# Dune (the synth) is pretty awesome.



## Studio E (Aug 5, 2021)

Just throwing an unsolicited opinion out there. As an adopter of Omnisphere, most the U-he stuff, Predator, the Arturia bundle, the included Steinberg goodies, and probably many many more, Dune 3 is surprisingly wonderful. First off, the preset programming is freaking beautiful. It’s got a lot of sounds that are definitely more for pop/electronic/dance genres, but as those lines get blurred into film all the time, I don’t mind at all. There are also a lot of absolutely gorgeous pads, textures, sound design patches. The layout makes sense really quickly. I watched one 20 minute video as a tutorial and I haven’t had to reference the manual since. The raw oscillators remind me of U-he stuff quite a bit, in that it has punch and definition, but then it also seems way less harsh than other synths, and I don’t know if that speaks of its virtual components, or of the programming, but it reminds me of my Virus which I recently acquired. Beefy, sizzly, but without harsh upper-mid as much. Just beautiful overall. I’ve paired-up with a fellow composer for a couple projects in this next year, and she has more of the Atticus Ross/Trent Reznor influence, so I’ve been building up the studio a little around those capabilities. Dune makes total sense with that in mind. It also seems almost modular because of how expansive the modulation matrix is. Lastly, the CPU hit seems to be super reasonable. I think I experienced one brief spike as I auditioned a hundred or more presets, but I was also flipping through pretty quickly, and that could have something to do with it. 

Just thought I’d mention this little gem. No affiliation, but I like to let people know when I find something I think is really special. I feel like the VA side of the synth is everything Omni is, and I might like it’s interface considerably more. Happy sailing fellow composers!


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## muziksculp (Aug 5, 2021)

*DUNE 3* is my favorite VST Synth, and I have many VST Synths.


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## muziksculp (Aug 5, 2021)

Richard of Synapse Audio is also working on an update for DUNE 3, offering some improvements, i.e. Improved Browser, and possibly Drag-n-Drop modulation source-destination assigning, and possibly other useful features.


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## muziksculp (Aug 5, 2021)

Oh.. I should also add that given the high-quality sound DUNE 3 offers, it's also very CPU efficient. Which is another big + .


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## Markrs (Aug 5, 2021)

It is also the current favourite of Guy Michelmore, over Omnisphere, Diva, etc


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## dcoscina (Aug 5, 2021)

It’s pretty terrific, agreed.


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## Saxer (Aug 5, 2021)

It's a really fat synth with hundreds of oscillators if needed.


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## muziksculp (Aug 5, 2021)

I scored a video project, and used DUNE 3 quite a bit, even used an organ sound in DUNE 3, that sounded like a church organ you couldn't tell it was a synth. So Majestic, I used it as a backdrop of a scene with a huge audience in a concert that are chanting, screamng, ..etc. I also used a guitar sound that played some strums, it sounded so real, easily mistaken for a 6 String Steel guitar. So, DUNE 3 is not just for making Synth sounds, it's super flexible. Amazing synth.


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## muziksculp (Aug 5, 2021)

Just for fun, here is a short audio clip of the *DUNE 3* Organ sound I used in the video project. 

View attachment ORGAN MP3(2).mp3


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## lastmessiah (Aug 5, 2021)

Too bad about the skeuomorphism though.


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## Studio E (Aug 5, 2021)

lastmessiah said:


> Too bad about the skeuomorphism though.


I had to look that word up. Can’t say as I have any complaints on the GUI, but then again, I come from a background of digital hardware, so the faux LCD doesn’t really bother me at all. The rest of it seems to be really logically laid out.


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## Pier (Sep 2, 2021)

lastmessiah said:


> Too bad about the skeuomorphism though.


Yeah the UI is its weakest feature, but it's not horrible. The center panel (arp, etc) and the preset browser are the worst part. Functional, but could be seriously improved.

But the sound... the sound! It's _chef kiss_ !

I think if Synapse invested a bit in design, branding, refreshing their site, etc, it could be the next U-He. Richard is definitely up there in terms of DSP knowledge.

TAL is another company with a genius DSP coder and very mediocre design. I guess they are doing fine which is why they just don't care.


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## gsilbers (Sep 2, 2021)

happy they copied the virus ti and expanded the envelopes and other things. specially since access stop development for Mac on Catalina+. 

If more composers used it id make a commercial soundset, but still omni and zebra2 are kings. 

for evolving pads, electronic sounds is very cool. 

gui is ok. that step sequencer is what kills me. they forced you into that little blue screen. why not have an expandable screen.


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## muziksculp (Sep 2, 2021)

Pier said:


> TAL is another company with a genius DSP coder and very mediocre design.


Yes. their *TAL-MOD* is another favorite synth of mine.


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## Pier (Sep 2, 2021)

gsilbers said:


> If more composers used it id make a commercial soundset, but still omni and zebra2 are kings.


I'm finishing a soundset for Zebra 2 but after that I plan on releasing a couple for Dune.

I'm guessing a reason it's not used more is because there aren't many cinematic soundsets. It is much more popular in the EDM world.


