support will not be available on these days.
We will be at the IMSTA FESTA in Berlin October 28th to show off some of our plug-ins. Plus, there are a lot of other activites: workshops, song critques and panel discussions. Full details on the IMSTA website.
May 2018 update: Zebra 2.8, Diva 1.4.3 and Repro 1.1 correct the unsorted presets issue when using the APFS file system in High Sierra.
Alexander Hacke delves into the rich history and themes of the Tarot deck to create an unconventional new Hive soundset: Tarot. The soundset winds sonic motifs and themes throughout—guided by the meaning and interpretations of each card. Immerse yourself and let the sounds guide you, or find your own path. And extra bonus: the soundset is a free download.
Join Bujlin as he travels through spaces, both the real and the fantastical with Atmos, a new soundset for Diva. All 128 presets in this collection of arpeggios, leads, pads and ambient effects are permeated with a sense of space. Conjure outer space, empty buildings or windswept fields.
Note: This promotion is over
Summer is winding down … the days are growing shorter, the weather is cooling off. Which, of course, means more time to spend in the studio making music.
ReSequenced is our first soundset for Repro-1. The focus is on Repro-1’s sequencer—100 presets of percussive loops, basslines, melodies and more …
The Audio Engineering Society (AES) is an organisation devoted to audio technology. This year one of their events is in Berlin, so it seemed like a great opportunity to showcase our products and meet with the AES folks. Takes place May 20-22, find us at booth 300. Hope to see you there.
The office will be closed on Monday for the May 1st holiday.
This week we will be at the fantastic Berlin synthesizer event: Superbooth17. From April 20-22 we will be showing off some of our latest developments. Find us at booth 240 and say “hello”.
Howard and Kevin take the wraps off their latest Hive experiments with Hive Science 2. Like all good sequels, Hive Science 2 revisits and expands on ideas from the original … more epic pads, stomping rhythms, modern leads, strange FXs, and thumping basses …
We are close to wrapping up work on the next Diva update, but would appreciate some final testing before release.
Electronic Beats dropped by our Berlin office recently for an interview with Urs and a peek behind the scenes.
Our latest soundset for Zebra2 is now available.
It’s that time of year again, when we get festive and take holidays. Please note from December 22 until January 5 the u-he offices will be closed. A limited amount of support will be offered via the forum, but it will be slower than normal. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
We are happy to announce the release of Repro-1.
A new beta version is out. This update includes many improvements and bug fixes, a complete library of factory presets, and much improved CPU usage. We expect to finish polishing and fixing stuff in the next couple of week and release the final version of Repro-1 on December 6th
Download and purchase available in this forum post
Note: This promotion is over
We are pleased to start the public beta for Repro-1. Repro-1 is a precise emulation of a vintage monosynth, recreated with all the raw personality and quirks of the original, but with a charm all of its own.
Presswerk 1.1.1 and Satin 1.3 updates are now available. The updates are the last two maintenance releases for all our plug-ins we started last autumn.
Next week we will be at Torino Synth Meeting. Drop by our table and try out the plug-ins, find out the latest news about RePro-1, or just come and say “hello”.
We returned from Superbooth16 with so many impressions. Under the magnificent ’50s architecture of the Funkhaus Berlin we chatted with customers, mingled with other developers, caught up with old friends and enjoyed an absinthe or two in the afternoon sun. The event was a wonderful collision of synthesizers, concerts, presentations and technology—it felt more like a festival than a trade show.
Our latest “researchware” plug-in RePro-Alpha is ready. It is a first step in our recreation of the classic Sequential Circuits Pro-One monophonic synthesizer.
Note: This promotion is now over.
Protoverb is an experimental reverb based on the idea of a “room simulator“.
We are excited to release v1.4.1 of Diva which adds compatibility for Native Instruments’ new Native Kontrol Standard (NKS). The NKS format allows Diva to be integrated with Maschine and Komplete Kontrol S-Series keyboards.
Today we are rolling out updates for almost all of our plugins … even the free ones like Podolski. These updates are the result of a summer long effort of collecting, prioritising, filtering, implementing and refining a slew of outstanding bugs and feature requests. The end result is a long list of improvements and bug fixes. Briefly, the updates are:
Beatzille is a compact version of our monster modular synthesizer Bazille. Although the “little” brother with a condensed feature set, Beatzille remains a very capable and engaging synth. With the same digital oscillators and analogue-style filter plus the flexibility of modular patching, there’s plenty to keep you busy, before you think about moving to Bazille.
We have updates coming soon for 12 of our plugins, all containing numerous bug fixes and improvements. You can download the Release Candidates now to help us test them before final release.
Hive 1.0 is now available for Windows and Mac OS X (VST2, AU and AAX formats, 32 & 64-bit). What started off as a bit of weekend fun exploring supersaws gradually became a full-blown project we’re now excited to show to the world.
Presswerk 1.1 is now available as a free update for Mac OS X and Windows. With Presswerk version 1.1 we added six new UI views—dedicated, streamlined versions of the interface to help you focus on a specific task and speed up your workflow.
We have compiled a quick update for ACE, Bazille and Zebra2.
We put together a few photos and a short time lapse movie to share a little bit of our time at the Frankfurt Musikmesse. It was great to meet everyone in person, catch up with old friends and talk about synths, effects, music and everything else.
Once again, u-he is heading to Frankfurt for MusikMesse. This year the entire office will be packing up the van and showing off our wares. We look forward to seeing everybody there, so why not come on over to Hall 5.1, stand B82 and say “hi”.
Recent updates to Logic Pro X, Mainstage and GarageBand may be causing some u-he plugins to exhibit a ‘missing GUI’ error—the plugin will load but the GUI is not visible.