Thanks for the recommendation, I’ll look into it, the price is reasonable. As far as I can see, it has delay, reverb and chorus effects. I see there are a lot of YT videos with various synths, so I’ll give it a listen. Thanks for the recommendation, best regards
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Hello dear Elektronauts, it’s me again, new day, new question. Is there anyone who uses TwistFm together with Squarp Hapax? I’m trying to figure out how to change the preset to TwistFm using Hapax, for all other synths I would read in the manual what combination is required for a particular instrument (PC, MSB, LSB), and set it that way in Hapax, but for TwistFm I can’t figure out how to set it. The TwistFm manual, which is quite cryptic, also doesn’t help, and I’ll quote what it says here regarding program changes <A Program Change uses the latest Bank Select to pick a folder; if that folder doesn’t exist, the message is
ignored. If the folder is valid, the Program Change number selects the preset file inside it—again, only if
that file exists. Otherwise nothing happens. Note MIDI engine V2 or later is required for Program Changes
to work.>
Maybe this last part where it says that MIDI engine v2 or later is required is what doesn’t allow the change. If so, then it’s a shame that two devices can’t change programs together.
If anyone knows more or has experience, I’d be grateful for the help. Also, maybe I’m doing something wrong, although I would say I have enough knowledge about MIDI. Thanks in advance, best regards,
Filip
I haven’t tested this but regarding midi engine v2 it’s just a FW update so if you don’t have it you can just update it 
Nothing without your help dear Bobo. It seems you are right, I restarted TwistFm to see the FW version with which I received the device and it says 1.5, and now I see on the page that 2.0 is the latest version. I downloaded MIDI Engine 2, and now I am stuck on the installation again, unnecessarily complicated. I use Windows so it is necessary to install Zadig and update the WinUsb driver according to the Twisted Electrons instructions, which I did, and that’s where I stopped. Zadig now recognizes Twist under Device, but I don’t know what to click next. In the third point of the instructions it mentions Google Chrome and that you should click on connect and select TWIST - Paired. Then you should Choose File and select TFM_MIDI_ENGINE_2.0bin (which I did download) and finally you should press Send to Device, and I don’t see any of that. I don’t understand this installation, and of course the instructions are cryptic and incomprehensible again. If you can check it yourself sometime, I would be grateful, best regards
EDIT: I’ve got to the update page, paired TwistFm and selected the file to send to Twist, but now i get error when sending. Really frustrating, something that should be simple got overcomplicated. I will send mail to Alex, he will know more
I think that the TWISTfm is very easy to update. Normal FW updates by putting the latest FW on the root folder och the SD-card and the Midi engine is via USB cable and you need to hold down the 5th chain button with the play icon. I followed the instructions and was really quick to update.
However first time I tried it said to hold down the 4th button on the instructions which was wrong but got quick help from Alex and he said to update the instructions 
Edit: I use Mac and chrome to update so perhaps it’s a bit messy on windows of course.
I’ll wait and see what Alex says, and if there are any further complications I’ll borrow a Mac from a friend to transfer MIDI V2 to the device. Thanks for your help, without you I’d still be looking up what MIDI V2 is, hehehe, best regards
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UPDATE: I initially had contacted the developer with the concerns in my original post below and shared my frustrations. He mentioned that he was tied up with the new product but would work to address them and provided me an immediate update which was very helpful.
He has now officially just released (June 2026) a massive update on the device: Every parameter is now accessible via a web interface and CC as well as new features (looping envelopes and drift! 
).
Therefore, I have to adapt my initial impression below. Whilst yes, there are limitations on the actual device, this is no longer for me a concern as I will dedicate a controller to make any changes in the submenus without diving.
I have now only positive things to say about my experience with Twisted Electrons. The TwistFM, with these changes, becomes a serious sound powerhouse with enough sound design accessibility (albeit not on the device itself). Today, it is now not only the most beautiful “analog-ish” sounding FM synth on the market, but it has become, genuinely, fun to play with.
