Hello, I need help here
I’m planning to buy a serious pro FM synthesizer and I’m undecided between the Digitone and the Yamaha FM-X synthesis found on the new MODX synth
Well, let’s talk about only the FM capabilities : is the Yamaha FM-X superior to the Digitone?
buying the most expensive or cheapest might not matter either , if you dont understand fm ,
so i guess theres a lot more to know in regards to context , your experience , how it might be used etc.
you might be better getting a volca fm depending on what you need it for
in terms of FM , i would expect it is ‘better’ , but even that can mean many things (better keyboard that can modulate things , better fx , better modulation , better macro modulation , better screen to edit it on could make it much easier to understand , more note polyphony i think,.).
Also, if I were to redo hardware FM, I’d probably go with the Reface and that 3rd party custom controller for it- that would probably be the most fun option for it with the Elektron being the runner up
I have a Digitone, love it, great sounds realy fast to work with…but if you want to play FM live (rather than sequence) with more polyphony there are probably better options…if you want fun, fast FM with a great sequencer then the Digitone is it.
Ok,
for me a pro/serious FM synth is a synth that allows you to edit all the FM parameters in a deep way, without limitations and also by giving you some new features regarding the FM never seen before.
For that reason I’ve mentioned the Yamaha FM-X synthesis, because this kind of synthesis seems to me to be near to a new FM idea.
I don’t know how much “deep” are the Digitone FM capabilities (I don’t care about the polyphony and the number of 4 Operators, they are enough)…
Yamaha MODX is more expensive and It has non-FM features that I don’t want like the AWM2 or the VA emulation, I’de prefer to buy a Korg Minilogue for analog sounds
but I see that It has a great Matrix page to modulate parameters, Macros to manage more layers at the same time and better FXs maybe
Said that, I guess that the Digitone is very funny and fast to use, great for a live use
I’m an electronic/ambient musician and I don’t use so much FM piano or other Marimba FM sounds, so I hope that Digitone opens to other new FM sounds
I have the FM8 and the Yamaha TX802 and I love them, I love the Fm synthesis
Maybe a Digitone + Reface DX could be a good solution, even if I have my doubts about the Reface because it would be just a duplicate (or less) of the Digitone without anything of different
The Yamaha is worlds deeper from an engine standpoint. That said. My Casio vz10m (another deep vintage fm synth) hasn’t been powered on since I got a digitone. It just gets to interesting sounds so much quicker than any fm synth I’ve ever used.
Slightly at a tangent… I had to sell my Reface DX. It was a joke. Lacked the real fm punch! I love my Digitone. But this is a DX in your pocket. Stunning.