Recording - February 2017 - 58

Soundware Showcase
u-he Hive
By Darwin Grosse

Plug-in instruments come in all shapes
and sizes. One group of plug-ins (often
surrounded by the comfortable confines
of the Native Instruments Kontakt engine)
focuses on high-quality sampling and
realistic instrument emulation. Another
group takes a different approach:
placing synthesis at the center of sound
design. u-he's Hive is firmly seated in
the second group, and offers some of
the best of both classic and modern
synth sounds.
u-he has been producing synthesis
powerhouses for years, with modular
systems like Bazille and ACE, and
warm analog emulations like Diva.
With Hive, u-he has decided to take on
the sounds of modern techno, dubstep
and hip-hop. This means in-your-face,
high-tension sounds that jump out of
the speakers and really light up a mix
without requiring racks of gear or
tons of effects.
On the surface, Hive seems to be pretty
standard fare: a two-oscillator synthesizer
with dual filtering, envelopes and LFOs
to suit. But in many ways, this is a synth

The bottom of the Hive window can display modulation routings...
designed from the ground up to create
"modern" sounds, with the presets providing a remarkable range of examples.
Running through the preset list is like a
drive-by tour of Signature Synth Sounds,
jumping from detuned stabs to buzzing
basses, and from deep booming drums
to rich legato lead lines.
The level of detail is spectacular,
with sounds that range from old Roland
classics (think of the techno "Hoover"

sound made popular by the Alpha Juno
1) to rich detuned saw waves that could
be embedded in the next Bassnectar track.
This sound crafting isn't just in the oscillator
and filter settings; it is also built into the
embedded effects processors (whose
settings, of course, become an integral
part of the sound) and MIDI settings like
the legato and velocity curves.
Making this instrument even more
interesting is its realtime sequencing

Hive Science and Catalyst Sound Sets
If the 2700 presets that come with Hive aren't enough to get your blood rushing, you might need to check your medication! But an alternative is also provided by u-he in the form of two sound sets dedicated to the work of some master preset designers.
The first, Hive Science ($39), is more than 300 presets created by Howard Scarr and Kevin Schröder, two sound designers well-steeped
in cinematic sound design.
These presets follow the example set by the originals; if anything, they might provide even more detail-and more playability-through
the use of interesting sequencing, arpeggiation, and advanced modulation use. Many of these sounds would be the perfect drop-ins for
a high-budget movie or riveting action scene. But they are also general enough to be useful for all sorts of work, and I'm already lining up
projects for several of these sounds.
The second sound set, Hive Catalyst ($30), is a little different: its 150 presets are more directly focused on musical production, and take
on more genres of electronic music. There are a lot of sounds with 'life': modulation and movement throughout the duration of the note.
You will also find some excellent chiptune-sounding synths, emulating the sort of gritty sound that came tumbling out of our Commodore
64s back in the day. Combining these with wobbling basses and airy chords, you end up with great examples of the hyper-driven sound that
is popular in many styles of music.
Catalyst was developed by German DJ/producer Kabuki, and really puts a thumb on many sounds that can provide your tracks with
something that sounds like right now! The preset application notes, available in the preset selection display, actually reveal the 'tricks' that
Kabuki used to create the sounds, and represent a useful sound design education in their own right.
Both sound sets are great additions to the core Hive preset selection, and are highly recommended additions to this already-awesome
instrument.-DDG
58

RECORDING FEBRUARY 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - February 2017