RYM2612 Iconic FM Synthesizer plugin interface by Inphonik

RYM2612 Iconic FM Synthesizer: Cycle-Accurate YM2612 FM Synth Plugin

Rated 4.5/5 on Plugin Boutique (1,009 ratings)

RYM2612 Iconic FM Synthesizer is a software FM synthesizer plugin by Inphonik that emulates the Yamaha YM2612 sound chip in VST, Audio Unit and AAX formats.

VST3VST2AUAAXWindowsmacOS64-bit

AVAILABLE ATPlugin Boutique

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01Overview

RYM2612 Iconic FM Synthesizer is a plugin that recreates the FM voice of the YM2612 chip, the sound engine built into the Sega Genesis/Megadrive. The emulation is cycle-accurate, so the synth aims to reproduce the chip's behavior rather than an approximation of its sound. Inphonik describes the result as the authentic character of the hardware, including digital saturation, strong feedback and natural distortion. The plugin adds modern control and modulation options to that sound inside your DAW.

Best for

Retro FM synth leads
Genesis-style chiptune sounds
Bass and lead design
Sound effects and textures
Processing audio with PCM
Modern FM synthesis

Developer: Inphonik
Category: Synths
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Cycle-accurate emulation of the YM2612 FM sound chip
Digital saturation, large feedback range and natural distortion
Up to 16 voices of polyphony, or six for hardware-style limits
Dedicated PCM channel
Audio input for adding 8-bit PCM texture to any signal
Switchable output filtering with ladder effect option
Low CPU usage
100+ sorted patches to start from

03In depth

Sound Character and Authentic FM Tone

Inphonik says the plugin reproduces the characteristic sound of the original hardware, including digital saturation, a large feedback range and natural distortion. The chip's six voices are the baseline, and the plugin extends that limit: you can run up to 16 voices of polyphony, and a dedicated PCM channel is included. If you want the original hardware's constraints, you can keep to six simultaneous voices.

An audio input lets you add 8-bit PCM texture to any signal, which opens the synth to processing other sources as well as generating new tones. Output filtering can be switched between modes, and a ladder effect is available for shaping the final sound.

Patches, Free Soundbank and Companion App

The plugin ships with more than 100 sorted patches to start from, covering a range of tones you can adjust with the synth's controls.

Inphonik also offers the free God of Rainbows soundbank, which includes eerie sounds, cavernous synths, acoustic recreations and performance instruments built on the FM engine. Its companion app, RYMCast, is a Genesis music file player that lets you mute or solo individual channels of a soundtrack and drag sounds directly into an RYM2612 instance. Inphonik states that RYMCast is free and runs on Windows, macOS and GNU Linux.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	Inphonik
Type	Plugin
Category	Synth
Formats	VST3, VST2, AU, AAX
Operating systems	Windows, macOS
Architecture	64-bit

05FAQ

Questions, answered

What is the RYM2612 based on?

The RYM2612 is an emulation of the Yamaha YM2612 FM sound chip, the synth engine used in the Sega Genesis/Megadrive. Inphonik describes the emulation as cycle-accurate.

Which formats and operating systems does it support?

The plugin is available in VST3, VST2, AU and AAX formats. It runs on Windows and macOS as a 64-bit plugin, with AAX supported on Windows Vista and higher and macOS 10.11 and higher.

Can I use the RYM2612 with more than six voices?

Yes. Inphonik has removed the chip's six-voice limit, allowing up to 16 voices of polyphony. You can still set it to six simultaneous voices to match the original hardware.

Is there a free soundbank available?

Yes. Inphonik offers the free RYM2612 Soundbank: God Of Rainbows, which features eerie sounds, cavernous synths, acoustic recreations and performance instruments.