Plogue returns with PortaFM synth, emulates vintage Yamaha chip
Plogue has been in the virtual instrument game for a long while, but it has been keeping quiet as of late. The makers of Bidule are now back with a handy new virtual synthesizer called PortaFM.
PortaFM is a 2-operator FM synth which has a recreation of a cheapie vintage FM chip (the YM2413) at the heart of a modern synthesis engine. The YM2413 chip could be found in old Yamaha mini keyboards like the PSS-140 and PSS-270. Plogue’s synth expands its potential with more control and modulation options.
The synth is organised around two YM2413 emulations which comprise the main synth engine, and a new synth “core” dedicated to drum sounds. This allows for creative layering possibilities. Now who doesn’t like those adorably cheesy FM drums?
The FM components should be familiar to anyone who’s dabbled into the dark arts of frequency modulation, while the drum part looks very intuitive and simple to use. Additionally, PortaFM has sequencer and FX sections, but we don’t currently have any further information on these.
Plogue is about to release PortaFM soon, in standalone, VST, AU and AAX plug-in formats for 64-bit Windows and Mac systems. The price is going to be USD 30, which is very affordable. We will update this post once we hear about Plogue releasing this interesting little FM synth.
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