Wow Me! (Synth Suggestions...Dune 2 Winner Prize Ready...Update 5/5)

[wagtunes]

As great as Diva is, as an example, it's essentially a sawtooth, sine, triangle, square/pulse wave synth with LP and HP filters.

You obviously didn't spend much time with Diva...

Diva is one of my favorite synths for ambient stuff using the Digital Osc which goes way beyond the usual 3-4 waveforms. The Digital osc and Uhbie filter by themselves could be a whole synth. The sound quality is incredible. The range of timbres, warmth and nuance makes Diva quite unique.

Definitely, it's a lot more than that.

Well, not to me. And that's all that matters.

Anyway, this is my last post until I announce the synth and winner UNLESS somebody actually recommends another synth to me at which time I will download the demo, try it out and report back my results.

Otherwise, I am no longer responding to all this negativity. I will ONLY respond to synth suggestions, and will do so with an open mind.

For those who want to keep the mud throwing going, you'll be doing it without me.

[Robmobius]

Well, not to me. And that's all that matters.
.

Like I said... Self deluded.

[Astralp]

I'm amazed you passed over dune 2 so quickly to be honest, it's a sound design dream come true. The VA may have limited waveforms but wavetables offer more or less unlimited waveforms, plus the architecture has 8 layers which can all be completely different, and targeted individually via the mod matrix, perhaps you missed that - it takes a bit of getting used to.

Here are some demos of the presets I have made:

https://soundcloud.com/astralp/sets/dis ... for-dune-2

Also Alchemy works as well as it did before Camel sold out, and Largo is 64-bit

[Robmobius]

I'm amazed you passed over dune 2 so quickly to be honest, it's a sound design dream come true. The VA may have limited waveforms but wavetables offer more or less unlimited waveforms, plus the architecture has 8 layers which can all be completely different, and targeted individually via the mod matrix, perhaps you missed that - it takes a bit of getting used to.

Here are some demos of the presets I have made:

https://soundcloud.com/astralp/sets/dis ... for-dune-2

Also Alchemy works as well as it did before Camel sold out, and Largo is 64-bit

Agree it's a cracking synth.

Some really nice presets in there. Love those sequences and pads...

[wagtunes]

I'm amazed you passed over dune 2 so quickly to be honest, it's a sound design dream come true. The VA may have limited waveforms but wavetables offer more or less unlimited waveforms, plus the architecture has 8 layers which can all be completely different, and targeted individually via the mod matrix, perhaps you missed that - it takes a bit of getting used to.

Here are some demos of the presets I have made:

https://soundcloud.com/astralp/sets/dis ... for-dune-2

Also Alchemy works as well as it did before Camel sold out, and Largo is 64-bit

Excellent library. I wanted to compliment you on these and get that out of the way. I wish you a lot of luck with these. You're an excellent sound designer.

Okay, I just listened to over 30 minutes of Dune 2. I sometimes have trouble expressing myself, especially when you're trying to describe how something sounds so I will try my best to make my impressions of this synth AFTER listening to your demos as clear as possible.

If you read my original evaluation you will notice that I didn't knock the synth's sound. In fact, I liked the sound. My only complaints were in the limitation of the various synthesis engines. I still stand by those opinions. It seems like they tried to cram as much as they could into this synth in that area without really doing an amazing job in any one of those areas. Of course if that had I am sure this synth would have been as expensive as Zebra 2 and maybe they just didn't want to go that route.

But you know what? Architecture doesn't really matter in the long run. It's what you can get out of the synth that matters.

So what did I hear in these 30 minutes?

Well, I can tell you what I didn't hear?

Where were the hard sync leads? Where was the grit and dirt?

This is a VERY clean synth, bordering on the absolute gorgeous. I'm sure the great detune has a lot to do with it. I found myself reaching for it in every patch I made during testing. And why not? I think that's the synths biggest strength and what gives it that character sound, which is beautiful.

Had I heard this synth before I had my entire collection as it is now, there is absolutely no question in my mind that I would have purchased it. It would have been the most expensive synth in my collection next to Zebra 2, Electra 2 and Rayblaster. But make no mistake about it. I would have purchased this synth.

So why not now?

Essentially it comes down to the 100 plus synths I already own, not having a ton of money and not hearing something that makes me want to go out and get it. It's like the synth has one particular part of the spectrum covered but is "weak" in another part, the dirt and grit. I'm not hearing it. At least not in the demo on the site or in the 30 minutes I just listened to.

That isn't to say that Dune 2 isn't capable of dirt and grit. Maybe it is. But I wasn't able to get those kind of sounds out of it and you certainly omitted them from your collection. One would have to assume those kinds of sounds aren't the synth's strength. But if I'm wrong, please feel free to correct me.

Ultimately, given what I already have, particularly Zebra 2, I can't see spending $169 on this synth. With MY collection, what I seem to be getting from this synth as an addition, just isn't worth that kind of investment.

If somebody said to me Dune 2 was on sale tomorrow for 50% off, I'd grab it in a heartbeat. Now somebody would say "Well if it's good enough at 50% off why isn't it good enough at full price?"

