Native Instruments FM8 for $10

[Patrick Wichrowski]

Dexed 0.96 has a better convertion from the syex files. FM8 has a problem converting the E.Piano 1 or E.ORGAN because of the "." in name.

[audioschmaudio]

40 minutes ago, Patrick Wichrowski said:

Dexed 0.96 has a better convertion from the syex files. FM8 has a problem converting the E.Piano 1 or E.ORGAN because of the "." in name.

On the other hand I had a file that Dexed couldn't convert. I don't remember which one it was but it made Dexed crash whereas Arturia DX7 V was able to import it. I'm not sure if I imported it in FM8.

[MrFigg]

Native Instruments finally cleaned out from every nook and cranny on my HD. Why did I buy into that installer. Guess there's no way to install it without all the crap that comes along with NI?

[Fleer]

45 minutes ago, Patrick Wichrowski said:

Dexed 0.96 has a better convertion from the syex files. FM8 has a problem converting the E.Piano 1 or E.ORGAN because of the "." in name.

It’s a pretty fine thing to have in Unify. 
Dexed, that is. 

[Zo]

3 hours ago, MarcL said:

Thanks @TheSteven ! I didn't know that it is possible to import sysx files into FM8.

I just have loaded the factory presets (almost unchanged) that I had exported of my DX7II (bought in the 80s and I still have it). Many of the sounds are almost the same as the original, but there are some with pitch changes that sound completely awful in the FM8 (the pitch changes too much). I had noticed the same thing with Dexed some years ago, where I tried the patches the first time.

Marc , if ya own the arturia , you can also import those ....try it , be sure then to go in option and change velocity to taste (i've found the full velocity setting s better than the DX7 one , i guess they tweaked it for arturia keyboard or some ) 

[marcL]

8 hours ago, Zo said:

Marc , if ya own the arturia , you can also import those ....try it , be sure then to go in option and change velocity to taste (i've found the full velocity setting s better than the DX7 one , i guess they tweaked it for arturia keyboard or some ) 

Regrettably, I don't have the Arturia one (have only the Jup8V and AnalogLab). Their synths are quite expensive.

[audioschmaudio]

1 hour ago, MarcL said:

Regrettably, I don't have the Arturia one (have only the Jup8V and AnalogLab). Their synths are quite expensive.

Check your Arturia account on Black Friday. If you own two synths already you might get the V Collection 9 for 150€. That's the offer that I got. I only had Pigments and Analog Lab Lite at that moment. And 33 instruments for 150€ is roughly 4.55€ per synth which is super-cheap.

Edited August 14, 2023 by audioschmaudio

[MrFigg]

Got an FM8 question if anyone can help me. When I go in on the browser and then to F8 Factory I can select Reed Instruments from Type. Under Subtype there is a whole load of Reed Instruments...oboe, clarinet, bagpipes etc. The only two presets however are Red Reed and Soft Clarinet. Is that right or should there be more instrument presets corresponding to the subtypes there? Thanks

 

Edit: And another...I've got FM8 showing in my instruments browser and another called FM8 FX in my effects browser. Is the latter for routing audio/ other sources through? Both seem to point to the same VST3 on my system. Thanks...again. Couldn't find anything about the FM8 FX plugin in the manual.

Edited August 14, 2023 by MrFigg

[Wibbles]

If you fancy some 4 operator Yamaha FM patches* try here:

4 OP H.Q. -THE ULTIMATE RESOURCE FOR YAMAHA'S 4 OPERATOR FM SYNTHESIZERS

 

 

 

* showing my age there. 

Edited August 14, 2023 by Wibbles

[Wibbles]

... and if you're an idiot like me, here's a video handy video on installing the patches here:

 

[TheSteven]

2 hours ago, MrFigg said:

Got an FM8 question if anyone can help me. When I go in on the browser and then to F8 Factory I can select Reed Instruments from Type. Under Subtype there is a whole load of Reed Instruments...oboe, clarinet, bagpipes etc. The only two presets however are Red Reed and Soft Clarinet. Is that right or should there be more instrument presets corresponding to the subtypes there? Thanks

Yes, FM8 Factory only has the 2 Reed Instruments.
If you unselect FM8 Factory from filter you may see more presets as then you'd be applying filter to your entire library.

2 hours ago, MrFigg said:

Edit: And another...I've got FM8 showing in my instruments browser and another called FM8 FX in my effects browser. Is the latter for routing audio/ other sources through? Both seem to point to the same VST3 on my system. Thanks...again. Couldn't find anything about the FM8 FX plugin in the manual.

A number of soft synths also come with an FX version. As you correctly surmised - it's so you can use the synth's FX section as an effect VST.

Edited August 14, 2023 by TheSteven

[TheSteven]

13 hours ago, Patrick Wichrowski said:

Dexed 0.96 has a better convertion from the syex files. FM8 has a problem converting the E.Piano 1 or E.ORGAN because of the "." in name.

So if you remove the "." from the file name FM8 imports them OK?

[audioschmaudio]

1 minute ago, TheSteven said:

So if you remove the "." from the file name FM8 imports them OK?

The dot that causes problems is not in the filename but in the name of the preset that is inside the file.

