NAMBU is a 6-operator FM synthesizer that supports AUv3 plug-ins. It's a semi-modular FM synthesizer that incorporates modern ideas, not designed to recreate the sound and workflow of a vintage FM synthesizer.
# Synthesizer Engine
- 6x Operators
Nambu has six operators. Each operator can be selected from six different types, including an FM operator for frequency modulation, an operator that mimics an analog synthesizer oscillator, noise, texture, resonator, and filter.
- 11x LFOs
- 11x Envelopes
- 2x Step sequencer
- 3 Band EQ
- Compressor
- Saturator
- Chorus
- Delay
- Reverb
# Universal App
This product is compatible with iPad, iPhone, and Apple Silicon Mac.
Please note that it is not compatible with Macs with Intel CPUs.
# Audio Unit Extensions (AUv3)
This product supports only AUv3 plug-in format. You can use this AUv3 Plug-In in a host application that supports AUv3.
# Notes
- Note that depending on the parameter settings, loud sound may be produced.
- This product can be installed on iPad, iPhone, and Mac computers with Apple silicon (M1, M2). It is an iPad and iPhone app that can run on Mac computers with Apple silicon. It cannot be installed on Mac computers with Intel CPUs.
- This product supports only AUv3 plug-in format. Other plug-in formats are not supported. It can be used with AUv3-compatible DAWs.
- This product is not suitable for the purpose of accurately reproducing the sound of acoustic instruments or other synthesizers. It has been developed with a focus on creating the sound of this synthesizer itself.
- This product does not support MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression).
- NAMBU is not compatible with vintage FM synthesizers and you cannot import those presets into NAMBU.
- Please note that NAMBU has higher CPU usage than other iceGear Apps.
- Self-feedback of the FM operator is possible, but it is not possible to configure a feedback signal path with the matrix mixer.
- This product mainly contains basic presets that are useful as a starting point for sound creation. Please note that there are no huge amount of presets. Enjoy making sounds.
# More information
More information, videos and manuals are available at: https://icegear.net
I’m a huge fan of IceWorks with ‘Cassini’ being the very first iOS synth I ever bought (over a decade ago) and I still love and use it to this day (a beautifully designed synth)! Now it’s 2023 and the iceGear portfolio has expanded like a universe unto itself! Naturally I really *adore* crunchy phat FM sounds but Nambu takes FM to the next level by combining other features of synthesis and sound design with a unique approach allowing you to explore new unchartered sonic territories. The design is lush (as always) and it’s feature rich; yet intuitive to understand and explore. It also runs on Apple Silicon too! I’ve been teasing some wild experimental sounds out of Nambu as it’s capable of generating a wide gamut of sonic nuances, shapes and textures (in addition to more classic forms like bass, pads and leads)… a very cool modern FM synth!
Incredible Synth Architecture. Highly expressive and original.
This synthesizer fuses FM, traditional Subtractive, and non traditional synthesis elements into a infinitely connectable and expressive melting put of genius and inspiration. If you love synthesis but need to go beyond the traditional in a highly expressive manner, then this is a go-to synth of pure beauty. It is so well though out and highly flexible.
I would definitely recommend checking out Jakob Ham’s feature overview and feature tutorial by searching YouTube for ‘my Nambu one synth app Jakob Haq’
This is an excellent synth, here’s a small ‘why’.
Not an expert on synths, being a self-dubbed ‘Mr Preset’ but have quite a few iOS/iPad OS Synths, and once owned a ‘real’ Jupiter 6 by Roland. Some features I explored, like the delay effect built-in, have ‘pop-up’ dialogue boxes where you can refine subtleties, and the Developer was responsive when I asked why the echo disappeared as I went up the scale. It’s because there is an adjustment knob in the dialogue for HPF ie High Pass Filter, deliberately to give you control over this.
So although there were adjustments to be made in order to sort presentational issues of the fascia on the 12.9” iPad Pro M1 screen of mine, the Dev was already fixing them even as I emailed. ‘Iceworks’ have a solid track record of step-by-step synth creation, and solid AUv3 designs. I already owned ‘La Grange’ and it’s clear that Iceworks have cherry-picked features from several synths certainly La Grange, and parachuted them into this new bigger project.
The Sequencer/Arpeggiator, is very good and Iceworks were one of the first synth makers I noticed, to make separate, the business of the Arp pattern from the sound/voice/patch. With some synths, it’s still bound up and invisibly locked together. I call it ‘the peg board’ because it reminds me of that ‘Battleship’ game or something. There’s accenting of the notes in the sequence, you can make them hard-truncate, or chop-off at the end of one particular note being struck, and so on.
All I can do is give a flavour here. The actual sounds are really good, and you can alter the audio waveform with the visual window giving such impressively clear indication of what you’ve done…well, there’a lot here and I didn’t even mention the matrix which I partially grasp now, and in any event of course, have just had a stab at and tweaked and gotten sounds I like from, despite not having done my full homework on that.
Have at it, it’s good, and it’s incredibly well thought-through, and has this solid Audio Unit pedigree of previous synth builds behind it. I no longer own an individual hardware synth, because unless I could buy some exceptional model, nothing is good enough to beat the software and a powerful Apple Silicon iPad for me anyway - I sold one of those little synths because I couldn’t see any way it surpassed the good stuff on the app store that my GarageBand or Cubasis could run. Take care all.