Original Post:
Have had the TwistFM since the beginning of the year. It’s a honey and vinegar experience.
I LOVE the sound, I think that this is by far the most beautiful and organic sounding FM synth, no question. Nothing gets even nearly close. Digital yet dirty and organic; it really sounds glorious.
However, there are a few things which I found frustrating in my experience with the device:
- There is very little information provided on screen and knowing the status of a parameter becomes a forensic exercise. Sliders need to be moved to find parameter values, and sometimes the values jump.
- Accessibility to settings and parameters in the menu is very limited. One only has a knob and a very cheap feeling button to accomplish this. The knob twist and push becomes frustrating very quickly. The menu diving demands full attention - no chance to develop muscle memory. And when ending up in the wrong menu, it takes me a while to renavigate where I needed to go, up to the point that once I get to where I need to be, I have forgotten why I needed to go there in the first place.
- There are only a few filter related shortcuts where one needs to press the menu button and move the filter sliders, which is not really convenient but at least it is something. Either more shortcuts or more on-screen information is needed.
- There is no master volume nor preset volume. One has to tame the volume levels of the carriers and the Menu + Volume shortcut seems to affect how the layers behave (I think it groups and levels all carriers which means that I need to then recalibrate the carriers volumes one by one).
Given the interface limitations, this is one of those cases where a PC/Mac controller app would be incredibly helpful, at least to have access to overall information about what the operators are doing and the wave type, parameter status, info on the modulators and ideally some immediacy to critical options which are buried in the menus, which as far as I can gather, they are not even accessible via CC, only the visible sliders and current shortcuts can be mapped, which now negates the option of having an additional controller to access menu settings and parameters.
It is indeed a little black box of potentially wonderful sounds but frustrating interface, and for the price, I would have expected more refinement in the way one interacts with the device and all the options and features it is crammed with (… and better quality buttons - the sliders feel OK, but the buttons feel incredibly cheap and the Decksaver-like cover it comes with, does not actually fit the device).
Whilst it could be said that my inability to operate the device successfully is user error, I have not experienced such level of frustration with any other device. I use a notebook to make notes on each one of the changes I make in order to keep track of where the parameters are at. “Use your ears” can work for other types of synthesis, FM is a bit different; aural, yes, yet as well more cerebral. Therefore, I’ve now given up on designing sounds on the TwistFM as it feels more like work than fun.
That being said, I’m keeping the machine to squeeze what I can from it (again, the sound character of the TwistFM is really something to appreciate - have not heard anything like it - it is so rich and organic!). I will use it as a preset machine and record my sample sets into the Tonverk. It’s a shame, as the footprint of the TwistFM is ideal to carry to band practice.
That being said, do you know of any good preset packs for the TwistFM? (besides the ones available in Twisted Electrons website and the Cuckoo ones)
7 Likes
Nice writeup. I appreciate hearing the good bad and ugly.
Funny, I’ve been working on a couple custom midi controller / programmer projects and while I was reading your text, I was thinking it would be nice to make a matrix style programmer expander. We’ve gone full circle! Ha. Shame the CCS aren’t as accessible.
I’m still going to be keeping an eye out for one of these used because that sound is right up my alley.
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Interesting! Yes, this requires a dedicated solution. I would not mind having a second module to control what is under the hood so it makes it easy to get to one needs to change quickly (which is basically, anything that is not on the main panel).
Either that, or a way to plug it into my PC and have all parameters available so I create the patches whilst PC-connected and save them in the synth as presets - and use the PC for patch creation, and when disconnected, I can tweak the parameters that are on the synth.
I was ramping up to create my own solution by using either the Faderfox EC4 or the Elektra One, but when looking through the documentation, I saw that one can only modify parameters that are on the synth’s panel. (This is when I screamed at the heavens.)
Whilst the TwistFM’s sound is nothing short of a work of art (it really is!!! I cannot stress enough how beautiful this synth sounds!) and the features it offers are great, it is held back because of a limited and frustrating UI - the UI and backend for midi controlling needs (serious) further development.
