Dune 3 on sale, should I get it?

[oonabe]

First of all, if you don't know Dune 3 is having a sale until July 18th I think. This is the last synth on my list I'm still considering to purchase, so now that it's on sale - which I've rarely seen since I follow the synapse news - I'm thinking of getting it before the sale ends.

The thing is that since it was never on sale I decided to go for other synths, and I already own a decent amount of them: Spire, Serum, ANA 2, Sylenth1, Aparillo and some more that I consider a step down in terms of quality compared to the first ones named.

The question is, is it worth to get Dune 3 when I already own the list of synths I mentioned? Does it have anything that the other synths do not and could justify spending the money on it or should I definitely pass.

Thanks for any hints and hopefully this doesn't derivate into another synth war, I just want to focus on the question and see if it's worth spending over 100 bucks on this synth given the situation.

[recursive one]

Spire, Serum, ANA2, Sylenth1

Does it have anything that the other synths do not

Analog modelled filters, global unison, where the unison voices can be transformed into separate layers ( I have no use for that but some people rave about it), a dedicated 3-operator FM oscillator, audio rate modulation

TBH Dune is not my favourite nor the most used synth but it's nice to have in addition to the others you've mentioned at least for its FM and audio rate modulation capabillites

[Dencheg]

Yes.
If you promise yourself that you're gonna use all of them (al least from time to time).
All of those can do almost everything, but you can pretend that (for instance)

- today is your EDM day and you are using Spire and Serum, cause they are traditional (or the best?) for EDM

- tomorrow is all kinds of dance music or synhwave, or you just need to productively work a song (pop, rock, whatever) using ANA 2 to get the job done, cause it's the best synth to get the job done.
Cause it's a convenient blend of traditional 3-osc subtractive synth design with modern features like double filters and wavetables and sample oscs, paired with most functional arpeggiator. It can sound moogish, junish, virus-y, whatever your song needs.

- the day after tomorrow is your all kinds of dance music with all kinds of unison and layering per patch, or a film scoring or any kinds of scoring day, or any sound design day and you'll use Dune 3 cause it's the synth of best sound quality and possibilities per CPU, and it's got billions of oscs and the oscs can be modulation sources for other oscs

- the day after the day after tomorrow is weird, so you'll use Aparillo

Even if it's a semi-joke, that reflects some "stigmas" and perception I feel about these synths.

upd: apparently, I have some inclination towards ANA, cause it's absolutely most practical synth, regarding versatility and outcome per efforts.

[ralfrobert]

Yes.
If you promise yourself that you're gonna use all of them (al least from time to time).
All of those can do almost everything, but you can pretend that (for instance)
- today is your EDM day and you are using Spire and Serum, cause they are traditional (or the best?) for EDM
- tomorrow is all kinds of dance music or synhwave, or you just need to productively work a song (pop, rock, whatever) using ANA 2 to get the job done, cause it's the best synth to get the job done
- the day after tomorrow is your all kinds of dance music with all kinds of unison and layering per patch, or a film scoring or any kinds of scoring day, and you'll use Dune 3 cause it's the synth of best sound quality and possibilities per CPU
- the day after the day after tomorrow is weird, so you'll use Aparillo

Even if it's a semi-joke, that reflects some "stigmas" and perception I feel about these synths.

Well said. And on the weekend you come to the conclusion you have two much stuff. Welcome to the club.

I will pass on Dune 3.

[Dencheg]

Actually, recently I came up with a "Floyd Rose rule".
Means, if I was a professional, I'd look to buy and use a guitar with a Floyd Rose, cause it (moderately used) makes guitar playing more fun and enjoyable. I mean would you want Dragonforce version without FR? Ew ew...
FR enriches palette in good hands.
BUT, it requires maintenance. I mean, to me it looks like a lot more maintenance then a fixed bridge.
Since I'm not a pro, have more time and other resource limitation, and my audience is limited by friends, I'll use fixed bridge. Cause I'll do more with it (actually, like many pros out there as well)

So Dune 3 is Floyd Rose. Like Omnisphere, or Zebra 2. You need those if you're gonna master The Art, or if you provide for yourself with music.
They will require more time (or money), but guess the tools used for the best movies or stuff...

I'll use ANA 2 for most of my stuff, cause otherwise I won't achieve results.
(As some pro's would do under time limitation). If feels like British military equipment if you will, with right balance of complexity and features
Cause you need to work on that damn track without distractions.

upd: sorry, repeating myself
upd: if you're not tight on money, you can get Dune to know that you have the tool with ultimate sound quality and endless possibilities (thus a time-demanding one)

[antic604]

ANY SYNTH released by Synapse Audio is worth getting, because they do sound distinctively different, especially compared to the "cold" / digital ones you mentioned you already have.

Also you'll get the RE equivalent (Obsession, The Legend) for free and looking at your avatar I seem to remember you from ReasonTalk.

