ANA2 vs DUNE 3 vs similiar

[HTT]

(And Hive, also. Ugh. The only u-he soft-synth I do not like. Too lo-fi and grainy for me).

First time I've heard anyone say that about Hive2. If anything, it could just a bit too character-less.

Back a few years there were numerous discussions on the web. The YT videos with comparisons don't look like they are up anymore.

Compare Hive2 to Serum 1, Serum 2 or PhasePlant or the recent Korg VST/AUs.

[Echoes in the Attic]

Even though I have the Legend HZ and Obsession, I've never quite felt the need for Dune. Nice sounding and MPE is nice. But Ana 2 is probably my favorite sounding synth. It does modern wavetable type sounds in a way I really like, but also does vintage sounds well.

[swilow11]

(And Hive, also. Ugh. The only u-he soft-synth I do not like. Too lo-fi and grainy for me).

First time I've heard anyone say that about Hive2. If anything, it could just a bit too character-less.

Back a few years there were numerous discussions on the web. The YT videos with comparisons don't look like they are up anymore.

Compare Hive2 to Serum 1, Serum 2 or PhasePlant or the recent Korg VST/AUs.

Don't need videos as I've got those besides the Korg stuff. Truly not sure what you mean by "grainy". Each to their own of course, but I truly can't hear any issue with Hive, least of all describing it as lofi. As I said, if anything it's just incredibly neutral.

[zerocrossing]

[delete: I may be thinking of a different plugin]

[HTT]

(And Hive, also. Ugh. The only u-he soft-synth I do not like. Too lo-fi and grainy for me).

First time I've heard anyone say that about Hive2. If anything, it could just a bit too character-less.

Back a few years there were numerous discussions on the web. The YT videos with comparisons don't look like they are up anymore.

Compare Hive2 to Serum 1, Serum 2 or PhasePlant or the recent Korg VST/AUs.

Don't need videos as I've got those besides the Korg stuff. Truly not sure what you mean by "grainy". Each to their own of course, but I truly can't hear any issue with Hive, least of all describing it as lofi. As I said, if anything it's just incredibly neutral.

I don't want to derail the thread. The graininess is maybe aliasing or some type of inharmonic content. I don't want to use a term incorrectly. My apologies if the issue isn't, technically, aliasing. It comes across as digital smearing with some roughness, especially in the frequency range of 5 kHz and above. Detuned pulse waves and sawtooth waves highlight the artifacts in Hive2.

edit: glaring grammar errors

[swilow11]

Not derailing though, I recommended Hive2 and you've got a counter point so all good imo.

That said, I've googled Hive2+ aliasing, etc and aren't getting any results. I've never heard this complaint before and literally never heard it in reality too. Are you sure you're not thinking about a different synth?

[HTT]

Serum and the VST/AUs that I mentioned are noticeably cleaner than Hive2 in "normal" mode, IME. YMMV depending on your ears and audio chain, including DAC and audio output transducer(s).

User @chris-s graphed Hive2 and Diva supersaws:
download/file.php?id=50415

From u-he's Hive2 manual:

[Dr.Gunjah]

I have both and think they sound great but if I had to choose I'd go with Ana2. I think it's easier to use/tweak and the browser is better. Preset lock for cmd and arp are great features to use existing presets in a new context. I also think the presets by sonic academy (stock and expansions) are generally more useful for typical electronic music while Dune offers more presets for other styles of music.

[MattLeschuck]

For sound quality alone (including its effects), and low CPU usage, I find Dune hard to beat. Like the default load patch you mentioned, its relatively easy to get big sounds like that quick.

If you at some point start to develop your own sounds (or stack layers of the presets you tweak), the 8 layer system (similar to Rapid) lets you be really creative. Its like 8 synths in 1.

