u-he Diva

Diva captures the spirit of various analogue synthesizers by letting the user select from a variety of alternative modules. The oscillators, filters and envelopes closely model components found in some of the greatest monophonic and polyphonic synthesizers of yesteryear. But what sets DIVA apart from other emulations is the sheer authenticity of her analogue sound. This comes at the cost of quite a high CPU-hit, but we think it was worth it: Diva is the first native software synth that applies methods from industrial circuit simulators in realtime.

One spirit, many flavours

Oscillators and Filters

The filters are at the heart of Diva’s analogue sound. A combination of realtime circuit simulation and zero delay feedback (ZDF) design gives Diva its remarkable sound. With ZDF, the delays normally produced when modelling analogue circuits are vastly reduced, resulting in a much more authentic resonance behaviour. (If you are interested, Urs wrote an in-depth blog post  about ZDF.)

Diva models five different filters found in classic hardware synthesizers. All filters have modulation options and the traditional cutoff and resonance controls, but each has its character, quirks and options.

Like the filters, Diva’s oscillators are also modelled on classic hardware. The five models offer a wide range of different characteristics that fundamentally affect the overall sound, giving you a broad palette to start with for your next riff, bass and pad.

All five share common controls: waveform selection, octave range, mix or independent output volume controls, a noise source and plentiful modulation options. Plus a few touches unique to each model.

Effects and envelopes

Oscillators and filters get your sound humming, but a little polish and refinement make it sing.

Switching oscillators and filters on or off like an organ would be very limiting. Envelopes provide more nuanced and engaging results. Diva has two slots—one dedicated to the amplifier, the other to the filter—both with three models to choose from. Craft gently rising sounds, notes that fade slowly into the distance, or sharp percussion.

Envelope panel: Analogue model shown

Effects panel: Rotary speaker shown

As a final touch you can put Diva’s two stereo effects slots to use. In keeping with the vintage feel, the available effects would be right at home in the studios of bygone days. Add space with the plate reverb and delay, or movement with the phaser, chorus and rotary speaker effects.

Subtle Details

Small details can transform static, lifeless sounds into something much more lively and organic.

The Trimmers panel is where you can make your sounds feel more analogue. Control voice detuning per oscillator, adjust variance between individual voices (round robin), voice drift and more—adding life to your music. These options mirror the inherent variations in analogue hardware. As the circuit boards are not always 100% the same (due to component tolerances), oscillator tuning may differ slightly, some envelopes are a little less snappy. The individual effects may be subtle, but they add up to a more authentic analogue sound.

Trimmers panel

Modifications panel

Dive into the Modifications panel for more modulation options and an opportunity to push Diva into more experimental and unusual territories. Modulation processors such as Invert, Add, Quantize and Lag open up fresh ideas for manipulating Diva. These capabilities take Diva beyond the original hardware that inspired it.

• Authentic, award-winning analogue sound
• Mix-and-match panels for custom layouts
• Per-voice oscillator detune and user-definable modulation source
• Zero delay feedback (ZDF) filter design for authentic resonance behaviour
• 3 ADS(S)R envelope models based on classic synth hardware with keyboard follow and velocity scaling