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Both
Available for both Mac and Windows. You will receive the version you specify in the check-out process.
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Contemporary Classic
FM synthesis has played a huge role in music culture over the last few decades. FM8's emphasis on ease-of-use brings a high degree of simplicity to the otherwise intricate process of FM synthesis. The powerful audio engine delivers unsurpassed quality, generating a livelier, more energetic sound than ever before.
Synthesis From The Start
A central aspect of FM8 is usability. The "Easy Edit Page" offers a clearly designed interface with simple controls that adjust more complex parameters automatically, allowing you to take a far more musical approach to FM synthesis. The more detailed editing pages have been improved for easier handling and are all accessible with just one click. FM8 lets you play straight away!
Beyond Frequency Modulation
The FM8 offers an unprecedented range of features and effects. The classic metallic leads, crystalline chimes, tight basses and enchanting rhythmic sounds are just the beginning. A unique arpeggiator, a revolutionary sound morphing feature and a large selection of charismatic effects add countless sound-shaping possibilities. The sonic potential of FM8 goes well beyond the confines of conventional FM synthesis.
Instilled With Inspiration
Included with FM8 are over 960 ready-to-play factory presets. From clean, dynamic, percussive sounds to pads, leads, brass and piano sounds, the presets exemplify the strengths of FM synthesis. Also included are a number of effect rack, sound morphing and arpeggio presets. The integrated KoreSound® Browser makes managing the KORE-configured presets fast and easy. Simply search and you will find - instantly.
The Library – The Koresound Browser and Kore
FM8 contains a multitude of production-ready sounds that have been crafted by professional sound designers and well-known artists. The spectrum of styles included is as wide and varied as music itself, bound to inspire you no matter what the flavour of the piece you're currently working on.
A Musical Search
KoreSounds® are searched for using FM8's integrated KoreSound® Browser. Besides being intuitive and easy to handle, it delivers results in an instant. Simply describe the type of sound you are looking for by selecting particular characteristics from a list of musical attributes – such as "Clean", "Bright" and "Lead" – and all the KoreSounds® that fit this description are displayed immediately. Or just type keywords into the free search. You can of course categorize your own sounds and save them in the database as KoreSounds®.
KoreSounds®
All FM8 presets are saved in the KoreSound® format, allowing them to be loaded into KORE. Their musical attributes are automatically integrated into the KORE database, making all of FM8's sounds immediately accessible from within KORE. Over 40 elaborate multisounds have been designed for KORE, featuring FM8, ABSYNTH 4, BATTERY 3 and with a particular emphasis on MASSIVE.
FM Made Easy – Customize your Sounds in an Instant
The concept of FM synthesis, while being incredibly versatile, can also be an intricate undertaking. Advocating the approach taken by its predecessor, the FM8's Easy Edit page brings a high degree of simplicity to the process. Intelligent algorithms map the easy edit controls onto the expert pages’ parameters, allowing various parameters to be altered automatically and simultaneously.
Load a sound from FM8's immense library – does it sound a little too 'dark' for your purposes? Just turn up the Brightness control and you don’t need to worry about which FM parameter is being adjusted within the matrix.
Easily Mastered
The Master Page continues the easy access approach. The main pitch, master volume, arpeggiator's speed and the portamento can all be adjusted on this page. All the FM8's MIDI assignments are also displayed – the MIDI learn function makes assigning any parameter to MIDI messages fast and simple.
Access All Areas
Beside the intuitive, musical approach to all of FM8’s features described above, the Expert pages grant unrestricted access to all the FM8's parameters. This offers advanced users the full scope of FM programming.
Overview for Experts – Full Control of All Parameters
The Operator Overview Page displays all the operators' most important parameters simultaneously. This offers a very fast and convenient way to set up the basic structure of a sound and customize existing ones. Each individual oscillator also has a dedicated page presenting all its parameters and providing you with the opportunity to fine-tune your sound.
Envelopes At A Glance
The Envelope Expert Page essentially offers the same functionality as the Operator Overview Page. It allows all the operators' envelopes to be viewed simultaneously. You can edit one envelope while still being able to see the others at the same time. You can also edit more than one envelope simultaneously by linking them in one or more groups. This feature allows envelopes to share the same structure and can be very useful, for example, to synchronize the amplitude progression of two operators. Alternatively, you can create one basic shape for several envelopes, unlink them and then modify each individual envelope. Again, the page also gives you a fast graphical overview of all envelopes and thus the overall amplitude response of the complete sound.
Morphing Sounds – Incredibly Simple Yet Unbelievably Powerful
The Morph Square allows you to morph between four different of sounds. Each corner represents one timbre; by moving the morph handle you gradually morph one timbre into the other. Simply drag KoreSounds® from the KoreSound® Browser on the four corners of the Morph Square. All the FM8's KoreSounds® are pre-configured with four timbres that are have been selected to deliver maximum expressive variety.
Randomize
Beside its unparalleled basic functionality the Morph Square also provides a number of additional features. All movements can be automated via MIDI or a sequencer allowing you to morph the timbres remotely or according to a song structure. You can also randomize your sounds with the Morph Square, producing particularly playful and experimental results. The randomize function essentially picks a parameter somewhere "around" the actual morph handle.
Patterns and Accents – Instill Your Productions With That Extra Edge
The arpeggiator of FM8 is more than a mere step sequencer. It transforms your MIDI input into rhythmic lines and melodic patterns. You can tie steps to each other and accentuate individual steps. You can transpose the notes in semi-tones or shift their octave. Re-order the notes and choose different repeat modes for the notes played. And finally, combine all these options to achieve truly dynamic results.