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## Pier (Sep 2, 2021)

muziksculp said:


> Yes. their *TAL-MOD* is another favorite synth of mine.


Oh yeah TAL MOD is one of my favorites too!


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## muziksculp (Sep 2, 2021)

*DUNE 3* is a super capable synth, and can do so much, for almost any genre.

imho. it is especially great for cinematic sounds.


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## muziksculp (Sep 2, 2021)

Actually, I would pick DUNE 3 over Zebra 2, and Omnisphere any day.


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## Pier (Sep 2, 2021)

muziksculp said:


> Actually, I would pick DUNE 3 over Zebra 2, and Omnisphere any day.


Omni sounds very vanilla IMO... at least from the synth demos I've heard. Obviously the samples are different.

I love Zebra, but it's definitely showing its age, specially in the effects. And there are a couple of bugs here and there that U-He won't fix like MSEGs not syncing properly, parameters that have a low resolution modulation, etc. I'm waiting for Zebra 3 like the next coming of Christ, but in the meantime, Dune is amazing.

Dune is not as flexible in terms of routing compared to Zebra, but it's more powerful in other aspects like audio rate modulation, 8 layers, 2 FX racks, more filters, etc.


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## gsilbers (Sep 2, 2021)

Pier said:


> I'm finishing a soundset for Zebra 2 but after that I plan on releasing a couple for Dune.
> 
> I'm guessing a reason it's not used more is because there aren't many cinematic soundsets. It is much more popular in the EDM world.



yeah, it might be that virus ti link. synapse has been clever to fill in that void left by the virus it. 
that super saw, dual filter implementation is so good. all the effects and now with extra multi mod envelope , two fx buses. 

still that small blue screen is killing me. the arp and mod matrix are tiny. I know it lets you import midi files but still. 

and yeah, you should do a soundset. id buy it  its always good to have genre specific sound sets for every synths. the onboard presets are always a one size fits all and turns into tons of useless junk. 
I thought 70s Moog progressive rock solos where a thing of the past... here we are... still relevant on most synths showcases in YouTube.


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## whinecellar (Sep 2, 2021)

Yep, another +1 from me. Dune 3 is easily one of the best softsynths ever made. It sounds absolutely stunning and is super easy & efficient to use.

As for the GUI, I actually think it’s tasteful - it’s not early 2000’s cartoonish like Omni, and not overly trying to look like physical hardware like Arturia; it’s a nice tasteful happy medium. Most important, it’s snappy and flexible, and it just works. And hey, at least they give you multiple colors schemes and sizes to choose from.

Spire is another one that’s right up there with Dune. Both were clearly inspired by the Access Virus and have that German DNA - probably why I like them so much. They’ll punch you in the face with stunning quality. The BMWs of the synth world. 😁


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## muziksculp (Sep 2, 2021)

whinecellar said:


> Spire is another one that’s right up there with Dune.


Yup. Another great synth. Totally agree. 

I still love using my Access Virus Ti2 Desktop. What a beautiful sounding synth, and it never ages. It surely was very ahead of its time.


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## whinecellar (Sep 3, 2021)

muziksculp said:


> Yup. Another great synth. Totally agree.
> 
> I still love using my Access Virus Ti2 Desktop. What a beautiful sounding synth, and it never ages. It surely was very ahead of its time.


Agreed! The Virus is one hardware synth I have never been without, over the course of 2+ decades. Even now, it is insanely powerful and still sounds incredible, with its own unmistakable identity. And essentially 16 of them in one box, each with their own FX?!? Game changer indeed!


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## sostenuto (Sep 3, 2021)

Trying Dune 3 Demo, but #170. is _tough choice_ given current synths: 
Omni 2.7, Spire 1.5, Repro 1-5, Massive-X, Vital, others. Dawesome ABYSS now at $77. !! 

Dune 3 Demo will be instructive. 🤷🏻


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## Pier (Sep 3, 2021)

sostenuto said:


> Trying Dune 3 Demo, but #170. is _tough choice_ given current synths:
> Omni 2.7, Spire 1.5, Repro 1-5, Massive-X, Vital, others. Dawesome ABYSS now at $77. !!
> 
> Dune 3 Demo will be instructive. 🤷🏻


BTW you can find it much cheaper at KVR buying a "second hand" license. I bought Dune recently for $100.









KVR Forum: Sell & Buy (+Special Offers, Deals & Promos) Forum


KVR Audio Forum - Sell & Buy (+Special Offers, Deals & Promos) Forum




www.kvraudio.com





I've bought and sold plugins there for years, never had an issue. Obviously don't buy from new users. There's also a feedback thread where people post about good and bad sellers.

Each synth has its pros and cons. For years I made the mistake of thinking Dune was just a very good supersaw trance/EDM Virus-like synth. And yeah, you can do that, but it also has a lot of analog character. It's not surprising after all, The Legend by the same developer is probably the best Minimoog emulation in the market.


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## Soundbed (Sep 3, 2021)

Still on Dune 2. Do they have upgrade sales? Looks like it’s $74 to upgrade for me today.


