Within a week of its last "muscle" release, de la Mancha has introduced FMMF (Windows; free!), a new 4-operator frequency modulation synthesizer with a nice anagram name. According to manufacturer, FMMF uses multistage envelopes and LFOs to create lots of movement and modulation, and in turn, makes FM synthesis accessible and very user-friendly.

All of the waveforms, algorithms, and envelopes are shown graphically, and you can click and drag within each window to make your edits. You can customize envelopes according to the number of stages, the contour of each stage, sustain and repeat points, and tempo-sync. Meanwhile, FMMF includes envelopes with Velocity and key tracking for the volume of each operator, pitch, and effect (filter, distortion, and delay). To increase your modulation fun, play around with the LFOs available for the pitch and effects section. Let's look at the features in full:



• 17 FM algorithms


• 11 different waveforms per operator, with note sync option


• 7 multi-segment envelopes (with up to 32 stages) for amp, pitch, and effects modulation


• 3 LFOs for pitch and effects modulation


• All envelopes can be free- or tempo-synced, and each stage can have its own contour


• Envelopes can have user-defined sustain and repeat points with flexible locking and zeroing options


• LFOs can be free- or tempo-synced, with 20 waveforms, along with phase and note sync options


• Each LFO has its own ADSR envelope


• Arpeggiator with 6 modes and adjustable tempo sync, note length, and octave range


• Resonant lowpass filter with key and Velocity tracking


• Distortion effect with 18 types


• Delay with comb delay option, size, feedback, and damping


• Harmonics can be adjusted from 1 to 256


• Polyphony adjustable from 1 to 16 voices


• Portamento time


• 64 presets by Brian Botkiller in many styles

FMMF is a VST plugin for Windows-based hosts. To learn more about FMMF and other de la Mancha plugins, visit the company's official Web site.