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u-he at Plugin Week 2025: u-he's MFM2 More Feedback Machine is a sound designer's dream with four independent delay lines, multimode filters, a flexible mod matrix and more
PLUGIN WEEK 2025: Founded in 2001 by industrial designer and synthesizer fan Urs Heckmann as a one-man show, the Berlin-based audio software company u-he has since evolved into a tightly knit team of employees, active partners, and third-party contractors – with ambitious plans for the future.
Best known for their Diva and Zebra2 synthesizers, u-he has developed several other successful products over the years while also contributing freeware plug-ins to popular music tech magazines. Despite their often complex architecture, u-he plug-ins are widely praised for their ease of use, which can be attributed to Urs Heckmann’s background in industrial design.
Heckmann sees his unconventional decision to start an audio software company as a direct result of his equal passion for good design and synthesizers.
The u-he team has always explored new technologies. Concepts for analogue synthesizers led to ACE, Bazille, Diva, and Repro. The effect plug-ins Presswerk, Colour Copy, Satin, and MFM2 represent u-he’s software take on world-class hardware compressors, analogue delays, and tape machines.
Introducing: MFM2 (More Feedback Machine 2)
MFM2 (short for More Feedback Machine 2) is a particularly sophisticated delay effect. It features four independent delay lines with either absolute time or tempo-synced delay settings, each equipped with multimode filters and extensive feedback path routing options.
A flexible modulation matrix, featuring four LFOs, two MSEGs, and two onboard FX units, offers deep sound-shaping potential, making MFM2 a powerful tool for even the most demanding sound designers.
Hive 2: The must-have synth for striking soundscapes
Hive marked u-he’s first foray into low-CPU, performance-oriented synthesis. With its rich reservoir of virtual analogue and wavetable oscillators, special filter models, X/Y control and powerful modulation matrix, Hive makes it remarkably easy to create strikingly dynamic, evolving sounds.
The 2.1 update added a couple of experimental filter types which are ideal for creating metallic and otherworldly spectra. The 2.1 features make Hive suitable for a vast range of use cases from classical virtual analogue to hybrid & wavetable synthesis, from almost acoustic-sounding percussion instruments to chaotic and ever-evolving soundscapes.
CVilization, Wiretap and Zebra 3
Also, somewhat under the radar, u-he has recently entered the burgeoning world of Eurorack modules. True to form, their first two products, CVilization and Wiretap are both unconventional and highly versatile, with several other exciting concepts in the pipeline.
Meanwhile, u-he is approaching the long-awaited release of Zebra 3.
Based on the familiar patching grid, Zebra 3 is a revolutionary new take on synthesis, with spline-based waveform/envelope editing, unique spectral effects, and much more.
Keep up to date with the amazing u-he journey at u-he.com.
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