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## sostenuto (Sep 3, 2021)

Pier said:


> BTW you can find it much cheaper at KVR buying a "second hand" license. I bought Dune recently for $100.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Cool Reply ! 👍🏻 Enjoyed the shootout _ have Monark and spaced out. Thru 12 pages @ KVR, and will keep checking. 

THX !


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## Pier (Sep 3, 2021)

sostenuto said:


> Thru 12 pages @ KVR, and will keep checking.


Use the search at the top!


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## Pier (Sep 3, 2021)

Soundbed said:


> Still on Dune 2. Do they have upgrade sales? Looks like it’s $74 to upgrade for me today.


Hmm no idea.


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## muziksculp (Sep 3, 2021)

Soundbed said:


> Still on Dune 2. Do they have upgrade sales? Looks like it’s $74 to upgrade for me today.


Do it. DUNE 3 is awesome !

Sorry, don't know about when they will offer an upgrade discount, or if they do that.


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## Bman70 (Sep 3, 2021)

Can Dune import samples?


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## Pier (Sep 3, 2021)

Bman70 said:


> Can Dune import samples?


Yeah. As Wavetables buy also regular samples.


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## Pier (Sep 3, 2021)

Soundbed said:


> Still on Dune 2. Do they have upgrade sales? Looks like it’s $74 to upgrade for me today.


Found this reddit post and apparently on last BF they did have a discount for the upgrade


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## Bman70 (Sep 3, 2021)

Pier said:


> Yeah. As Wavetables buy also regular samples.


Nice, apparently wav files can be imported since version 3.4. What I didn't find out is if you can granularize them.


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## Soundbed (Sep 3, 2021)

Pier said:


> Found this reddit post and apparently on last BF they did have a discount for the upgrade



I love the comments in that thread.


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## Pier (Sep 3, 2021)

Bman70 said:


> Nice, apparently wav files can be imported since version 3.4. What I didn't find out is if you can granularize them.


No granular but it wouldn't surprise me if it was added later on.

Synapse has been constantly adding features to Dune.


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## Bman70 (Sep 3, 2021)

Pier said:


> No granular but it wouldn't surprise me if it was added later on.
> 
> Synapse has been constantly adding features to Dune.


True, sample import was a top user request item not long ago, and now it's here. Guess I'll need to keep track of sales on this one.


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## AceAudioHQ (Sep 3, 2021)

Dune has been on my list for a while but it’s a bit expensive so I’ve waited for a sale or a used copy appearing on the market


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## Pier (Sep 3, 2021)

AceAudioHQ said:


> Dune has been on my list for a while but it’s a bit expensive so I’ve waited for a sale or a used copy appearing on the market


Here's someone selling it for €119 









KVR Forum: FS: Arturia, XLN, Synapse Audio, d16 - Sell & Buy (+Special Offers, Deals & Promos) Forum


KVR Audio Forum - FS: Arturia, XLN, Synapse Audio, d16 - Sell & Buy (+Special Offers, Deals & Promos) Forum




www.kvraudio.com


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## Pier (Sep 3, 2021)

LOL

Kevin Schroeder (the lead sound designer for Synapse Audio) is listed as a programmer in the new movie Dune.

I bet he used Dune for Dune!


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## AceAudioHQ (Sep 3, 2021)

Pier said:


> Here's someone selling it for €119


that's only a 28€ discount, waiting for sub 100


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## Pier (Sep 3, 2021)

AceAudioHQ said:


> that's only a 28€ discount, waiting for sub 100


At least here the full price shows up as €159 / $179.


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## José Herring (Sep 3, 2021)

Synapse just makes great synths. Little known Reason RE Antidote is killer in the Reason community. I put it head to head with Obsession and Antidote held its own. I'd like to get Dune 3 but I fear at this point it would just be a redundant purchase for me.

Synths are marketed to the EDM crowd because that's like 99% of the market but most are capable of a whole not more of course.


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## José Herring (Sep 3, 2021)

OMG I'm listening to the Demos of Dune 3. I may not need another synth, but now I WANT ANOTHER SYNTH!!!!


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## KEM (Sep 3, 2021)

Great, not I have to buy Hive 2 AND Dune 3…


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## KEM (Sep 3, 2021)

Pier said:


> LOL
> 
> Kevin Schroeder (the lead sound designer for Synapse Audio) is listed as a programmer in the new movie Dune.
> 
> I bet he used Dune for Dune!



Well that’s not a coincidence…


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## RAdkins (Sep 3, 2021)

One of the nice things is Dune 3 is NKS compatible for those who have a NI keyboard.


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## Pier (Sep 3, 2021)

KEM said:


> Great, not I have to buy Hive 2 AND Dune 3…


Both sound great, but personally I prefer Dune in terms of sound.

Hive has a better UI, but Dune is much more powerful.


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## Pier (Sep 3, 2021)

Soooooo....

