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Sleek, streamlined, fast
Hive: Built for fast results
With its effortless workflow and low processor usage, you can create your patches in next to no time at all. Hive is quick and uncomplicated, but that doesn’t mean sacrificing flexibility, sound quality, or creativity. It's packed with features and controls – with a dazzling character that delivers stunning sound.
Hive in the spotlight…
Hover over the dots 
to learn about Hive’s features
- CPU-friendly VA synthesizer with 3 different synth engine characters
- 2 pairs of stereo oscillators and sub-oscillators with 10 different waveforms each
- Wavetable support with additional proprietary .uhm file scripting
- 2 LFOs with various shapes, sync options and unipolar switch
- 4× XY pad control with auto-assign
- Polyphonic (up to 16 voices), duophonic, mono and legato modes
- Up to 16× unison per oscillator
- 2 multimode filters: lowpass, highpass, bandpass, bandreject or peaking
- 12-slot modulation matrix with 2 targets per slot, countless targets including all FX parameters
- Glide (constant rate or constant time mode)
- 7 quality effects on board: distortion, chorus, delay, phaser, EQ, plate reverb, compressor
- Arpeggiator and sequencer with direction, order, octave, frame/restart controls, and common clock with strict host-sync option
- On-screen keyboard
- Over 2700 factory presets
- Resizable UI from 70% to 200%
Important info about the 1.2 update installation:
Due to the new preset browser, it is important to install the update into the same location as the previous version, and to make sure you select all previously installed plugin formats during installation. Alternatively, you can remove the old installation, and start over with a fresh installation. But it is crucial to not mix old and new plugin versions, since the old versions can not cope with the new preset browser, and will crash (or otherwise misbehave) if you try to load them.
Sights and sounds
- More videos
- Demo Tracks
- Screenshots
Introduction to Hive - Part 2
Part 2 tutorial about the oscillators.
Introduction to Hive - Part 3
Part 3 tutorial about the filters.
Introduction to Hive - Part 4
Part 4 tutorial takes a closer look at Hive's glide, vibrato and pitchbend section.
Selected Hive presets
A run through of some of Hive's factory presets.
Teaser video
A teaser video made for the Hive release.
More Hive tutorials
Watch more introductory videos in our tutorials section.
Wavetable Demo Track NEW --:-- / --:--
Track made using 14 presets from v1.2. Produced by Bjulin 
. All sounds except drums and transition effects are factory wavetable presets. External effects were used.
Wavetable Demo Track 2 NEW --:-- / --:--
Track made using 10 presets from v1.2. Produced by Bjulin . All sounds except drums and transition effects are factory wavetable presets. External effects were used.
Wavetable Demo Track 3 NEW --:-- / --:--
For this track, Gareth Hester used 10 presets from Hive 1.2, no external FX.
Wavetable Downtempo NEW --:-- / --:--
12 of the wavetable factory presets from v1.2 were used. All sounds and FX are from Hive except the drums. "Touch of Glue" (Presswerk) and "Mastering Tape" (Satin) presets on the master. Created by Dario.
Enter the Hive --:-- / --:--
Hive gets rolling with a drum and bass track from Biome Digital . All sounds by Hive except the drums.
Techno --:-- / --:--
Big room style Techno from Biome Digital . All sounds by Hive except the drums.
Nectar --:-- / --:--
An energetic ’90s style trance track from Aiyn Zahev . All sounds by Hive with some additional FX and compression.
Escalation and Retaliation --:-- / --:--
A soundtrack style example from Kevin Schroeder . All sounds by Hive.
Deep House --:-- / --:--
A contemporary smooth deep house flavoured track created by Oddvar. Some additional drums, EQ and compression.
Main Interface
Arpeggiator and Sequencer
Effects
XY Controls
Modulation Matrix
Preset Browser
Underneath its sleek exterior, Hive lets you go as deep as you like. Add movement and life, quickly create and rotate patterns combining arpeggiator and/or sequencer. The 12-slot matrix even lets you modulate the effect parameters, encouraging you to explore a whole new world of creative options. With its swappable audio engine, flexible signal routing and quality effects, Hive makes sure you can get the sound you want with a minimum of fuss. Want more? Version 1.2 introduces full fledged Wavetable suppport, XY controls, and more!
New in 1.2: Wavetables
How it works
Hive version 1.2 Hive includes Wavetables! These appear as oscillator waveforms, and are controlled in the central hexagon. You can manually select wavetables, modulate the position via the modulation matrix, or even scan them automatically using various envelope and loop options, which let you animate wavetables without requiring an extra modulation source.
More features include a Reverse option to flip the wavetable back to front, Cyclic mode for seamless wavetable cycling, and different real-time interpolation methods.
Multi-Table
This feature splits the wavetable from between 2 and 16 parts. For instance, a wavetable with 30 frames can be split into 3 wavetables with 10 frames each - by setting the number of Tables to 3. The Multi Position knob scans those set tables. This opens up a second dimension of wavetable scanning, such as velocity crossfades or multisample support.
Optional scripting
Want to go even more in-depth? Wavetables in Hive are also available as .uhm files. These files contain scripts made with a proprietary wavetable generation and manipulation language. Getting started is easy and fun.
Interpolation
When using Wavetables, Hive provides 4 different algorithms for interpolating between frames: switch, crossfade, spectral, and zero phase. The appearance (and CPU usage) of waveforms can differ significantly, depending on the interpolation. The spectral and zero phase modes shift the relative phases of partials differently. The switch option only shows non-interpolated waveforms.
