FM8 in year 2017?

[Lotuzia]

A few Gloss Spells audios (FM8)

Keys, Clavs etc
Hybrids & FX
Pads & Atmos
Bass & Leads

And a vintage track
Chakadelic

[Lotuzia]

Legendary Collection, another different vision of the FM8

Multi Instrument demo by Nori
Beyond Reality
Bonus Bank Nori
Bonus Bank Lotuzia

[ghettosynth]

Agreed on CPU efficiency. That's one of the main reasons I use FM8. People are suggesting some excellent improvements but I'm afraid the CPU usage will go a lot higher if any of them get implemented.

These sounds are all FM8:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meExmNMI9Is

First, those sound great, nuff said. I'm just not all that concerned about efficiency. I'm way more concerned about sound quality. I don't hear the filter being pushed in any of those sounds really, they sound mostly FM to me.

A FM synth sounds like FM thats shocking ----

Go back and read my thoughts on this if you don't understand what I'm getting at.

[Autobot]

Agreed on CPU efficiency. That's one of the main reasons I use FM8. People are suggesting some excellent improvements but I'm afraid the CPU usage will go a lot higher if any of them get implemented.

These sounds are all FM8:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meExmNMI9Is

First, those sound great, nuff said. I'm just not all that concerned about efficiency. I'm way more concerned about sound quality. I don't hear the filter being pushed in any of those sounds really, they sound mostly FM to me.

A FM synth sounds like FM thats shocking ----

Go back and read my thoughts on this if you don't understand what I'm getting at.

[ghettosynth]

Fall 2017: FM9 and Absynth 6 are now both Reaktor instruments and are included with Komplete 12 along with Kontakt 6 and Reaktor 6.5 which includes significantly enhanced U/I development tools.

If that's what we see, NI can just automatically charge my credit card for the upgrade, I won't even care.

Amen to that, I'd prefer building it all in Reaktor as well. Computers are getting fast enough to handle Reaktor despite the higher CPU and having it all in Reaktor would be so sweet, Absynths FX as well...

Right? If they put it in Reaktor they don't even have to bother with a ZDF filter, I'll just put my own in.

[BlackWinny]

Hmm... If I follow correctly, FM8 would be transferred to the Reaktor environment?

In that case, what will become the owners of FM8 who are not owners of Reaktor?

Just a question... not a critic anywhere in my question. It's just that I'm a bit troubled by the future of this synth which is one of my favorites since now 2007.

[ghettosynth]

Hmm... If I follow correctly, FM8 would be transferred to the Reaktor environment?

In that case, what will become the owners of FM8 who are not owners of Reaktor?

Just a question... not a critic anywhere in my question. It's just that I'm a bit troubled by the future of this synth which is one of my favorites since now 2007.

Nobody here knows. We're just talking about what we'd like to see and it becomes this silly argument where people seem to think that anyone's thoughts here have any weight. The only thing that you should be troubled about is that it's likely going to just go away in a few years.

However, to answer your question, any new Reaktor synths would almost certainly be compatible with Reaktor Player.

[BlackWinny]

Hmm... If I follow correctly, FM8 would be transferred to the Reaktor environment?

In that case, what will become the owners of FM8 who are not owners of Reaktor?

Just a question... not a critic anywhere in my question. It's just that I'm a bit troubled by the future of this synth which is one of my favorites since now 2007.

Nobody here knows. We're just talking about what we'd like to see and it becomes this silly argument where people seem to think that anyone's thoughts here have any weight. The only thing that you should be troubled about is that it's likely going to just go away in a few years.

However, to answer your question, any new Reaktor synths would almost certainly be compatible with Reaktor Player.

Ah... thank you ghettosynth.

So... only time will tell..

[waltercruz]

Hmm... If I follow correctly, FM8 would be transferred to the Reaktor environment?

In that case, what will become the owners of FM8 who are not owners of Reaktor?

Just a question... not a critic anywhere in my question. It's just that I'm a bit troubled by the future of this synth which is one of my favorites since now 2007.

All the Reaktor NI synths works fine on Reaktor Player, but the ones from Reaktor User Library needs the full Reaktor to play.

[nichttuntun]

Why didn't the devs of NI not bother to say some words here? One could easily assume - whether that may be right or not - that they have no interest in FM8 and their users any more.

Why buy it under this insecure circumstances as a potential new customer?

Plus NI use a online registration system for their stuff which is totally annoying and another insecure factor towards the future use of their software. Why spend much money for a VST when the owner is a server.
You only can install it on two computers.
It's aged and outdated in its possibilities. One of the reasons for it's mall CPU usage.

Yes FM8 sounds great concerning FM. But that is something very true for the free DEXED too. FM8 has some special features like morph and the greatly tweakable envelopes. But you cannot modulate the single parameters of the synth from within the synth what is a pity. If this would be true for a future update like FM9 this synth would become an all overlooking FM-beast.

But who really believes devs who doesn't care to show themselves and say some words to inform reliable customers do care to update one of their very old product fitting into modern standards?***


*** what do I mean with a modern standard? take PortaFM from PLOGUE for instance. It is only just a 2 operator FM synth painstakingly emulated after the just only cheap produced Y2413. Due to its reverse engineering it sounds awesomely character-wise, has an unmatched rich warm and lush low end. And it doesn't stop there. It has a build in mod matrix you can sound-design the hell out of it. Imagine 15 step sequencer with which you can modulate nearly all important parameters of the synth. That's what I call a modern approach. If one can do such a great sound- design monster with such a chip emu and only 2 ops...imagine just for a moment...such a dev doing an 8 operator FM/PD synth like a CASIO VZ-1 or a similar synth. PORTaFM ist reasonable priced and has no online or dongle based copy protection.

