ALM Motto Akemie: Chaos in a 6-Voice FM Drum Machine Plugin
4,5 / 5,0 | 
A software plugin from ALM/Busy Circuits? Inspired by the Akemie Taiko drum module, Motto Akemie puts six of them in a plugin with a step-sequencer.
Motto Akemie
It’s always interesting when a modular company does something unexpected. I’ve enjoyed the way Noise Engineering has pulled its DSP code-writing prowess into the realm of plugins. Now ALM/Busy Circuits are having a go with Motto Akemie.
It’s pretty basic-looking, but I really like the minimal tones and clear space. The idea is also very simple, giving you six identical FM drum synths and a six-channel step sequencer. It’s the sort of thing that can’t help but generate very cool patterns of percussive pleasure.
From the Taiko module, we have the dual operator voices, wavetables and control system for each voice. At the top, next to the mute/solo buttons you get to choose between two algorithms. FM is the regular carrier plus modulator, whereas Mix mixes the two operators together. Next, you get regular level and pan settings. Then, you explore the start and end frequency of your operator, giving you a nice pitch sweep if that’s what you want. Ratio determines the harmonic ratio between the two operators. Speed gives us the rate of change, and Wave selects one of eight waveshapes. Feedback routes the first operator back on itself for that lovely sense of FM corruption, and the two Release settings control the operator’s envelopes.
Sequencing
The sequencer has a lot of different layers to it. It handles up to 16 steps with each track having its own relationship to tempo. Along with the Gate view, you can control every single parameter of each of the six voices, per step, with offsets. And everything can be randomised.
Ther result is a funky and deliciously vibrant FM rhythm source that’s brilliantly self contained and refreshing straight forward. Download now for $40.
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2 responses to “ALM Motto Akemie: Chaos in a 6-Voice FM Drum Machine Plugin”
This is awesome! Love ALM Busy Circuits and stoked to see this foray into the DAW world. Picking it up today for sure.
Unusable for me in a DAW. Patterns cannot be dragged into the DAW, preset sounds cannot be saved and there is no multi out. This is where DAW use would begin to make sense. It’s a waste.