Now Hive is here, is it RIP Sylenth?

[Elektronisch]

Now that Sylenth v3 beta for Win available with skins and resizable gui,
will it become a hive killer ?

For sure because both skins and resizable gui have a big impact on the overall sound capabilities of a synth.

While in theory it doesnt, having more pleasant gui makes brain to think the sound is better.

[trimph1]

Now that Sylenth v3 beta for Win available with skins and resizable gui,
will it become a hive killer ?

For sure because both skins and resizable gui have a big impact on the overall sound capabilities of a synth.

While in theory it doesnt, having more pleasant gui makes brain to think the sound is better.

That is because everything matters to the EYE!!!!

Ears become secondary..

[fluffy_little_something]

Why is there even a beta when changes are only rather basic or cosmetic, anyway? Beta to me suggests bigger changes that can go terribly wrong
Anyway, I have not requested the beta, but I am looking forward to any improvements to Sylenth. I just hope they don't make something good worse, I like the German verb verschlimmbessern in this context

On topic, I don't think either can replace the other, But since they do overlap (since Hive appears to be a kind of emulation of Sylenth that's no surprise), it probably doesn't make much sense to get both. The price is also similar, and not exactly cheap by today's standards. Especially among U-he stuff Hive seems a bit expensive, it is 3/4 the price of Zebra, which in my view is a whole lot better than Hive, though.

I think a bright green version of Hive would look good, like my first monochrome computer monitor decades ago

[aumordia]

Some guitarists like to tweak the settings on an amp to get their sound. Others like to change out the tubes to get an even more particular sound. And then there are those who like to break out the screwdriver and the soldering iron and start swapping resistors.

U-he stuff in general seems to be designed for that last type of musician, and Hive is no exception.

Switching to Cubase on a Mac (I was on FL previously), I needed a good bread and butter synth. I eventually narrowed it down to either Sylenth1 or Hive. After trying both out in the context of making songs, Sylenth1 was the clear winner. Somehow, Hive's one page manages to be more complex than Sylenth1's two pages. And that's when the above metaphor popped into my head. Even when U-he does something simple, they do it with the tinkerers in mind.

While there are certainly differences in the sonic character of the two synths, I don't think it amounts to much in a mix. The deciding factor is, do you want to break out that metaphorical soldering iron or not? If so, Hive is for you; if not, Sylenth1.

With that in mind, and considering that most people probably aren't the soldering sort, I don't think Sylenth1 is going away anytime soon.

[chk071]

And that's when the above metaphor popped into my head. Even when U-he does something simple, they do it with the tinkerers in mind.

Yep. But, hey, that's fair enough. Actually i wondered anyway that they do a Sylenth1 style synth. Somehow doesn't fit their typical franchise.

[Urs]

And that's when the above metaphor popped into my head. Even when U-he does something simple, they do it with the tinkerers in mind.

Yep. But, hey, that's fair enough. Actually i wondered anyway that they do a Sylenth1 style synth. Somehow doesn't fit their typical franchise.

It broadens our customer base. And people who tweak around today might become solderers in the future.

That said, we have the idea of offering an alternative "dual synth" style tabbed interface for Hive. It'll look much simpler on the surface, for people who are less intimidated when things are tabbed away. And later on maybe they can appreciate the tab-less approach better (side note: Many Bazille power users switch to the tab-less Gearporn skin).

#---

I do believe that what counts most for the non-solderers are presets. In that respect I think that Hive has great sonic variety with a much broader scale than we had expected - because the modulation options are way beyond. Hive has indeed become much more than a Sylenth competitor. It's a little bit in a category of its own there.

[recursive one]

While we are at it, may is ask if there are any chances that Hive will evolve into something bigger or there will be a more advanced U-He synth catering "the trance crowd". I mean more waveforms, perhaps some wavetable implementation, Virus/Nordlead style cross-osc FM, various (selectable) kinds of filter drive/distortion, more effects?

[chk071]

And that's when the above metaphor popped into my head. Even when U-he does something simple, they do it with the tinkerers in mind.

Yep. But, hey, that's fair enough. Actually i wondered anyway that they do a Sylenth1 style synth. Somehow doesn't fit their typical franchise.

It broadens our customer base. And people who tweak around today might become solderers in the future.

