French brand Expressive E has added three MPE-compatible preset libraries to its catalog for Synapse Audio's Dune 3 virtual synth. Let's see how these three sound worlds can inspire us.
When Expressive E meets Synapse Audio
The “Dune 3 Expressive Suite” is, as its name suggests, a collection of presets. More precisely, it brings together three libraries named Lumen, Nuit and Stellar Drift, each composed of 100 sounds designed for MPE controllers. These collections cover a variety of styles and moods, which we’ll discover in the rest of the test.
Here are their detailed contents :
- Lumen : 3 arp, 7 chords, 24 keys, 10 pads, 8 sequences, 2 textures, 10 bass, 1 fxs, 8 lead, 6 plucked-mallet and 21 synths.
- Night : 3 arp, 7 chords, 4 fxs, 9 lead, 9 plucked-mallet, 19 synths, 18 bass, 1 drums, 8 keys, 10 pads, 9 sequences and 3 textures.
- Stellar Drift: 3 arp, 5 chords, 12 keys, 26 pads, 8 sequences, 9 bass, 4 fxs, 8 lead, 7 plucked-mallet and 18 synths.
Of course, if you don’t already own Dune 3, you’ll need to acquire it to take advantage of these presets. In fact, Expressive E is offering an interesting bundle: Dune 3 and the three libraries for €239 ($239) whereas the synth alone is sold for €199 by its publisher. The three banks can also be purchased separately, for €59.99 the pack or €29.99 the unit.
Presentation of the three Expressive Suite sound libraries for Dune 3
While this isn’t strictly speaking a test of Dune 3, it’s still worth saying a few words about it. The Dune 3 plugin is available in VST2, VST3, AU and AAX formats, is compatible with Windows and macOS, and incorporates NKS support. Having never used its predecessors, I was pleasantly surprised by how quick it is to get up to speed on it. The interface is clear, readable and well thought-out, making it accessible even to musicians who are not specialists in this type of virtual synth. So it’s an excellent choice on Expressive E’s part to offer its libraries in such a fun, playful and complete instrument.
Two filters are available, which can be routed in series or parallel and mixed via a Balance knob. The synth also offers two effects busses, which is helpful. You’ll find everything you need here: distortion, EQ, chorus, phaser, delay, reverb and compressor. The presets offered by Expressive E are by no means set in stone, and can be manipulated freely thanks to the technical possibilities offered by Dune 3. Last but not least, plug-in proved fluid and stable, and I was able to load dozens of instances with no problem whatsoever, without my CPU holding a grudge.
I started my exploration of the Expressive E libraries with the Lumen collection, which the brand presents as suitable for pop, electronic music and, more generally, “melodic compositions.” Let’s start with a few sound extracts, barely touched up:
- 1 – Lumen Keys _ Drop in the sky01:31
- 2 – Lumen Keys _ Dusty Upright01:08
- 3 – Lumen Arp _ Fm Joe – Glide automation01:19
- 4 – Lumen Pad _ Glass Forest01:15
- 5 – Lumen Pad _ Zenscape01:08
- 6 – Lumen Keys _ Table Choral + Bitcrush00:33
- 7 – Lumen SFX _ Pixiewave00:29
While Expressive E values its software products for their compatibility with its hardware, the fact remains that the Expressive Suite is fully compatible with competing MPE hardware. For example, I used my Lumi combo (newly renamed Piano M) and Seaboard Block M (left and right hand respectively), and found the reaction under the fingers very interesting, with a different sonic rendering to that offered by Osmose for an identical patch.
- 8 – Lumen Pad _ Far Bellow Sea Level – Lumi + Seaboard01:08
- 9 – Lumen Pads _ Lost Particles – Lumi + Seaboard00:47
Listen to this short demo in which I only use Lumen presets with Dune 3's internal effects for mixing:
Let’s move on to Nuit, a collection that Expressive E wanted to be darker and to some extent more “cinematic, " even if this last qualifier is nowadays probably used a little too readily by publishers, sometimes to the point of caricaturing the notion of music to image. The list of presets is less varied and more oriented towards synth sounds. There’s also a single percussive preset, and I found it a pity that this branch wasn’t further developed, both for Nuit and for the other two libraries. Anyway, here are a few examples from the collection:
- 11 – Nuit Keys _ Gloomy Lights00:35
- 12 – Nuit Pads _ Crushloom00:30
- 13 – Nuit Plucked _ Clavi Pluck00:22
- 14 – Nuit Synths _ Avant Garde00:27
- 15 – Nuit SFX _ Apocalyptic00:19
And now a short demo, composed entirely with Nuit sound elements. The effects are still those of Dune 3:
Finally, let’s move on to Stellar Drift. This time, the brand steers us towards more ambient, spacey sounds. You can tell this directly from the names of the presets. This is an interesting library when you own an Osmose or a Seaboard, as the full-bodied sounds of Stellar Drift are particularly “MPE friendly.” I found myself spending a lot of time on a single patch, as the modulation effects under the fingers go so far. As expected, there’s a large collection of pads, but also a few pleasant surprises in the SFX section, notably the “Vastfield” preset, which would not have been out of place in Ludwig Göransson’s work for the film Tenet. Here are a few extracts to give you an idea of Stellar Drift’s sonic spirit:
- 17 – Stellar Drift Synths _ Infinite00:37
- 18 – Stellar Drift Keys _ Centurion00:35
- 19 – Stellar Pads _ Lunar Bloom00:59
- 20 – Stellar Chords _ Prog Master00:33
- 21 – Stellar Drift SFX _ Vastfield01:21
And, of course, here’s a track made entirely with patches from this library :
Generally speaking, the sounds of this collection are quite inspiring, They’re also excellent bases to transform, even if it means reassigning the MPE parameters to other settings to obtain new textures. The good thing is that you don’t need to be an expert in synthesis to get the hang of it and enjoy yourself. Because of how well Dune 3 reacts to MPE controllers, the game is always expressive and you sometimes generate surprising things, in the good sense of the word.
Technical specifications
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Collection of presets for Synapse Audio’s Dune 3 software synthesizer
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Developed by Expressive E
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Set: Expressive Suite (3 separate libraries)
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Libraries included:
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Lumen: pop and electronic music-oriented melodic sounds
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Night: dark, cinematic and atmospheric textures
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Stellar Drift: ambient and spatial presets
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Total number of presets: around 150 (50 per bank)
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Compatibility: Dune 3 (VST/AU/AAX)
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Formats: patches integrated directly into the Dune 3 browser
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Use possible with MPE keyboards (Expressive E Osmose, ROLI Seaboard, etc.)
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Licence: digital download via Expressive E
FAQ
Do you need Dune 3 to use Expressive Suite?
Yes, these libraries are preset extensions, they require the full version of Dune 3..
How many presets are included?
The suite contains around 300 sounds divided into three libraries of 150 presets each.
Can the libraries be purchased separately?
Yes, it is possible to purchase each bank individually, but they are also offered as a bundle.
What kind of music can be produced with these sounds?
Lumen is suitable for pop and melodic electro, Nuit for film scores and dark atmospheres, and Stellar Drift for ambient, sound design and space experiments.
