Icegear - Nambu (FM)

Montreal_Music

@wim said:
I love that you can make the texture operator fire on note off (or on, or both). Adding sounds on key release is a great design tool that almost no synths have.

BTW, which others synths got this feature, I forgot to ask?

jsmonzani

While everyone is testing this synth, why not share our presets? Here are mine, mainly plucks and pads (I mostly compose ambient)

gregsmith

Here’s my first go with it - all sounds from Nambu apart from the drums, which are hammerhead.

It’s so versatile!

https://youtube.com/shorts/2Nika6i1OW0?feature=share

Slush

@gregsmith said:
Here’s my first go with it - all sounds from Nambu apart from the drums, which are hammerhead.

It’s so versatile!

https://youtube.com/shorts/2Nika6i1OW0?feature=share

Nice work man.

david_2017

Oh boy, wrapping my head around it right now.for me at least this is not intuitive. Probably it’s really deep but super hard to dive into.

Need to check more videos I guess :-)

gregsmith

@Slush said:

@gregsmith said:
Here’s my first go with it - all sounds from Nambu apart from the drums, which are hammerhead.

It’s so versatile!

https://youtube.com/shorts/2Nika6i1OW0?feature=share

Nice work man.

Thanks 😊

cokomairena

I wasn nor going to get this… until I read spiders comments

Here we go!

Edward_Alexander

@cokomairena said:
I wasn nor going to get this… until I read spiders comments

Here we go!

Same!

@Spidericemidas said:

I have to add that I have honestly not been so excited and attracted by an iOS synth as this one, since joining the platform in 2016.

It does look really nice! I can see myself getting lost in this for a few hours.

espiegel123

I was skeptical of the early talk of “synth of the year” but that was before I gave in and bought it. It is both architecturally rich and elegantly put together. It is quite straightforward.

It also sounds great.

Spidericemidas

@cokomairena @Edward_Alexander @espiegel123 Cool! Like I said in another recent thread the other day, it is extremely rare for me to go nuts here over any app and keep banging on about it over-excitedly. But in this case, when you actually examine and dig into what Satoshi has created for us, you should easily see why I've been going so crazy over it. Just look at the range of sound sources, operator matrix, modulation options...there are so many extra and fine controls over everything....the potential is massive! I got lost in it again last night just experimenting with different matrix configs and operator interactions linked to lfos and envelopes....it's just crazy. It's not just FM either, it can also be set up more like a normal subtractive synth....you can slot in resonators and filters.....omg it's just unbelievably versatile when you really look into it.

ExAsperis99

@espiegel123 said:
I was skeptical of the early talk of “synth of the year” but that was before I gave in and bought it. It is both architecturally rich and elegantly put together. It is quite straightforward.

It also sounds great.

This is the only recommendation I care about. I have been swept up in so many rounds of synth hype that are largely based on (for lack of a better word) the complex "game play" of a synth. There's a definite bias here among the many synth geniuses toward so-called "powerful" synths. I looked at this and thought: does it sound better than Bleass Omega, an FM synth that I never reach for? (And which I forgot I even owned.)

espiegel123

@ExAsperis99 : I don’t have omega. So, I can’t compare it.

I just know that with Nambu it is quite easy to create sounds whose character changes with touch that one won’t hear from other synths. While it is straightforward, imo, if one knows one’s way around synth architecture, it will require an investment of time to create sounds as the preset library is thin in comparison to the he possibilities.

If one’s inclination isn’t towards patching synths, this is maybe not a must-have…which would change with some libraries.

drewinnit

The LFO waveform knob for S&H doesn‘t currently do anything, right?

seems a good opportunity to allow a ramped S&H waveform...will email this suggestion to the developer

auxmux

It's more powerful than Omega. Omega is like Yamaha FB01 with some enhancements like distortion and filters, also similar to Digitone, though I like Omega a lot as well.

Nambu is basically a Korg Opsix with influences from SY77 and DX7 as mentioned earlier.

espiegel123

@drewinnit said:
The LFO waveform knob for S&H doesn‘t currently do anything, right?

If you mean the main LFO knob, it works for me.

Here is the BAS-004 preset modified to use a random S/H LFO

seems a good opportunity to allow a ramped S&H waveform...will email this suggestion to the developer

Spidericemidas

I don't have Omega or any other FM synth on my iPad. I was never sure about FM and not educated in it at all. So I always avoided it. But Nambu makes it dead easy to figure out, plus you're getting standard synth behaviour in there as well with traditional waveforms, and to combine with things like the filter, resonator and textures. This allows for some really nice hybrid sound designs and with a crazy amount of control over them. I could be wrong but I'm not aware of any other standalone synth on iOS that can offer such versatility in sound design potential.

Even if you're not an experienced patch programmer, Nambu is laid out so well, I found it to be the easiest and quickest of the IceGear range to start figuring out. The UI makes it a pleasure just to sit down, relax, and spend time going off on an exploration.