In Dexed it was similar but with a different character, I think it was "[".

[Zo]

6 hours ago, audioschmaudio said:

The dot that causes problems is not in the filename but in the name of the preset that is inside the file.

In Dexed it was similar but with a different character, I think it was "[".

This explains why i see zero e.piano on the factory DX7 imports ....

[Zo]

9 hours ago, MarcL said:

Regrettably, I don't have the Arturia one (have only the Jup8V and AnalogLab). Their synths are quite expensive.

Like stated by Audioschmaudio , the whole bundle move is less expensive , you can then resale your single licences if i recall well...(not the one in bundle but those you mentionned )

To be honest , unless you like to create patches and do your sounddesign , analog lab is enougth for production stage when you use sounds as inspiration and starting points ....

 

I checked some patches last day in FM8 and Arturia , and one thing i noticed specially when you put a good amount of reverb post synth is that on the same sysex file the arturia produces a small clik at start , so it's an enveloppe thing adressed by increasing just a little the attack time ... 

As far as i noticed , after tests , for factory originals i will use arturia maybe because they're alaready there (called Rom xxxx) (i saved each one , one by one in studio preset because even if you change veloicty settings , it's not global and changes with presets : so in studio one orgionals with my setting , arturia orignals with their settings) 

But for other banks provided upper , FM 8 will be used for fm duties simply because the simple view is ways fatsre to tweak globaliy envloppes ect .. an,d the cpu hit is x5 less !!!

 

Wondering if opsix from Korg can import also that would be cool , FX in korg one are just top quality (not a fan of arturia , while fm8 inabiliy to choose routing is beyound reidicluous since they put choru /delay after the reverb !!!

Edited August 14, 2023 by Zo

[MrFigg]

7 hours ago, TheSteven said:

Yes, FM8 Factory only has the 2 Reed Instruments.
If you unselect FM8 Factory from filter you may see more presets as then you'd be applying filter to your entire library.

A number of soft synths also come with an FX version. As you correctly surmised - it's so you can use the synth's FX section as an effect VST.

Thanks for answering. Here’s the thing now. I located the VST2s and deleted them along with the standalone. Now the only file I can find is FM8 VST3. What I’m confused about is how it’s showing up as both instrument and fx even though it’s only one VST file. Can VSTs really work that way? 

Edited August 14, 2023 by MrFigg

[Patrick Wichrowski]

5 hours ago, Zo said:

This explains why i see zero e.piano on the factory DX7 imports ....

I searched for lots of libraries and discovered that they have zero "E.PIANO" ou "E.ORGAN" sounds since 2004/2006. This is crazy because E Pianos are what people love most about the DX7.

 

I opened the rom banks 1 and 3 in DEXED and removed the dots from the presets names.

Problem solved!
 

DX7 rom1 (FM8).zip DX7 rom3 (FM8).zip rom1a (FM7).syx rom1b (FM7).syx rom3a (FM7).syx rom3b (FM7).syx

Edited August 14, 2023 by Patrick Wichrowski

[chris.r]

On 8/13/2023 at 7:53 PM, MarcL said:

I just have loaded the factory presets (almost unchanged) that I had exported of my DX7II (bought in the 80s and I still have it). Many of the sounds are almost the same as the original, but there are some with pitch changes that sound completely awful in the FM8 (the pitch changes too much). I had noticed the same thing with Dexed some years ago, where I tried the patches the first time.

There's also OPS7 from chipsynth that can open syx'es. It's an interesting alternative to all these lovely synths mentioned in this thread. Might be worth downloading the trial and see if it will interpret presets from the hardware synths any better.

[PavlovsCat]

This is another example of how tangents can make for more valuable threads. Thanks to everyone who posted links to the various banks. I've had the FM8 since it was the FM7 and never tried loading these banks. I'll give them a try this weekend. Seriously,  this is truly part of what makes this such a great little community. It's not as big as KVR, but the vibe is mostly friendly and helpful. I'll do my best to try to pay it forward when I find the next opportunity. 

[TheSteven]

5 hours ago, Patrick Wichrowski said:

I searched for lots of libraries and discovered that they have zero "E.PIANO" ou "E.ORGAN" sounds since 2004/2006. This is crazy because E Pianos are what people love most about the DX7.

 

I opened the rom banks 1 and 3 in DEXED and removed the dots from the presets names.

Problem solved!
 

DX7 rom1 (FM8).zip 87.7 kB · 2 downloads DX7 rom3 (FM8).zip 88.29 kB · 2 downloads rom1a (FM7).syx 4.01 kB · 2 downloads rom1b (FM7).syx 4.01 kB · 2 downloads rom3a (FM7).syx 4.01 kB · 2 downloads rom3b (FM7).syx 4.01 kB · 2 downloads

Thanks for posting this.

The electric Pianos & Organs have been missing a lot longer than 2004.
I remember discussing this between '87 to '89 (odd memory - I don't remember who I was discussing it with only where and that locks in a time frame) that the banks had an "E" patch but not the pianos or organs with others DX7/DX7II owners and we just accepted it as a known glitch.  

So the DX hardware couldn't import the bad patch names either.

Edited August 15, 2023 by TheSteven