French FM hardware synthesizer Kodamo EssenceFm

The characteristics

- 300 voices of polyphony
- FM 6 operators with resonant filter
- Free algorithms
- Editable waveforms
- Graphic envelopes
- 2 integrated multi-effects processors
- Start time less than 3 seconds
- Number of splits / layers almost unlimited (128 per patch ...)

Everything can be used very easily via the touch screen and buttons, this synth can be used as well on the desk as rack.
We can not wait for you to try it out at SynthFest ... it's scheduled for December 2019!

Go to http://kodamo.org for more info!

Pretty interesting!


Some questions:

1. Why only 128 performances?
2. Why only +/-12 semitone transpose?
3. Lowpass only... how about some more filter types?
4. Having more than 8 modulations per patch would also be nice to see if DSP can take it?
5. Is there enough juice in the DSP to provide FX spillover when switching between patches?
6. Of course... expected price?

Well hello....

I'll just leave this post here as a bookmark, while I grab my magnifying glass...

EDIT:

First round of questions...

1) Is there a list of available modulation destinations available?
2) I assume the low-pass filter is post-fm operations (no per-operator filter), and it is not of variable slope?
3) Am I correct in assuming that the Envelope Generators which are 6x volume, 6x pitch, 1x filter and 1x pan do not count toward the limit of 8 modulations per voice?
4) Can the envelopes be looped? Tempo synced?
5) I assume waveforms are static (eg no warping, no wavetable morphing, etc)?
6) Why the limitation of 8 modulations per voice?
7) How does feedback work? Can each operator use self-feedback? Can long-stacks feedback on themselves?
8) For assignment of operators, can they be routed freely as in a matrix-style FM synth (eg, FM8/Sytrus)? Or are the user designs limited to creating DX-style algorithms?

EDIT 2:

9) Will this be able to be clocked to other devices and DAWS?
10) What size Wave files can be imported? How many can be imported?
11) Is it possible to increase the number of breakpoints on the envelopes?

*Some specifications are subject to change, I think it's just a prototype for now...

Always happy to see a new FM hardware synth.

To what degree are the sound parameters going to be adjustable through midi (or other computer-accessible means)? Can the parameters be tweaked live (through midi or otherwise) while playing?

I currently use a DX7IID, with a custom touch-control panel for live control of parameters, and I love being able to tinker with the sound while I'm playing. The EssenceFm could open up entire new avenues of expression, if I can control enough of it in a similar fashion.

I don’t understand why in 2019 we’re limited to 300 voices. Don’t people know I want really long release times?!



Looks cool.

Imports DX7 patches? No? Fine, it can go **** itself.

Why is there 2ms jitter delay?

SPEC:
Synthesis type 6-operator FM
Polyphony (FM Voice) 300
Waveforms 12 interpolated, band-limited waveforms. 11 are user-editable.
Envelope generator 6-points graphical, logarithmic, 14 per voice (6x volume, 6x pitch, 1x filter, 1x pan)
Filter 1 per voice, lowpass, resonant
LFO 1 per voice, custom waveform, independant FM/AM level for each operator
Max. Voices per patch 128 layers/splits
Max. Total Voices 3328 (26 banks * 128 voices)
Max. Total Patches 3328 (26 banks * 128 patches)
Max. Total Performances 128
Modulation matrix 8 modulations per voice, selected from 20 sources and 40 destinations
Sound engine internal resolution 32-bit float
Tuning 380-470Hz, 24 editable temperament presets
Transposition +12/-12 semitones. Global, per patch and per voice
DAC 24-bit, 48Khz
SNR > 100dB
Audio latency & MIDI jitter < 2ms
Boot time < 3s
Effect DSP 2 multi-effect processors, parallel or chained
Effects List Reverb (7 types), Delay, Chorus, Distorsion (4 types), Rotary, Bitcrush
Multitimbrality 16 parts
Supported standards General MIDI, MPE
MIDI implementation (in progress)

Type 7" IPS capacitive touch screen
Resolution 400*240
Refresh Rate 60 FPS
Fonts 5 types
Other Adjustable backlight brightness
Screensaver
Misc
Undo/Redo history 1000 steps
Controls 14 mechanical switches, 7 rotary encoders, 2 volume pots (main output & headphones)
Firmware upgrade Through USB
Package contents EssenceFM synth, universal AC adapter, user manual, tabletop brackets
Size (EssenceFM) 133 x 486 x 65 mm

**** the DX7. Why everyone is still jerking off to ancient, primordial FM is beyond me -- maybe because they can't roll their own patches on newer instruments with better features?

