Plugin comparison
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which synth to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
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Contenders
Arturia Acid V is a TB-303-inspired acid synth with a 64-step polymetric sequencer, modulators, 17 FX, and modern workflow, built for slides, accents, and filter scream.
Hive 2 is a u-he subtractive/wavetable software synthesizer with two stereo oscillator pairs, dual multimode filters, and onboard effects.
Score verdict
On the Dubspot Score, u-he Hive 2 comes out ahead (8.7). That said, the right pick depends on your workflow and budget — read both reviews before deciding.
Technical matrix
| Signal | Arturia Acid V | u-he Hive 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $149 | €149 |
| Dubspot Score | 8.6 | 8.7 |
| Formats | VST, VST3, AU, AAX, NKS, Standalone | CLAP, VST3, AUv2 (macOS), AAX (64-bit) |
| Type | Monophonic acid / bassline synthesizer (TB-303 inspired) | — |
| Sequencer | Up to 64 steps; polymetric; slide, accent, octave shift; scales; pattern shift; 350+ sequence presets (per Arturia) | — |
| MIDI export | Drag-and-drop patterns to MIDI clips for use with other instruments | — |
| Modulation | Multiple modulators for evolving acid motion | 2 LFOs, 2 pairs of ADSR envelopes, 12x2 modulation matrix slots with modifiers, shape sequencer, function generators |
| Effects | Multi-slot FX path with a large algorithm set (Arturia documents 17 FX algorithms / 4 FX slots class features) | 7 onboard effects (distortion, chorus, delay, phaser, EQ, reverb, compressor) |
| Distortion/drive | Multiple drive/distortion flavors for classic crunch | — |
| Formats | Standalone, VST, VST3, AU, AAX, NKS | — |
| System (guide) | macOS 11+ class; Windows modern 64-bit; see Arturia matrix for CPU/RAM | — |
| List price | $149 USD typical (frequent Arturia promo pricing) | — |
| Related clones | TAL-BassLine-101, D16 Phoscyon 2, hardware 303 / boutique clones | — |
| Oscillators | — | 2 pairs of stereo oscillators, 9 waveforms each, plus wavetable option (140 wavetables included), up to 16x unison per oscillator, tunable sub-oscillators |
| Filters | — | 2 multimode filters (lowpass, highpass, bandpass, bandreject, peaking, comb, reverb, dissonant, sideband) |
| Polyphony | — | Up to 16 voices; mono, legato and duophonic modes |
| Presets | — | 2400+ NKS-ready factory presets |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.