FM Synthesis - A Practical Guide - Part 1

video upload 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.

Here's chipsynth MD (from which I stole a diagram :) https://www.plogue.com/products/chips...

Details on different types of FM (its actually phase modulation)
• Comparing Exponential, Linear, and Th... [posted here]
• The difference between FM and Phase M... [here]

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"

This hammer is actually a synth

video upload by Emily Hopkins

EF118 Vulcan's Hammer

video upload by electrofaustus

"This device is an accelerometer-controlled oscillator. It works by reading the position along a 180-degree x-axis and translating to a frequency. In the fully back position, the oscillator is at its lowest note – roughly 100hz (or D3 on the musical scale). As you rotate the hammer forward, pitch increases. In this position, the frequency is roughly 2000hz (or B6 on the musical scale). That’s about a 4-octave range. The controls are straightforward: A red push button on/off switch and a knob to control volume. The ¼ inch audio output jack is located at the bottom of the handle. It’s powered by 3 AAA batteries located inside the enclosure that come included in the unit when purchased. They can be easily replaced by unscrewing the base. Vulcan’s Hammer goes on sale today and retails for $200"

Check with dealers on the right for availability.

"Like the Roman God Vulcan, what if you could generate immortal oscillations from a mighty hammer? Ponder no more. Vulcan’s Hammer by Electro-Faustus allows you to call to the Gods by simply rotating the device along a 180 degree field. Note range is roughly 100Hz (D3) to 2000Hz (B6). That’s almost 4 octaves! Powered by 3 AAA batteries.

*Like all of our devices, the Vulcan’s Hammer is noisy and glitchy by design. Have fun with it!"

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Sunday Jam #75 : Dungeon Level : SID music and the puzzle game that inspired it

video upload by MIDI IN

"This kind of puzzle game is my bag and this one has a dungeon theme, which inspired the music I've made this week.

I packed the music into a .sid file which will play on a real single-SID commodore 64 or emulator, dedicated .sid players or even modern music players that support the format such as VLC.

Here's the file. There are two main SID types with different characteristics - 6581 and 8580. If you have the choice, switch to 6581
https://peacockmedia.software/sid/dun... [direct download link]

The game I am playing is
https://rgcddev.itch.io/gravitrix

That game is a remake of an older game, Brain Death (not officially published)
https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/gtw64...

0:00 the talkie bit
0:30 history of the game Gravitrix
2:11 my music and some gameplay"

Sunday Jam #74 (plus game footage) : Music for a racin' type game

video upload by MIDI IN

"Road Rash is an all-time favourite and I've been playing this game since I bought it in the early '90s. The footage is my own, I'm playing from my current game position and bike. The music is inspired by this type of game. I'd like to track this tune for Amiga so that it sounds more authentic for the game, and will probably do so on a future week."

Castlevania (NES) on Digitone II: "Vampire Killer"

video upload by tubesockor

"Castlevania 'Vampire Killer' (NES) performed on an Elektron Digitone II. A true-to-the-original version that then evolves into some kind of DN2 jam.

The first four tracks are 1:1 maps of the four NES channels, providing basic waveforms. For the jam, the remaining tracks are used.

The Castlevania OST for the Nintendo Education System (NES) was composed in 1986 by Kinuyo Yamashita."

Kodamo Mask1: Starship Selector

video upload by j bowman

Ninja Gaiden "Act I" Improv on Modular Synth

video upload by Biopower Audio

"Here's a Eurorack modular synthesizer interpolation of the 'Act I' theme from NES' 'Ninja Gaiden.' After the tune as you know it, an extended generative improvisation using quantized LFOs controlled by the Biopower Audio Hi Five and Dig It! joystick controller and Axe & Razor ribbon controller. Never Ninja Alone!

Find more information and both synth modules for sale at https://www.biopoweraudio.com"

Opening Theme (Jaka Jaan) | Dragon Ball Daima | Keyboard Cover

video upload by The Nostalgia Dude

"Hey everyone! This week, I'm taking a break from my usual talkbox acapella covers to bring you a fun keyboard synthesizer jam of the opening theme song "Jaka Jaan" from Dragon Ball Daima! 🎹✨ I've been loving this show, and with the final episode airing this Friday, I couldn't resist sharing my excitement through this cover."

