This is fun - here is ONE Hive, using its onboard effects and nothing else:
You're totally right, just sounds the same..
These were 3 thors, but could also could have done of with 2. Just added one layer on top... because the sound needed it in my opinion.
I meant you can 't do all the stuff internally, all the reason instruments lack some good internal effects. On all instruments there ain't a decent eq with multiband, selectable a factor an frequency for example. The eq part alone is a very important factor to create the character of the sound. Some vst or re do a better job on that.
Inside the serum, hive you can 't do dynamic eq for example or bandsplitted widening, as far as I know. So you already need to do it outside the synth.
Everybody like to do it their own way, guess this is the way I like it, and you prefer Hive or others, which is totally fine
Have a good weekend