Twisted Electrons - TwistFM

TWISTfm is an 8-voice polyphonic synthesizer built around a pair of Yamaha YMF262 chips — aka the "OPL3" which primarily powered PC Sound Blaster cards throughout the early 90s. If you grew up with DOS games, you've heard these chips countless times. They scored adventures, shooters, and strategy games, delivering that unmistakable gritty-bright FM character. Despite its deeper capabilities, the chip was rarely pushed to its limits — most game soundtracks only scratched the surface of what it could actually do. Twisted Electrons have now taken these chips out of the sound card and built the synthesizer they deserved.

Each of the eight voices runs through its own analog multimode filter — designs inspired by Mutable Instruments (which in turn were influenced by Oberheim filters) — this changes everything. The OPL3 provides the raw FM character while the filters add warmth, movement, and tonal shaping that was never possible when these chips lived inside your PC. You get a 4-operator FM-layer with five algorithms for complex sounds, plus a 2-operator layer for additional textures. Eight waveforms per operator and individual ADSR envelopes give it some serious sound design capabilities. The filters offer 15 modes across low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, notch, and phaser configurations. It also has a HEAT parameter for pushing things from clean into analog distortion, plus there are Two resonance flavours — LIQUID is smooth and MS20 give your filter a more aggressive attitude.

Three LFOs handle modulation duties, including the option to record custom waveforms using the ribbon controller. Full MPE support responds to pitch, timbre, and pressure per-note. That ribbon is also surprisingly versatile: pitch bends, yes, but also preset morphing, chord transitions, and sequencer scrubbing. A 128-step polyphonic sequencer captures fader movements alongside notes, and an arpeggiator with skips and ties rounds out the performance toolset. Twenty-two scales, chord modes, various voicing configurations, vibrato, stereo tremolo — TWISTfm packs so much into its small desktop enclosure, while still not feeling cramped. Two audio inputs even let you process external signals through filters 7 and 8.

Those OPL3 chips spent decades as background players. TWISTfm finally lets them loose into the wild. There's an absolutely mad amount of features on this thing, and we're all here for it!

Features:

• Two vintage Yamaha OPL-3 YMF262 FM chips with dual YAC512 stereo DACs
• 8 discrete voices, each with individual analog multimode filter
• 4-operator FM layer with 5 algorithms, 2-operator layer with series/parallel modes
• 8 OPL3 waveforms per operator
• ADSR envelope per operator
• 15 filter modes including LP, HP, BP, notch, and phaser variations
• HEAT parameter for filter drive, two resonance flavours (LIQUID/MS20)
• 3 LFOs with various waveforms including user-recordable custom shapes
• Modulation envelope and pressure modulator (polyphonic/channel aftertouch)
• Full MPE support with pitch, timbre (CC74), and pressure dimensions
• Ribbon controller for pitch bend, chord morphing, preset morphing, and sequencer scrubbing
• 128-step polyphonic sequencer with fader automation
• Arpeggiator with multiple modes, skips, and ties
• Multiple voicing modes (8-voice poly, unison, 4x2, 2x4, mono, wide, round robin)
• 22 scales with keyboard split for root changes
• Chord modes for harmonic layering
• Vibrato and stereo tremolo with sync options
• USB MIDI (class-compliant), MIDI DIN in/out
• Two 1/4" audio inputs for external signal processing
• Two 1/4" unbalanced outputs, stereo headphone output
• SD card slot for presets and firmware updates
• 9V DC center-positive power supply included
• Dimensions: 338mm x 165mm x 70mm, 1.3kg