Just for fun I wanted to compare Dune with Repro and Diva. Well, I don't have Diva but I used Zebra HZ which uses the same filters. The idea wasn't to make them sound identical, but to see how analog could Dune sound compared with the best.

This is just a single saw OSC and a filter. No effects, nothing more.

Soundcloud compression is trash but here it is:




If you can, listen to the .wav I've attached. Soundcloud has trashed the upper frequencies.

Do you think you can recognize which is which? 





Nah I'm kidding!

ARP
* Repro 1
* Dune (with AM Pro 24db)
* Zebra HZ (with Ladder 24db)

Pad
* Repro 5
* Dune (with TR Lowpass 24db)
* Zebra HZ (with Ladder 24db)

Edit:

I forgot to mention Repro was at HQ and Zebra HZ at divine quality.


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## bill5 (Sep 3, 2021)

José Herring said:


> Synths are marketed to the EDM crowd because that's like 99% of the market but most are capable of a whole not more of course.


They are ALL capable of much more...I question just where the % lies in synth owners' genres. I don't think it's all EDM.

I like Dune but not esp more or less than most of the other major players generally...Hive, Diva, Zebra, Absynth, FM, etc. They're all capable of a ton.


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## José Herring (Sep 3, 2021)

Pier said:


> Soooooo....
> 
> Just for fun I wanted to compare Dune with Repro and Diva. Well, I don't have Diva but I used Zebra HZ which uses the same filters. The idea wasn't to make them sound identical, but to see how analog could Dune sound compared with the best.
> 
> ...



Great test. It's interesting that ZebraHZ seems to have the better filters and envelopes. More snappy EG and smoother on the sweep up and down. Hmmm....


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## Pier (Sep 4, 2021)

José Herring said:


> Great test. It's interesting that ZebraHZ seems to have the better filters and envelopes. More snappy EG and smoother on the sweep up and down. Hmmm....


Yeah don't pay to much attention to the envelopes. I wasn't trying to make them sound identical.

I'm sure they could sound much closer but I just wanted to compare the flavors of the synths, so to speak.


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## vitocorleone123 (Sep 5, 2021)

Not that you can't have both, but I chose Hive 2 over Dune 3 as I think it's a better synth. But it was a close call. Can't go wrong with either (or both).


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## KEM (Sep 5, 2021)

I downloaded the demos for both, I like them and I’ll definitely end up buying both


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## Pier (Sep 5, 2021)

vitocorleone123 said:


> Not that you can't have both, but I chose Hive 2 over Dune 3 as I think it's a better synth. But it was a close call. Can't go wrong with either (or both).


So what made you go with Hive, if you don't mind me asking?


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## vitocorleone123 (Sep 5, 2021)

Pier said:


> So what made you go with Hive, if you don't mind me asking?


Sure! 2 things

- Raw oscillator sound (just edged out Dune 3 to my ears when I compared several VA soft synths to decide, though Spire truly has the most beautiful saw waves but I wanted more than just saws)... I felt the filters were a wash, overall, when comparing. Hive 2 may also have been better at wavetable at the time, but not sure now.

- UI (both have some oddness, but Hive 2 felt better to use, with more options up front)

If Hive had never updated to v2, I'd have Dune 3 (I was buying just as Hive 2 came out). I think having both is too much overlap for me despite some differences between them, so I'd personally not do it.

I think everyone should try both and just get whichever felt better to use - both u-he and synapse are great, innovative, talented developers of fantastic software instruments. If you already have one, no matter which, be happy, because they're wonderful. And if you have both... 

Side note: it would be an even more challenging decision now, because Vital is also amazing, and comparatively inexpensive. It's wavetable, but I find it sounds more like a VA.


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## Pier (Sep 6, 2021)

vitocorleone123 said:


> Sure! 2 things
> 
> - Raw oscillator sound (just edged out Dune 3 to my ears when I compared several VA soft synths to decide, though Spire truly has the most beautiful saw waves but I wanted more than just saws)... I felt the filters were a wash, overall, when comparing. Hive 2 may also have been better at wavetable at the time, but not sure now.
> 
> ...


Yeah the UI of Hive is way better. Hopefully Synapse improves the UI of Dune because is its weakest aspect.

I guess Hive gets compared to Dune because on the surface both seem similar VA/WT subtractive synths.

Personally I think Dune is actually better compared to Zebra than Hive. Both are flagship workhorse synths with tons of similar features:
- Very powerful oscillators and oscillator editors (each with their own pros and cons)
- Tons of filter types (Hive has more filters now since 2.1)
- FM
- MSEGs (Hive has the step sequencer but it's not the same)
- Tons of effects, modulation options, etc.

Where Zebra wins:
- Audio routing flexibility.
- Comb filter. Dune has one too but it's very limited in comparison.
- Advanced modulation options like the mod mapper and the mod operations.

Where Dune wins:
- Audio rate modulation.
- Much better effects and more instances of the effects can be used.
- Filters are better, more comparable to Repro and Diva.
- Importing samples. Both as WTs and as oscillator sources.
- Up to 8 layers. Zebra has a single layer so you can't have one arp with something else going on in another layer.
- The arpeggiator can import midi files.

