DUNE 3 is now available!!

[EnGee]

I like the sound of Dune 3 more than Icarus and Avenger. It's warmer. The effects are better also. But, programming Icarus or Avenger and their workflow are miles ahead.

For me, I already chose Dune 3. There is already an update that improve the workflow, so anyway, I'm getting used to it

Thank you for the reply. Can you say some more about what you don't like about Dune 3's workflow? From watching videos it seems that editing the different parts can be a pain and it's probably easy to get confused between which part you're editing. Would you agree?

Yes exactly. I mean due to complexity, the design wasn't enough thought of IMO. Also, the main screen in the middle has too many tabs that has very important infi, like modulation matrix and arp. It's a constant switching. I know many hates windows but I really liked Z3ta2 solution for separating some important info on separated windows (Absynth has also this feature but only standalone).

Anyway, I stayed for too long with Dune 2 and didn't upgrade, but in the end I upgraded because the sound quality (with new filters) and other additions really outweighs any shortcoming. In the end, you will get used to how you plan your patch and the nice warm/clean sound makes you forgive anything else. I also don't use many layers mostly one or two, do doing your sounds from scratch will not be a problem, but editing complex presets need some effort and patience

[HcDoom]

Everything in Dune 3 is great except layering/layers, hard to navigate, no mixer. Hopefully Dune 3.5 or 4 will change that.

[AnX]

It does stuff easily that other synths struggle to do at all

name one

Since it's 32 bit only, I can barely remember what it looks like, much less the names of any patches. But it was always rewarding to play around with it because it came out with interesting sounds without much effort.

im sure the last version was 64bit.... but you didn't like that as it wasn't skinable iirc

[DJ Warmonger]

Got newest Dune 3. Too bad I must say bye-bye to old 3rd-party skin :/

[Teksonik]

Everything in Dune 3 is great except layering/layers, hard to navigate,

How is clicking on a button "hard to navigate" ?

D3 112919-1.png

Anyway as any synth gets more complex so will its GUI.

You can make the GUI bigger and people will complain it's too big.

You can cram more controls on a single page and people will complain it's too crowded.

You can use Tabs and people will complain about having to click Tabs.

I think Dune 3 makes a nice compromise with its GUI. Not too big, not too crowded, and in the end a Tab is just a simple mouse click.

If we look at D3 as 8 separate synths in a rack with 2 Multi FX modules and 2 Arp/Seq Modules the workflow becomes easier to see.

[EnGee]

I think the ability to rename the layers will be very useful or a tooltip to be editable to each number at least. So, that in a very complex preset you try to analyze, you can edit (or delete) the bits you don't want easily.

Anyway, there is no use of trying to suggest any change! Nothing will change! I just must accept it as it is. I mostly will keep doing simple patches with Dune 3 (bass, lead or pads), but for complex evolving sounds I better use other synths with more friendly GUI and feedback

[Teksonik]

Name a complex synth with a more "friendly GUI". If you think Dune 3 is "unfriendly" you'd better steer well clear of VPS Avenger.

[EnGee]

Most of the synths I use has a friendlier GUI like NI Massive (X also), Strobe 2, Aparillo, Factory and some Reaktor synths like Razor, Super 8, Form, Kontour and Round.

[Teksonik]

I didn't say synths I said complex synths. Does MassiveX have 8 layers, two separate Multi FX modules, two Arp/Seqs? A Wave table editor? An FM Osc? And on and on....

Like I said the more complex a synth gets the more complex its interface is going to be. Is Dune 3's user interface perfect ? No of course not, nothing is perfect but I think they've achieved a high level of functionality and workflow.

But again it may be because I've put the time and effort into learning D3's workflow....

[Cinebient]

Name a complex synth with a more "friendly GUI". If you think Dune 3 is "unfriendly" you'd better steer well clear of VPS Avenger.

Ähmmm....nah....
However Dune 3 is still awesome.
What could boost the workflow for me would be some „tools“ for MSEG (like Alchemy or Serum f.e.) and a morph, warp and shape feature for LFO.
But Dune 3 would still be a 9/10 in its current form for me. So everything is good (but not perfect).

[EnGee]

I didn't say synths I said complex synths. Does MassiveX have 8 layers, two separate Multi FX modules, two Arp/Seqs? A Wave table editor? An FM Osc? And on and on....

Like I said the more complex a synth gets the more complex its interface is going to be. Is Dune 3's user interface perfect ? No of course not, nothing is perfect but I think they've achieved a high level of functionality and workflow.

But again it may be because I've put the time and effort into learning D3's workflow....

Those I mentioned are complex synths! They even have some functions don't exist in D3. Lack of multi layers, doesn't mean they are simple synths.

Así I said it's easier to do your patches than to analyse others. Anyway, it's not that bad. It needs extra effort.

[Teksonik]

Sure they could tack on any number of "features" and they may well do since we don't know what the future holds for Dune 3. But I think a lot of the concerns about workflow that I've read could be eliminated by simply putting in a little time and effort.

After doing a few hundred patches Dune 3's workflow is lightning fast for me and I certainly don't possess any special skills not available to everyone........

[Teksonik]

Lack of multi layers, doesn't mean they are simple synths.

No but it means they are simpler and hence so will be their interfaces and workflow. Putting 8 synths into one plugin is obviously going to require some additional complexity but in the end switching between those 8 synths is a simple mouse click away.....

[Cinebient]

Sure they could tack on any number of "features" and they may well do since we don't know what the future holds for Dune 3. But I think a lot of the concerns about workflow that I've read could be eliminated by simply putting in a little time and effort.

After doing a few hundred patches Dune 3's workflow is lightning fast for me and I certainly don't possess any special skills not available to everyone........

Yes, and Dune 3 has also some tricks no other synth can do but there are also a few things which just are 10 times faster to do with a similar result in other synths. Nothing wrong with this but as usual there is place for a better and faster workflow.

[Teksonik]

What are a few things "which just are 10 times faster to do with a similar result in other synths" ?

For example I don't know how much faster or easier it would be to switch layers than a single mouse click unless they incorporated telekinesis.

Like I said with experience Dune 3 has become lightning fast for me to program. Sure there is always room for improvement and if the Dune 3 team was as large as the team that did MassiveX then I'd say sure add every feature everyone wants but with Synapse being a two man team I'd rather precious development time be spent on things that enhance the range of sounds Dune 3 can make instead of things that might make it a tiny bit faster to program.

But I hope everyone gets their wishes granted. No telling what the future holds for Dune 3 but for now it's tons of fun and dead easy to program and sounds absolutely awesome so I'll just enjoy it for what it is today....