[oonabe]

Analog modelled filters, global unison, where the unison voices can be transformed into separate layers ( I have no use for that but some people rave about it), a dedicated 3-operator FM oscillator, audio rate modulation

TBH Dune is not my favourite nor the most used synth but it's nice to have in addition to the others you've mentioned at least for its FM and audio rate modulation capabillites

Thanks a lot, I will try to do some research on how exactly those things work and if I could make any good use of them

Yes.
If you promise yourself that you're gonna use all of them (al least from time to time).
All of those can do almost everything, but you can pretend that (for instance)

- today is your EDM day and you are using Spire and Serum, cause they are traditional (or the best?) for EDM

- tomorrow is all kinds of dance music or synhwave, or you just need to productively work a song (pop, rock, whatever) using ANA 2 to get the job done, cause it's the best synth to get the job done.
Cause it's a convenient blend of traditional 3-osc subtractive synth design with modern features like double filters and wavetables and sample oscs, paired with most functional arpeggiator. It can sound moogish, junish, virus-y, whatever your song needs.

- the day after tomorrow is your all kinds of dance music with all kinds of unison and layering per patch, or a film scoring or any kinds of scoring day, or any sound design day and you'll use Dune 3 cause it's the synth of best sound quality and possibilities per CPU, and it's got billions of oscs and the oscs can be modulation sources for other oscs

- the day after the day after tomorrow is weird, so you'll use Aparillo

Even if it's a semi-joke, that reflects some "stigmas" and perception I feel about these synths.

upd: apparently, I have some inclination towards ANA, cause it's absolutely most practical synth, regarding versatility and outcome per efforts.

Haha, that's a good take. Yeah, I'm a big fan of ANA 2 as well, I think it can do a lot of things and I like the way it works too.

The thing is that I'm working on a project that to some extent is a mix of many og the things you mentioned, it's not a professional project, at least not for now, but something I really consider to be more than just a hobby, and since it's a mix of video and audio content I need a lot of variety on sounds, so I kind of feel pretty much like your post describes with the only exception that I would take all days of that week and make some sort of cocktail with all of them mixed together.

On the other side I also think I might just be more productive if I concentrated on ANA 2 - maybe I should get Dune 3 and concentrate on it because it also looks very versatile - but then maybe use the other synths once the job is done just to do some fine tuning on the final sound.

And on the weekend you come to the conclusion you have two much stuff. Welcome to the club.

I will pass on Dune 3.

And this is also true, so that's why I'm still hesitating, if I would go for sound and versatility I would click on the purchase button right now, but that I have too much stuff is also true, so that keeps me away from buying it.

I guess I'll have to think about it a couple of days and see, it mostly helps to get a better perspective.

[oonabe]

ANY SYNTH released by Synapse Audio is worth getting, because they do sound distinctively different, especially compared to the "cold" / digital ones you mentioned you already have.

Also you'll get the RE equivalent (Obsession, The Legend) for free and looking at your avatar I seem to remember you from ReasonTalk.

Yeah, I used to be in reasontalk a lot not long ago, I moved back to Ableton Live since they started with the Reason Plugin Rack and that's why I'm not very active there anymore, but I also got the RPR on a sale for very little money so that is indeed an extra value if I get an RE equivalent, just in case...

With Dune 3 I notice the difference you mean, I actually like that "cold" digital sound, I guess that's why I mostly went for synths with rather a less analogue like sound, I'm not a big fan of synths like Diva and such, but Dune 3 seems to have a sound that's somewhere in the middle between analogue and modern, it's like it sounds digital but warm at the same time, if that make sense, which is actually perfect for my project

[antic604]

With Dune 3 I notice the difference you mean

The Legend stands out even more, even between such heavyweights as Diva or Monark

https://youtu.be/S1h07ws--CM

[andymcbain]

I vibed with Dune 3 as soon as I heard it. Big classy sound. Had to have it. Lived happily ever after.

[dellboy]

With Dune 3 I notice the difference you mean

The Legend stands out even more, even between such heavyweights as Diva or Monark

https://youtu.be/S1h07ws--CM

And the winner is ....................

Starsky Carr !

Makes the best synth videos on the interwebs.

[Examigan]

I still haven't upgraded to Dune 3 from v2 yet.
Obsession is another great synth from SA, though it's not like the others you mentioned here.

[Dombaeb]

After all these times I have to share that Dune 3 is the synth that always delivers. It may sound too KVR'ish, but it sounds awesome. Yes, it really is. I have no preconceptions about digital synthesizers (considering that many legendary hardware synthesizers are, in fact, digital). I think, if DUNE was in the hardware box, then it would definitely exist in the setups of convinced hardware fanatics.

[oonabe]

does anyone have some links to songs made with Dune 3? I've been watching some videos these days and looking at the official website to take a decision if I should purchase it and even when I like what I see so far it seems difficult to find songs made with this synth, most people use the synth just to show presets and there is not much about how it sounds in the mix with some drums or maybe other synths or instruments together

[Dasheesh]

Dune 3 might be the best sounding engin on the planet, but the developer didn't have a vision for it, and left it to the "community" to decide where it went. The community was wrong. Obsession will be a better buy until the preset makers take it over, then i might to dump it as well.