BEAUTIFUL DIRT
Unlike most FM synthesizers that are very clean and digital, the vintage FM chips within MEGAfm have very characterful tone allowing a broad sound palette ranging from beautiful plucked strings to growly distorted bass lines.
TACTILE OPERATORS
Hardware FM synthesizers are infamous for their reduced controls and complexity to program, with tiny LCD screens and only a couple of buttons to operate a load of menus…
With its 32 operators faders, 14 knobs and 15 buttons MEGAfm offers unprecedented hands-on FM control!
Every knob and fader can easily be modulated by the easy to use LFOs.
MAKE IT A DOUBLE!
The vintage FM chips from the 90s each offer 6 voices of crispy FM, 4 operators per voice and 8 algorithms.
MegaFM features 2 chips for a total of 12 voices spread across two outputs (or summed to one)
FEATURES
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12 Voice Polyphony
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Dual vintage FM chips (included)
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8 Algorithms
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600 preset memory (saving to any slot) arranged in 6 banks. Easy upload/download of banks to and from computer vis SYSEX.
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Preset randomiser
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4 Voicing modes (Poly12, stereo/wide6, special CH3 mode, 12 voice unison with detune/fat knob
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Stereo or Mono output (1 chip per channel or both chips summed)
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32 Sliders for total control of all 4 operators
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14 knobs
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15 buttons
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23 LEDS, LED numeric display.
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3 lfos to modulate any parameter
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7-mode arpeggiator with transposable Sh-style step sequencer
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Vibrato with depth and rate
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MIDI clock on all LFOs, ARP and Vibrato
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All faders/knobs send MIDI (use MegaFM to control your favourite modern FM synth!)
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Full MIDI automation
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Dual 6.35mm TS output and 6.35mm Stereo Headphones output
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Brushed/Anodized Aluminum Case
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Sturdy metal panel bolted potentiometers
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Dimensions: 30CM x 13CM x 5CM
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DIN5 MIDI input with MIDI channel learn and thru/out
VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS
MKII
Starting September 2022
This updated version is identical in appearance and functionality but will include a pair of YM3438 chips instead of the YM2612. The YM3438 is a variant of the YM2612 that is identical in functionality and was featured in the Sega Megadrive II. The circuit layout has also been updated to grant access to the FM chips with minimal disassembly.
Indeed the chips are now socketed (removable) and accessible by removing the bottom panel.
This allows you to install alternate FM chips (like the YM2612, modern alternatives or even custom sound chips).
You can also mix different versions of FM chip as there are 2 slots that can be configured individually.
MEGAfm MKII features the same audio circuitry and analog distortion as the MKI, as a result both chips sound very similar inside of MEGAfm.
The firmware will work identically on both versions.