Ride Xor Die ( Dirtywave M8 )

video upload by Avrilcadabra

"Hi new track, old M8's

Thought I'd give my model 01's some love. I do love how much customization the model 01 has. M8 Firmware 5.0 just released this week so I thought It a good oppurtinity to show the real time limiter graphics on a second M8."

Chiptune jamming with Sonicware Liven

video upload by LucaTronico

"Unedited, LucaTronico is back, it's all about letting the synths tell their own story."

Midweek MIDIPan Minijam : Plus first look at MIDISID for RC2014

video upload by MIDI IN

"This is a looper jam on the MIDIPan and also a show & tell about a project I'm working on right now. For 8-bit music fans!"

Mega Man X CHILL PENGUIN (Synth Cover)

video upload by Jeff Black

"Hi, my name is Jeff Black and I'm the keyboardist for the Intergalactic Power Metal band GLYPH. The Mega Man X series has some of my favorite music ever written--pure nostalgic bliss. Enjoy this modern take on CHILL PENGUIN using some analog synths in my home studio.

GEAR:
Oberheim TEO-5 (leads, arpeggios)
Sequential Prophet 6 (brass/strings pads)
Dreadbox Erebus monosynth (bass)
Alesis SR-16 drum machine
Arturia Keystep Pro (Sequencing)
GFI System Specular Tempus reverb/delay
RME Fireface UFX1 Interface

Mixed using Baby Audio, SSL, Brainworx and Isotope plugins."

X1L3 - YM 300 - Sanxion 🕹📺 - YM2149F - eurorack module

video upload by X1L3

"Brave attempt at the Sanxion loader music from the C64 by Rob Hubbard.

Chip used - YM2149F.....

Lots of modulator abuse and tracking to get it where it is. I even almost managed to nail the DJ record scratch just before the chill melodic part kicks in 🤣

YM 300, a 4XVCF and a 4XVCA set up for amplitude control, additional filtering and mixing of the three sound channels. The filters give the AY/YM an almost SID character. Especially when you sweep them on a channel with the on chip modulator active.

Very tricky one to cover on the YM due to the limited sound palette of the chip. It's incredibly hard to do anything with a long melodic structure without it sounding square wave basic, as is the vanilla nature of the chip. With the filters and some creative use of the modulator tracking things you can work around this. Without the additional filters this would have been impossible to do without it sounding too cute or like a dogs dinner.

The set up with filters is basically how an Atari ST or ZX spectrum might have sounded back in the day if their sound chips had filters.

Not a bad attempt. Not as neat as the C64 original. As close as i could get for a bit of fun with what i'm using. If only the AY and YM could do PWM 🙂"

X1L3 - YM 300 - Sanxion - oscilloscope view

picoTracker v2 - sampler, plugin synths and MIDI tracker / sequencer - walktrough and tutorial!

video upload by Floyd Steinberg

"picoTracker V2, a tracker-style sequencer with 8 MIDI, sample and synth tracks is here with some cool new features, and here's a video explaining how to get it and how to use it. https://xiphonics.com/

Table of contents:

00:00 intro
00:08 hello
00:30 new features!
02:19 installing the new firmware on older trackers
02:49 transfer some samples
03:09 creating a track: UI basics
04:10 songs, chains and phrases
05:22 instruments: loading and auditioning samples
06:28 create a simple drum beat
07:42 deleting notes or commands
07:51 adding another track/chain
08:27 the SID synth!
09:33 transposing notes / changing values
10:04 using tables
10:36 arpeggiators
11:28 filter envelopes
12:12 volume changes
12:39 adding more phrases / arpeggiator chord progressions
13:11 playing both tracks together
13:20 navigating tables (using more than one table)
13:37 OPAL, the fm synth - creating a bass track
14:18 synth parameters
16:25 some deep notes ;-)
16:40 adding phrases for a bassline
17:20 using MIDI instruments
18:12 adding MIDI commands (CC, program changes ...)
19:06 conclusion
20:29 bye + jam

HÄLP ZIS CHANNEL
https://www.patreon.com/floyd_steinberg
https://floydsteinberg.gumroad.com/
https://floydsteinberg.bandcamp.com/"

A Brief History of 80s Synths - SynthForceAlpha!

video upload by Memetune Studio

"Some prep for the next episode of The Memetune Programme.."

