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Hive Hive Hive Hive Hive Hive Hive Hive Hive Hive Hive Hive Hive
Favorite Developer - Best Audio and MIDI Software - KVR Audio Readers' Choice Awards 2023Favorite Developer - Best Audio and MIDI Software - KVR Audio Readers' Choice Awards 2022Favorite Developer - Best Audio and MIDI Software - KVR Audio Readers' Choice Awards 2021Favorite Developer - Best Audio and MIDI Software - KVR Audio Readers' Choice Awards 2020Favorite Developer - KVR Audio Readers' Choice Awards 2019
Hive 2 by u-he is a Virtual Instrument Audio Plugin for macOS and Windows. It functions as a VST Plugin, an Audio Units Plugin, a VST 3 Plugin, an AAX Plugin and a CLAP Plugin.
Product
Version
2.1.1
Requirements:

- Mac OS X 10.7 or newer, Windows 7 or newer, Linux beta version also available
- Host application for VST2, VST3, AU, AAX (PT 10.3.7 or newer), 32-bit or 64-bit
- Modern CPU (Sandy Bridge or newer is recommended)
- 250MB free hard disk space recommended
- 2GB RAM recommended
- 1000 x 600px or larger screen
Product
Version
2.1.1
Requirements:

- Mac OS X 10.7 or newer, Windows 7 or newer, Linux beta version also available
- Host application for VST2, VST3, AU, AAX (PT 10.3.7 or newer), 32-bit or 64-bit
- Modern CPU (Sandy Bridge or newer is recommended)
- 250MB free hard disk space recommended
- 2GB RAM recommended
- 1000 x 600px or larger screen
Instrument
Formats
Copy Protection
Serial Number
My KVR - Groups, Versions, & More
662 KVR members have added Hive 2 to 240 My KVR groups 896 times.
Not In Your MY KVR Groups
(or group limitation prevents versioning)
+240 in private groups

KVR Rank

Overall: 267   207   265

30-Day: 292; 7-Day: 258; Yesterday: 513

Hive 2
Sleek, streamlined, supercharged

Hive 2 is an easy-to-use synthesizer combining u-he's famous sound quality with a low CPU footprint. The extra modulation features guarantee more fun than ever before.

Underneath its new face, Hive 2 lets you go deeper: Add life with the unique Shape Sequencer and Function Generators, layer traditional analogue waveforms with 2-dimensional wavetables, or control multiple effect parameters at the same time for the full-on, mindbending experience.

With its no-nonsense GUI, flexible signal routing and high quality effects, Hive 2 gives you the sound you want with a minimum of fuss.

Key Features:

  • Low CPU usage, 3 different synth engines.
  • Resizable UI.
  • 2 oscillators with wavetable option, 16x unison, tunable sub-oscillators.
  • Drag & drop modulation assignment.
  • 12x 2 matrix slots with modifiers for curvature, rectify, quantize, sample/hold, slew rate.
  • 4 user-definable XY control pads.
  • Arpeggiator, step sequencer with realtime recording.
  • Unique 8-step shape sequencer with 4 independent outputs.
  • 2 function generators can serve as extra envelopes, gate generators, LFOs, slew limiters.
  • 7 re-arrangeable effects: distortion, chorus, delay, phaser, EQ, reverb, compressor.
  • Panel presets for each oscillator, filter, matrix slot etc., with copy, load and save options.
  • Solo buttons for auditioning individual oscillators or filter signals.
  • Scope for viewing the audio output or any modulation signal, with zoom controls.
  • MIDI remote control via learn page with editable list.
  • Microtuning (.tun files).
  • 2000+ factory presets by some of our favourite sound designers; many more available online.
  • Support for Oddsound MTS-ESP.

{See video at top of page}

Latest User Reviews

Average user rating of 4.70 from 10 reviews
Hive 2

Reviewed By zisser [all]
December 25th, 2022
Version reviewed: 2 on Windows

Five star synth.

This synth sounds good even with the init preset :)
The filters are amazing, the wavetable selection is great and modulation is easy to manage.

Once you get to know Hive you can get some beautiful sounds with just few moves.

Here is my beginners guide and demo.

https://youtu.be/sIrE6jMK6SU

Read Review
Hive 2

Reviewed By BONES [all]
October 14th, 2021
Version reviewed: 2.1 on Windows

I wanted to like this synth, I really did, and it's got a lot going for it. It's just that, ultimately, I've never found any actual use for it. That's because whenever I put it into a mix, it doesn't quite live up to my expectations. I can't put my finger on what it is but, like a few other synths in the same price bracket, it feels like it's missing that last little bit of "oomph". It's not terrible by any stretch of the imagination but neither does it reach the dizzying heights you might expect from everything you read about it.

It comes with a gajillion presets, which are well handled by the best preset browser I have ever used. The browser is amazing. I spent a week or more going through everything and colour-coding any preset I heard that I thought we might be able to use. Then I started looking for opportunities to use it in some of our songs.

This is where I started to get a bit disappointed because even some of the best presets I'd found sounded kind of flat in our mixes. So I tried to see if I could give them a bit of a boost. At this point I discovered that despite mostly having everything on one page, Hive is not actually very quick or easy to work with. It feels too much like two separate synths slammed together, so you are forever flicking from one side of it's gigantic interface to the other, looking to see if the output from the right side oscillator is being fed into the right and/or left side filters and generally trying to work out how the patch has been set up, so you can tweak it. It wasn't too bad in v1.2 but the update to v2.0 somehow seemed to make it harder to work with (for me at least).

