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"

New Song + Arpeggiator Tips, Tricks & Overview for Sonicware Liven Ambient Ø

video upload by Sonic Cartography

"Both an overview of the Sonicware Liven Ambient Ø's arpeggiator (including some clarifications of some common points of confusion) and some tips and tricks for using it by itself or in conjunction with the sequencer to generate song ideas."

“Time is Now” Creating an Ambient Track Live Using Sonicware Ambient Zero & Oberheim TEO-5 Synths

video upload by Maria Calfa-DePaul

"I am a big fan of sonicware’s liven offerings and I have several and this is becoming one of my favorites because it’s just it’s got a lot of character. It’s great for using with other synths and it’s got a sequencer and I use this live in the video trying to build up an ambient track and then having the TEO be like the headliner where I can riff on it and have it all worked together. I really enjoyed myself during this. It’s a little hard sometimes multitasking but hopefully I was able to provide you with some entertainment and enjoyment."

Sonicware CyDrums Full Tutorial - Wavetable Drum Synthesizer and Drum Machine

video upload by ChrisLody

"Full Disclosure: I occasionally take on freelance work at Sonicware on an hourly rate producing synth & sample sound design, beta testing, checking English text and videos like this.



0:00 Teaser
0:30 Intro
1:41 About this tutorial
2:15 Powering on, playing patterns, volume control, func button, system menu
3:13 Front panel overview, master volume, select tracks silently, menu buttons, external source
6:34 Common screen elements
7:21 Memory structure
8:11 Project 1, selecting and loading patterns, queuing patterns, switching patterns immediately
9:12 Performing preset patterns, mute button, global mute, mute modes, mixer, global mix, tempo menu, reload BPM, global BPM, reload pattern, stutter sequence mode, random sequence mode, dice function
13:48 Performance mode, varispeed, all release, all length, revert, all stutter

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CyDrums | Expressive Drums Synthesizer [Drum Machine Performance by Kuba Sojka]

video upload by SONICWARE

"CyDrums: https://sonicware.jp/pages/cydrums
Buy Now Before 145% Duty Hits! (for USA Customers)
$399 now — next month, over $578 in extra duties. Hurry!

'Phase Index'
The CyDrums was the central instrument — a drum machine — in this performance.
One of its tracks was used not only to trigger internal sounds but also to simultaneously control the modular. In addition, the audio signal from the modular was routed back into CyDrums and processed through its effects."

Vocal Ambient EP ( Liven Ambient 0 + Roland E-4)

video upload by Dylan Ferno

"Making a DAWless experimental Vocal Ambient EP with the Sonicware Liven Ambient Zero and the Roland E4 (Aira Compact)

I've been inspired lately by the Album, Secret Life, by Fred Again and Brian Eno, which is basically just glitchy autotuned vocal mantras over chill piano chords and drones. The album Bad Cameo by Lil Yachty and James Blake was also some inspiration for this one."

0:00 Enough
3:30 Peace of Mind
7:10 Keep Going

Beat w/ CyDrums, OP-1 field, Prophet-10, Grandmother | Find a card 2025-04-06 by atnr

video upload by atnr

"A piece created using ‪@SONICWARE‬ CyDrums, ‪@teenageengineering‬ OP-1 field, ‪@SequentialLLC‬ Prophet-10, and ‪@MoogSynthesizers‬ Grandmother, featuring synth tones that shift under filters and effects over a beat.

CyDrums is controlled by MIDI from the DAW. A filter is used as the master effect, and the master output is processed with reverb and delay via ‪@gfisys‬ SPECULAR TEMPUS.

On the OP-1 field, I play with changing sounds, and its output is routed through the ‪@ChaseBlissAudio‬ MOOD MK II to alter pitch.

The Prophet-10 receives harmony parts via MIDI from the DAW, while I manually adjust the filter and resonance.

The Grandmother handles the bassline, with its filter cutoff manipulated by hand.

The chorus vocals are produced using Kasane Teto SV."

CyDrums | Expressive Drums Synthesizer [Groovebox Performance by NicaFelt]

video upload by SONICWARE

"CyDrums | Expressive Drum Synthesizer
Now Back in Stock! [check with dealers on the right]

'Solis Awakening'
Music and Video Shot by NicaFelt ( ‪@nicafelt‬ )

He builds the track by shifting through the seven patterns.
Using Pad Pressure Modulation, Snip Loop effect, and the Random Steps, VariSpeed, and Stutter functions within Performance Mode, he delivers an impressive performance."

Dream Soundscapes: Korg Minilogue Meets Sonicware LIVEN Ambient Ø

video upload by Le Code

"The Korg Minilogue is in arpeggiator mode, while the Ambient Liven Ø plays a few notes with the Moss by @tybo_ambientsky pattern.
The Minilogue has an additional effect, with the Nocturnal pedal by Collision Devices, which adds delay and depth to the arp.

AMBIENT MUSIC WITH SONICWARE LIVEN AMBIENT Ø AND KORG MINILOGUE
#ambient #ambientmusic #sonicware #korg #minilogue #ambientpads #collisiondevices

Music written and produced by Alexandre de Charrin
Additional pedals effects : Collision Devices Nocturnal
Recorded with Steinberg UR824

FREE DOWNLOAD
Download my 4-track EP 'Introspection' for free
★ https://bit.ly/3T3Ixai"

Standard Lody Acid - Sonicware CyDrums, Volca Bass, NTS-3

video upload by ChrisLody

"You may have noticed the complete lack of CyDrums tutorial on the channel despite being about 2 months since it was launched. Well events have conspired against me a bit on this one, I've just been too damn busy during the week and exhausted at the weekend to get it done. But, fingers crossed, I might have time to get it done soon.