🎮 Mario Bros Theme Remix | Live Jam with Sonicware Liven & Novation Circuit Rhythm

video upload by Blossom Bisquits

"Who says the classic Mario Bros theme can't be turned into an epic electronic live jam? 🎵✨ Watch as the Sonicware Liven Mega Synthetis and Novation Circuit Rhythm reimagine the legendary Mushroom Kingdom tune with lush synths and groovy beats. A must-listen tribute for Mario fans and electronic music lovers alike! 🍄🎹"

Update:

🎮 Mario Bros Theme Remix | Live Jam with Sonicware Liven & Novation Circuit Rhythm
video upload by Blossom Bisquits

X1L3- GT 300 - Cybernoid 2 - oscilloscope view

video upload by X1L3

Follow-up to this post.

"Cybernoid 2 theme from the C64 by Jeroen Tel.
Covered with the GT 300 eurorack module.

GT 300 runs into a bank of three low pass filters. One for each channel. It's what the Atari ST or ZX spectrum might have sounded like if they had filters on their sound chips like the SID in the C64.

You can get a basic SID voice by using the modulator, but it lacks the finesse of having the real thing. It's a real shame that these chips were never capable of PWM without hammering the volume registers.

Lots of nice mellow to spicy wave action with plenty of modulator abuse to be seen."

ULT-SOUND DS-1 FM modulation and percussion sounds

video upload by Korablove Roman

"ULT-SOUND DS-1 is the eurorack version of a single voice from the DS-4M. DS-1 consists of all the possibilities of all 3 versions of the DS-4 machines made by Toyo Gakki. Additional functions include LFO speed and amount controls, LFO RETRIGGER, SWEEP amount, MIX between VCO and NOISE sources (yes, all 4 noise types are included), MIX control and EXTERNAL INPUT. There are 2 versions of panels: "classic" black and white and 'custom' yellow blue.
Pre-order is open here: www.ult-sound.com/product-page/ult-sound-ds-1"

X1L3 - AY 300 + YM 300 + GT 300 - comparison - eurorack modules

video upload by X1L3

"Side by side comparison of the three flavours of the '300' chip tune module.
👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾

Busy chip tune composition to hit them hard with lots of micro note hopping, and the modulator running 1voct on channel 1 to generate the 'SIDvoice' on the bass line, and to create the drum/percussive sounds when hit with fast CV spikes instead of using the noise channel. Demoscene tricks that i wanted to include in the modules from the start through a sense of completeness in having them behave as close as possible to if they were tied to a CPU.

There's very little difference between the three. The YM is a superior chip and addresses the low level audio channel cross talk that the AY and it's direct clones exhibit. It makes little difference to the sound in a loaded 3 channel composition like this though. The YM is maybe ever so slightly cleaner than the AY and WF.

If you're a masochist like me then you basically get to relive turning your telly up full blast in the 80s to hear the same strident bit of chip tune three times, while pissing your parents off and being told to turn it down, for no other reason than becasue you can 🤣🤣

AY 300 - General instruments - AY-3-8910
YM 300 - Yamaha - YM2149F
GT 300 - Winbond - WF19054

The AY3 was released in 1978 and used in tons of home computers like the ZX Spectrum, Vectrex and Amstrad CPC.

The YM2149 some time in the mid 80s i believe. I remember it well from the Atari ST. And how disappointed i was with the sound of the ST compared to the SID chip in Commodore 64.

The Winbond AY clone is as far as i know still made today for use in slot and pinball machines."

SonicWare Mega Synthesis Demo Compilation!

video upload by sushiboots

"Here's a compilation of all the tracks I've produced on the Mega Synthesis so far. Hope you enjoy. More to come!"