u-he Diva Automata Software User Guide

u-he Diva Automata Software

Specifications

• Product Name: Automata
• Manufacturer: Heckmann Audio GmbH
• Location: Berlin, Germany

About Automata

The idea for Automata came from a desire to uncover lesser-known characteristics of Diva and to explore new themes for soundsets. Diva’s arpeggiator, while simple on its own, becomes a powerful sequencer when combined with per-voice modulation and other techniques. Automata aims to highlight this underutilized feature, moving beyond basic note repetition.

Automata marks our first sound set project in a long time that doesn’t come from a single creative mind, and where the common thread isn’t a particular style or genre, but rather a single theme explored by a diverse group of top sound designers: Bryan Lake, Chris Kay, Electric Himalaya, Howard Scarr, Viktor Weimer, Yuli Yolo, and Yuta Yoshimatsu. We are fortunate to have such talented individuals working on this one project, and we believe they have created something truly special! The u-he team

About the authors

• Chris Kay: A keen amateur sound designer, Chris has been playing with synthesizers since the 1990s. Among his musical influences, he lists House, D&B, UK Garage, and ‘the kind of stuff that gets played in a muddy field at three in the morning’. Too humble!
• Electric Himalaya: Electric Himalaya is a London-based sound designer and ambient music producer. His synth sound design work can be found in products by Ableton, Apple, Roli, Steinberg, and others. He has also provided custom sounds for such artists as Bill Laurance (Snarky Puppy) or composer Annemarie Borg. Howard Scarr: Howard has been obsessed with synthesizers ever since 1973 when he co-founded the UK’s first all-synth band, Zorch. You can hear many of his Zebra sounds in the scores to e.g. The Dark Knight, Inception, Dunkirk, Blade Runner 2049, and Dune.

Yuli Yolo: Hailing from the south of France, with a unique programming style, Yuli has created presets for the likes of Roli, UVI, Arturia, and Tone2. With a growing passion for the performance side of synthesis, he has recently become interested in exploring sound design for MPE instruments.

Product Usage Instructions

Preset Folders

1. Deep
2. Percussive
3. Chordal
4. Monotonal
5. Melodic
6. Complex

Section 1: Deep

• The “Deep” preset folder contains deep and atmospheric sounds suitable for creating ambient or introspective music. These presets utilize a combination of modulation and effects to create evolving and immersive textures.

Section 2: Percussive

• The “Percussive” preset folder contains percussive sounds designed to add rhythm and energy to your tracks. These presets are optimized for creating punchy and dynamic percussive elements, such as drums, basslines, and stabs.

Section 3: Chordal

• The “Chordal” preset folder contains chordal sounds that are perfect for creating rich and harmonically complex melodies. These presets utilize Diva’s arpeggiator and modulation capabilities to create intricate chord progressions and arpeggios.

Section 4: Monotonal

• The “Monotonal” preset folder contains monophonic sounds that are ideal for creating lead lines and solo melodies. These presets are designed to provide expressive and powerful monophonic synth sounds.

Section 5: Melodic

• The “Melodic” preset folder contains melodic sounds suitable for creating catchy and memorable melodies. These presets are optimized for playing melodic lines and hooks in various musical genres.

Section 6: Complex

• The “Complex” preset folder contains complex and layered sounds that combine multiple synthesis techniques and modulation sources. These presets are designed to provide intricate and evolving textures for experimental and avant-garde music.

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing Automata, a very special soundset for u-he Diva. We hope you will enjoy playing these sounds and put them to good use in your music!

About Automata
The idea for Automata came from a desire to uncover lesser-known characteristics of Diva and to explore new themes for soundsets. Diva’s arpeggiator, while simple on its own, becomes a powerful sequencer when combined with per-voice modulation and other techniques. Automata aims to highlight this underutilized feature, moving beyond basic note repetition.

Automata marks our first sound set project in a long time that doesn’t come from a single creative mind, and where the common thread isn’t a particular style or genre, but rather a single theme explored by a diverse group of top sound designers: Bryan Lake, Chris Kay, Electric Himalaya, Howard Scarr, Viktor Weimer, Yuli Yolo, and Yuta Yoshi-Matsu. We are fortunate to have such talented individuals working on this one project, and we believe they have created something truly special!
the u-he team

Performance

All presets make use of at least one of the following performance controls: modulation wheel, aftertouch, pitch bender, Control A and Control B (for details about Control A/B please refer to the Diva user guide).
Performance controls used in each preset are listed in Diva’s PRESET INFO panel.

• MW = modulation wheel
• PB = pitch bender
• AT  = aftertouch (pressure)
• Ctrl A = Control A
• Ctrl B = Control B

Note: Many of the presets were created at a moderate tempo i.e. below 110 BPM.

About the authors

Bryan Lake
Happily tinkering with instruments and effect plug-ins ever since 2002, Bryan admits to never having owned a hardware synthesizer. However, he grew up listening to the likes of Brian Eno, Vangelis and Tangerine Dream – which ultimately stoked the flames of his passion for modular synthesis and deep sound design.

Chris Kay
A keen amateur sound designer, Chris has been playing with synthesizers since the 1990s. Among his musical influences, he lists House, D&B, UK Garage, and ‘the kind of stuff that gets played in a muddy field at three in the morning’. Too humble!
Electric Himalaya:
Electric Himalaya is a London-based sound designer and ambient music producer. His synth sound design work can be found in products by Ableton, Apple, Roli, Steinberg, and others. He has also provided custom sounds for such artists as Bill Laurance (Snarky Puppy) or composer Annemarie Borg.

Howard Scarr
Howard has been obsessed with synthesizers ever since 1973 when he co-founded the UK’s first all-synth band, Zorch. You can hear many of his Zebra sounds in the scores to e.g. The Dark Knight, Inception, Dunkirk, Blade Runner 2049, and Dune.

Viktor Weimer
Formerly a composer for games, student films, and radio plays, Viktor aka TUC has a deep love for the ’90s “romplers” as well as analog synths. Viktor has various duties at the u-he office in Berlin – his sound design work can be heard in, among others, the soundtrack for The Matrix Resurrections.

Yuli Yolo
Hailing from the south of France, with a unique programming style, Yuli has created presets for the likes of Roli, UVI, Arturia, and Tone2. With a growing passion for the performance side of synthesis, he has recently become interested in exploring sound design for MPE instruments.

Yuta Yoshimatsu
Sound designer, composer, music theorist, GUI designer, pixel painter, video creator, writer, programmer… in his own words, “just a man from Japan who makes stuff”!

1 Deep

Percussive

Chordal

Monotonal

Melodic

Complex

FAQ

Q: How can I access the performance controls?
A: The performance controls, including the modulation wheel, aftertouch, pitch bender, Control A, and Control B, can be accessed on your MIDI controller or through the software interface of u-he Diva. Please refer to the Diva user guide for more information on how to map and use these controls.

Q: Can I use Automata with other synthesizers?
A: Automata is specifically designed for u-he Diva and utilizes its unique features and capabilities. While you may be able to load the presets into other synthesizers, the sound and performance may not be optimized for those instruments.

Q: Are the presets tempo-specific?
A: Many of the presets in Automata were created at a moderate tempo below 110 BPM. However, you can adjust the tempo of your music project to suit your needs, and the presets will adapt accordingly.

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