NI FM8: wow!!!

erminardi · Post by **erminardi** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 6:43 am

A couple of days ago is arrived my new NI FM8 update (a Xmas gift from my best friend, that, now is more "best" than ever

)
Well, it sound fantastic!!!

Maybe it's the only native synth good as Creamware's DSP synths.
A lot of improvement from FM7 (sond quality, morph matrix, arp, etc.) but, IMO not a complete substitute to FM7, because FM8 lacks of the (beautiful) FM7 random feature!!!
In FM8 random is inside morph and not as % button... I really don't know why.
I've found this mod less useful than before.
So I prefer leave, for now, both programs in my HD.
Anyway, this synth is still a must!!!
John Bowen has an hard contender for his new FM synth... I'm just curious about the famous Creamware enviroment sound quality vs. the NI FM8 complexity.

Cheers, fzoooing...quaung...fizzle.... (FM8 noises in background)

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 6:54 am

holy sh*t

just played 2 rounds with the demo... but only on the internet machine's AC97's digital out (via a vintage Philips) which is good, but usually below Scope conversion...

that does NOT seem to be their old engine at all - even with all the gimmicks (which are stylish without over-doing it, btw) off it still had substance.
This is not whimpy - respect !
Very screen economic, easy to understand interface, congrats Eminardi and my apologies to Chris Werner, looks like I stand corrected...

cheers, Tom

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 10:09 am

I don't think so - I'm pretty convinced that John will come up with an entirely different approach.

NI is absolutely focussed on a certain sound aesthetic targeted at their 'main' customer base (at least imho) - it doesn't matter if 4, 6, 8 or a dozen ops - the abstraction challenge of FM synthesis always remains the same.
Ni makes handling that (complexity) a no-brainer, but of course this implies that a 'direction' is predefined.
You'll immediately get a usable sound out of any patch, regardless what you do with it, in the sense of a contemporary and commercially successful production.
This is a matter of fact and not to devaluate the approach - it is fun to use...

opposed to earlier releases there's few to complain about the program's audio output this time - it still 'sounds' quite different from Scope, but (imho) on an equal level of quality - not thin or tinny as one was used to

cheers, Tom

ChrisWerner · Post by **ChrisWerner** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 12:07 pm

This is not whimpy - respect !
Very screen economic, easy to understand interface, congrats Eminardi and my apologies to Chris Werner, looks like I stand corrected...

[/quote]

FM8 has become a real good synth, I used it on our last spheric sessions and also on my last tracks.
The scene morph feature is nice to change the sound character in seconds but keep everything in a context.
I have to agree the sound and GUI is great.

Sometimes good things happen.

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 12:21 pm

ChrisWerner wrote:...FM8 has become a real good synth, I used it on our last spheric sessions ....

now what do you think I had in mind when playing it... ?

but since you have a ton of their stuff - it does sound different, doesn't it ?

cheers, Tom

ChrisWerner · Post by **ChrisWerner** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 3:26 am

astroman wrote: now what do you think I had in mind when playing it... ?

but since you have a ton of their stuff - it does sound different, doesn't it ?

cheers, Tom

Definately yes, when I can say this, it sounds more analog like now, not as sterile, clean or analytic as in the past. You can notice this ´new` sound on the Massive synth as well. Also it has more pressure now.

Whatever happend on their engine, it´s good.

King of Snake · Post by **King of Snake** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 5:23 am

ChrisWerner wrote:
astroman wrote: Definately yes, when I can say this, it sounds more analog like now, not as sterile, clean or analytic as in the past.

That sounds like quite an accomplishment given that it's a digital emulation of a digital synth!

I guess "more analog" has become synonimous with "better" when talking about sound though.

Post by **hubird** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 6:10 am

funny observation

petal · Post by **petal** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 6:46 am

Especially on this forum the "analogue"-buzzword has become a plus word. I for one find the digital-domain very interesting, and fx love the "sound" of time stretching, pitch shifting, granular synthesis etc. and other non-analogue qualities. I'd really wish we could have more focus on the qualities and possibilities of the digital domain instead of the this constant backwardsreaching craving for the "analogue" sound, which to me is starting to sound a bit "old"

Eagerly awaiting Flexor 2

erminardi · Post by **erminardi** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 7:31 am

King of Snake wrote:
ChrisWerner wrote:
astroman wrote: Definately yes, when I can say this, it sounds more analog like now, not as sterile, clean or analytic as in the past.
That sounds like quite an accomplishment given that it's a digital emulation of a digital synth!

I guess "more analog" has become synonimous with "better" when talking about sound though.

The original DX-7 was a digital synth but his D/A converters was very very "analog" in fact I place always a couple of Softclip after my FM7 istances for a closer sound to the DX-7.
I must say that FM8 is more "warm" or, better, more "full-bodied" than FM7.
The same patches have new life in the new version, it's more simple to obtain a good presence of the synth track into the mix.

About the morph feature, sadly, the quad joystick can't be mapped to a midi controller or into a automation track...

ChrisWerner · Post by **ChrisWerner** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 7:04 am

Of course it can be mapped, midi learn button or/and in the navigation master menu, there you can assign cc´s manualy.

decimator · Post by **decimator** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 2:12 pm

Though the sound has been improved somewhat, I'am still quite unimpressed by the sound ( even in high resolution mode and 96 kHz ).

Furthermore I'am very surprised that praise is coming from Scope owners so I suggest you play or replay with this great freebie : http://www.planetz.com/forums/viewtopic ... eq+monster

Tweak the FM indexes and feel the strength, the clarity and range of tones obtained, just unrivaled !

I'am nevertheless browsing for nice presets of FM8 that could be ported on John's synth, synth that gonna be rocking VERY hard !

dawman · Post by **dawman** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 8:15 pm

I still use a TX-816 w/ the QX-1 for my FM stuff. I tried the FM Encyclopedia for Gigastudio 3, and was shocked at it's large amount of weak samples and presets. I am hoping to get the Zarg FM beast, so I can nail the big FM sound w/o having to drag around that heavy ass rack of TX's. They deserve proper burial in a good studio somewhere. FM Electric pianos are so sweet w/ analog style envelopes, as in the DX 200. Celmos Blue Wave does that rather well, but I know that John will amaze us with his overdue FM in SFP. Wow, I have physical modeling, subtractive, and modular,and only need to fill the FM gap to have my favorite types of synthesis. Scope really does rule, period.

As General Douglas MacArthur said so elequently,...................................................
" Old Scope Cards Never Die,...They Simply Just Fade Away,..................................

West Point Academy Farewell Speech 1953

braincell · Post by **braincell** » Thu Dec 21, 2006 7:50 pm

Is this the FM synthesizer with resynthesis? I always thought that would be fun to use.

dawman · Post by **dawman** » Fri Dec 22, 2006 4:45 pm

This is Shayne White's little gem from a couple years ago. Since there weren't many presets, at least back then, it didn't recieve much praise. But I did like it's sound very much. But for me the cost of DSP was high, I have to use at least 8 voices for any of the stuff I do.
Celmos Blue Wave had some great possibilities, but only had 5 voice. I emailed him to see what I could do about it, and he replied w/ a 16 voice version immeadiately.
S.White also made a nice mixer, that had a very unique bussing scheme. That was also very DSP heavy, but a quality device.
Now that I have 108 DSP's currently in use. That lame excuse of DSP heavy devices is moot.
I shall return to the Frequency Monster, as JBowens FM is still under developement. This was a pretty thick sounding device, thanks for reminding me of it again.

JV