Pros
- Incredibly inventive soft synth presented in a more affordable package
- The orbit control is original and helps you imagine sounds in a whole new way
- Eight sound sources provide depth and layered sounds
- Randomization controls encourage experimentation
- Threads and Air expansion packs are excellent additions, with both more presets and more sound sources
Cons
- Nothing!
CUBE was one of the most creative instruments of 2021. Now, with CUBE Mini, Lunacy Audio have brought the power and creativity of Cube to the masses. This synth is unlike anything else on the market. It sounds great and creates sounds in a completely new and inventive way. Factor in the Air and Threads expansions and you have a killer combo of synth goodness!
CUBE was one of my favourite virtual instruments of 2021 and now, with CUBE Mini, Lunacy Audio has made CUBE more accessible than ever before. With a good starter pack of presets and the ability to load expansion packs, CUBE Mini is a great way to experience the awesomeness that is CUBE for a fraction of the price.
Thoughts
CUBE was one of my favourite virtual instruments of 2021. With Cube, Lunacy Audio brought something completely new and fresh to a soft synth landscape that seems to have more synths than one person could ever use. Now, with CUBE Mini, Lunacy Audio have made CUBE available to the masses. While CUBE Mini is a smaller version of CUBE, don’t let the “Mini” moniker fool you – CUBE Mini is a powerhouse with plenty of horsepowers to deliver fantastic pads, pulses, and more. CUBE Mini comes with 120 presets across 35 sound sources. As with the full version of CUBE, each sound can include up to 8 sound sources that can be layered and edited to create rich, complex textures and sounds.
Surprisingly, CUBE Mini also gives you complete control of each sound layer – allowing you to edit sample start, arpeggiator, ADSR, etc. So, what are the main differences between CUBE and CUBE Mini? First off, while CUBE contains 500+ presets across 108 sound sources, CUBE Mini comes with 120 presets across 35 sound sources. Additionally, CUBE gives you additional modulation options, the ability to drag and drop your own audio files for sound creation, and the ability to customize the Orbit engine via presets or through your own imagination. Are these differences worth an upgrade to the full version of CUBE? Well, that’s a decision each user will have to make for themselves, but regardless of whether you invest in CUBE or CUBE Mini, rest assured that you are getting an instrument that is worth the price tag.
One of the great features of CUBE Mini is the ability to import the expansion packs: Air and Threads. Each of these expansion packs includes an additional 120 presets with 35 additional sound sources each. Air is based on unique wind instruments that have been processed through modular equipment, while Threads derives its sounds from samples of solo orchestral string instruments that have been processed and reshaped into something new and different. Both expansion packs are excellent and add new dimensions to CUBE. CUBE remains one of my favourite soft synths, and CUBE Mini means that now it's accessible for everyone! For those of you who already have the full version of CUBE, Lunacy Audio has gift-wrapped some new features for you as well. In the 1.2.5 update, CUBE now has up to 30% faster load times, 20 new presets, 13 new custom impulse responses, drag and drop support for SFZ files, drag and drop support for custom impulse responses, and a new preset browser search. So, whether you have the full or Mini version of CUBE, there’s something waiting for you. Bravo, Lunacy Audio!
Original Source: Sample Library Review.com