[tumface]

Dune 3 all the way. Parawave Rapid is also good for these kinds of sounds, though its workflow and the sounds it guides you towards are a bit different. It's easier to do multiple, distinct, different-sounding layers in Rapid (pluck layer + sustain layer, etc.), and easier to do big stacked unison layers in Dune 3. But you can do either with either. Both are great for virtual analog-style synthesis. Dune 3 is crazy efficient on CPU usage and has more choices for traditional filter types. Rapid has some wilder filters and effects than Dune 3 and a larger array of factory samples and wavetables. Wavetable import with either of them is more annoying than with synths like Serum or Phase Plant. Rapid handles sample playback better than Dune 3 and also has a granular mode.

edit: oh, and as for presets, they're both great, but I would give the edge to Rapid, if you're into its styles and don't mind a lot of presets being very "glossy" and "mix ready." Maybe that's what you're looking for.

[BONES]

Oh and I noticed Slate's ANA 2 has waaay more presets than Sonic Academy ANA 2. But there's no way to buy slate ANA2 without subscription / perpetual license ?
Is it possible to buy those extra Slate presets for Sonic Academy ANA 2 ?

I assume you can just subscribe for one month and download all the presets you want, then unsubscribe but I've never tried it, so I can't be certain.

Some don't like the GUI. It can seek cluttered but works well imo.

Yeah, so well it stopped me using it for years. Fortunately, there are third party skins that make it a whole lot more usable. But the big thing the OP might like about Hive is it's excellent preset management. It really is the gold standard, although ANA and DUNE aren't far behind.

I would say to go with ANA2. To my ear, ANA2 has a more "authoritative" old-school Roland vibe that Dune does not have. You mention that you like "fullness". ANA2 is better with that sonic aspect than Dune. YMMV

Mine definitely does. There is no fuller sounding synth than DUNE. You can stack so many oscillators that it's just not funny.

Anyway, I've had both for years and I don't think it's a decision you should agonise over. You can't go wrong with either so I'd be going with whichever one you prefer working with. For me that would be ANA 2; the stupid central screen in DUNE becomes a limiting factor for me, where ANA2 opens things up in whatever size window it needs for the task.

[HTT]

I would say to go with ANA2. To my ear, ANA2 has a more "authoritative" old-school Roland vibe that Dune does not have. You mention that you like "fullness". ANA2 is better with that sonic aspect than Dune. YMMV

Mine definitely does. There is no fuller sounding synth than DUNE. You can stack so many oscillators that it's just not funny.

Anyway, I've had both for years and I don't think it's a decision you should agonise over. You can't go wrong with either so I'd be going with whichever one you prefer working with. For me that would be ANA 2; the stupid central screen in DUNE becomes a limiting factor for me, where ANA2 opens things up in whatever size window it needs for the task.

I was using fullness in the audiophile sense, not as in stacking oscillators. Stacking oscillators in Dune does not achieve the same sonic/audio effect/perception as the fullness or "oomph" or visceral midbass/low mids "phatness" of ANA 2. For example, compare two similar sounding patches from Dune 3 and ANA 2, based on the Stranger Things sequence. The patch name in Dune is Bass Stomps. The patch has 5 saws detuned on Osc 1, a single square on Osc 2, and a saw (sub?) on Osc 3. Meanwhile, in ANA 2, the patch is titled, ST Juno Arp. The patch has a single Jupiter saw on Osc 1, and a single PWM square wave on Osc 2. The ANA 2 patch is much fuller/phatter/visceral sounding than the Dune 3 patch. If I add a sub on Osc 3 then the ANA 2 patch is even more visceral and "phat" than the Dune 3 patch.

I am a lowly preset tweaker. You pride yourself on your sound design. I would love if you could produce a Dune 3 patch that undeniably demonstrates your assertion that Dune 3 is fuller than ANA 2, as in visceral midbass/low mids authority.

[chagzuki]

I've gravitated towards Dune over most other synths for general use, but playing again with ANA 2 I notice the filter drive sounds really good in a beastly way. I like the Dune filters a lot, but the ANA 2 drive seems to really growl rather than just saturating. Last time I was playing with the Icarus demo I was impressed with the filter versatility, but driving them seemed to just result a square wave. I don't have experience with real analog synths but ANA 2's drive sounds to me how I imagine it should.

[rod_zero]

Rapid is also an option, lots of presets for pop.

[gummo]

I think both Dune and ANA are very good, but I really like Rapid for visibility and workflow.