FM Synthesis - A Practical Tutorial Guide

video uploads by ChrisLody

"Here's something I've been meaning to get round to starting for ages, a practical guide to FM synthesis. In my experience FM tutorials usually over explain all the wrong things and rarely get as far as the important things like the predictable way operator ratios change the waveform and frequency responses. So I've tried to approach things from an entirely practical view point showing you how to make saw, square, noise etc with filter like responses."

Playlist: 1. FM Synthesis - Practical Tutorial 1 : Ratios, Basic Waveforms, Low Pass and High Pass Sounds

0:00 Intro
2:53 How the meters works
3:23 Operators and Algorithms
3:58 Carriers and Modulators
4:29 MEGA Synthesis envelope generator
5:48 Reface DX envelope generator
6:56 Adjusting algorithms and operators
8:35 Making a basic organ sound
9:47 Saw feedback
10:47 Square feedback
11:48 1:1 modulation (saw sounds)
13:03 Low pass like sweeps
14:12 1:2 modulation (square sounds)
15:34 2:1 etc modulation (band pass sounds)
16:37 Ratio chart
17:10 Quick demo bass patch
18:20 Summing up

2. FM Synthesis - Practical Tutorial 2 - Pad Example, Vibrato, Tremolo, Wubs and Wonk!, Reface DX

0:00 Coming Up
0:30 Intro
0:43 FM Diagrams - Quick saw patch
1:10 Non-integer ratios
3:37 Non-integer ratios with decay
4:10 Moving individual operators with the LFO (Vibrato and wonk)
5:42 Creating Tremolo
6:16 Wub-wubs!
6:35 "2x OSC" Algorithm detuned saws
7:23 Detuning operators away from each other
8:14 Liven Mega - Mild Pad
9:27 Pad example diagram
9:48 Pad example on Reface DX

3. FM Synthesis - Practical Tutorial 3 - How operator stacks work, truth about modulation, Reface DX

0:00 Coming Up
0:14 Intro
0:30 Additive synthesis vs FM
1:32 "Modulation creates sidebands"
1:54 Calculating 1-10 sidebands example
4:15 Calculating 1-1 sidebands example
5:40 Calculating 1-2 sidebands example
6:33 Calculating 1-5 sidebands example
7:29 Summarise 2 OP sidebands
7:48 1-1-10 sideband example
8:58 5-5-1 sideband example
9:24 2-1 with feedback example
10:20 Stacked modulator summary
11:00 "Disgusting Bass" example

4. FM Synthesis - Practical Tutorial 4 - Rate & Level Scaling, Velocity Expression, Reface DX, FB01

0:00 Coming Up
0:15 Intro
1:14 Aliasing noise
2:36 Level Scaling
4:32 Rate Scaling
5:40 Velocity Sensitivity
7:02 Funky Clavinet Example
10:36 Editing the Yamaha FB-01
11:28 Yamaha FB-01 weirdness
14:40 FB-01 Clav examined