The more I think about this matter the more I think companies like NI couldn't do something similar due to the lack of know-how and finally the non existent important freaky nerd-gen. I think they have become far too business and lost me here although I used NIs FM already some 15 years or so back in the days.

[EnGee]

I still love FM8 and found the NI protection scheme very reasonable and better than iLok or eLicenser! I also like a lot Dexed and PX7, but FM8 is not limited only to the 32 algorithms of the DX7.

I don't know what the above rant is about! But you can modulate the operators with LFO or env ..etc (more than with Dexed or PX7). The sound sometimes is less punchy than Dexed, but they are similar really about 90% of the presets that I import (sysex files from the DX7 patches).
Still, all of them are not punchy or as deep sounding as the Original DX7 (according to the web), but they are still great synths, although I prefer FM8 for ease of use and programming my own presets, but Dexed is fantastic for browsing the thousands patches of DX7 while PX7 is sitting in the middle for me. I'm very glad to have them all especially FM8

[goldenanalog]

I still love FM8 and found the NI protection scheme very reasonable and better than iLok or eLicenser! I also like a lot Dexed and PX7, but FM8 is not limited only to the 32 algorithms of the DX7.

I don't know what the above rant is about! But you can modulate the operators with LFO or env ..etc (more than with Dexed or PX7). The sound sometimes is less punchy than Dexed, but they are similar really about 90% of the presets that I import (sysex files from the DX7 patches).
Still, all of them are not punchy or as deep sounding as the Original DX7 (according to the web), but they are still great synths, although I prefer FM8 for ease of use and programming my own presets, but Dexed is fantastic for browsing the thousands patches of DX7 while PX7 is sitting in the middle for me. I'm very glad to have them all especially FM8

Holy cow! I must have felt a disturbance in the force!

- I was just thinking about the good ole' NI synths that still are around (Massive/Absynth 5/FM8) after these many years - so: FM8 is still relevant? That's pretty cool!

Here's a curveball (devil's advocate) question: maybe for the sake of argument, let's pretend for a sec that Tone2's Nemesis is the top-end FM-based synth in mid-2018 - can FM8 still stand tall against such tech here/now?

[EnGee]

Holy cow! I must have felt a disturbance in the force!

- I was just thinking about the good ole' NI synths that still are around (Massive/Absynth 5/FM8) after these many years - so: FM8 is still relevant? That's pretty cool!

Here's a curveball (devil's advocate) question: maybe for the sake of argument, let's pretend for a sec that Tone2's Nemesis is the top-end FM-based synth in mid-2018 - can FM8 still stand tall against such tech here/now?

I have never tried Nemesis, so I don't know how good it is (for me!).

I don't care if FM8 stand tall or short against other FM/PD synths! For me, I still like the sound of FM8 and I don't see it "outdated" (nothing is outdated for me anyway! ). Arturia DX7 V is already more authentic than the others in sound, but still has its weaknesses in sound and sometimes I prefer Dexed/FM8/PX7, depends on the preset. For FM8, I like many factory presets, especially pads and some ARPs (it has a killer arpeggio!). It has good effects and unison, so it can sound as thick as I want. FM8 can be all I need! But I suffer from GAS when comes to synths, so ...

Anyway, still the original DX7 sounds deeper and punchier. I'm still hunting for a used one here in NZ, but it is not easy to find!

Watch the video below. It is a boring and long video but it gives a good idea about the differences:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlMwd4dqStA

[goldenanalog]

Oh, boy, EnGee! Great info! And what an outstanding video! I'm going to try to remember to bring headphones here to work this Friday - stay later & watch/listen to the whole thing!

It's true: you can't beat those classic sounds - in proper context, they are most definitely still relevant; thank-you for reminding me of that!

What perhaps should have also been compared in the video IMHO is the PLG150-DX add-on hardware circuit board in an ES keyboard as a host - I believe that that particular circuit board was essentially an *exact* DX7II-S (this might also be a recommendation as a 'replacement' if an actual DX7/DX7II is unobtamium - you can install (3!) PLG boards in an ES synth, giving you 48-notes of FM polyphony; *or* 12-note FM poly w/(4) voices stacked *per note*!)

I had both the original DX7 as well as the DX7II back-in-the-day; and even a TX-802 and a TX-816 - my opinion is that the DX7II and '802 had more depth sonically then either the original DX7 and '816 - *especially* when you start stacking voices.

- But it's all a matter of taste, isn't it? I always went for thicker/richer; the cost being that those sorts of sounds can kill a mix - they tend to overpower -

[EnGee]

I have never owned DX7 (or relatives). It was always my dream to have one since I was a teen (that is more than 30 years ago ) so, I hope I can find one soon with a reasonable price or maybe I can find one in Australia and order it. Don't know yet! Thanks for the info, I'll try to search for not only the DX7, but for the rack version as well

I'm not so worried about the mix, because the rule is to not let everything sound at the same time, which gives space to the thick sound to sit comfortably in the mix. Anyway, I'm not a fan of using many tracks and sounds playing the same time