I actually got into Dune because about a year ago I was frustrated by both Zebra and Hive. Zebra is great but pretty old at this point, and Hive is kinda limited (even more before the 2.1 update). Dune seems to be a crossbreed between those two synths.

Vital is just great. Even ignoring the fact that it's free or very cheap, it's better than Hive in almost every way except for the U-He analog mojo.


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## sean8877 (Sep 6, 2021)

Studio E said:


> Just throwing an unsolicited opinion out there. As an adopter of Omnisphere, most the U-he stuff, Predator, the Arturia bundle, the included Steinberg goodies, and probably many many more, Dune 3 is surprisingly wonderful. First off, the preset programming is freaking beautiful. It’s got a lot of sounds that are definitely more for pop/electronic/dance genres, but as those lines get blurred into film all the time, I don’t mind at all. There are also a lot of absolutely gorgeous pads, textures, sound design patches. The layout makes sense really quickly. I watched one 20 minute video as a tutorial and I haven’t had to reference the manual since. The raw oscillators remind me of U-he stuff quite a bit, in that it has punch and definition, but then it also seems way less harsh than other synths, and I don’t know if that speaks of its virtual components, or of the programming, but it reminds me of my Virus which I recently acquired. Beefy, sizzly, but without harsh upper-mid as much. Just beautiful overall. I’ve paired-up with a fellow composer for a couple projects in this next year, and she has more of the Atticus Ross/Trent Reznor influence, so I’ve been building up the studio a little around those capabilities. Dune makes total sense with that in mind. It also seems almost modular because of how expansive the modulation matrix is. Lastly, the CPU hit seems to be super reasonable. I think I experienced one brief spike as I auditioned a hundred or more presets, but I was also flipping through pretty quickly, and that could have something to do with it.
> 
> Just thought I’d mention this little gem. No affiliation, but I like to let people know when I find something I think is really special. I feel like the VA side of the synth is everything Omni is, and I might like it’s interface considerably more. Happy sailing fellow composers!


Care to share a link to the video tutorial you watched?


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## KEM (Sep 6, 2021)

Reading through all these replies makes me further aware of how little I know about synthesis, I need to up my game!!


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## creativeforge (Sep 7, 2021)

That is a fun and inspiring thread. Had to hear for myself!





Can really be used in a lot of various genres. Will have to demo this closer when the sun is up...  Working on adding some sonic cosmetic polish on old Korg sequencer tunes (01/W). Other synths mentioned here I never heard of as well.

Late night hyperfocus is never a waste when exploring the forum !


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## Scamper (Sep 25, 2021)

Pier said:


> Just for fun I wanted to compare Dune with Repro and Diva. Well, I don't have Diva but I used Zebra HZ which uses the same filters. The idea wasn't to make them sound identical, but to see how analog could Dune sound compared with the best.



They all sound great, but there is just something special about that ZebraHZ pad.

So far the best synths in my collection are uhe - Zebra2, Diva, Repro, Hive. Seeing how well Dune is regarded, I'm gonna try the demo and see how it feels. I almost hope I won't like it too much and have to buy it then.


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## Sid Francis (Oct 5, 2021)

Just another opinion: I just bought Dune 3, even 2nd hand for 100 bucks. I own about 70 VSTis and use about a dozen or so regularily. But Dune was a milestone and I can´t stop playing and using it! Heavily recomended. Wonderful sound, transparent programming and if you like to make a sound with 520 oscillators you can ))


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## Voider (Oct 5, 2021)

Dune is absolutely beautiful and my main synth, in my opinion one of the best synths out there!
 Here's one of my sets.


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## Drumdude2112 (Oct 25, 2021)

Voider said:


> Dune is absolutely beautiful and my main synth, in my opinion one of the best synths out there!
> Here's one of my sets.



NICE 👍🏻 , your soundsets sound Great !
Dune is probably my favorite synth , it sounds Devine !


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## Databroth (Nov 14, 2021)

they just updated it to 3.5, new compressor, 24 voices, new browser and preset mutator
and improved msegs


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## Giscard Rasquin (Nov 14, 2021)

Do they normally do any discounts for Black Friday?


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## Pier (Nov 14, 2021)

Giscard Rasquin said:


> Do they normally do any discounts for Black Friday?


Yeah. I think 30-40%.


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## Giscard Rasquin (Nov 14, 2021)

Pier said:


> Yeah. I think 30-40%.



Good news 🤓


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## R. Naroth (Nov 21, 2021)

Pier said:


> Yeah. I think 30-40%.


Okay… Dune is going into my BF shopping list. 😅


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## Sergievsky (Nov 26, 2021)

Ok...so I dunno if y'all are doing this because you want to sell your sounds & patches, or you have it & you want to feel good about your synth and show it off, or maybe you just want comfort in numbers having the same thing, or if the folks at Synapse is your friend or whatever...but, you did it! well done! you dragged me in...not only in adding another vst I probably don't really, reeeeally need, but in signing up for this evil forum. My wife & wallet hates all of you.