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Does someone have the twistFM and the MEGAfm and can compare maybe similarities oder differences.
Did you see their new thing at superbooth?
Looks like a groovebox based around twistfm but also has a sampler. Kind of nuts.
Anyways the twistfm is matrix style param input. You’d be happy ha.
2 Likes
Yes, I saw it. Completely different UI philosophy on that device; the exact opposite to the TwistFM (…“and here you have 80 buttons to control 3 parameters on the envelope attack!”…). It seems that the finger drummers are getting all the love now. 
What do you mean that the TwistFM is matrix style? Where’s the matrix?!? 
Oh I mispoke and meant the new box seems to have a matrix style input for the twistfm voice and other sound generation methods
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Info on the new device (FlexFM) seems sparse but I saw a YouTube reply from Twisted Electrons saying that the synth is based on “custom DSP” and not retro chips like the twist, blast beats etc.
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I initially had contacted the developer with the concerns in my original post below and shared my frustrations. He mentioned that he was tied up with the new product but would work to address them and provided me an immediate update which was very helpful.
He has now officially just released (June 2026) a massive update on the device: Every parameter is now accessible via a web interface and CC as well as new features (looping envelopes and drift! ).
Therefore, I have to adapt my initial impression. Whilst yes, there are limitations on the actual device, this is no longer for me a concern as I will dedicate a controller to make any changes in the submenus without diving.
I have now only positive things to say about my experience with Twisted Electrons. The TwistFM, with these changes, becomes a serious FM sound powerhouse with enough sound design accessibility (albeit not on the device itself). Today, it is now not only the most beautiful “analog-ish” sounding FM synth on the market, but it has become, genuinely, fun to play with.
6 Likes
Alex is really dedicated to user feedback, that’s refreshing considering the lack of support by some (many) manufacturers
(I won’t give names…)
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Not in front of my synth, but Alex just released FW 3.2 - looking at the parameters in the editor.
Oh boy, are we in for a treat!
I was able to play with the editor yesterday with version 3.1
It is literally like the keys to the Ferrari.
BTW, to the person that was asking about the Midi Engine Update. Process is not straight forward but not impossible. For me, in Win11:
-
Put the TWISTfm into update mode by powering it off. Make sure USB to the PC is connected.
Turn it on and at the same time hold the button immediately left of screen.
Synth will blink: FW UPDT. -
Install WinUSB with Zadig.
Go to Options>List all Devices.
Select “TWIST”
Set the driver to WINUSB and install driver. -
Open the Midi Engine Updater page (you can find the link in the firmware download, inside of the Midi Engine Folder) and connect to the device “TWIST”.
Select the “MIDI_ENGINE_X.X.bin” file (as well, in the firmware file- inside the midi engine folder)
Click “Send to Device” -
Most likely you will see an error: “Error during reset for manifestation: NetworkError: Failed to execute ‘reset’ on ‘USBDevice’: Unable to reset the device.”
However you may ignore. In my case the updater showed:
“Wrote 28128 bytes” (for Midi Engine 3.0)
Alex confirmed that once it says “Wrote” , the firmware has actually been written. The error seems to be Windows/browser failing to reboot the Twist automatically after writing.
- Turn the Twist off.
Disconnect the USB.
Reboot the device.
Connect back the USB.
Open the editor.
Have fun
If you have issues with the editor, I had to go to device manager, uninstall everything that said TWISTR or Twist FM. Disconnected and reconnected the USB in the Twist and from there, all worked fine.
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Anyone here got both TwistFM and Blast Beats and have a view on the degree of overlap between the two?
I have a TwistFM and had Blast Beats for 30 days but returned it as I found it a real chore to program, but that could be on me…I didn’t find it intuitive at all.
I didn’t find any overlap, one is very much better for percussion, the other pads, leads etc.
TwistFM is pretty much my favourite synth, the sounds are just so beautiful, especially if you like the fractured type of sounds that it produces.
Not sure how helpful this is!
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Cheers, sounds like I’m going to need both then- love my BB
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