When do you turn to fm synthesis?

the dub lemon · Post by **the dub lemon** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 2:48 pm

FM seems to be a popular topic today so I though I'd started a thread about it.

I'm just wandering what sort of sounds you like to use fm for. Personally I tend to head to it I if want...

nice rounded basses (donk or recent garage stab thread type sound),

synthetic sounding plucked string sounding intruments (kinda like guitars or harpsichords but much more synthentic sounding),

metalic bell type sounds,

electric keyboard type sounds (normally just pinched from patches rather than programming)

or just plain out there dissonant noises (big long envelopes modulating all sorts of params).

hurlingdervish · Post by **hurlingdervish** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 2:56 pm

buildups and percussion

test_recordings · Post by **test_recordings** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 3:01 pm

It's good for a pretty rich harmonic content in the sound so I use it on what I feel needs a more organic/realistic noise, I think it's one of the better digital synthesis options in general.

the dub lemon · Post by **the dub lemon** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 3:03 pm

Fair point on percussion!

What do you mean by build ups? Do you mean like sweeps and shit? If so I'd be interested is hearing a track with some examples of what you're doing if you've got any online?

3za · Post by **3za** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 3:07 pm

what you said.
i never start makeing FM patchs in the middle of a sesh, i like to make all my FM patchs in bach or befor i start writing, as they take to much thinking and time to program.

gravity · Post by **gravity** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 3:14 pm

when i want some sort of weird noise or a quality thats hard to get from subtractive.

tbh im not very good with fm though, i mostly piss about with it. i know how it works but i find it hard to translate that into a sound in the way i can with subtractive.

FSTZ1 · Post by **FSTZ1** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 3:16 pm

electro-y FM leads FTW

I need to learn more about FM synthesis because of all the cool rips you can make

hurlingdervish · Post by **hurlingdervish** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 3:54 pm

The Dub Lemon wrote:Fair point on percussion!

What do you mean by build ups? Do you mean like sweeps and shit? If so I'd be interested is hearing a track with some examples of what you're doing if you've got any online?

listen from the last break of the song Squirm on my sound cloud

you have one osc at a low freq meanwhile the osc its being multiplied by is increasing at an exponential rate and it creates the "powerup" "build" sound

fm comes in around 4:20

legend4ry · Post by **legend4ry** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 10:19 pm

E-piano and pads.

abZ · Post by **abZ** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 10:36 pm

I'll turn to it when I have mastered subtractive

Shit is hard. I usually turn to presets tbh.

chewie · Post by **chewie** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 11:12 pm

Fm for gnarly bass sounds!
In FM8 you can have 6 oscillators going to the main output or filter and you can change the fundamental by having them feedback on themselves, doesn't need much either and it changes the frequency content completely. Also have the oscillators detuned slightly or at different harmonic intervals, multiples of 0.25 and 0.33 to get some interesting shit going on.

the dub lemon · Post by **the dub lemon** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 12:28 am

nowaysj wrote:But I'm just at the fiddle stage. I understand the basic theory behind fm, there are a few fm threads this week with good links to fm tutorials btw, but I can't think of a sound, and then dial it up on the fm synth, the way I can hear a sound in the dome, and build it subtractively in my head.

I'm by absolutely no means an fm expert, in fact I think I'm much in the same boat as most people who have replied in this thread, we understand the theory, can make some sounds but that's kinda it. However these are my findings/learning process so far.

1) Learn with sine waves only

2) Learn the types of sounds of each different ratio. Set up a sine wave, modulate it by another sin wave and list to it at a ration of 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 etc and get used to the character of each whole number ratio.

3) Disect each sounds into parts, start with the sustained sound, get 1 operator going then modulate is using another oscillator, play about with the settings until the tone is sounding good. Next fire up some new oscillators and use them to modulate the existing oscillators to try an build the attack part using envelopes to make this part sound momentary using the envelopes for these operators. Essentially you're using a different set of operators to built each seperate componenent of the sound.

4) FM Synthesis is kind of the reverse of subtractive synthesis, instead of using filters to filter out harmonics you use modulators to add harmonics.

5) Use whole number ratios to get harmonic sounds, as you move away form whole numbers the sounds get more dissonant.

6) Try and build your sounds without using filters (at least when learning), what using subtractive synthesis you get very used to using filters, with fm you can achieve "similar" results without (see point 4) and get use to this before bring filters into the equation.

These are just the set of rules I've learned/discovered along the way, they may not all be 100% correct but they've helped me, if you have and more or ammendments I'd love to hear them!

Genevieve · Post by **Genevieve** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 12:48 am

Been wanting to try FM for months now. I suck at sound design and basic subtractive synthesis... I can't make anything sound good (though I can dissect things by ear). =/ Which is something I've been struggling with for a bit more than 6 months now... ..but FM seems to be an entirely different animal. I just wanna give it a shot, see what I can accomplish with it.

What's a good VST that has lots of tutorials available? I know of FM8, but is it recommended?

hurlingdervish · Post by **hurlingdervish** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 1:01 am

if you have ableton Operator is a beast and there is plenty of tutorials for that

FM isn't something you can use ALL the time, as it can be extremely grating to listen to for longer periods of time

deadly_habit · Post by **deadly_habit** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 1:12 am

bell tones, digital sounding harshness, hell my bassline in pusherman is a mod an fm8 patch

deadly_habit · Post by **deadly_habit** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 1:35 am

heh i'm bout to buy an old kawai fm module and been postponing getting a tx7 but should have one soon

abZ · Post by **abZ** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 1:40 am

Deadly Habit wrote:bell tones, digital sounding harshness, hell my bassline in pusherman is a mod an fm8 patch

You mean to tell me you can do midrange cack in fm8? Sign me up!

deadly_habit · Post by **deadly_habit** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 1:41 am

yessir
digital raw wave sounding

When do you turn to fm synthesis?

When do you turn to fm synthesis?

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