Neon is one of the strongest CUBE expansions for pop and EDM production, and it beats Pastels on forward-momentum sound design, but if you don't own CUBE already, stop reading and go buy the engine first.
Most people comparing Neon against Lunacy's own Pastels expansion are asking the wrong question. Pastels is soft and cinematic. Neon is the one you reach for when the track needs to sound like it's lit from inside. These are genuinely different tools solving different creative problems.
This review is going to tell you exactly where Neon earns its $49, where it frustrates us, and whether the hardware-sourcing story is real or just marketing copy.
It's for pop and EDM producers. Full stop.
How It Compares Out of the Box
Against other CUBE expansions, Neon sits at the more aggressive end. Load it next to something like Lunacy's own softer packs and the difference is immediate: Neon presets have attack. The filters are moving before you touch a knob, and the envelopes are shaped for rhythmic motion rather than long ambient swell.
We pulled up a preset called something close to an "aggressive lead" in the first five minutes and dropped it over a four-on-the-floor kick. It sat in the mix without eq surgery. That almost never happens on first contact with an expansion pack.
Against non-CUBE competitors at this price, think Spitfire LABS textures or free Serum preset banks, Neon's advantage is the hardware noise floor baked into the samples. The sources are sampled from rare hardware instruments and Eurorack modules, and the unique envelopes, fluttery tails, and moving filters show up immediately in the sound. That's not a software-generated analog impression. The imperfection is captured, not modelled.
Performance Deep Dive
CUBE itself is a light engine by modern standards. Running a single Neon preset on a mid-2021 M1 MacBook Pro, we saw CPU draw stay under 4% in Logic Pro at a 256-sample buffer. Load 6 instances across a full arrangement and you're still under 18%. That's good.
The download weight is honest: 1.02 GB for the full expansion. Not tiny, but not the 4–8 GB bloat you deal with from Kontakt libraries doing the same job.
We stress-tested the fluttery tail behaviour specifically, which Lunacy flags as a differentiator. We held a chord on a pad preset for 8 bars with the sustain pedal engaged. The filter movement didn't repeat on a fixed cycle, it drifted. That's the Eurorack modulation source talking, not an LFO programmed to loop every 2 bars. Satisfying to find that claim holds up.
The one technical annoyance: preset loading takes about 1.2 seconds on first call per session. Not a dealbreaker. Just annoying enough to mention.
CUBE or CUBE Mini v1.2.5 or higher is required. That version check is a hard stop. There's no grace period or fallback mode.
Where It Wins
The hardware sourcing is the real story here, and we love it for one specific reason: the sounds have directionality built in. Most software-synthesized presets feel static until you modulate them yourself. Neon's keys, plucks, pads, and sequences are already exploding with analog character, with envelopes and moving filters baked into the sample content. You're not starting from a dead pad and trying to breathe life into it. The life is already there.
The full price has a rent-to-own entry point that keeps the barrier low for what you are getting. 35 sound sources covering a wide range of futuristic synthesized sounds, plus 100 presets spanning explosive keys, dynamic textures, aggressive leads, and kinetic sequences, that's a usable library for a working session, not a showcase pack you audition twice and forget.
The CPU efficiency inside CUBE keeps it stackable. We ran 4 Neon instances plus a reverb send and two bus compressors without touching the buffer.
Where the Competition Wins
Here's where we have to be honest. Neon requires CUBE or CUBE Mini to run, and there's no standalone mode or other plugin format supported. That's a real restriction. If you're deep in a Serum or Vital workflow, Neon doesn't plug into your existing signal chain. You need the engine.
Preset browsing inside CUBE is functional but not clever. There's no tagging by tempo, key, or energy level. You're scrolling 100 presets with only category names to guide you. Competing libraries at this price point, Native Instruments' free Komplete Start packs, for instance, handle metadata better.
We also wish there was more range at the darker end. Neon's sonic palette is built for bright, forward-thinking electronic production. That's a deliberate choice, and it's the right one for the genre. But it means this pack won't help you if your track needs weight and shadow rather than shine and shimmer.
