Getting Hive?

[recursive one]

Demoing Hive right now. Interesting how perception changes over time, I used to dislike its sound but now I'm finding it quite nice. Maybe a couple of Bombay Sapphire shots somehow influence my judgement now (another poster even had to smoke some weed to warm up for Hive though) or maybe I was just biased comparing it to Sylenth and Spire. It seems to have more saturated sound than these two, especially in the upper midrange, which actually reminds me on Virus sound. Spire and Sylenth are both way too clean compared to Virus.


Though i still think it is overpriced for waht it does, and furthermore I expect that Zebra 3 will cover Hive sounds more or less for 100%, or am I wrong?

[pdxindy]

Though i still think it is overpriced for waht it does, and furthermore I expect that Zebra 3 will cover Hive sounds more or less for 100%, or am I wrong?

That would be my guess... though not the immediate ease of use and (mostly) one window UI

[wagtunes]

Demoing Hive right now. Interesting how perception changes over time, I used to dislike its sound but now I'm finding it quite nice. Maybe a couple of Bombay Sapphire shots somehow influence my judgement now (another poster even had to smoke some weed to warm up for Hive though) or maybe I was just biased comparing it to Sylenth and Spire. It seems to have more saturated sound than these two, especially in the upper midrange, which actually reminds me on Virus sound. Spire and Sylenth are both way too clean compared to Virus.


Though i still think it is overpriced for waht it does, and furthermore I expect that Zebra 3 will cover Hive sounds more or less for 100%, or am I wrong?

Depends. Listen to Zebra 2 and then listen to Hive. They sound nothing alike. Unless Zebra 3's sound engine is radically altered, I don't see one being a substitute for the other.

[recursive one]

Unless Zebra 3's sound engine is radically altered

As I gathered from the Z3 talks in the U-he subforum this is exactly what is going to happen.

[wagtunes]

Unless Zebra 3's sound engine is radically altered

As I gathered from the Z3 talks in the U-he subforum this is exactly what is going to happen.

Well, here's the thing. If Zebra 3 sounds closer to Hive, then it's a step backwards. And I'm not talking a minor step but a major step. The overall sound quality between the two synths (Zebra 2 and Hive) is night and day. Kind of like the difference in sound quality between Repro-1 and Podalski. So either Zebra 3 is going to sound much richer than Hive, in which case it's not a replacement for Hive if you want THAT sound, or, if it's really close to Hive, it's a major step down from what Zebra 2 is now and I don't see that happening.

[recursive one]

To each his own, but I never really liked Zebra's sound. I think Hive sounds more pleasant - fatter, more detailed and alive.

[Examigan]

Unless Zebra 3's sound engine is radically altered

As I gathered from the Z3 talks in the U-he subforum this is exactly what is going to happen.

Well, here's the thing. If Zebra 3 sounds closer to Hive, then it's a step backwards. And I'm not talking a minor step but a major step. The overall sound quality between the two synths (Zebra 2 and Hive) is night and day. Kind of like the difference in sound quality between Repro-1 and Podalski. So either Zebra 3 is going to sound much richer than Hive, in which case it's not a replacement for Hive if you want THAT sound, or, if it's really close to Hive, it's a major step down from what Zebra 2 is now and I don't see that happening.

Yes.. but couldn't Zebra 3 just have new modules that sound many different ways, including their own Hive sound?

[wagtunes]

To each his own, but I never really liked Zebra's sound. I think Hive sounds more pleasant - fatter, more detailed and alive.

Okay, so then you admit that there is a difference in the sound between the two. So logically, if they change Zebra 3 to sound more like Hive, which you like better, that means it will sound less like Zebra 2. Given Zebra 2 is essentially their flagship synth and the better seller, why would they take that sound and make it closer to a synth that doesn't sell as well. From a business standpoint, that doesn't make any sense.

Point is, we don't need another synth that sounds like Hive. If you like Hive, buy Hive. But don't mess with their flagship product.

Regardless, I seriously doubt that when Zebra 3 comes out it's going to sound like Hive. And if it does, I certainly won't be getting it. I have one Hive.

That's enough.

[wagtunes]

Unless Zebra 3's sound engine is radically altered

As I gathered from the Z3 talks in the U-he subforum this is exactly what is going to happen.

