Synapse Audio Dune 3

DUNE 3 is an absolutely amazing synthesizer — one of the most versatile instruments I’ve ever used. You can create virtually any kind of sound with it: from lush, complex pads and powerful basses to bright leads and evolving textures. The layering engine allows for incredibly rich and detailed patches that sound massive right out of the box.

The built-in arpeggiator is inspiring and flexible, and the onboard effects are top-notch — polished, musical, and easy to use. Sound quality is exceptional, with deep, warm tones and crystal-clear highs. It’s also remarkably efficient on CPU, which makes it a pleasure to use in large projects.

Overall, DUNE 3 is an extremely powerful, professional-grade synth that easily competes with (and often surpasses) other flagship VSTs. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a go-to synth capable of covering everything from atmospheric pads to driving basslines.

This is absolutely the best sounding vst synth I've ever owned.

I own Komplete 12 (Reaktor, Massive and X, Absynth 5, Form, etc...), Synthmaster 2.9 and One, Vital, Thorn, Diva, and less popular synth vstis.

I reach for Dune 3 first because to my ear, the results are just incredibly inspiring. Watch a few youtube videos by Kevin Schroeder to get an idea of this beast.

Read the manual and check out Venus Theory's Dune 3 videos and you'll be designing gorgeous pads and leads in no time.

The onboard FX are premium, better than many specialized vst FX plugins. There are 1000 presets and they're fantastic.

The filters are widely regarded as the best available and sound amazing to me.

The only drawbacks are:
1. The preset browsing is outdated. I just save a copy of my favorites presets in my own folder.
2. Can be heavy on CPU with extremely complex patches. Worth it!

If I could only own one synth it would be Dune 3 because it sounds beautiful with very little effort, and can be made to sound otherworldly once you start to understand how to design sounds with it.