If you could only pick one, Spire or Hive?

[2ZrgE]

Hive, just because you can expect more updates, fixes, new features, developer support on KVR.

And the sound is great also.

[chk071]

Maybe correct for developer support (who really needs that in 99% of the cases anyway? You still can shoot Reveal-Sound a support message over their official support system, it's just that they're not on this forum much...), but did you see the list of features the Spire developers plan to implement in future versions? It's huge...

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 9#p6059639

Some long-term plans:

- Extended preset browser
- Custom wave loading
- Granular sampler OSC mode
- Vowel OSC mode
- New reverberator's types
- New shaper's types
- Filter with Drive Parameter

Version 1.1 is supposed to come out this year still, maybe next year. And if you check the related news here on KVR you will see that it has been frequently updated. So there's no shortage on that really.

[2ZrgE]

I'm sure lots of developers have plans, but I'm not sure when to expect what. I'll stick to U-he because they are more transparent about those things.

Other than that, Spire's CPU footprint is much too high for my machine, and there's a lot of tabbing/clicking for my taste, the Oscs, FXx, modulatin area - I know that it's not easy to come up with a good ergonomic design, but that is really too much and does not invite me to patch at all.

[chk071]

Other than that, Spire's CPU footprint is much too high for my machine

Did you check Version 1.1 beta? It uses about 1/3 of CPU that Version 1.0.20 uses here, and as i wrote, the final version is supposed to come out before the end of the year, so they wrote on Facebook. There's really a lot of energy going on there, just see the version history on KVR. For the tabbing, yeah, i agree, that's one weak point about it, but then, it's kind of a monster already, so there's definitely a need to fit all those functionality into the GUI. What i really look forward to are the macro knobs too, so you can e.g. easily change the unison spread of all 4 oscillators, if used, simultaneously, or other wicked stuff. And one day, we might even see granular and sample import for the oscillators.

[GHOST19]

Hive has specs and price of a synth from the 00s, so I'll go with Spire.

[2ZrgE]

Did you check Version 1.1 beta? It uses about 1/3 of CPU that Version 1.0.20 uses here, and as i wrote, the final version is supposed to come out before the end of the year, so they wrote on Facebook.

Yes I read about that, but I must admit that I decided to stop buying VSTs some time ago - I'm really well set with what I have both sound- and feature-wise (yes, mainly U-he synths I have to confess), and I don't have the time to test new VSTs, may that be synths or fxs, again and again since I'm strictly concentrate on producing and finishing tracks.

[wagtunes]

Neither give me anything that I don't already get from other synths I own.

However, if I had no VSTs at all and wanted something that would give me the widest possible sound palette so that I didn't have to buy any other or at least very few other synths, the obvious choice would be Spire. It's more versatile.

Depends on your needs.

FWIW, I don't own either of these and have no desire to get either of these ever.

[mutantdog]

I'm gonna refuse to vote on this one. I love them both and they are two of my most used synths. Hive probably gets slightly more use at the moment but that's due in part to how immediate it is and part cos its still quite new. Spire on the other hand can make a lot of sounds that Hive can't and is overall more comprehensive.

When i finally get round to finishing a sound-bank, i expect it will be Spire that gets done first. So maybe that's the deciding factor for me in this silly hypothetical scenario.

[pdxindy]

Hive has the best GUI I've used... It is so fast, fun and fluid to create sounds with. Almost no tabbing, module presets, copy/paste and drag-n-drop modulation make it so agile and fast to create sounds. It's power is in its speed more than diverse toolset (which is a bit limited). I find myself trying all sorts of things just cause it's so easy to do. That gives it a power beyond the feature set.

Spire has a good sound and has a broader range, but IMO uses way too much CPU for what you get. I find the sound a bit disappointing with FX turned off. So I think the synth itself is not so great considering the cpu use, but that the FX seems pretty good and that lifts it up. The GUI has too much tabbing and clicking around.

[ksandvik]

I use too much of Hive nowadays, it's like a drug.

[MarlaPodolski]

Honestly? I pick NEITHER. .... although I do find some of the sounds in Spire acceptable and I could use it as a bread and butter machine if it was about the last softsynth left on the earth. It is very easy to use also.

But overall I really don't care for either of these over-rated, boring, soulless piles of software.

I'd much rather get something like Obscurium and actually have fun and enjoy myself if I had to grab a new synth today. At least it has real character and not just some hyped up "must own to be seen as current, hip, and cool".

Or maybe I'd get something around for a while, also full of character and soul? Like, how about that ScannedSynth Pro 2? Unique, you see. Not much unique about the thread synths if you think about it. Just headless beasts.

[Zexila]

although I do find some of the sounds in Spire acceptable.

What sounds, presets?

[fisherKing]

interesting; at the moment, the vote is 50-50%. i own and use both, and would not trade one for the other. altho spire IS too heavy in CPU use in logic X, it's mostly usable. they're just different enough... if i HAD to choose, i'd pick hive, it seems more 'well-rounded'. but they're both essential tools in my arsenal.

[Orbit-50]

I feel terrible for saying this but I have to go with Spire. This is only if I had to choose though. I don't have to, so...

[cryophonik]

I owned both. I sold Spire because of its CPU use and occasional instability, but not because I owned Hive, or Sylenth, etc. That said, I use Hive in almost every project since buying it.