Plogue Chipsynth OPMZ is coming soon: a new FM Synthesizer plugin that models four classic Yamaha FM chips (OPM, OPP, OPZ, OPZ2).
Canadian developer David Viens, or Plogue, loves chips from retro synths, and this passion also shows up in his product lineup. In his various chipsynth plugins, he has already emulated a multitude of these with great attention to detail.
A new synth in this series is just around the corner. Plogue has teased Chipsynth OPMZ, a new FM Synthesizer plugin that bundles four Yamaha chip emulations in a single plugin. It could be the holy grail of 4-operator synth plugins.
Plogue Chipsynth OPMZ
Chipsynth OPMZ will be the next Synthesizer plugin in its popular line of chipsynths. This time the topic is 4-operator FM synths.
According to Plogue, Chipsynth OPMZ models four classic 4-operator-based Yamaha FM chips: OPM, OPP, OPZ, and OPZ2, and packs them into a single synth plugin.
Four in one is many, and thus represents much of Yamaha’s history in a single virtual instrument. The developer hasn’t shared all the details about the new OPMZ synth, only which chips it emulates.
It starts with the OPM, also known as the Yamaha YM2151 chip, which was used in the 4-operator FM synths DX21, DX27, and DX100, as well as many arcade machines. These came onto the market in 1985.
Then the OPP, aka YM2164, was used in synths like the FB-01 and SFG-05, and again in the DX21, DX27, and DX100. As an FB-01 owner, I’m pleased that Plogue now also offers a plugin that emulates this.
The OPZ, aka YM2414, is one of the most exciting 4-operator FM chips from the past, as it was used in the legendary TX81Z and the DX11. Unlike others before, it offered eight synthesis channels, eight selectable waveforms, a fixed-frequency mode, and dual low-frequency oscillators.
The fourth and final chip he modeled for the Chipsynth OPMZ is the OPZII (YM2424), which you can only find in the Yamaha V50 workstation. It offered more polyphony than the YX81Z and 0hz operators
Early Impression
Plogue has many loyal customers, and I’m sure this synth will interest many people again. I think it will also appeal to many who don’t currently own a Plogue synth, because there aren’t many well-emulated Yamaha 4-operator synths available.
On iOS, you have the KQ-Tixie synth, which also models various 4-operator synths and supports macOS.
Plogue Chipsynth OPMZ will be available soon.
More info will follow here: Plogue
Great article, but it has some errors or typos. The OPM was never used outside of arcade machines in the 80s. The OPP was the one used in the DX100, DX21, DX27, and FB-01. It was also used in an MSX music computer that Yamaha made.
The OPM was used in the Sega Outrun arcade machines 😉
The OPM in the seocnd is an typo, it should be OPP indeed
I realized that pinball machines also used the OPM