Mastering The Arpeggiator
The arpeggiator is equipped with a list of master controls. You can easily change the sequence's tempo and its shuffle amount. A notes’ length can be adjusted as well as its velocity. You can even split your keyboard, allowing you to trigger the arpeggiator’s patterns with one part of the keyboard while simultaneously playing chords or bass lines with the other part of the keyboard.
48 templates provide quick set-ups for exciting sequences. You can easily change these templates or save your own creations as templates for future use.
All this functionality turns the FM8 into an extraordinarily versatile live tool. You can pre-program your arpeggiator’s patterns and then play them easily with just a few notes on your keyboard – a far more flexible approach than that of a step sequencer that cannot react to live MIDI input.
Rack ‘em Up! – Go Beyond the Stereotypical FM Synthesis Sound
FM8 contains twelve high quality effects that offer huge scope in varying your basic synthesis sound:
- Overdrive, Tube Amp and Cabinet: Make your sound warm, angry or distorted.
- Shelving EQ and Peak EQ: Make the sound fit your mix.
- Talk Wah: Makes your synthesizer speak.
- Phaser and Flanger: Make your sound constantly moving.
- Tremolo: Makes your sound tremble expressively.
- Reverb: Makes your sound spatial.
- PsycheDelay and ChorusDelay: Makes your sound echoic or diffuse or thick or all together.
These effects can easily be switched on or off; and you can simply crossfade between the wet and dry sound as the need arises. Again, 48 templates are included for quick and convenient use of effect settings. You can easily change these templates or save your own creations as templates for future use.
Ultra-Flexible FM Matrix – Fast and Easy Editing
Frequency modulation is based on the interaction of several operators. A minimum of two, known as the modulator and carrier, are always interconnected. The modulator signal modulates the carrier's frequency by a specific amount.
Enter the Matrix
The FM8's matrix allows you to connect any two operators quickly and easily as well as determining the modulation amounts for all connections. The matrix brings a high degree of simplicity to the crucial task of handling the frequency modulation parameters.
The matrix also provides a concise overview of all FM connections, meaning you don’t have to go from operator page to operator page collecting all a sounds' constituent parameter data.
Besides defining the internal operators' connections, the matrix also adjusts the output mix. The sound of all eight operators – including the X and Z operators – can be mixed into the FM8's output signal. You can even set each operator's stereo panorama individually.
64 templates can be used to set up generic modulations quick and conveniently. You can also save your own modulation settings as a template for future use.
Eight Versatile Operators – A Sound Designer’s Deepest Desire
FM8 contains six identical, highly flexible operators. Each can be used as modulator, carrier or as both at the same time - all controlled within the FM Matrix.
Easy Operators
Each operator has an individual detailed editing page allowing all its parameters to be adjusted quickly and conveniently. You can choose different waveforms, select different ways to adjust the operator’s frequency, control the responsiveness to MIDI velocity messages, set the panorama and the amplitude. Several modulation sources or alternatively different MIDI values such as aftertouch or modwheel can be used to modulate the amplitude.
Multi-Breakpoint Envelopes
The amplitude is generally shaped by the multi-breakpoint envelope: Add and delete breakpoints, set their level and control their transitions. You can either load a template or create your own shapes. The envelope can react to keytracking and velocity, you can switch between sustain and release phases; and you can synchronize them to the global tempo allowing the creation of rhythmic envelopes. As an operator’s amplitude is pivotal to the resulting FM sound, these highly flexible possibilities deliver huge scope and potential on the sound design level.
Extra Options
Two operators in particular provide additional design capabilities. One operator acts as a filter unit that can be placed anywhere in the signal chain. The other uses a noise signal as input which is subsequently filtered and saturated. Both offer the same flexibility as the other operators do.
Easy Modulation – Breathe Life into your Sounds
While the FM matrix determines the connections between the different oscillators’ signals, the modulation matrix specifies how control signals such as pitchbend or aftertouch affect the sound. Again, the matrix overview provides a simple, clear and easy-to-use solution for this crucial part of FM programming.
Vibrato And Tremolo
Two further LFOs deliver additional control signals. Featuring different waveforms and several adjustable parameters, they can either be assigned to an oscillator directly or combined with another signal source. For example, you can use the LFO signals to create vibrato and tremolo by assigning them to pitch and volume. You can then determine the tremolo amount with your MIDI keyboard's breath control while the aftertouch adjusts the vibrato depth.
Top Features:
- Award-winning FM synthesizer with extended sound architecture and high-quality mode
- KoreSound™ Browser for easy searching of 960 KORE-configured presets (Incl. FM7 Sounds Vol I & II)
- FM8 uses the KoreSound™ format, ensuring perfect integration with KORE
- Optimized user interface for quick and convenient sound editing
- Powerful, graphical sound morphing feature for easy creation of sophisticated, evolving sounds
- Extremely versatile arpeggiator for intuitive generation of intricate patterns
- Quick-access effects rack with 12 high-quality effects, such as phaser, flanger, tube amp, overdrive, delays, EQs
- Enhanced graphical envelopes with 32 stages, looping and tempo synchronisation
- Full-matrix modulation: freely adjustable algorithm structure with 6 operators plus distortion and analog filter operators
- Reads and reproduces classic FM sound programs of yesteryear such as the DX and TX series
Interfaces:
- Stand-alone
- Audio Units™
- VST®
- DXi™
- RTAS® under Pro Tools 7™
- Core Audio™
- DirectSound™
- ASIO®
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PC
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Mac
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- Windows XP
- Pentium or Athlon 1.4 GHz
- 512 MB RAM
- CD-ROM drive
- Universal Binary included- Intel Mac ready
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- Mac OSX 10.4.x
- G4 1.4 GHz or Intel® Core™ Duo 1.66 GHz
- 512 MB RAM
- CD-ROM drive
- Universal Binary included- Intel Mac ready
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