Hive comes loaded with a million features, most of which don't interest me in the slightest, and when you look at the list of features on the product page here at KVR, you'll notice that the most important things about any synth - it's oscillators and filter(s) - barely rate a mention. In fact, there is no mention at all of the filters. All of which got me thinking that maybe I'm just not the target market for this instrument.

If you want a synth with a really long list of features that comes with 2,000 factory presets, maybe Hive is for you. OTOH, if you just want a great sounding, versatile synth that isn't too difficult to work with, there are better options around and some of them are a fair bit cheaper.

Read Review
Hive 2

Reviewed By Clifton [all]
June 27th, 2019
Version reviewed: 2 on Windows

Hive 2 is the most outstanding synth i've ever imagined for sound designing it just literally blew me away. The sound quality is so impressive, very clear and even no artifacts what so ever. Even loading my own custom wavetables I was so impressed of how they sound. I feel this is now my new primary soft synth i'm using along with my old hardware synth. I'm just barely scratching the surface of what this thing can do. It would be nice if they included a ring modulator or maybe a phase distortion to modulate Osc 1 and Osc 2 together for even more sonic possibilities. Overall I just feel Hive 2 belongs to an elite class of today's top software synths such as Omnisphere 2, Zebra 2, Padshop Pro, Dune 3, Electra 2, Diversion, Pigments, Synthmaster 2, Serum and other top ones. I should say this is a darn good synth in it's own ways of making music and manipulating sounds with lots of potential behind this software beast. The only limitation it has is your creative imagination. The sky's the limit of what you can do with hive 2. I would say this is a tough act to follow but sure wonder what Zebra 3 will turn out to be when it comes out.

Read Review
Hive 2

Reviewed By ViktorNova [all]
January 18th, 2019
Version reviewed: 2.0 on Mac

This synth is absolutely amazing! It just sounds so good, I can dial in usable sounds in zero time, and they always seem to magically sit well in the mix. It's a lot more versatile than just a "trance machine" as some people say. This completely replaces (and blows away) my Virus B in every category. The interface is all on one page, the arpeggiator rocks, the effects are good, and the mod matrix has drag and drop. Many things are done to speed up making patches. In many ways it feels like a hardware synth.

This review is for the Linux and Mac versions.

Read Review
Hive 2

Reviewed By Richie_2uk [all]
November 8th, 2018
Version reviewed: 2.4 on Windows

Amazing vst. I found that every sound in the list has been professional produced. The layout of Hive is quality and easy on the eyes. The sounds are fantastic and not too rich and not too poor. Its perfect sounding of each sound element. I have come accross many good vst's. But the sounds are extremely too rich for my ears. With Hive all of the sounds are just perfect. I look forward to see the future with Hive updates and upgrades. Well worth the money. If anyone has not tried it, I urge you to try it. I give it 98% out of 100% if I was to rate it. Richie.....

Read Review

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Comments & Discussion for u-he Hive 2

Discussion
Discussion: Active
PUSHA
PUSHA
12 September 2015 at 2:52am

Incredible!!!! New Favorite Synth........This has to be near the top of the next best plugins list.

henryparsnip
henryparsnip
15 September 2015 at 11:33pm

Awesome synth,"very" similar to sylenth ....but better.

So many good synths out there but what swung it for me was the price and low CPU load.

ATN69
ATN69
27 October 2015 at 12:52pm

I bought Hive about a week ago and it is one of the best decisions I ever made. Now I use Hive all the time. Easy to work with with an amazing sound. Nice GUI. It is not the most expensive out there. So all is positive.

NatLife
NatLife
28 October 2015 at 9:49am

Best Trance VST on the moment. This synth can be like warm and in same time like metal sounding. Plus very low CPU usage. Use it together with a Serum - they both are future of trance music:)

Biome_Digital
Biome_Digital
11 December 2015 at 4:01pm

Another winner for U-he! Hive is one of the best synths to come out in years. Such a joy to program and is immensely powerful! Checkout my professional sound banks for it at www.biomedigital.com

aharon
aharon
19 December 2016 at 11:01am

Really hard to get in touch with Hive people, my serial wasn't accepted by the sofware and I will purchase again and see if i can use it then, my account wasn't debited and it may have something to do with it.

Urs
Urs
19 December 2016 at 12:13pm

How can we make getting in touch any easier? Other than, say, a support section on our website, a link from within the software, a forum on KVR, an email address and links in the registration email, links and email address in the user manual as well as installer, Readme and so on. We also have 5 people answering to such emails all day, sometimes even on weekends. If there are other ways to get in touch with a software manufacturer, please let us know and we'll try to implement them for even easier access.

SoundGoddess
SoundGoddess
19 December 2016 at 1:00pm

Anytime I have contacted u-he they have gotten back to me right away, within minutes to a few hours at most. They make a point to be very accessible to their customers, and are always friendly and helpful.

Distorted Horizon
Distorted Horizon
19 January 2019 at 8:48am

ViktorNova are you sure you reviewed the version with the wavetables?

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