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FM Essential Finally Unlocked! But...
After years, I finally found a music store that had a used MX49 and was able to use it to unlock the FM Essential app on my iPhone!! Yea!!
However, it seems the unlocked-state is restricted to that iPhone. I had hoped that my status with the app would be stored on the App Store so that if I downloaded FM Essential to another device it would always be unlocked. But this is not the case.
Does anybody know of a way to get the unlocked FM Essential app from my iPhone to the iPad? I tried sending the app from the phone to the iPad with AirDrop, but this doesn't actually transfer from device to device. It simply opens the App Store on the target device and takes you to the page to download the app.
Seems like my only option may be to go back to the store and do it again with my iPad. But even then it will only be unlocked for these two devices.
Comments
Unfortunately the unlock is per device and install, meaning if you delete the app and re-install it later on it needs to be unlocked again…
When I asked Yamaha about them potentially adding an IAP to unlock it and got a simple no as the app was primarily made to be a ‘promo tool’ for the MX line and a ‘bonus’ for those who took the time to try out the keyboard together with their iPhones or iPads.
I would have happily paid for the IAP even in its somewhat questionable state, meaning you can load multiple AUv3 instances but they all share the same preset, change it in one and they all changes…
If you can somehow clone the message (maybe a SysEx message) that identifies and handshakes when connecting to a Yamaha MX keyboard…it would seem you could unlock the app repeatedly.
We have such smart people here. If there was a real desire for this, I’m certain the brains among us could figure it out.
That’s such a bummer but thanks for sharing that info. I’m gonna use a friends to unlock mine soon and was planning on bringing my phone and then transferring it to iPad. Guess I’ll have to bring both.
That's an interesting idea. Hardware synths often send a device identifier SysEx in response to a "who are you" message from a connected computer. If we knew what the iPhone sends when opening the app, we might be able to craft the reply, based on the Yamaha docs. It'd be hard to do this inside a host like AUM, but might work stand-alone. Load a MIDI monitor, like MIDI Wrench, which just listens to Core MIDI, then load the app. See what MIDI Wrench receives. If the app has a "pairing" button, you may need to tap it.
I think that's part of the problem there is no 'paring buttons' and It could be that it doesn't even use midi to do the 'handshake/activation' but rather does something directly over USB as It's not possible to unlock the app by connecting to the MX using regular midi, it has to be done over USB...
…and, the final question, is Yamaha FM Essential that good that it’s worth all struggle to have it unlocked?
Sure, it sounds amazing…
It's the only TX81Z emulator that comes even remotely close to the original so yes, I would pay for an IAP if Yamaha let me...
(It also accurately emulates the DX100, V50 and a 'modern' FM version, and there's an audible difference between the models even with the same 'patch settings').
The biggest problem with the FM Essentials app is thought that it's 'one instance only', sure you can load more but they all share the same preset and it's apparently 'by design'.
If I din't have the real TX81Z on the desk I would do what I could to get it activated on my M1 iPadPro...
If you back up the app using iMazing, you probably could load the data onto another device, from what I have seen.
I unlocked it two phones ago and sort of forgot the app existed. Though I love how it sounds. And the chord pads are fun.
I had an MC49 but couldn’t figure out how to unlock the app. I sold the MX49 and mostly forgot about the app, but I would happily buy a revised version of the app. I doubt there is enough interest from Yamaha to bother. Too bad.
Yamaha really confused everyone with their MX lineup.
They had the original MX lineup and the updated MX II lineup which was needed to unlock the FM Essentials.app and there was no real visible differences between the lineups other than a sticker causing quite a stir back when the app was released and existing MX users could not unlock it.
The procedure was really simple, hook the iPad to the MX49 (mk2) using a CCK and a USB-A -> USB-B cable and launch the app and it was unlocked with zero user interaction. Disconnect the cable and the app stays unlocked as long as it's installed on the device. If the app is deleted or re-installed it needed to be unlocked again...
For the USB-C based iDevices a USB-C -> USB-B cable is needed.
Looks like it does use MIDI. I did as described, using MIDI Wrench. When the app loads, it sends an Identity Request message, F0 7E 00 06 01 F7. I made a StreamByter script to send the expected MX Identity Reply, F0 7E 7F 06 02 43 00 41 47 06 00 00 00 7F F7. Unfortunately, that's not the end. The app begins sending F0 43 21 7F 17 0E 00 02 F7 repeatedly, which seems to be a Dump Request for "Normal Voice PRE 1, 02", address 0E 00 02. Not sure if we can even tell what that reply should contain, since these dumps are just meant for save/restore operations. Might be able to fob it off with junk data, since it might not know either. (Info from the Yamaha MX 49/61/88 Data List on the MX web site. All numbers hex.)