Well, here's the thing. If Zebra 3 sounds closer to Hive, then it's a step backwards. And I'm not talking a minor step but a major step. The overall sound quality between the two synths (Zebra 2 and Hive) is night and day. Kind of like the difference in sound quality between Repro-1 and Podalski. So either Zebra 3 is going to sound much richer than Hive, in which case it's not a replacement for Hive if you want THAT sound, or, if it's really close to Hive, it's a major step down from what Zebra 2 is now and I don't see that happening.

Yes.. but couldn't Zebra 3 just have new modules that sound many different ways, including their own Hive sound?

I have never yet seen a synth that had two distinct sound engines. Name any synth made, with the exception of Reaktor, that from preset to preset sounded like a completely different sound engine. It's like having a synth that sounds like Tone 2 Electra 2 and by switching a switch sounds like Bazille.

Not ever going to happen.

[recursive one]

I have never yet seen a synth that had two distinct sound engines.

Hive has three.

[chk071]

I have never yet seen a synth that had two distinct sound engines. Name any synth made, with the exception of Reaktor, that from preset to preset sounded like a completely different sound engine. It's like having a synth that sounds like Tone 2 Electra 2 and by switching a switch sounds like Bazille.

It's not that drastic. It's rather like switching on the JP-8k dirty oscillator, opposed to the "clean" oscillator in Electra2. Although the filters surely have a different character, when you switch sound engines in Hive. I only happened to like the clean engine though, the other 2 had a filter character i just didn't like. And the clean filter didn't quite have the wild resonant behavior of the other 2, so it fell a little short in that regard for me too. Well, each to his like.

[wagtunes]

I have never yet seen a synth that had two distinct sound engines.

Hive has three.

They are slight modifications at best and not 3 distinct sound engines. They all sound like Hive. And not all equally as good while sounding like Hive.

[wagtunes]

I have never yet seen a synth that had two distinct sound engines. Name any synth made, with the exception of Reaktor, that from preset to preset sounded like a completely different sound engine. It's like having a synth that sounds like Tone 2 Electra 2 and by switching a switch sounds like Bazille.

It's not that drastic. It's rather like switching on the JP-8k dirty oscillator, opposed to the "clean" oscillator in Electra2. Although the filters surely have a different character, when you switch sound engines in Hive. I only happened to like the clean engine though, the other 2 had a filter character i just didn't like. And the clean filter didn't quite have the wild resonant behavior of the other 2, so it fell a little short in that regard for me too. Well, each to his like.

All of this aside, Hive doesn't sound like Zebra 2. Make a patch in Zebra 2 and make a patch in Hive and I will tell you with absolutely certainty which is which. Even a plain sawtooth through a lowpass filter is drastically different in both.

Don't get me wrong, I like Hive for what it does. But if I want the kind of sounds I get out of Zebra 2, I'm not getting them out of Hive no matter how badly I wanted to.

[pdxindy]

Depends. Listen to Zebra 2 and then listen to Hive. They sound nothing alike. Unless Zebra 3's sound engine is radically altered, I don't see one being a substitute for the other.

I like 'supersaw' type sounds better in Hive than Zebra. Hive has an improved osc unison over what was implemented in Zebra2. 1-16 voices compared to the Zebra option of 1,2,4,11... Hive's stereo width is better too.

Likewise, Hive Arp/Seq is 2 separate modules and has modulation targets like Gate, Speed, Swing.

[wagtunes]

Depends. Listen to Zebra 2 and then listen to Hive. They sound nothing alike. Unless Zebra 3's sound engine is radically altered, I don't see one being a substitute for the other.

I like 'supersaw' type sounds better in Hive than Zebra. Hive has an improved osc unison over what was implemented in Zebra2. 1-16 voices compared to the Zebra option of 1,2,4,11... Hive's stereo width is better too.

Likewise, Hive Arp/Seq is 2 separate modules and has modulation targets like Gate, Speed, Swing.

Which is part of the reason they made Hive. I don't use Zebra 2 for supersaw. I use it for what it does best and it does that better than Hive. Heck, Hive can't do what Zebra 2 does best at all.

All besides the point. These are two different synths. You're not going to get one to sound like the other. And if they take Zebra 3 in the direction of Hive, they're going to lose their Zebra 2 fan base who don't happen to like Hive or feel they don't need it. And the sales of the two synths back that up.