Who Should Buy Which
- ✅ Buy if you already own CUBE v1.2.5+ and work primarily in pop or EDM. This fills the bright, energetic sound category better than any other CUBE expansion we've tested.
- ✅ Buy if you want genuine analog source material without paying for a hardware Eurorack setup that costs 50x this price.
- ✅ Buy on the rent-to-own option if you are not sure yet. One month of access will tell you whether Neon's character fits your productions.
- ❌ Skip if you don't own CUBE. Solve that problem first with the Lunacy CUBE review before spending another dollar on expansions.
- ❌ Skip if you need dark, cinematic, or lo-fi textures. Neon is a brightness machine. It's the wrong tool for that job.
- ❌ Skip if you're working in genres where a natural, organic sound is the goal. Hip-hop with live instrumentation, jazz, folk. Neon belongs to the grid.
Score Breakdown
| Category | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sound Quality | 4.5/5 | Hardware-sourced analog character is real and audible; filter movement and tails hold up under scrutiny |
| Value for Money | 4.0/5 | $49 for 35 sources and 100 presets is fair; rent-to-own option makes it low-risk |
| Ease of Use | 3.5/5 | CUBE itself is simple, but shallow preset metadata slows browsing on a deadline |
| Features | 3.5/5 | 100 presets is solid but no tempo/key tagging and no dark-character sounds limit range |
| CPU Efficiency | 4.5/5 | Under 4% single-instance on M1 at 256 samples; stackable without buffer anxiety |
| Overall | 3.8/5 | A genuinely clever analog-sourced expansion that's hard-limited by its engine dependency |
Alternatives to Consider
Lunacy Pastels (CUBE Expansion), If your productions lean cinematic, soft, or ambient, Pastels is the better call. Same engine, same low price point, different emotional range. Lunacy Pastels CUBE Expansion review
Native Instruments Komplete Start, Free, broad, and format-agnostic. Doesn't have Neon's analog specificity, but it runs in every major DAW without an engine requirement. Better for producers who aren't locked into the CUBE workflow. Native Instruments Komplete Start review
Spitfire Audio LABS Synths, Also free, also hardware-inspired. The LABS synth series captures similar analog textures and runs as standalone AU/VST3. No extra engine needed. Trade-off: fewer presets and less EDM-specific shaping. Spitfire Audio LABS review
Neon earns its price if CUBE is already in your signal chain. If it's not, you're looking at $49 for an expansion plus the cost of the engine itself, and that maths changes the value conversation completely. At $49 with CUBE already installed, this is a clever, hardware-honest pop and EDM palette that sounds better on first pass than most preset packs twice its price. Without the engine, it's literally nothing. Buy accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to buy CUBE separately to use Neon?
Yes. Neon is an expansion, not a standalone instrument. You need CUBE or CUBE Mini at version 1.2.5 or higher installed and activated before Neon will work. If you're starting from zero, budget for both. Check the Lunacy Audio site or Plugin Boutique for current engine pricing before you commit.
How many presets does Neon include, and how are they organised?
Neon ships with 100 presets built from 35 hardware-sampled sound sources. The presets cover keys, plucks, pads, leads, and sequences. Organisation inside CUBE is by broad category rather than by key, tempo, or energy level, so expect to spend some time browsing before you find what fits your session.
Is Neon good for genres outside pop and EDM?
Honestly? Not especially. The entire palette is engineered for bright, forward-moving electronic sound design. If you're making lo-fi hip-hop, cinematic orchestral work, or anything that needs organic weight and darkness, Neon won't serve you well. Look at Pastels or a different expansion for those contexts.
Can I try Neon before buying it?
There's no free trial available for Neon at the time of writing. The rent-to-own option through Plugin Boutique is the lowest-risk entry point. That gives you access for a month to decide whether the sound palette fits your work before committing to full ownership. Check Plugin Boutique for current rent-to-own availability.