I agree it is thin on factory presets compared to it's power and the ridiculously vast possibilities. That's why I hope the interest in this synth won't fade away too quickly. There is just a phenominal amount of beautiful sound design potential here. I really hope other designers like Brice, SOI, richardyot, pxlhg and many others will give this one their attention, maybe even an ABF members patch fest for it. I'm telling you, there are amazing beautiful unique things just waiting to be coaxed out of Nambu.

ExAsperis99

Well, seeing as I probably won't spend $1699 on a Moog Matriarch today, NOT spending $14.99 for the new and most beloved synth on iOS is almost like LOSING money lol

frosttrance_7

PSA: Think of FM as turbo-charged additive synthesis! The modulator adds a set of harmonics to the base waveform, and the ratio of either operator affects the harmonic distribution.

wim

@ExAsperis99 said:

@espiegel123 said:
I was skeptical of the early talk of “synth of the year” but that was before I gave in and bought it. It is both architecturally rich and elegantly put together. It is quite straightforward.

It also sounds great.

This is the only recommendation I care about. I have been swept up in so many rounds of synth hype that are largely based on (for lack of a better word) the complex "game play" of a synth. There's a definite bias here among the many synth geniuses toward so-called "powerful" synths. I looked at this and thought: does it sound better than Bleass Omega, an FM synth that I never reach for? (And which I forgot I even owned.)

I'll be honest here. I love this synth because of the flexibility, which leads to sound experiments I never would have made otherwise.

But.

I don't see it as a first choice for just getting great sounding bread 'n butter sounds. After having a great time experimenting with it for awhile, I thought I'd go back and try to build some basic stuff. I wanted a fat and juicy bass like I can dial in within about 10 seconds with a couple of FM operators in Drambo. It took tons of fiddling and experimenting to get anywhere close.

Then I thought I'd forget FM for a minute and just try to make a good bass with a couple of oscillators and a filter. Normally something I do without much thought. Again, I got there, but not easily like I can in most synths.

Next I went for an E-Piano, using a Phasemaer patch as a rough guide. It took a lot of time to get anything similar and that I liked. Maybe if I had started with a KQ Dixie patch as a guide I would have done better. That said, I did end up with an amazing patch. Because once I got something kind of close I immediately thought of cool ways to enhance it using the texture and resonator operators.

tldr; I don't characterize Nambu as a synth I'll reach for when I'm just going for awesome quick sounds for jamming. I don't think I'd pitch it to anyone that isn't interested in diving in and designing sounds and doesn't have the patience to work through learning a bunch of new ways of doing things. But I personally LOVE THIS SYNTH!

NeuM

Despite Nambu being amazing in terms of options and control, I agree there are currently not enough presets covering bread and butter sounds any synth should have as part of their foundation. Perhaps we will be able to supplement the library of patches with this array of sounds from which to build even more creative variations.

For example the “Kawai K5000” sound set, which was graciously offered here by a committed sound designer for the AddStation app helped ground the AddStation collection beautifully.

espiegel123

@wim said:

@ExAsperis99 said:

@espiegel123 said:
I was skeptical of the early talk of “synth of the year” but that was before I gave in and bought it. It is both architecturally rich and elegantly put together. It is quite straightforward.

It also sounds great.

This is the only recommendation I care about. I have been swept up in so many rounds of synth hype that are largely based on (for lack of a better word) the complex "game play" of a synth. There's a definite bias here among the many synth geniuses toward so-called "powerful" synths. I looked at this and thought: does it sound better than Bleass Omega, an FM synth that I never reach for? (And which I forgot I even owned.)

I'll be honest here. I love this synth because of the flexibility, which leads to sound experiments I never would have made otherwise.

But.

I don't see it as a first choice for just getting great sounding bread 'n butter sounds. After having a great time experimenting with it for awhile, I thought I'd go back and try to build some basic stuff. I wanted a fat and juicy bass like I can dial in within about 10 seconds with a couple of FM operators in Drambo. It took tons of fiddling and experimenting to get anywhere close.

Then I thought I'd forget FM for a minute and just try to make a good bass with a couple of oscillators and a filter. Normally something I do without much thought. Again, I got there, but not easily like I can in most synths.

Next I went for an E-Piano, using a Phasemaer patch as a rough guide. It took a lot of time to get anything similar and that I liked. Maybe if I had started with a KQ Dixie patch as a guide I would have done better. That said, I did end up with an amazing patch. Because once I got something kind of close I immediately thought of cool ways to enhance it using the texture and resonator operators.

tldr; I don't characterize Nambu as a synth I'll reach for when I'm just going for awesome quick sounds for jamming. I don't think I'd pitch it to anyone that isn't interested in diving in and designing sounds and doesn't have the patience to work through learning a bunch of new ways of doing things. But I personally LOVE THIS SYNTH!

I wonder if there might be some aspect of Nambu that if understood would have you able to dial in the same sounds in Nambu as you can with Drambo. It should be pretty much the same if starting from a generic patch with 2 oscillators and only adding more as needed.

wim

@espiegel123 said:
I wonder if there might be some aspect of Nambu that if understood would have you able to dial in the same sounds in Nambu as you can with Drambo. It should be pretty much the same if starting from a generic patch with 2 oscillators and only adding more as needed.

