Tone2 has introduced Nemesis – a new software synth that they say ‘takes FM synthesis to its next evolutionary step: NeoFM synthesis’.
It also sets a new standard for gratuitously sexy 3D renderings of virtual instruments. It’s so shiny it’s got virtual lens flare!
Look beyond the glossy renderings, though, and Nemesis does pack a lot of power.
It offers traditional FM synthesis, as well as a new approach to FM called NeoFM synthesis that they say makes FM ‘accessible to everyone’. If that’s not enough, Nemesis offers a total of 22 combinable synthesis types, including: Additive, Formant, Wavetables, Waveshaping, Phase distortion, Sync and Reso synthesis.
Here’s the video intro for Nemesis:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RaVHZWGJIQ
Nemesis Features:
- Offers a new and user-friendly approach to FM synthesis. Nemesis makes FM synthesis accessible to everyone, regardless of skill level or experience.
- Easy to tweak presets or program your own sounds with.
- NeoFM covers all important aspects of traditional FM synthesis, but is in no way limited only to bell-style sounds. It offers a very large sonic range, one that is much more varied than other FM synths.
- Due to its innovative technical approach, neoFM does not suffer from a metallic sound or from the weaknesses of conventional FM.
- No fewer than 22 combinable synthesis types. Nemesis expands FM with further synthesis methods such as Additive, Formant, Wavetables, Waveshaping, Phase distortion, Sync and Reso synthesis.
- Contains 1000 inspiring patches from professional designers.
- Unique signature sound.
- Nemesis features a large number of exclusive sounds that are not possible with other synthesizers.
- Perfect for modern, as well as all other music styles.
- Wave import, resynthesis and the additive spectral editor offer unlimited sonic possibilities.
- True 4x stereo unison.
- An extensive number of high-end quality effects, with flexible and innovative routing options.
- Trancegate with an extensive selection of setup options.
- High-End sound quality with low demands on your CPU.
- Powerful, easy-to-use arpeggiator.
Nemesis is expected to be released in Dec 2013. Pricing is TBA.
Check out the specs and video demo and let us know what you think of Nemesis!
Kewl!!!
If that 3D rendered keyboard doesn’t have aftertouch, I’m not even interested in this.
Polyphonic virtual aftertouch, b****es
Looks like it has a lot of after effects 😉
Does anyone know the dimensions so I can have some custom wooden end cheeks made for mine when I pick it up?
Just bought a dx21 for 50 quid. What fuckin planet are these render fetishists on.
“ExtERmely versatile” at 03:29 LOL!! Why would anyone buy anything from a company that can’t even get something as mundane as spelling right? 🙂
Because Tone2 has a track record of powerful software synths?
Don’t forget it is also “INUTITIVE”
So,
What’s NeoFM?
Yes, I watched the video. It’s not “PM”. It’s not analogue cross-modulation. It’s, it’s, it’s…
New!
Wow.
I just couldn’t take more than 1/3 of that video. What a bunch of silly hype! FM + filtering. Where have I seen that before? I’m not saying that this is not a good synth, but it’s going to take a lot now to make me want to take it for a ride.
Didn’t see any mention of how many operators, either with the traditional FM or the Neo FM. Perhaps they’ve worked around that in some way.
These trance tracks are, ahem, interesting. Assuming the music in the video is produced with it, it certainly sounds versatile… but thin.
I hope gratuitous lens flares are included with the actual VST, otherwise their marketing is very deceptive….
Great. When’s it coming to iOS? I’ll take the non techno stereotype version, please…
Re “Neo FM”, look at the oscillator section knobs (eg at 2:44)
They have C (carrier) and M(modulator) tuning, but then also Drift and Phase.
I guess if you feed some LFO to the modulator phase and detune, you get a shifting sound that could liven up things a bit.
They do mention it’s “proper FM”, not PM (phase modulation). I have yet to hear the difference between these two…
A more important issue for digital FM is whether they use an algorithm that is non-aliasing at root (usually heavily oversampled) when using non-sine waveforms, or if they just lowpass filter after the fact.
Even good synths like FM8 use heavy post-filtering to keep aliasing at bay, but this can make the final sound a litttle muffled.
I have to hand it to anyone who makes FM more accessible. Its a meaningful part of the synth lexicon, but its additive-junior in practice and a major PITA to program from the ground up. It can feel daunting and counter-intuitive. I get the first impression that Tone 2 have gotten a handle on a lot of it. This thing has some polished features bearing the scent of the TX81Z and FS1R, a real plus. I also note the inclusion of resynthesis and a microtuning table. Damn, that’s serious-good. I’d love to hear it used outside the dance demos. The vocal formants have a lot of potential. Nothing else sounds quite like that. This is what I like to see in a new synth: a solid central focus with some well-considered fringe enhancements.
Hey, microtuning! Nice one!
“Morphable params” is also good if it means… er, what it should mean.
Another issue, does it click?
FM8 clicks when configuration is switched, or when a new patch is loaded.
That’s unacceptable to me. No param change should ever cause a glitch or sound dropout.
Time to find out, but demo not up yet.
Another softsynth (Blah!). It would be nice to develop this into hardware. Enjoy it while it is compatible with your version of Windoze.
Seriously, you’re not happy enough with the 50 or so new bits of hardware out lately so people like you can feel hardcore and underground?
The demo music is getting REALLY ridiculous these days. At one point during their promo video it was like I was in a Russian disco-disco party while drinking vodka with Vladlena and her boyfriend Vladimir.
So you were there too???
It would be something it became real hardware.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r9GnTa9RjXw/UcdRTsFJSII/AAAAAAAAVow/5lB_qAu540Y/s1600/BNWbdpGCUAAARLu.jpg_large.jpg
SUNRIZER WINS
I can’t finish this video, it’s too bad. The music, the voice, the text, the typeface… :-)))
In the end the most important thing is the synth itself, but a surprisingly bad video like this is rather off-putting. I’ll wait for reviews and a demo version of the synth before I spend any more thoughts on it.
who is the art director of this video???
I think that at Tone2 people do videos and soft synths, two different arts.
For Tone2 the GUI design is not the best software part.
From the demo I hear sounds similar to Z3TA+2….
You know.. it might be a cool synth.. looks like it could be… but holy mother of Jesus is it a flaming turd of a video… I felt like they were trying to sell me the latest Sham-wow.
Like seriously.. who here is looking for a synth that will allow them to “experience FM synthesis at it’s best and most entertaining.” Entertaining?!??!!! Can I get WTF from congregation? Who the F do they think there would be customers are? “why yes, we’ve don’t the market research and we’ve found 9 out of 10 our customers are just starting there rehab for there dumb ass pyramid scheme addiction.. and since selling bridges in Brooklyn is now a fo-paw… we thought we’d go in more this direction”
It seems like they were (perhaps deliberately) taking on the aesthetic of 80’s videos in some ways– a nod to the era of the DX7 and TX81Z. To me, this video was a bit over the top and trying too hard. It also seemed a little repetitive and not well organized. Too much hype and not enough info. Ultimately, it becomes hard to tell of the software is any good. Nice to see they offer a free demo. And that video certainly makes it appealing enough to want to try.
As for a “hardware” version, get a control surface and assign persistent controls to parameters (hopefully, the software allows them remain from preset to preset)- that would be cool– especially if the software provides interpolation/smoothing to remove zippering– as would be expected in an instrument of this price.
Wake up, Neo. The Cross-Modulation Matrix has you.
I’m not buyin it.. Just because they say it makes the most pristine, and immaculate sounds, doesn’t mean it won’t be just as easy to make shite sounds.