The only way I can answer that is to say at full price it just doesn't give me enough bang for my buck given what I already have. But at a sales price, the synth sounds good enough to me to justify buying it at that price.

As much as I like Zebra 2, I would NOT have bought it had it cost $400. The only reason I paid $500 for Omnisphere is because I sold all my old hardware gear in order to pay for it. So Omnisphere cost me all of like $100. IMO, that synth is NOT worth $500. No how, no way. And I would have never bought it at that price had I had no other way to pay for it.

Oxium isn't really a "well rounded" synth either, but at $104, given the sounds it gives me, I can sooner justify that purchase. And even then, I will probably pass on it as well because it is essentially a narrow synth and go with Spectral.

Why Spectral over Dune 2?

Essentially it comes down to these things.

1) It's $20 cheaper.

2) You can draw your own waves for oscillators and filters.

3) While it sounds completely different from Dune 2, it appears to be able to make a wider variety of sounds. I CAN get grit out of it and I can make beautiful pads as well.

Do I think the overall sound quality, as far as cleanless, is as good as Dune 2? No, I don't. I think Dune 2 overall as a cleaner more beautiful sound. But Spectral covers a wider area from what I can tell.

Hopefully, this gives you a better understanding of why Dune 2 isn't on my immediate list of synths to get.

I am not ruling it out in the future and you are a big reason why.

[Tricky-Loops]

Are you sure that a synth is needed to wow you? Maybe try something else?

[chk071]

Lol @ OnePingOnly as the product related to this topic.

[Albert.VST]

Essentially it comes down to the 100 plus synths I already own, not having a ton of money and not hearing something that makes me want to go out and get it. It's like the synth has one particular part of the spectrum covered but is "weak" in another part, the dirt and grit. I'm not hearing it. At least not in the demo on the site or in the 30 minutes I just listened to.

I'm a bit lost now. If I had such a collection (I have about 25-30) I would be searching for a synth that offered something unique, even it was a 'one trick pony' on that uniqueness. Only then you will be adding to your sonic palette. But you seem to want every synth you have to be a full flexibel 'jack of all trades' and also unique. Seems odd.

[EnGee]

Essentially it comes down to the 100 plus synths I already own, not having a ton of money and not hearing something that makes me want to go out and get it. It's like the synth has one particular part of the spectrum covered but is "weak" in another part, the dirt and grit. I'm not hearing it. At least not in the demo on the site or in the 30 minutes I just listened to.

I'm a bit lost now. If I had such a collection (I have about 25-30) I would be searching for a synth that offered something unique, even it was a 'one trick pony' on that uniqueness. Only then you will be adding to your sonic palette. But you seem to want every synth you have to be a full flexibel 'jack of all trades' and also unique. Seems odd.

I also have about 25 synths (IMO they are too many). Anyway, most of them still wow me! The winner Wow synth for about 12 years now must be Absynth (and a special mention goes to FM7). Every time I load it, I say "Wow!". My love for this synth lasted more than my love for my ex wife and my ex girlfriend (total!)

The synths that I don't have and wowed me (judging from the installed demos) are:
Diva
Sylenth1
Spire
Largo
Dune 2
Blue 2
Hive

New Synths that didn't wow me are like Serum and RAW. I felt Serum like an imitation in design/interface and sound to NI Massive and Razor. I prefer Massive and didn't feel GAS at all for Serum! I didn't like RAW either.

I'm not sure I will buy all the synths that wow me or any new synths! I already feel trapped with so many synths that I like while I can do a whole piece with just some instances of one or two of them. I think I'm in the opposite feeling of the OP. I don't need another synth to wow me

[Touch The Universe]

demo dune 2, there is hard sync (best ive heard), superb distortion (add to clean leads) and the best verb on a vsti. Spire too,if you havent already demo'd

[Touch The Universe]

AIR Loom - No demo available

latest update is demo

[Michael L]

This is a hilarious thread! Over and over, you give every reason and then its opposite to dislike something. Maybe you should forget about a new synth... and try a new multi-effect? Put it in the rack after your synths (big change possible!). Or a different sample library, or try composing in a new musical style? Then of course there's modulars. Ah, what to give the man who has everything.....

[Nightpolymath]

Where were the hard sync leads? Where was the grit and dirt?

[Lejurai]

If you want wavetables, there you go http://synthblitz.altervista.org/nitroflex.html <- It has some flaws and really isn't perfect but if you can forgive them, that has some nice sounds waiting to be discovered.

Diversity has an option to draw your own waveforms too. You sure you checked in deeply what it's capable of? It also has options for it's sound is it bright, normal..

And mr wagtunes, since it seems you can't find your perfect synth, why don't you go and build it in reaktor or synthedit (or c++ if you have the knowledge)? Even if you don't get your perfect oscillators, I'm pretty sure that if it's mindblowing and something new/unique, some real/big developer will adopt it and make it to perfection. Since you like the sound of zebra, you could try to sell the consept to U-He after making raw version by yourself

[pdxindy]

Diversity has an option to draw your own waveforms too. You sure you checked in deeply what it's capable of?

It seems he only takes a cursory look at some of the synths he 'checks out'. He stated that Diva only has 4 waveforms. He also doesn't know that one can import wavetables into Dune 2.