u-he

About u-he

Heckmann Audio GmbH, the Berlin-based company behind the u-he brand, has built software synthesizers and studio effects since 2001. Founder Urs Heckmann launched the company as a one-person operation, bringing an industrial designer's sensibility to plug-in interfaces. The result is a catalog that spans semi-modular sound-design tools like Zebra and circuit-level analogue emulations like Diva and Repro. Zebra became a staple in film scoring, while Diva set a benchmark for CPU-intensive analogue modeling. The company remains self-funded with no investors or subscriptions, and it co-authored CLAP, an open plug-in format. 2026 marks the company's 25th anniversary, with Zebra 3 representing a full rewrite that Heckmann worked on close to full-time for three or four years.

Semi-Modular Synthesis

Zebra2 and the new Zebra3 define u-he's approach to modular sound design within a plug-in. Zebra3 is a ground-up rewrite on a modern codebase, expanding the routing and modulation possibilities that made Zebra2 a go-to for composers and sound designers. Bazille takes the semi-modular concept further with phase-distortion oscillators and a patchable signal flow. These instruments reward experimentation. You can build evolving pads, percussive sequences, or abstract textures by routing modulators through filters and effects in ways that fixed-architecture synths don't allow. If you need a synth that adapts to your workflow instead of dictating it, this is the line.

Analogue Emulation

Diva and Repro model specific analogue circuits at the component level, trading CPU efficiency for accuracy. Diva draws on multiple classic synth architectures, letting you mix oscillators, filters, and envelopes from different eras. Repro recreates the Prophet-5 and Pro One signal paths, capturing the drift and saturation that define those machines. ACE offers a lighter-weight analogue emulation with a semi-modular layout. These plug-ins don't approximate analogue behavior. They model the nonlinearities and tolerances that make hardware synths sound the way they do, which is why they demand more processing power than sample-based instruments.

Effects and Utilities

u-he's effects range from tape emulation to creative delays. Satin models reel-to-reel tape machines with adjustable speed, noise, and saturation. Presswerk is a bus compressor with parallel processing and sidechain filtering. Colour Copy delivers analogue-style delay with modulation and saturation. Uhbik is a suite of nine effects covering reverb, EQ, delay, and modulation. Filterscape, which dates back to 2004 and has been rebuilt on a modern codebase, offers multi-mode filtering with modulation and distortion. MFM2 is a delay and multi-band filter designed for rhythmic processing. Twangström models spring reverb. These tools handle everything from subtle tone shaping to extreme sound design.

Shop u-he at Blackout Audio

u-he's plug-ins suit producers who want control over their sound at the circuit level. Zebra3 and Diva are workhorses for sound designers and composers who need flexibility and depth. Free shipping on orders over $199 across Canada. Browse the full range online and contact our team with questions about formats, system requirements, or which u-he plug-in fits your workflow.