Phi Mu Labs: Origin - A library of patches for FM synthesizers

PHI MU LABS: ORIGIN is a collection of timbres created specifically for FM synthesizers. These patches have been also used to produce PHI MU LABS, vol. II library for KORG WAVESTATE and are included in that package as well. ORIGIN also includes the patches in Native Instruments FM8 format.

All patches had been dialed up from scratch in DEXED, a software emulation and librarian for Yamaha DX7.

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Compatibles

The patches in SYSEX format are compatible with a number of hardware synthesizers, such as:

• Yamaha DX7 (obviously)
• Yamaha DX7IID/FD
• Yamaha TX7
• Yamaha DX200
• Yamaha TX802
• Yamaha TX816/TF1
• Yamaha DX1/DX 5
• MiniDexed
• Modded Yamaha DX9

• Behringer BX1

They should be also convertible for use with:

• Yamaha FS1R (for those fortunate enough to own it)
• Korg OASYS and Kronos (courtesy of its MOD-7 engine)
• Korg Opsix (some tweaks required)
• Preen FM2/FM3
• Yamaha Montage and MODX series syntesizers.

Software options:

• Digital Suburban DEXED (these timbres were created with it)
• Arturia DX7 V
• Plogue chipsynth OPS7
• Reason Rack Extension PX7 (conversion required)
• Audio Nebula Aurora
• Korg opsix Native (tweaks required)
• Native Instruments FM7 (obsolete)
• Native Instruments FM8

Limited compatibility with the four-operator FM synthesizers is expected as well.

Yamaha DX7, DXIID, DX1 and DX5

DX7 in its original form (Mk1) was essentially a 16-voice monotimbral synth with a mono output only. Its relatively low price and sonic capabilities made it one of the most popular and successful synthesizers of 1980s, and one of the definitive instruments of the era.

Less known are DX1/DX5, the flagship models those essentially sandwiched two DX7s under the same hood. Patches for DX1 and DX5 comprised the pairs of DX7 timbres, slightly altered realtive of each other for stereo effect.

This approach is implemented in PHI MU LABS: ORIGIN banks as well: two banks - PhiMuLabs_DXDl.syx and PhiMuLabs_DXD2l.syx are for the left channel, and two others PhiMuLabs_DXDr.syx and PhiMuLabs_DXD2r.syx - for the right one. The versions marked with 'r' are the tweaked versions of 'l' patches with the same architecture. Only some parameters are altered.

In software, one can fire up two DEXED instances (or any other software emulation) in the DAW, assign them to left and right channels, and load the specified pairs of patches.

DX7II is expected to support loading these SYSEX files either.

Native Instruments FM8

FM8 still looks like The Ruling Emperor of the FM world. Whereas its progenitor FM7 was more like a DX7 emulation with bells and whistles added FM8 takes this type of synthesis to the whole new level.

First and foremost it gets rid of one of the most serious limitations - the algorithms. These are the fixed combinations of sine wave generators (known as Operators in FM synthesis world), implemented with the original hardware instruments largely due to the limited capabilities of then-contemporary hardware. Yamaha DX7 originally featured just 32 algorithms to choose from.

FM8 instead offers a matrix the enables modulating anything with anything. Moreover, it allows to load up to four different patches and, well, mash them up.

It still supports loading SYSEX from DX7 and other compatibles, however.

All the PHI MU LABS: ORIGIN sysex patches had been converted to FM8's own format. In most cases the patches' architecture remained intact, with only minor tweaks such as adding effects and increasing the volume.

There is still a lot of room to further transform these timbres into something very different.

Have fun!

And check out the other offerings too!