Of course. It's just a matter of learning, which IMO is worth the effort here. My goal was to temper expectations for someone looking for immediately gratifying basic synth sounds. IMO this one might not be a good fit for that type of user. Maybe after more presets are available to work from, but not so much now.

The analogy in my mind is kind of "Hammerhead vs. DrumComputer". DC can make just about any sound I can imagine but requires significant learning to get the best out of it. Hammerhead is more limited but can dial in gratifying sounds in just a few moments.

espiegel123

Here is a jam (strange music, this) using a patch that I am working on. It has a lot of touch sensitivity built-in via velocity, CC74, aftertouch and pitchbend. Played with a Sensel Morph

Probably not many people's cup of tea -- but hopefully a demonstration of a sort of instrument/patch one can design easily in Nambu that would not be so easy with other iOS synths that I can think of.

Gavinski

@wim said:

@ExAsperis99 said:

@espiegel123 said:
I was skeptical of the early talk of “synth of the year” but that was before I gave in and bought it. It is both architecturally rich and elegantly put together. It is quite straightforward.

It also sounds great.

This is the only recommendation I care about. I have been swept up in so many rounds of synth hype that are largely based on (for lack of a better word) the complex "game play" of a synth. There's a definite bias here among the many synth geniuses toward so-called "powerful" synths. I looked at this and thought: does it sound better than Bleass Omega, an FM synth that I never reach for? (And which I forgot I even owned.)

I'll be honest here. I love this synth because of the flexibility, which leads to sound experiments I never would have made otherwise.

But.

I don't see it as a first choice for just getting great sounding bread 'n butter sounds. After having a great time experimenting with it for awhile, I thought I'd go back and try to build some basic stuff. I wanted a fat and juicy bass like I can dial in within about 10 seconds with a couple of FM operators in Drambo. It took tons of fiddling and experimenting to get anywhere close.

Then I thought I'd forget FM for a minute and just try to make a good bass with a couple of oscillators and a filter. Normally something I do without much thought. Again, I got there, but not easily like I can in most synths.

Next I went for an E-Piano, using a Phasemaer patch as a rough guide. It took a lot of time to get anything similar and that I liked. Maybe if I had started with a KQ Dixie patch as a guide I would have done better. That said, I did end up with an amazing patch. Because once I got something kind of close I immediately thought of cool ways to enhance it using the texture and resonator operators.

tldr; I don't characterize Nambu as a synth I'll reach for when I'm just going for awesome quick sounds for jamming. I don't think I'd pitch it to anyone that isn't interested in diving in and designing sounds and doesn't have the patience to work through learning a bunch of new ways of doing things. But I personally LOVE THIS SYNTH!

I agree Wim. This synth will reward those who want to experiment. The presets are really quite vanilla and don't demonstrate what it's capable of. Making your own patches takes time and experimentation, but if you enjoy exploring sound design, it's hugely rewarding, and most importantly, fun. You can get lost in this for hours.

lukesleepwalker

@espiegel123 said:
Here is a jam (strange music, this) using a patch that I am working on. It has a lot of touch sensitivity built-in via velocity, CC74, aftertouch and pitchbend. Played with a Sensel Morph

Probably not many people's cup of tea -- but hopefully a demonstration of a sort of instrument/patch one can design easily in Nambu that would not be so easy with other iOS synths that I can think of.

This is awesome!

R_2

@espiegel123 said:
Probably not many people's cup of tea

First demo that sounds interesting to me, so certainly my cup of tea 🫖

Gavinski

Nice demo Ed! I like that ring btw 😛

ExAsperis99

@espiegel123 said:
Here is a jam (strange music, this) using a patch that I am working on. It has a lot of touch sensitivity built-in via velocity, CC74, aftertouch and pitchbend. Played with a Sensel Morph

Probably not many people's cup of tea -- but hopefully a demonstration of a sort of instrument/patch one can design easily in Nambu that would not be so easy with other iOS synths that I can think of.

I agree that it is awesome! Reminds me of Harry Partch or a contemporary of his.

espiegel123

@ExAsperis99 : good call on Harry Partch. I think Nambu appeals to the Partch in me.

Poppadocrock

@Montreal_Music said:
I was curious:

"Yoichiro Nambu (南部 陽一郎, Nanbu Yōichirō, 18 January 1921 – 5 July 2015) was a Japanese-American physicist and professor at the University of Chicago.[1] Known for his contributions to the field of theoretical physics, he was awarded half of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2008 for the discovery in 1960 of the mechanism of spontaneous broken symmetry in subatomic physics, related at first to the strong interaction's chiral symmetry and later to the electroweak interaction and Higgs mechanism.[2] The other half was split equally between Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Maskawa "for the discovery of the origin of the broken symmetry which predicts the existence of at least three families of quarks in nature."[2]"

Thanks Wiki.

All their apps are after famous scientists. Good call on looking this one up.