KVR Audio

trimph1 · Post by **trimph1** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 10:26 pm

Hive.

A-Grade Audio · Post by **A-Grade Audio** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 11:20 pm

Tough decision. I like both for different reasons. Spire is more versatile, but Hive has a certain sound to it I really like. Different than Sylenth, but really cuts through.

mcnoone · Post by **mcnoone** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 11:59 pm

The Hive is a great synth.
The Spire demo was off my computer after the first day.
It's a tin box. Once you turn off all the effects it's very obvious.
The Hive has a many sounds that have no effects used, but it still sounds solid.

BDeep · Post by **BDeep** » Fri Nov 13, 2015 12:49 am

Hive for me, I could never get over the filters in Spire, I really don't like them at all. That and the CPU usage made me not get Spire. That said, I don't know what I would have done if pitted directly against Hive. Spire is more versatile, but for me, I get most of the extras out of other synths anyway.
Hive for me is like th bread and butter VA synth, i was in need of a light and fast VA for all those parts that don't require bells and whistles. Hive fits the bill perfectly and pairs nicely with Massive. And between those two, I really didn't feel a need to add Spire.
But I can totally see why people love Spire (apart from the filters that is).

EnGee · Post by **EnGee** » Fri Nov 13, 2015 7:30 am

Karma_tba wrote:Hire....

Or Spive?

Judging from the demos for few days, I liked Spire more than Hive but I also liked Hive a lot. So, it is like current vote! If I give Hive 16/20, I give Spire 20/20

Anyway, I didn't buy anyone of them because I believe I'm covered with other synths.

kelvyn · Post by **kelvyn** » Fri Nov 13, 2015 8:34 am

ATN69 · Post by **ATN69** » Fri Nov 13, 2015 8:56 am

I have both. Hive is way much easier to work with when it comes to sound design and I would say it is more useful when it comes to different genres of music. But few synths beat Spire when it comes to EDM progressive music. If you mainly make progressive music then Spire is the first choice. One down side with Spire is that it is more CPU hungry but I think there soon will be a new release of Spire that will be more kind to the CPU.

kyodeejay · Post by **kyodeejay** » Fri Nov 13, 2015 9:10 am

I prefer Spire over Hive. In their current versions, the use almost the same CPU in my i7, however Spire 1.1 it will be vastly improved.

I like the Hive UI, is much better. However in the overall sound, Spire is much better and more versatile: more oscillator types, filters and effect, and the most of them are more pleaser to my ears. The lack of Hive oscillator finetune is pretty anoying.

Viktor [TUC] · Post by **Viktor [TUC]** » Fri Nov 13, 2015 9:41 am

kyodeejay wrote:The lack of Hive oscillator finetune ...

If it helps, finetune is still possible via the modulation matrix.
Pick a ModMatrix Slot, select "constant" as Source.
Below that, select "Osc1 Tune" as target in one of the blue fields (or Osc2 Tune if you want).
Now hold Shift (for fine-adjust) and turn the depth knob for that ModMatrix assignment.
This finetunes the oscillator up or down.

Viktor

recursive one · Post by **recursive one** » Fri Nov 13, 2015 9:49 am

Spire sounds amazing to my ears, clean, very hi-fi sound. A agree that it may sound thin on its own, but one put in a mix it does really stand out. If you need decent emulations of sounds which were used in famous trance and psytrance tracks of 2003-2010 (supposedly mostly made with Virus) it's usually easy to make them with Spire, and if you want something new/fresh/cutting-edge then Spire delivers again.

Hive sounds like just another synth plugin.

Also Spire has more filter options, more waveforms, different crazy things you can do with the oscillatrors, much better effects.

Hive wins at CPU efficiency, but actually since I've got a new PC I can run as much instances of Spire as I need.

ATS · Post by **ATS** » Fri Nov 13, 2015 10:05 am

I have both, if I could only have one it would be Spire hands down.

4damind · Post by **4damind** » Fri Nov 13, 2015 11:28 am

Btw. it would be a mistake to see Spire only as a trance synth. Yes, Spire can create this "Anjunabeat style" sounds very well and there are many trance presets in the factory presets but it's also good for EDM/Ambient/Chillout etc.

Zexila · Post by **Zexila** » Fri Nov 13, 2015 12:04 pm

4damind wrote:Btw. it would be a mistake to see Spire only as a trance synth. Yes, Spire can create this "Anjunabeat style" sounds very well and there are many trance presets in the factory presets but it's also good for EDM/Ambient/Chillout etc.

Agree, or progressive house/EDM or whatever one, I think what partly influences this opinions is factory and 3rd party presets and not actual spec's, because on paper Spire does more, so naturally it's more suitable for different things, even if in reality it's "that" EDM synth.

kyodeejay · Post by **kyodeejay** » Fri Nov 13, 2015 12:08 pm

The unshushable Coktor wrote: If it helps, finetune is still possible via the modulation matrix.
Pick a ModMatrix Slot, select "constant" as Source.
Below that, select "Osc1 Tune" as target in one of the blue fields (or Osc2 Tune if you want).
Now hold Shift (for fine-adjust) and turn the depth knob for that ModMatrix assignment.
This finetunes the oscillator up or down.

Viktor

Thanks, but unfortunately it doesn't. It is easier for me do it in Spire, only tweaking a knob, like the most of synths. And usually I need fine tweaking, something that's very difficult with a coarse tune.

Lejurai · Post by **Lejurai** » Fri Nov 13, 2015 12:15 pm

Really tough question.. You can do any style with spire, but I'd still almost say that if you're more electronic music oriented, then spire and if you want more all arounder (more traditional sounds), then hive. At least I have an image in my head that hive is more like va and spire is more digital.

So.. Both can do anything with pretty much same results but spire may be bit more aggressive if wanted. Talking about image in my head so nothing written in stone said here.

I'd get both

If not both, then maybe spire.

KVR Audio

If you could only pick one, Spire or Hive?

Hive or Spire?