LinuxMusicians

May28th, official release.

Official presentation text:

Hive 2.0 comes with a new interface, more modulation options, NKS support and much more.

Six months after adding wavetable support, we've completed the long awaited overhaul of Hive's user interface. While the basic layout remains the same, we managed to improve readability and contrast. Workflow has undergone significant improvement, including extended drag & drop support for modulation assignment, with on-target editing. An invaluable tool for sound designers, the new Scope module adds realtime visual feedback for the audio or up to 4 modulation sources, with freeze and zoom functions.

At the heart of the Hive 2.0 upgrade are the new modulators. A novel 8-segment Shape Sequencer adds 4 sources for evolving modulations, per-voice envelopes, rhythms and gates. The basic shapes and levels, curvature and "ratchet" amounts can be individually edited. Surrounding the Shape Sequencer are two westcoast-style Function Generators which are triggered by the keyboard gate, Shape Sequencer, LFO or any other modulation source. Although they are basically AD-envelopes, the function generators can also be used as extra LFOs or lag generators. The new modulators perfectly complement Hive's existing envelopes, LFOs and sequencer – they were designed to match Hive's core strength: Ease of use and fast workflow.

Updates to the Modulation Matrix include visual feedback on the recently introduced modifiers (e.g. Rectifier and Slew Limiter), chord- and scale-based quantization options and a new Sample & Hold. Building on these concepts, we added a global scale-based quantizer to Hive's keyboard control which can also be used to modulate oscillator pitch in the musical scale of your choice – a simple way into the world of algorithmic composition, chiptune arpeggios and automated chord progression.

To illustrate the new options, we asked some of our favourite sound designers to create over 350 new presets, which include mesmerizing evolving pads, surprisingly complex rhythms and even complete one-note demos. Those presets can easily be found by clicking on the special "saved search" in the preset browser.

For those of you who already own Hive 1.x: Hive 2.0 is fully backwards compatible and will replace Hive 1.x in your plug-in folder. The upgrade from Hive 1.x costs 20€. There's a grace period which started January 21st, 2019. Please check out the "u-he Hive 2 Upgrade PDF" which comes with the download – it contains all instructions and links you will need.

Download Hive 2.0 : https://u-he.com/hive

Official introduction video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cam8cb2C_o

New features & improvements

378 new presets
more wavetables
NKS-ready (Previews available as separate download soonishly)
New GUI
Shape Sequencer
Function Generators
Scope
Key Quantizer (play custom scales)
XY section expanded
New mod matrix modifier: Sample & Hold
More quantization options in mod matrix
New Seq Mod modulation source
Mod Assigners for visual feedback of assigned modulations
Modulation overview/unassignment via right-click on parameters
Newly added presets now easily findable through saved search entry

Fixed

Unwanted clicks on note attacks
Compressor parameters smoothed to avoid zipper noise
Selecting init preset does not switch folder selection anymore
Modulating clock swing could cause unexpected results
Clock swing could delay the first note
Strict host sync could cause too early or cut off notes
Rare crash when trying to reopen a host project fixed
Improved mouse drag sensitivity for Ctrl A/B selection on MIDI table page
Sustain pedal now working according to standard (0-63 = off, 64-127 = on)
Improved sustain pedal behaviour when playing same note repeatedly
VST3 was reporting only one MIDI channel to the host
Ctrl A/B now working correctly in VST3 version
MIDI learn now working in VST3

General view:
Another view with the oscillator:
FX view:

Bought... the design alone is worth the money. It looks much more serious.

The previous UI was not bad at all, but this time it's absolutely great.

Also, the fully and nicely clickable User Guide pdf is quite convenient. There's also wavetable documentation.

And then ... the sounds !

EDIT:

With MSoundFactory, of which I'm pleasantly quite surprised, that makes two terrific synths this year to learn and explore. I can say I'm good for the rest of the year (at least), but it seems that Zebra3 is looming, for a same upgrade price as Hive2.

no, no, no, no.

I promised myself, not any more synth until i finish next ep. (alreay have zebra2, diva and repro )

It's not often that we see a company making synths for Linux, so here are two other views. Both also shows the X/Y configuration panel.

Arp and sequencer view:


Wavetable view:

occulkot wrote:no, no, no, no.

I promised myself, not any more synth until i finish next ep. (alreay have zebra2, diva and repro )

If you have zebra 2 you probably don't need Hive.

I still have to figure out how to programme customized Wavetables. This is even not possible in Zebra. And Hive is much more straightforward.

lilith wrote: If you have zebra 2 you probably don't need Hive.

I wouldn't agree with that. Both are different synths, have different filters and options. So it means different expressions.

lilith wrote:I still have to figure out how to programme customized Wavetables. This is even not possible in Zebra.

I wouldn't agree with that also. It is possible to import custom waves in Zebra2. Haven't done it myself although I have at least one sound set that uses that approach to import waves of real instruments.

Here's a howto:

https://ask.audio/articles/creating-wav ... es-zebra-2

@jonetsu - Thanks for this thread, I've been a fan of Hive since its beta release. However, as you know, I've put more time into VCV Rack over the past year, and my u-he synths have languished. I think the 20 Euros isn't too much to pay, especially after reading your laundry list of features. That's an impressive upgrade, it's tempting me.

And I agree re: the comparison between Hive and Zebra, to me they're two utterly different instruments. Both extremely powerful, both very nice to have as native Linux builds.

Best regards,

dp

davephillips wrote:@jonetsu - Thanks for this thread, I've been a fan of Hive since its beta release. However, as you know, I've put more time into VCV Rack over the past year, and my u-he synths have languished. I think the 20 Euros isn't too much to pay, especially after reading your laundry list of features. That's an impressive upgrade, it's tempting me.

In my case it's the exact opposite. I started to go towards VCV Rack and then bang ! the modular synth MSoundFactory hit the final release stage. And now Hive2. So VCV Rack is back on the backburner for now.

Cheers.

I find different instruments that offer different possibilities interesting.
For me there is not "the (only) instrument".

lilith wrote:

occulkot wrote:no, no, no, no.

I promised myself, not any more synth until i finish next ep. (alreay have zebra2, diva and repro )

If you have zebra 2 you probably don't need Hive.

I still have to figure out how to programme customized Wavetables. This is even not possible in Zebra. And Hive is much more straightforward.

probably yes. But im soundesigner newbie and i heavy relay on presets .
But from stuff i have repro kills everything with the sound. Fortunetly (for my wallet) i dont hear same effect with hive.
Zebra gave me possibilities, diva beautiful pads and repro killling leads/pads/bass.