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## Sid Francis (Nov 27, 2021)

At least concerning Dune you will NEVER regret this.... For the rest... you will


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## rsg22 (Nov 27, 2021)

Pier said:


> Where Zebra wins:
> - Audio routing flexibility.
> - Comb filter. Dune has one too but it's very limited in comparison.
> - Advanced modulation options like the mod mapper and the mod operations.
> ...


I've been trying to decide between Zebra and Dune this BF season and appreciate your posts in this and other threads. Though I've been leaning toward Dune would you consider it fair to say that another win for Zebra is the huge number of available third party sound sets? I haven't been able to find much for Dune, and I usually don't care much about third party support - except in this case. 

After playing around with Abyss I actually ended up picking it up on sale, it clicked with me, though I realize it's a bit of a different beast compared to Zebra and Dune. Still want to pick up one of them as well, to compliment Pigments, V Collection, and some hardware semi-modulars I have.


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## Pier (Nov 27, 2021)

rsg22 said:


> I've been trying to decide between Zebra and Dune this BF season and appreciate your posts in this and other threads. Though I've been leaning toward Dune would you consider it fair to say that another win for Zebra is the huge number of available third party sound sets? I haven't been able to find much for Dune, and I usually don't care much about third party support - except in this case.


Yeah the huge number of Zebra libraries can be an advantage if you want to use third party presets in your music or just want to learn from them.

I realize this is a thread about how great Dune is, but if I had to choose just between these two synths, I'd go with Zebra 🦓. Just my personal opinion though.


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## Sid Francis (Nov 27, 2021)

Depends largely on the music you want to make: delicate, cinematic, mysterious: Zebra. Powerfull, action, spectacular, in your face. Dune. Yes yes, spare the comments, I know the is some overlap. But the basic sound of zebra and Dune is quite different to my opinion. But thats obvious if you listen to some demos of both. Don´t forget this one by the genius Kevin Schröder:


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## Pier (Nov 27, 2021)

Sid Francis said:


> Depends largely on the music you want to make: delicate, cinematic, mysterious: Zebra. Powerfull, action, spectacular, in your face. Dune.


I would have expressed it differently. Dune tends to sound sharper and more modern while Zebra tends to sound more classic and organic.

Zebra can definitely sound "in your face". See the basses from my last Zebra library:


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## Sid Francis (Nov 27, 2021)

Hey Pier

That sounds definitly powerfull...but in my vocabulary absolutely not "in your face", which does not mean it is inferior to Dune. You are right: "more organic" is the best term for it. I am not so good in analytic hearing but I could imagine that the envelopes in Dune could be quicker so that the attack is more pronounced. That mostly makes that "in your face" effekt for me. Sounds in Dune often are a bit "snappier" which also somewhat less "natural". Hope that tells more... You should have both anyway  and both belong to my 3 or 4 go to synths.


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## Markus Kohlprath (Nov 27, 2021)

Sergievsky said:


> My wife & wallet hates all of you.


Usually when men come home late at night wives worry that they might have an affair.
Our wives have to worry that we bought a new vi again......


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## Pier (Nov 27, 2021)

Sid Francis said:


> Hey Pier
> 
> That sounds definitly powerfull...but in my vocabulary absolutely not "in your face", which does not mean it is inferior to Dune. You are right: "more organic" is the best term for it. I am not so good in analytic hearing but I could imagine that the envelopes in Dune could be quicker so that the attack is more pronounced. That mostly makes that "in your face" effekt for me. Sounds in Dune often are a bit "snappier" which also somewhat less "natural". Hope that tells more... You should have both anyway  and both belong to my 3 or 4 go to synths.


Interesting!

To me "in your face" is more about the frequency content. Words are so limited!


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## sostenuto (Nov 27, 2021)

Sid Francis said:


> Hey Pier
> 
> That sounds definitly powerfull...but in my vocabulary absolutely not "in your face", which does not mean it is inferior to Dune. You are right: "more organic" is the best term for it. I am not so good in analytic hearing but I could imagine that the envelopes in Dune could be quicker so that the attack is more pronounced. That mostly makes that "in your face" effekt for me. Sounds in Dune often are a bit "snappier" which also somewhat less "natural". Hope that tells more... You should have both anyway  and both belong to my 3 or 4 go to synths.


Dune 3 makes (already tough) decision, to add beyond Omni2, even tougher. 
Zebra 3 uncertainty enters in ..... 🙄


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## doctoremmet (Nov 27, 2021)

Pier said:


> I would have expressed it differently. Dune tends to sound sharper and more modern while Zebra tends to sound more classic and organic.
> 
> Zebra can definitely sound "in your face". See the basses from my last Zebra library:



Yeah. That does sound in-your-face to me ✅


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## darkcape (Nov 27, 2021)

I am floored by Dune's intuitive sound design capabilities especially after having watched their latest on the genetics feature for creating new patches from stock ones. As it is it sounds like a beast of a synth laden with features and engaging sounds. Must. Buy. Now. Bye.


