This dude is annoying as fck and clearly don’t know sht about FM synthesis.
Preset complaints are always annoying but no big deal. However, complaining about the panic button is pretty shortsided. MORE hardware synths should have a midi panic button. Especially digital devices with complicated voice structures. The hydrasynth has one and plenty of midi controllers are set up with one. It’s a feature, not some admission of a buggy product as that video seemed to imply.
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Also, all synths with a panic button should have a menu option to switch its behavior from ALL NOTES OFF to Rave/Dub siren. 
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I find the presets complaint totally valid - and the majority of the presets I’ve heard are pretty damn weak.
Good presets can often speed up sound design for me. If I’m in the mood for a blank canvas, then I’ll call up an init patch. But I appreciate having the option: tweak an inspiring preset or go from scratch.
While I’ve been impressed with the number of updates Kodomo’s been putting out and their responsiveness to user suggestions, they did themselves and their customer a disservice, I think, by not hiring better sound designers.
Presets aside, the synth looks like a ton of fun. I’ve been waiting on mine for weeks now (bought remotely from an acquaintance who’s sloooow in shipping) and I’m really looking forward to digging into it.
Also looking forward to hearing their upcoming drum machine!
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I’d love to hear them do a drum machine. The drum sounds in the EFM are really good. Best presets on the synth
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Can’t wait for the release of the VFM keyboards to hear people whining because “but there’s only 3 LFOs, 8 operators is an unbearable limitation to my creativity, why no more filter type ? 5 is not enough !” Stop complaining and go make some sounds with what you have…
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You mean their Bitmasker or are you just hoping?
The Bitmasker is not a drum synth but a 4 track sequenced synth - hopefully (and probably) great for beats 
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Here’s a noisy, sinister “Playdead” synth sound made on the EssenceFM responding to mousewheel and aftertouch. No distortion or effects were used. Just one voice duplicated for stereo width.
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Great patch!
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Yes, I meant the Bitmasker. Not sure why I thought it was a drum machine.
So I’m looking forward to the Bitmasker AND hoping they make a drum machine - haha.
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As time passes and people spend time with this machine it’s really starting to shine. I just sold a FS1R (which I thought I lost, and was in a cabinet at my mom’s house, for like 22 years).
Awesome sound but I don’t have the time to dive in that programming hell, even with editors.
I ordered a MegaFM and I’m really close to buying a Kodamo Essence. The question for me has been all 2021: Daw or Dawless?
an M1 Mac mini with 16gigs of ram costs the same but Ableton and VSTs are so boring sometimes…
Guess at 44 of age, fun is my main motivation in playing.
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awesome! so snappy! Did you use any compression or just recording straight from the Kodamo?
I think Kodamo needs to include some user preset library like Reaktor did
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I am with you, if you prefer DAW less like me you need synths with minimal menu diving in my opinion
Yeah, there is tiny bit of compressor, but nothing special, it was a free plugin in Reaper.
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A friend of mine who was/is something of a mentor to help me learn more about modular tried to talk me out of getting an EssenceFM. He has rooms full of analog gear, but for digital FM, he sees no advantage of hardware over VST’s like FM8. I’m not saying he’s wrong, but I’m personally still very happy that I got the EFM and feel my music is more interesting (to me) than anything I’ve done with VST’s. Interestingly, that same friend loves a lot of the stuff I’ve done on my Model:Cycles. To him the M:C is a wise purchase. Real good (albeit limited) sounds, world class sequencer and it’s dirt cheap for what it is. I agree and love the M:C, but am still very glad I purchased the EFM. It’s such a joy to work with and I love the sound
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FM8 doesn’t sound even close to EssenceFM, although I also have a friend who’s a professional music producer who tells me I’m wasting money, only needed hardware is analog stuff, and VSTs are good enough.
I tried to replicate MegaFM with Plogue Chipsynth MD, but when I get it I’m sure different sounds will come out of it, plus the controls the MegaFM has will take me somewhere else.
Same for any FM vst vs EssenceFM.
Also, I’m not sure a M1 Mac can consistently deliver this power with no latency on any given day.
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Right. I also tried comparing it with Operator the other day - forget it!
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I don’t think FM8 sounds close to EFM either. Just what my modular mentor thinks. He feels the same way with analog. I just disagree 
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Hello lovely people!
I have been looking for sometimes to buy a FM synthesis hardware, i was pretty close to buy the Digitone until i saw the Kodamo.
I work mainly with sound art and drone music using sine waves and long sustained sounds.
after watching a lot of videos on youtube about kodamo, i don’t seem to find anything that interests me with what i’m looking for due to the type of music that i’m intersted in
that video made me fomo to buy digitone since it’s exactly the type of sounds that I’m interested in, the videos about EFM on youtube are really bad
as you can see in the video, the person take his time and create an amazing track with only 8 voices
so i also wonder if it’s achievable to reach this type of music such as warm sound with same character
would be happy to hear back from all of you who have both gears!
PS: I own a octatrack since 8 years 
Get yourself a Volca FM. It is a small DX-7 voice, but even a single note of six-op FM is great for complex drone textures. You will want an iPad editor to learn your way around, but once you’ve internalized the DX7 architecture it’s pretty easy to use just the Volca’s UI.
If you end up with five or six FM Volcas, then it might be time to add a Kodamo. I don’t have one myself, but from what I’ve seen and read it should be more sonically flexible than a DX7, with vastly more polyphony.
The Yamaha TG-77 would be an excellent choice for you. You would particularly like the looping multi-stage envelopes. But start out with a VolcaFM to see if the DX7 Way works for you. If it doesn’t, but you like the sound of FM, then consider the Essence. If you love the Volca, then consider a TG-77 or TX802.