Are there any hardware FM synths good for drum sounds? Or any FM synths that have a noise channel + a fast enough pitch envelope?
My list so far is very small.
EDIT (I’ll keep track of what people mention)
The LXR does.
The ultimate fm drum machine.?
The Nord modular from clavia if you don’t mind getting your hand dirty.
monomachine has various FM synth engines that can do percussive stuff pretty easily.
haven’t used it but probably the alesis micron
if you want to get into eurorack modular then you can do percussive FM allllllll ddadaaaay long.
waldorf blofeld, waldorf MW XT both make loads of drum sounds including FM
TX81z is the rack version of the DX11 (I think) so might be more practical if you just want it for drums - can be had for next to nothing on eBay.
The Nord Drum 2 looks like a capable drum synth. I don’t know if it has a noise channel (EDIT: it does- “There is a redesigned noise section that includes a filter envelope with resonance and decay.”) I’m still waiting to hear good demos…
The FM engine sounds pretty amazing in the new OS update. Thing goes far beyond a mere drumsynth.
plus votes for the tx81z and nord modulars.
odd addition: nanoloop 2.x
by the way, no need for noise osc. in FM this is covered differently 
Yamaha FB-01? Cheap little 4op FM half rack. I got one for $50 a few years ago. 8 voices, 8 part multi-timbral.
Post from VSE:
its great synth!!! changed it for TX81Z and now im much happier with my fm sounds… And if you split stereo you can easily have two tracks for your mix and efects. Just love this thing. For few coins you have ultimate FM source, what brings you plenty of fun. I recently used it as a drummachine, and it made a great job! deep kicks and snappy snares… you can hear it here:
TG77. on the FM side it can be 16 part multi-timbral, tons of outs. Still had some unique features among hardware and software FMs.
Stuff that sounds similar:
Kurzweil k series stuff that does wavehaping. 4 outs. I think you get 8 “drum channels”.
Korg radias. 16 drums, 4 outs, 2 op(?) FM, licensed from yamaha called VPM - because they’re cool like that. 
cross mod plus another oscillator with ring and/or sync is another sound alike…it’s convoluted! you can throw on wave shaping after too. What makes it interesting is you can route your drum timbre through up to 3 other timbres to process it with more cross mod or wave shaping, etc. The radias’s ability to modulate it’s modulators, as well as just having at a ton more than yamaha’s style of FM lets it get much more complex than the basic FM structure might make it seem.
How abort yamaha’s flagship of fm aka Yamaha fs1r?
You have everything you need for fm and you can load patches from the former Yamaha fm modules into the Unit
PreenFM2 - http://ixox.fr/preenfm2/
+1 to preenFM2 - if you can get one - runs of ten units selling out fast - and it can load dx7 patches…
Oh and another +1 on preenFM 2. I want one…
The FS1R isn’t that great for drum sounds…It can do percussion but it really lack low end and is better for creating like wood tocks fm claps- organic sounds- rather than traditional drums.
I don’t see the point of getting a 6 (or 8!) operator FM synth make FM drum hits. I’d say if you ALSO want a great bass synth and and a synth that can do those classic pad and choir sounds that transport you to the 1980s, get a 6op FM- The two best, in my opinion, are the previously mentioned TG77/85/90 (called the SY series in 'board form) or the TX802/DX7II (basically the same synths- but you can grab a TX802 for about $200).
The SY/TG series are workstations in the sense they have ROMpler-type samples onboard, but you can layer them with the on board wavs and even do some Wavesequencing-type synthesis.
The SY/TG 99 is the one to look for- it has expanded memory and the ability to load your own waveforms+a beefy FX section which, apparently, really brings it into “classic synth” territory.
Thanks for mentioning the PreenFM2! Looks very cool.
Somehow I think Yamaha FB01 sounds better than this 
PreenFM2 sounds too clean
Yamaha RY30/RM50
the fb seems to getting more popular, i got mine like 4 years ago for 25, there was 1 or 2 vids i could find on YouTube, in the last few months i have seen a bunch more,
i also found a bunch of presets online, so decent drums, its a really goof synth, you cant edit it from the front, thats a big part of the reason its inexpensive, but with most yamaha fm editing from the front sucks anyway.
killer for bass as well
run it thru my a4 for great anal filtering.
yeah well. It’s DAC is a lot cleaner/more moden unfortunately. The FB-01 has a 16-bit DAC vs 18 (12+6) in the PreenFM, and iirc it was only technically 16 bit; it was fed by a 10-bit serial connection. I’d have to look up the specific chip to be certain.
I’m actually keen to try my hand at making a modular digital FM out of my Patchblocks when they arrive. 10-bit 20kHz, yum
Also, I feel dumb for not saying the OP-1 lol. One of it’s synth engines is called FM 
Though it will still be output through a 24/96 DAC
Damn, that sounds good. I was pretty underwhelmed by the sound demos I heard from the ver. 1 OS, but this is in a different league.
i got the 1, its heavy as fuck, it does a lot and can still be found new for like 200, its great for that, but for 600 its a bit much