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## sostenuto (Nov 27, 2021)

Dune 3 BlkFri promo now seems more pressing. Recent soft-synth developments make choices more difficult. Tougher to sort which deserve to be in mainstream/top-tier category, versus niche choices.

_as above_ .... realize this is Dune Thread, but was drawn naively toward LA - CUBE with many site comments on its 'soft-synth' attributes. BlkFri time is pressing to sort wheat from chaff (at least ) for personal, immediate decision. ⁉️


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## Sid Francis (Nov 27, 2021)

Hi sostenuto

Omni was my "always grab first" since its appearance. Dune is a great complement because it sounds very different. Omni even starts to sound dated for me. If you listen to the latest expansions for it from Spectrasonic you know what I mean... So I can definitly recommend the combination


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## sostenuto (Nov 27, 2021)

Sid Francis said:


> Hi sostenuto
> 
> Omni was my "always grab first" since its appearance. Dune is a great complement because it sounds very different. Omni even starts to sound dated for me. If you listen to the latest expansions for it from Spectrasonic you know what I mean... So I can definitly recommend the combination


Many thanks for this Sid Francis ! Helps to hear this from early days Omni user. No dissatisfaction with latest v2.8 and huge list of 3rd Pty expansions. 'Sound' continues to arise in these discussions, and cool to hear that you find Dune 3 complementary to your solid awareness of Omni's sound(s). 
BlkFri Dune 3 $129. cost is darn helpful while considering addition. 

Regards


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## darkcape (Nov 27, 2021)

And I just bought Dune! I'd been eyeing this beautiful, moody synth for some time now. I feel that I have the power to command sandworms now, haha. Thank you all for this awesome thread!


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## jneebz (Nov 27, 2021)

Dune 3 vs. Equator 2. Someone flip a coin for me. I have paralysis by analysis.


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## Pier (Nov 27, 2021)

jneebz said:


> Dune 3 vs. Equator 2. Someone flip a coin for me. I have paralysis by analysis.


For what purpose? What do you want to use those for?


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## jneebz (Nov 27, 2021)

Pier said:


> For what purpose? What do you want to use those for?


To be cool, like you guys of course! 

Well I’m more of a preset tweaker than a sound designer. Looking for something besides Omni and Zebra. I like the way these synths sound, and seem pretty flexible if I want to dive deeper into creating my own sounds from scratch…


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## Pier (Nov 27, 2021)

jneebz said:


> To be cool, like you guys of course!
> 
> Well I’m more of a preset tweaker than a sound designer. Looking for something besides Omni and Zebra. I like the way these synths sound, and seem pretty flexible if I want to dive deeper into creating my own sounds from scratch…


If you already have Omni and Zebra, I'd say go with Dune.

Equator is mainly for doing hybrid stuff but you're already covered with Omni on that front I think.

You could also consider Hive which is not on sale, but there are a couple of people selling it cheap at Knobcloud.


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## jneebz (Nov 27, 2021)

Pier said:


> If you already have Omni and Zebra, I'd say go with Dune.
> 
> Equator is mainly for doing hybrid stuff but you're already covered with Omni on that front I think.
> 
> You could also consider Hive which is not on sale, but there are a couple of people selling it cheap at Knobcloud.


OK got the Dune demo. Definitely different than Omni and Zebra...which is great! I think to my ears the sound is richer yet more punchy? Some of the transient-heavy bass patches feel like they sit in front of my monitors! So yeah, I think this is the one I'll go for. Thanks for the help and everyone who commented here


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## Pier (Nov 27, 2021)

liquidlino said:


> 25% Off voucher right now if you coplete a survey for u-he.


Ok but here's at 40% off!

https://www.knobcloud.com/i/23298/u-he-hive-2


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## Sid Francis (Nov 27, 2021)

Had very good experience at Knobcloud. The purchase process is half automated by knobcloud for both sides so that a certain protocol is kept. Can recommend also (and bought Dune there some time ago for 90€ without BF  )


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## Soundbed (Nov 28, 2021)

oh boy. not sure I have the budget remaining to move up to Dune 3 and the Cinematic 2 pack. Might have to wait for their usual Easter sale.


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## KEM (Nov 28, 2021)

Pier said:


> I would have expressed it differently. Dune tends to sound sharper and more modern while Zebra tends to sound more classic and organic.
> 
> Zebra can definitely sound "in your face". See the basses from my last Zebra library:




I sure made them sound “in your face” when I added +12db of hard clipping


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## Zoot_Rollo (Nov 28, 2021)

Soundbed said:


> oh boy. not sure I have the budget remaining to move up to Dune 3 and the Cinematic 2 pack. Might have to wait for their usual Easter sale.


Easter?

the poor boy hasn't even been born yet!


