Man, I just got the new FM Heaven 1.3 last night from Cesare, and this is an AMAZING recreation of the DX: It sounds wonderful, and the updated UI is fantastic.

If you need me, I'll be busy recreating the entire Howard Jones "Dream Into Action" album with this puppy. See ya!

PPG

ppgwave:

I just ordered the FMHeaven from the KAGI server. How long did it take to have the VSTi delivered? I can't wait to use it!

Toppa

Never mind...I just got it a minute ago!

This thing KIX AXE!!!! :-D

toppa

Isn't it fantastic?
Oh, and look at the Bank and Patch controls - it ships with 18 32-patch banks. All your favorite DX patches are preloaded... and easy to tweak. And why not play with the TX81z waveforms too?

This is ultramega great.
PPG

Besides it's sound--which is very Phat, indeed--the thing I really dig about the FM Heaven is the quick and easy MIDI-Learn option (instead of having to fiddle with MIDI CC programming)...If only all other VSTis allowed this!

If yer thinking about getting this, move quick...the price increases by 20 bucks soon.

TOPPA

This "discussion" reminds me of a southern european radio testimonial style advertising.

Pepe

I know.. its shameless, and not terribly useful.
I'm just a happy customer and felt like cheering for it.

I've used DX synths for years - my first was a DX9 in 1984. So the fact that the FM Heaven does such a good job for so little money really made me excited.

PPG

Yeh, I hear ya Pepe.

Like PPG, I'm also a very happy customer and feel like spreadin' the word.

I wonder how the Native Instruments FM7 will fare next to the FMHeaven. It's definitely got some hefty competition.

TOPPA

quote:

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Originally posted by toppa:
Besides it's sound--which is very Phat, indeed--the thing I really dig about the FM Heaven is the quick and easy MIDI-Learn option (instead of having to fiddle with MIDI CC programming)...If only all other VSTis allowed this!

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All LinPlug instruments have ECS which is the same thing, in case you're interested

I agree the GUI is one hell of an improvement, still sounds as good as ever too...

Alas, the Lin Plug VSTi's are PC only.

TOPPA, Mac-guy

Thanks for the evangelism guys!

As for FM7, I am also interested in seeing how they are getting on with their implementation.

One thing I should point out, there is a demo available from the web site if you want to find out what the fuss is about.

Cesare http://www.loftsoft.co.uk

I'm really tempted to buy FM Heaven, but on the other hand am wondering if it might not be logical to wait and see how FM7 stacks up... The only thing is I'm sure FM7 will be 3 times the price.

The FMHeaven demo is awfully impressive. I like the availability of tons of DX7 patches, since FM is new to me. Can someone who is familiar with the DX7 comment on how well FMHeaven recreates these patches. Will some patches use modulation routings that are not available in FMHeaven, or are the architectures literally identical? What about just the 'sound' of the instruments? Thanks.

David

There are a few DX7 emulators out now, but as a TX81Z owner, this is what is gonna make me buy this after my next pay check
(hopefully the price doesn't go up already before next week)
Having all of the TX81Z wavetypes available, with 6 operators like a DX7 and no algorhythm limitations! Me = happy

(and unless there is something mindblowingly revolutionary about it, I will probably pass on FM7 now)

David,

The architecture of FMHeaven is broadly similar to the DX7 although it was 'inspired' by it rather than trying to exactly copy it. Some aspects of the DX7 are really irritating (the fixed algorithms for example). In FMHeaven the free modulation matrix allows you to setup configurations which aren't possible on the DX7. A typical example is wanting to have multiple oscillators with feedback (you only get one feedback setting for one oscillator on the DX7).

There are some DX7 features missing on FMHeaven. Two spring to mind. Firstly FMeaven doesn't have a frequency envelope, and secondly the LFO cannot modulate the amplitude of the oscillators. Patches which use these facilities will obviously sound different. I decided that these weren't used often in patches, and frankly the complexity of adding them didn't give a good return on the CPU cost. Saying that, some registered users want the pitch envelope added, so I will think some more about this and what is going into version 1.4


FMHeaven also features things missing on the DX7. For example, FMHeaven features a unison mode where you pick how many voices to trigger per note, how detuned they are, and how they appear in the stereo image. The DX7 doesn't have unison, although there is one on the DX7-II (limited to 4 voices, so it cuts your polyphony down to 4 notes). Oh yes, and oscillator waveforms, and stereo output, and multi-timbral, and a GUI...


Cesare
www.loftsoft.co.uk