FM8

Make no mistake, FM7 is a great plugin and when it first came out it was beyond anything in this type of sound really available. For DX-7 emulation and enhancement you won't find anything better. But almost two years after release independent developers like Big Tick and it's excellent Rhino, fellow NI Absynth, almost ready to be released at 2.0 and to a degree rgc:audio's z3ta+ all cover a similar range with Rhino and z3ta+ and the VirSyn CUBE on the horizon being more flexible in their own sonic signatures.

But that is the issue to consider. Do you want a DX-7 that is super-sized with filters, effects and a modulation matrix that really allows for some outstanding timbres or do you want a synth that works differently but achieves similar timbres? That is the central question to ask about FM7.

The manual will not teach you how to program FM synthesis, and this is the real deal, not a analog subtractive emulation as many FM implementations attempt to use. To seriously program you will need to study. To convert DX-7 patches and mess with them FM7 will rock, but it is something to consider especially when looking at the price.

I like FM7 and some of the timbres that are included are exceptional although one wonders why NI couldn't have included more banks of DX-7 freeware and spent more time exploiting the synthesizer they unleased. And it is important to take a historical consideration to FM7 because it was one of the first new breed VST instruments, one that was able to emulate and beat the hardware hands down.

So, I appreciate what FM7 can do although it's time for a new version, maybe one with a step sequencer, formant filters or a similar design to Yamaha's FS1r which had incredible potential and a horrible interface. It would also be good if NI took a look at the SY77/99 as sample import and/or interpolation would make FM7 2.0 a top of the list synth.

As FM7 stands it is pricey but worth having if you like FM synthesis. Being able to work exactly like you did on a hardware synth only with a vastly better interface may be priceless to the right user.

Casual users spend time with the demo and see if you are happy with the programming options. There is a simplified mode but you get simplified results from it.
Considering other 2 year old synths FM7 has aged well, but it 'has' aged. At the $69 deal it's a no brainer purchase. At it's normal price you will need to give some serious consideration.

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