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## Sid Francis (Nov 28, 2021)

Have a look, better than BF

https://vi-control.net/community/threads/presonus-arturia-ssl-dune-tone2-stienberg.117194/


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## doctoremmet (Nov 29, 2021)

Sid Francis said:


> Have a look, better than BF
> 
> https://vi-control.net/community/threads/presonus-arturia-ssl-dune-tone2-stienberg.117194/


He also sold Dune yesterday apparently


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## JPQ (Nov 29, 2021)

muziksculp said:


> Just for fun, here is a short audio clip of the *DUNE 3* Organ sound I used in the video project.
> 
> View attachment ORGAN MP3(2).mp3


Souns really good.


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## muziksculp (Nov 29, 2021)

JPQ said:


> Souns really good.


THANKS


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## Sid Francis (Nov 29, 2021)

Na na na na naa na...too sl -how


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## Krisemm (Dec 2, 2021)

Studio E said:


> Just throwing an unsolicited opinion out there. As an adopter of Omnisphere, most the U-he stuff, Predator, the Arturia bundle, the included Steinberg goodies, and probably many many more, Dune 3 is surprisingly wonderful. First off, the preset programming is freaking beautiful. It’s got a lot of sounds that are definitely more for pop/electronic/dance genres, but as those lines get blurred into film all the time, I don’t mind at all. There are also a lot of absolutely gorgeous pads, textures, sound design patches. The layout makes sense really quickly. I watched one 20 minute video as a tutorial and I haven’t had to reference the manual since. The raw oscillators remind me of U-he stuff quite a bit, in that it has punch and definition, but then it also seems way less harsh than other synths, and I don’t know if that speaks of its virtual components, or of the programming, but it reminds me of my Virus which I recently acquired. Beefy, sizzly, but without harsh upper-mid as much. Just beautiful overall. I’ve paired-up with a fellow composer for a couple projects in this next year, and she has more of the Atticus Ross/Trent Reznor influence, so I’ve been building up the studio a little around those capabilities. Dune makes total sense with that in mind. It also seems almost modular because of how expansive the modulation matrix is. Lastly, the CPU hit seems to be super reasonable. I think I experienced one brief spike as I auditioned a hundred or more presets, but I was also flipping through pretty quickly, and that could have something to do with it.
> 
> Just thought I’d mention this little gem. No affiliation, but I like to let people know when I find something I think is really special. I feel like the VA side of the synth is everything Omni is, and I might like it’s interface considerably more. Happy sailing fellow composers!


yep.The sound engine in Dune is exceptional. I remember looking for a big luxurious opulent synth where money was no object, and I downloaded a lot and A/B'd them, and Dune 3 came out on top.
I already had NI komplete, and all the U-He synths so it wasn't going up against those, but things like serum, Icarus etc.....were blown away. Definitely very similar to U-He Hive with that beefy punchy pristine sound.
I would use it a lot more but i've never liked the UI that much, and wish there were a few more skins


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## richmwhitfield (Dec 2, 2021)

It's very different but I have used this skin before - https://killihu.vstskins.com/duneton/


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## Sid Francis (Dec 8, 2021)

Next chance for one:

https://www.knobcloud.com/i/24320/synapse-audio-dune-3-5


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## Vhrka (Dec 8, 2021)

Sid Francis said:


> Next chance for one:
> 
> https://www.knobcloud.com/i/24320/synapse-audio-dune-3-5


If I buy it like this from someone else, do I still get any future updates or qualify for upgrade pricing if they ever release a Dune 4?


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## Pier (Dec 8, 2021)

Vhrka said:


> If I buy it like this from someone else, do I still get any future updates or qualify for upgrade pricing if they ever release a Dune 4?


I'm 99% sure that yes.


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## Sid Francis (Dec 8, 2021)

same


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## hurricane (Dec 9, 2021)




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## KEM (Dec 11, 2021)

Am I in debt right now? Yes I am

Am I still gonna hold off on paying off my debt so I can get Dune? Yes, yes I am


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## LunaVibes (Jan 6, 2022)

Anyone interested in a trade? I have Pigments 3 with the Spectrum Sound Bank and will trade it for a Dune 3 license. Thanks!

PS. I still have to unregister Pigments 3 so it might take a couple of days for it to be completed.


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## Snoobydoobydoo (Jan 7, 2022)

KEM said:


> Am I in debt right now? Yes I am
> 
> Am I still gonna hold off on paying off my debt so I can get Dune? Yes, yes I am


Kidneys dont grow back, but debts probably will, so be wise.


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## cedricm (Feb 3, 2022)

What are the patches that, in your opinion, exemplify Dune 3's awesomeness?


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## KEM (Feb 4, 2022)

cedricm said:


> What are the patches that, in your opinion, exemplify Dune 3's awesomeness?



Pretty much any Kevin Schroeder preset


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## doctoremmet (Feb 4, 2022)

@Databroth just did another one of his streams using Dune 3


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## grabauf (Feb 4, 2022)

KEM said:


> Pretty much any Kevin Schroeder preset


Indeed. Kevin is a master!


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## muziksculp (May 24, 2022)




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## Snoobydoobydoo (May 25, 2022)

Maybe somebody may like a little some pads i made for Dune. Or maybe not :/
Pads


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## muziksculp (Aug 29, 2022)




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## KEM (Oct 10, 2022)




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