Talk-Zone #24 Interview with Urs Heckmann (u-he)
[cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 10px auto 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][cs_text text_align=”none”]We had the great opportunity to do an exclusive interview with Urs Heckmann the founder of u-he. The u-he company is one of the most famous plug-in developers in the world and they are enormous famous for creating the best sounding synthesizer plug-ins.[/cs_text][x_raw_content][/x_raw_content][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#c4c4c4″][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#ffffff” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][x_custom_headline level=”h6″ looks_like=”h6″ accent=”false”]Hello Urs, welcome to the Noizefield.com Talk Zone and thank you for taking the time for this interview. If i am informed correctly, you are developing since 2002 plug-ins. How did you come to music? and can you talk a little about you musical background?[/x_custom_headline][cs_text text_align=”none”]I went to a grammar school with a musical tradition. So I got in touch with synthesizers and music composition in my early teen years.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#c4c4c4″][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#ffffff” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][x_custom_headline level=”h6″ looks_like=”h6″ accent=”false”]What was your intention to start with developing your own synthesizers and effects?[/x_custom_headline][cs_text text_align=”none”]Well, VST plug-ins were new and I was a student in the ‘90s. I couldn’t afford the latest and greatest synthesizers, so I saw an opportunity in creating my own.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#c4c4c4″][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#ffffff” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][x_custom_headline level=”h6″ looks_like=”h6″ accent=”false”]How many people are working for u-he and what is their role?[/x_custom_headline][cs_text text_align=”none”]It’s about 10 people full time plus 3 part time and one intern. And quite a few external freelancers who we book from time to time.
While every one of those 10 full timers takes over various responsibilities, there are 4 – including myself – focussed on development, 3 on graphics and web content, 2 on support and preset design, 1 is coordinating things and cooking meals.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#c4c4c4″][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#ffffff” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][x_custom_headline level=”h6″ looks_like=”h6″ accent=”false”]How long do you work (on average) on a new prototype and how much time do you invest to create a new plug-in in total? Is there something you like most by creating new plug-ins and what is the most “pain” for you?[/x_custom_headline][cs_text text_align=”none”]That depends. A new product probably takes about a year of work. We’ve released 10 or so products in 13 years, plus freebees and magware. What I like most about it is the creative part, while the most painful part is finding bugs. Latter isn’t creative work, it’s just something one has to deal with.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#c4c4c4″][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#ffffff” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][x_custom_headline level=”h6″ looks_like=”h6″ accent=”false”]What is the best selling product from u-he and what is your favourite plug-in?[/x_custom_headline][cs_text text_align=”none”]There’s an ongoing fight between Diva and Zebra for the top spot. Diva usually sells a few units more each month while Zebra has had a great head start of several years. At the moment Zebra has a small lead, but we expect Diva to overtake Zebra in a few months, with Zebra coming back after the next update.
My favourite plug-in is always the one I’m current working on. Or maybe it’s the other way round – whatever plug-in I like most at a given time is also the one I’ll be working on.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 10px auto 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][x_image type=”thumbnail” src=”https://www.noizefield.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/urs-jpeg.jpg” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#c4c4c4″][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#ffffff” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][x_custom_headline level=”h6″ looks_like=”h6″ accent=”false”]Do you also produce and play music?[/x_custom_headline][cs_text text_align=”none”]Unfortunately not enough. We had some stressful years with lots of changes, and that kept me from making music. This is changing, however, things are calming down and I hope to be a bit more enthusiastic about composition and production soon.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#c4c4c4″][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#ffffff” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][x_custom_headline level=”h6″ looks_like=”h6″ accent=”false”] What is your favourite gear/synth, and what is the most hated, crappy stuff?[/x_custom_headline][cs_text text_align=”none”]That always changes. But I pretty much love every single one of my 30 vintage analogue synths. I don’t hate anything, but the most disappointing synth I invested in was the Siel Opera 6, which sounds a bit too clean for what I expected.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#c4c4c4″][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#ffffff” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][x_custom_headline level=”h6″ looks_like=”h6″ accent=”false”]Which interesting plug-ins or other new products can we expect in the future from you? Do you also plan an App for iOS or Android?[/x_custom_headline][cs_text text_align=”none”]Well, it’s no secret that we’re working on a major update of Zebra. But we also have major feature updates for almost everything else we have in the works. As for new products, I think in the next 2-4 years we’ll do a drum machine and a truly giant modular synthesizer.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#c4c4c4″][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#ffffff” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][x_slider animation=”slide” slide_time=”7000″ slide_speed=”1000″ slideshow=”false” random=”false” control_nav=”false” prev_next_nav=”true” no_container=”false” ][x_slide]
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[/x_slide][/x_slider][x_custom_headline level=”h6″ looks_like=”h6″ accent=”false”]Can you give us a little production tip or do you have a secret function in one of your plug-ins?[/x_custom_headline][cs_text text_align=”none”]In any synth, try a highpass filter in front of the common lowpass. Keep the highpass at a very low frequency, add – if possible – a little resonance. As paradox as this sounds, that can boost your bass big time![/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#c4c4c4″][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#ffffff” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][x_custom_headline level=”h6″ looks_like=”h6″ accent=”false”]If I wouldnt develop plug-ins I wanted to be a/an…[/x_custom_headline][cs_text text_align=”none”]Porn star? Nope, honestly, I have no idea.[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#c4c4c4″][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#ffffff” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][x_custom_headline level=”h6″ looks_like=”h6″ accent=”false”]Something you always wanted to say, to all the Noizefield readers.[/x_custom_headline][cs_text text_align=”none”]The past ten years have been an amazing time for me, and hopefully for all the people who use our stuff. I can’t stress too much how grateful I am that we got so much support from so many musicians out there – thanks for that![/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#c4c4c4″][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#ffffff” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][x_custom_headline level=”h6″ looks_like=”h6″ accent=”false”]Thank you very much for the interview.[/x_custom_headline][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 10px auto 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; ” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][cs_text text_align=”none”][icon type=”chain”] More information: u-he[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][cs_section style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; “][cs_row style=”margin: 60px auto 40px; padding: 0px; ” bg_color=”#c4c4c4″][cs_column style=”padding: 0px; border-style: dashed; border-width: 0px; border-color: #dd9933; ” bg_color=”#ededb4″ fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″][x_custom_headline level=”h6″ looks_like=”h5″ accent=”false”]Win u-he – ACE[/x_custom_headline][cs_text text_align=”none”]u-he was so kind to give away a copy of ACE for the Mario Lopez remix contest
More information at the remix page:
https://www.noizefield.com/news/remix-contest-with-mario-lopez-win-a-record-deal[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section]