Dune 2 vs Spire

[stikygum]

That makes sense to me as to why you guys prefer Dune 2. I like Spire because it seems very quick to get good results for leads, basses, arps, and pads. But if you want to get into complex territory, Dune 2 seems very nice for that, like you say each patch has 8 different parts and modulation can be done to each individual part. That's pretty cool.

I'm going to demo Dune 2, but I will say I mainly want to check out it's wavetables and sample import. Electra 2 has some nice wavetables and the ability to use your own samples for resynthesis, but the wavetables provided wasn't many and the wavetable soundset expansion they offer is expensive ($70!!).

[Kindred]

I love Dune2 (although it needs more patches) and have loved what I have heard of Spire - I will probably grab Spire next time it goes on sale as I am spending an insane amount of money on plugins and gear lately. Both are sufficiently Virus-like to keep any impulses to buy back a TI at bay for the meantime...

Dune2 has the interesting ability to sound both trancey and techy at the same time

[stikygum]

Interesting to hear you're going with soft synths instead of the Virus TI. I was thinking about getting the Virus Snow, but ultimately decided to try a bunch of these new plugins instead. I never had a TI and it seems quite nice with it's wavetables in it, but was thinking I could get similar sound and features from soft synths. Not sure if I will and I won't know either way, but that's the direction I decided to go. What's your experience with the TI compared to some of these newer soft synths? For some reason when I hear Spire I think of some mix between a Nord Lead and possibly a Virus.

[djanthonyw]

At first I thought Spire sounded pretty nice, but after a while I just thought it has an overall thin / excited sound. I'm preferring the sound of Dune.

[re*MD9@3!Tm^]

If only one of them had this kind of arp:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiIU_DnH7qw

[squaredheads]

If only one of them had this kind of arp:

Try an external arpeggiator like Nora. While the current version can do almost everything I saw in this video, the next one I'm cooking right now will add another cool layer of customization and special tools.

http://www.squaredheads.com

[e-modic]

If only one of them had this kind of arp:

Try an external arpeggiator like Nora. While the current version can do almost everything I saw in this video, the next one I'm cooking right now will add another cool layer of customization and special tools.

http://www.squaredheads.com

I have been searching for this a long time thanx squarhead!!!!

[Marando]

At first I thought Spire sounded pretty nice, but after a while I just thought it has an overall thin / excited sound. I'm preferring the sound of Dune.

I like Spire and Dune2 pretty much equally as much. I don't think Spire sounds thin at all actually, but it could perhaps become even better with improved filters. KVR member Solidtrax posted a little demo of some of their Spire presets in another thread and I think it sounds awesome.

https://soundcloud.com/solidtrax/invoke ... ank-teaser

[recursive one]

I prefer Dune 2 soundwise. It tends to sound warm and cozy and at the same time big and lush. I'm now exploring progressive breaks and similar genres and Dune 2 has sonic character very suitable for this style. However, for making EDM or modern trance Spire could be a better choice because of its punchy and bright sound.

I managed to make pretty convincing super/hypersaws with Dune2, however it requires matched combination of oscillator unison algos and wavetables (the saw of the VA section didn't work for me for some reason) and also messing with global unison settings. But I don't use supersaws in my actual music now so I'm not sure how these patches would work in a context of a mix. On the other hand, in Spire it takes only a basic saw and 9 voice unison with default detune to get there instantly.

[pdxindy]

If only one of them had this kind of arp:

Zebra's arp is better...

[re*MD9@3!Tm^]

It may be better, but rather difficult to program. Would be awesome if it could load presets for example.

I like that simple and fast approach, with randomizer, presets, visual feedback etc. Omnisphere has a very nice arp as well.

[pdxindy]

It may be better, but rather difficult to program. Would be awesome if it could load presets for example.

I like that simple and fast approach, with randomizer, presets, visual feedback etc. Omnisphere has a very nice arp as well.

I don't find it difficult to program... but I agree it will be sweet when arp presets are added (Zebra 3)...

[re*MD9@3!Tm^]

I use Zebra for years now, but I still haven't totally understood all the Arp's parameters...maybe that's why I like presets...

What the heck:
("Note: Arp Loop does not affect the direction in which the arpeggiator runs (which is always forwards!) or the transposition of notes")

("Incoming notes are ordered within a note bufferin one of two ways. Note: The buffer is
then played back in the direction set by the Arp Loopparameter (see below).
by note............notes are reordered according to MIDI note number
as played.......the original order in which notes were played is retained")

[chk071]

I don't know how the arp in Zebra is, but i would agree that most arps in VSTi's are unnecessarily complicated. Wonder why, it seems to me as if making a decent arp GUI is a difficult thing for most devs. The worst implementation of an arp i've ever seen is in Waldorf Largo. Even reading the manual that thing is hardly to figure out...

[V0RT3X]

I would like to see a Arpeggiator with a pattern switcher knob. So you could store a bunch of your favorite patterns and then switch them by turning a knob on your midi controller or something.