Plugin comparison
Specs, price and the Dubspot Score, side by side — with our verdict on which synth to buy.
Independent score / workflow fit / buying signal
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Contenders
FM8 is Native Instruments' digital FM synthesizer with eight operators and a modern interface, the successor to FM7.
Twisted Electrons vMEGAfm is a software recreation of the gritty MEGAfm hardware FM synth: 12 voices, 4 operators, 8 algorithms, MPE, desktop and iPad.
Score verdict
On the Dubspot Score, FM8 comes out ahead (8.4). That said, the right pick depends on your workflow and budget — read both reviews before deciding.
Technical matrix
| Signal | FM8 | Twisted Electrons vMEGAfm |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $99.00 | €39.99 (desktop); iPad edition sold separately |
| Dubspot Score | 8.4 | 8.2 |
| Formats | Standalone, VST, VST3, AU (macOS only), AAX | VST3, AU (Audio Units), AUv3, Standalone |
| Synthesis | FM (frequency modulation) synthesis | — |
| Operators | 8 operators, freely combinable in algorithms | 4 sine operators, 8 FM algorithms |
| Presets | Over 1,200 presets | 109 (99 standard, 10 MPE) |
| Effects | 12 built-in high-quality effects | — |
| Platforms | Windows (64-bit) and macOS (64-bit) | — |
| Plugin formats | VST, VST3, AAX (Win); VST, VST3, AU, AAX (Mac) | — |
| Type | — | Software FM synthesizer (MEGAfm Mark I recreation) |
| Voices | — | 12 (modes: 12-poly, 6-voice wide, unison) |
| Modulation | — | 3 LFOs via full-screen Links matrix |
| Sequencing | — | Arpeggiator plus SH-style step sequencer |
| Output modelling | — | Modelled Mark I analogue stage (schematics + GRU model), internal plate reverb |
| Expression | — | Full MPE (10 dedicated MPE patches) |
| Operating systems | — | macOS (Intel 10.14+ or Apple Silicon 11+); Windows 10+; iPadOS |
| Formats | — | AU/VST3/standalone (macOS), VST3/standalone (Windows), standalone/AUv3 (iPad); no AAX |
See the full plugin database for more comparisons.