More features
Arpeggiator and Sequencer
Hive's hexagon includes an ARP/SEQ area in which you can sculpt your complex and rhythmic loops.
Arpeggiator
Hive's arpeggiator features 4 octaves to select from, 6 different directions, and 4 options for the order. Additional features are Restart, which lets you set the number of notes the arpeggiator will play before jumping back to the beginning, and Frame, which limits the the length while driving the sequencer from the arpeggiator.
Sequencer
The sequencer features 3 different modes: Modulator, which doesn't trigger notes, but only CC values and Gate. Select Play, to trigger notes. Like the arpeggiator, the sequence will run whenever notes are being played and will stop when all notes are released. The last mode is Record, this lets you record sequences manually or through the arpeggiator.
Arpeggiator and Sequencer in Hive
Flexible Effects
Hive's hexagon includes 7 different effects: Distortion, Reverb, Equalier, Chorus, Delay, Compressor, and Phaser.
Enable and rearrange
Each effect state and position in the chain is easily controllable from the center of the hexagon. Click on one to enable or disable it, and order them to your liking: Like in other u-he plugins, effects in Hive are rearrangeable through drag and drop! This allows you to sculpt your sound even more through many experimental combinations.
Edit and modulate
Effects in Hive are fully-featured with many editable controls, a selection of presets, and the well known u-he quality.
Want more? All controls are also modulatable thorugh the modulation matrix!
Effects in Hive
Modulation Matrix
Hive features a 2-page, 12-slot (6 per page) modulation matrix which allows you to connect modulation sources (LFOs, MIDI controls, envelopes, etc.) to more than 80 targets. Each modulator can be turned on or off, and lets you select 2 different targets, each with its own modulation depth control. The assignment is made easy with drag and drop. Preset support is also included.
Modulation Matrix in Hive
New in 1.2: Performance controls
Version 1.2 introduces another new tab in Hive's hexagon: XY.
In this page, you'll find a pad with 4 controls – simply connect them to your MIDI controllers for maximum fun on stage!
Automatic parameter scanning
Hive is able to assign XY controls to parameters automatically. It looks into the structure of presets that have unused XY controls, and assigns them to the most appropriate XY macros (pre-defined sets of parameters).
XY controls in Hive
December 2015
2015 - Editor's ChoiceComputer Music
December 2015
2015 - Performance AwardComputer Music
“…a straightforward, user-friendly synth with superb sound quality and an interesting sonic range…”
June 2015
“…so versatile nobody will notice that you made the whole song with just one synthesizer.”
September 2015
“…most workflow-efficient, high-performance synth I’ve used with this amount of flexibility and pristine sound quality…”
May 2017
“HIVE is a modern synth with a great sound and the versatility is greatly enhanced.”
October 2015
“…makes a convincing case as a go-to plug-in for impressively full-bodied subtractive synthesis.”
June 2015
“…the best choice for anyone looking for a straightforward, fat-sounding, and future-proof virtual analogue synth.”
August 2015
Global
Polyphonic (up to 16 voices), duophonic, mono and legato modes
Synth Engine
3 synth engine characters (Normal, Dirty, Clean)
Oscillators
- 2 pairs of stereo oscillators, 9 different waveforms each
- Up to 16× unison per oscillator
Filters
- 2 multimode filters (lowpass, highpass, bandpass, bandreject or peaking)
- Flexible oscillator and filter routing
Arp+Seq
- Common clock for arpeggiator and sequencer, with strict host-sync option
- Arpeggiator with direction, order, octave and frame/restart controls
- 16-step sequencer to drive notes or modulation
LFOs
2 LFOs with various shapes, sync options and unipolar switch
Performance
- Glide control, constant rate or constant time mode
- Extra vibrato oscillator
Envelopes
2 pairs of ADSR envelopes, each stage can be individually modulated
Configuration
- Resizable GUI from 70% to 200%
- MIDI learn page and editable list
- Global preferences page
Modulation
- 12-slot modulation matrix with 2 targets per slot, countless targets including all FX parameters
- Drag and drop modulation assignment
Effects
7 quality effects on board: distortion, chorus, delay, phaser, EQ, plate reverb, compressor
Performance Control
4× XY pad control with auto-assign
Wavetable support
With proprietary .uhm scripting language, modulatable controls, and more...
Download the demo and enter your serial number to unlock the full version. The demo version emits crackling sound at irregular intervals.
Hive 1.2 (revision 8115)
Released December 11, 2018
Release notes
Linux beta note : Before purchasing, please be aware the Linux versions of our plug-ins are still considered beta. While the plug-ins are stable, we are not able to provide the same level of support for these products as we do for the macOS and Windows versions. Support is provided via the Linux and u-he communities on our forum . CLOSE
Requirements
Mac OS X 10.7 or newer
or
Windows 7 or newer
or
Linux
- 1GB RAM, more recommended
- 50MB free disk space
- 1000 × 600 or larger display
- Modern CPU (Sandy Bridge or newer recommended)
- Host software
Formats
Hive is not a standalone product, it requires host software. Hive is compatible with nearly all DAWs.
Available as Audio Units (AU), VST2, AAX (Pro Tools 10.3.7 or later) plug-ins with 32-bit and 64-bit versions.
User Guides
Downloads for Hive
Try the latest builds of Hive, which include improvements and bug fixes. Note: these are stable, but still beta versions.
Older Hive installers are in our release archive (for legacy systems).