That said, we have the idea of offering an alternative "dual synth" style tabbed interface for Hive. It'll look much simpler on the surface, for people who are less intimidated when things are tabbed away. And later on maybe they can appreciate the tab-less approach better (side note: Many Bazille power users switch to the tab-less Gearporn skin).

#---

I do believe that what counts most for the non-solderers are presets. In that respect I think that Hive has great sonic variety with a much broader scale than we had expected - because the modulation options are way beyond. Hive has indeed become much more than a Sylenth competitor. It's a little bit in a category of its own there.

Fair enough. As a theoretical competition to Sylenth1, i feel like it might have missed the point, and the target audience a bit. I mean, Sylenth1 is not so popular solely because it does the supersaw unison thing with as small CPU as possible, it's rather simply so popular because of - its sound. Hive does sound different, darker, more metallic, more weighty. It rather reminded me of Tyrell, or Bazille, when i demo'd it. That's cool of course, if you're after that sound, and i wouldn't have expected it to totally fall out of the common u-he frame. Its just that peeps who waited for the Sylenth1 "killer", successor, whatever, might have felt that it fell a bit short in that regard. Again, YMMV, and your surely have a point when you say that it never intended to be that. But, expectations often don't quite match what the creators had in mind when doing something. Dunno if Lennard would have ever thought that Sylenth1 grew to such an instance in the EDM world. Maybe he just had a nice analog emulation in mind.

[Urs]

While we are at it, may is ask if there are any chances that Hive will evolve into something bigger or there will be a more advanced U-He synth catering "the trance crowd". I mean more waveforms, perhaps some wavetable implementation, Virus/Nordlead style cross-osc FM, various (selectable) kinds of filter drive/distortion, more effects?

Sure, that's possible. But we have a lot on our plate (think Z3 and other over due updates).

OTOH we're mostly expanding by hiring more developers. So we might eventually (= some day) get there.

[recursive one]

While we are at it, may is ask if there are any chances that Hive will evolve into something bigger or there will be a more advanced U-He synth catering "the trance crowd". I mean more waveforms, perhaps some wavetable implementation, Virus/Nordlead style cross-osc FM, various (selectable) kinds of filter drive/distortion, more effects?

Sure, that's possible. But we have a lot on our plate (think Z3 and other over due updates).

I see Well, maybe Z3 will be such a synth in fact. I foster a hope that if Zebra 3 gets new filters, improved osc unsion (I really love your take on supersaw in Diva, it sounds crazy good) and various other improvements and enhancements here and there, it may finally become a real Virus competitor.

[Urs]

Fair enough. As a theoretical competition to Sylenth1, i feel like it might have missed the point, and the target audience a bit.

I don't think anyone can pick Sylenth from Hive in a mix. I think what you say about sonic differences (attributes like metallic/weight/warmth/dark) are all just psychological nonsense (someone prefers Sylenth and that's why Hive sounds worse to him and vice versa).

The only thing where we've missed the target audience is the UI. We know that and we'll change it.

[chk071]

Well, i won't try to change your mind, or discuss with you on that matter. Your reaction shows me pretty much that i hit the spot with my statements above though. I mean, if you'd realize what was wrong, you would try to change it. If you wanted to do so, of course. It also pretty much proves my point about many of the opinions on KVR here, from people who think that every synth can do the supersaw as good as synths like Sylenth or Spire. Simply because they don't know what it takes for a good supersaw.

[Examigan]

The only thing where we've missed the target audience is the UI. We know that and we'll change it.

I think the UI is great, but what do I know.

If you do change it, can it be switchable between the old and new skins?

[Robmobius]

The only thing where we've missed the target audience is the UI. We know that and we'll change it.

Why was the UI not liked? Sure it was futuristic, but I liked it. And I Found it ez to use as well (still do!).

My only criticism of it would be that some of the text in the hexagonal panel could have been bigger.

I still like Sylenth a lot - but HIVE is a beast imo.

[Urs]

Your reaction shows me pretty much that i hit the spot with my statements above though.

No, it's just a tiresome argument that some people religiously repeat over and over.

Sometimes I wished I had the audacity to add a 4th engine ("eco") to Hive that sounds 100% exactly like Sylenth. But even then people would find arguments to diss Hive, even if the audio of Sylenth and Hive cancels out to silence.

But that's okay. We'll all survive it.