Cool!
The FM Essentials.app also contains some preset combinations where some sounds are from the MX and some are from the app, that could explain the dump requests?
The second time I unlocked FM Essentials for my iPad Air 2 (many years ago) I had the app already running when I connected it and it work as well, so it's doing something in the background all the time.
Unfortunately the store I unlocked it at no longer carries the MX line (they sold their last MX88 which could also be used for unlock about a year ago).
Personally I've given up the hope of unlocking it on my M1 iPadPro...
...It's just sad to see Yamaha wasting the opportunity to make a buck or two on an old piece of software...
(They could even license it to Steinberg for inclusion in Cubasis 3 or something similar).
I think in order to proceed with the unlock work-arounds a real MX would be needed for the troubleshooting.
Keep us posted if you succeed!
@Lady_App_titude
I’m simultaneously super happy for you and jealous I haven’t been able to do it. The several times I tried they didn’t have one in stock. I’ve always wanted to unlock that app. It’s a really cool app, but limited without that unlock.
@Samu
That really sucks it doesn’t translate to a new device, or after a delete and reinstall like an IAP would. I would seriously considered buying an IAP for that app.
@Samu completely agree. It sounds fantastic and is surprisingly feature-full.
I’d buy an IAP for that AND the AN1x inside of synth book which also sounds fantastic. Yamaha have so many classics under their belt, they’re really missing out on properly entering the market. Imagine a CS-80 app from Yamaha themselves 🤩
Yamaha should ‘license’ the stuff to Steinberg for inclusion in Cubasis.
Yamaha ‘owns’ Steinberg so there should be no legal jumbo jumbo to stop that from happening
Oooo I hadn't thought of that. Maybe the incoming Cubasis 4 (ha!) will have lots of lovely Yamaha synths and things as I.A.Ps.
CS80 (obvs), DX, SY, Reface series... other stuff I can't think of right now...
I even tried poking around with iMazing. I compared the FM Essential (locked) on my iPad to the FM Essential (unlocked) on my iPhone. I noticed this "FM2016_AppModel.dat" document (red arrow) was missing on the locked/iPad version. But copying it over to the iPad didn't unlock anything. Also tried copying over the preferences file (green arrow) and all of the files in "Library). No joy.
My opinion at this point, is that Yamaha views the app as "essentially" (pardon the pun) an extension of the MX keyboard. So the idea is, they want you to buy the keyboard and then the give you a "bonus" of the app to extend the options of the keyboard. The keyboard essentially (there's that word again) becomes a big giant key that can be used to unlock the app on iOS devices you may acquire over time.
It may even be that the extra presets are actually stored on in the keyboard and it transfers them over when you plug in. It's more than a handshake, maybe. I noticed it took a good 30 seconds-ish to unlock. I thought nothing was happening at first. You don't get the "congratulations you're unlocked" message immediately.
Yes, that is why this has been such a holy grail quest for me. I own both a TX81Z and a V50, and I used to own a DX11, and have long dreamed of being able to replace them with software equivalents. While there have been many software instruments that can read legacy 6-op (DX7) sysex, there are not any good options for these 4-op devices. Now that I finally have it unlocked, I plan to do a/b comparisons of FM Essential with my hardware. But can tell already that I've not heard anything else that sounds that close for these original 4-op presets from the classic hardware.
I also noticed that some of the presets they group under V50 are actually not on the V50, but come from the DX11. (Of course, all three devices have the same engine and can exchange patches, but they came with different sets of presets. And the V50 also had FX.) Just something I was noticing last night going through the presets.
Woah really? How did I not know that? Interesting. Being a Cubasis user that would make my day, wonder if there’s a chance of it happening. Maybe in Cubasis 4 😎
That would definitely give them some extra sales I’m sure.
Yeah - Yamaha not only owns Steinberg, they own also Steinway and Bösendorf. Also, Y have bought more than 20 other brands with connection to the music industry…
Yes. It could be that the dump request I saw for "Normal Voice PRE 1, 02" was the first of a sequence to download all the factory presets from the MX. If that's true, there'd be no way to fake it unless we had all that data from a real MX.
Wow so they make 2 competing grand pianos lol
I mean…is it competing…or is it holding more of the market share?
Capitalism, baby 😏😏😏
More like capitalism 🤢🤢🤢 lol
The only app that makes you sad because it sounds good.