Do you need your car to be compatible with the wheels of a Model T? Maybe a bale of hay for your horse and buggy? Why the **** does a new synth with more advanced capabilities need to hobble itself to load ****ing DX7 patches?

Hell, give me more breakpoints for the envelopes, and leave the DX7 in the dust. Let Yamaha hobbles its own FM engines with backwards compatibility, new manufacturers shouldn't limit themselves to compatibility with another manufacturer's ancient gear.

I don’t see the point of hardware synths, if you need a touch display to operate them. I want physical controls, or I’d go software plugin or ipad app.

Compatibility always doesn't mean "limited to"; it's plausible to do an emulation that begins with the limited number of functions of the DX7 to use as a starting point, while still having the full power of the synth available should the musician want to expand upon the original sound. This can be a good intro into getting a feel for the new synth. If you don't want to load in a DX7 patch, then just don't do it, you've lost nothing in the function of the synth by having that ability there.

Of course, adding any feature adds some to the cost. Even a feature implemented in software adds development costs & time, even if it doesn't add to the hardware cost. Feature creep is a real thing, and can derail a project, so perhaps the designers wanted to add such compatibillity, but the need to "get the product into the stores by Christmas" played a part.

Same here, I have a strong dislike for touchscreens, and menus. I want to be able to just reach out and tweak things, without having to go through any kind of procedure.

I was even prepared to dislike the touch-control panel I built, but was surprised at what a slightly textured surface combined with snappy response can be like.

Give me up-front, real-time controls any day.

sounds like it's going to be a real Scritti Politti machine

Could of, should of, would beez.

I’m with you, but I can understand that when a hardware developer is making something like this, they know that they’re up against competition with a plugin or an app, so they have to keep their costs from going into the stratosphere. This one looks like its got some knobbage to work along side its touch screen. I mean, its probably not for me either, but I can see someone who hates software, or wants something to take out to gigs where a laptop might not make sense, to dig this synth.

From the current demos, I didn’t hear anything that my other 6 FM synths couldn’t do...or in fact, an Ad-lib card...but we’ll give them a chance, see how it turns out.

(yeah they need a better demo composer)

because its a raspberry pi with a fancy case?

I was excited until i saw the fancy LCD touchscreen. No way this is going to be cheap enough for me justify buying over software

I think these demos are mainly evidence that they're actually attempting to bring this to market, rather than that this is all it is/will be capable of. I agree, the demos are pretty tame. But it sounds like features haven't been locked down yet, so there may be a lot of plans which can't even be demonstrated yet.

I'm waiting to hear more on the specs. The website indicates the ability to import user waveforms, in addition to editing. So that sounds pretty interesting to me already, since we'd be able to use either sampled sounds or custom waveforms (eg, make/export from Serum's editor, etc).

But I'd also want to know the answers to my earlier questions. Just too early to know what this is or isn't capable of.

A hartmann Neuron was pretty much the same thing

I was about to say that, Rasberry Pi, Beagel Board etc running PD under a UI script whatever.
https://vimeo.com/52265243

PD as sound gen on smartphone/Iphone like frekking 9 years ago...

how else are they going to play those 80s tv theme songs?

You can do great things on a pi but a giveaway is that even with a nice 100 dollar DAC on it, the pi has suboptimal io for some reason, and it's hard to get latencies as low as you might expect from an embedded situation, in my experience.

This should be competitively priced or one can just sacrifice half the voices and go with the much more capable Kurzweil Forte with OS v4 for 6-op FM plus VAST plus KDFX plus...

Does anyone know anything about the upcoming v4 FM engine, other than it's 6-op? Last I checked, we know more about the specs on the prototype shown here than the Kurzweil. If it's going to be limited to the DX7 architecture, then Kodamo will be far preferable in my book.

EDIT:
Ah. Interesting.... from the sounds of it, the Forte FM implementation will be able to interact with the VAST architecture and be open to experimentation (start video at about 2:20):



Still, that does require someone to learn VAST, versus the clearly simpler and direct FM approach of the Kodamo (and for what I assume will be much less expensive than a Forte)

Very promising for those who like FM

Looks familiar... the FM engine seems to be a further development and upgrade to the one from this:

FM Composer