With that in mind I thought it would be a good exercise to refresh my memory a bit on how it all works, so I plugged it in a within a few minutes I'd built a kit and I'd written a beat I really wanted to flesh out which is why this jam happened.

This is kind of my standard fare when it comes to jams like this. I think I've developed a bit of a groove that I tend to find comfy when it comes to the arrangement and I feel I was firmly sat in that today, hence the title. I probably need to learn some new tricks!

I've had the NTS-3 a while but it's not been used enough so far for me to really explore it so hopefully it will pop up more."

Ambient House Live Looping (Roland E4, Steel Tongue Drum, Liven Ambient 0)

video upload by Dylan Ferno

"Live Looping an Ambient House track from scratch by looping the Kosmosky NewWave15 Steel Tongue drum through the Roland E-4 Aira compact unit, synced to Sonicware Liven Ambient Zero for synths and drums.

Drums were sampled with the Liven Ambient 0 as well as made with the FM synth engine called Atmos2.

Here is a link to get 10% off the New Wave 15 drum on Kosmosky's website using the word 'Dylan' as the promo code: https://tinyurl.com/DylanFerno2024"

Sonicware Liven XFM: Let's Play!

video upload by j bowman

"Welcome to Sonicware Liven XFM: Let's Play! In this video, we dive deep into the world of FM sound design using the Sonicware Liven XFM, a powerful FM synth that’s perfect for creating unique and dynamic synth music. Whether you’re a seasoned producer or just starting out in FM synthesizer sound design, this video will give you a hands-on look at the incredible features of the Liven XFM and show you how to create complex, evolving sounds.

Throughout the video, we’ll explore the Liven XFM's unique interface, discuss the core principles of FM synthesis, and demonstrate how to design your own patches from scratch. Learn tips and tricks for harnessing the power of this FM synth to create everything from gritty basslines to shimmering pads. If you're passionate about sound design, especially with FM synthesizers, this video is a must-watch."

How to Make Percussion Sounds on the Sonicware Liven Ambient Ø | Percussion Synthesis Tutorial

video upload by Sonic Cartography

"In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to make percussion sounds on the Sonicware Liven Ambient Ø. With its combination of wavetable, ring modulation and FM synthesis, the synthesizer is surpassingly capable in this regard. It can also be a good starting point for learning about percussion synthesis (or at least it was for me). The video covers a variety of percussive sounds, including drums, high hats, and other melodic percussion sounds, reminiscent of bells, xylophones, marimbas, toy pianos etc."

Table of contents:
0:00 - Intro / Preview
1:07 - Percussion Basics + Using Any Structure for This
19:30 - Using Atmos 1 for More Complex Sounds
28:36 - Using Atmos 2 for Even More Complex Sounds
36:28 - Using Atmos 2 for Even More Complexererer Sounds
47:08 - Sequencing Percussion Sounds

Kloob - Freakish Tone

video upload by - Kloob -

"Kloob - Freakish Tone

Jam with my brand new Micromonsta 2, Sonicware Live Ambient 0, Behringer Edge and Hologram Microcosm.

Thanks for support my music!

Cheers,
Dani
Kloob.bandcamp.com"

Sonicware Ambient Ø Sample Manipulation Experiement - Speak Clearly....

video upload by ChrisLody

"I had a an hour or so free time this afternoon to do something experimental, messing with the Ambient 0's Noise layer for the purposes of sample manipulation.

I found the tape deck shown, a Genexxa CTR-96, in a charity shop recently and bought it immediately as it had a tape inside. That's always in 'insta-buy' scenario for me and it paid off. On the tape is the phrase you hear, 'You should speak clearly to get the best recognition accuracy, full stop'. The lady repeats this 3 time on the 3 getting slower and sounding more frustrated. There seem to be children making noise in the background so my best guess is she was a teacher and was trying out some 90s speech to text which wasn't working well (it didn't back then), but I'm not sure. The rest of the tape is full of unintelligible voices of children in the presumed classroom. The tape deck has multiple playback speeds so I used High in order to be able to record the whole phrase in the sample time allowed on the Amb0, then pitched it back down afterwards.

So that's sampled into the Amb0 and then I use it's LFOs to mostly control pitch. In hindsight I should have also routed the level and cutoff, maybe in the future. It can do some interesting things with the stepped LFO shapes to pitch as they contain sections that stop moving so the speech is still recognisable. Also the reverse delay is very good for glitching things as you can hear at the end."

Ambient w/ Moog One Ambient Ø Tape Loop | Unexpected Loss 2025-03-21 by atnr

video upload by atnr

"A piece created using the Moog One, Ambient Ø, and tape loops. Glitched piano tones and lo‑fi synth textures gently unfold into an ambient soundscape.

On the Moog One, I send MIDI from the DAW to play harmonies, layering live melodies while adjusting the chorus effect parameters.

On the Ambient Ø, I shape simple synth tones with its built‑in effects and filters, then route them through the GENERATION LOSS MK II for a lo‑fi character.

For the tape loop, I pre‑recorded a piano performance, glitch it with the NTS‑3 looper, and add delay using SPECULAR TEMPUS."

Easy FM Synthesis on the Liven Ambient 0

video upload by Dylan Ferno

"As a 2-Operator FM synth in the Atmos2 structure, the Ambient 0 is great for learning basic FM synthesis. But it can also get very complex and unique...

Here are some Easy to more complex FM Synthesis Applications on the Liven Ambient Zero

0:00 Intro
0:42 Basic 2-Operator FM
1:40 Ratios
2:55 Wave Morphing
3:55 Envelopes Pt. 1
4:10 Acoustic Modelling
4:25 Bells and Pianos
5:40 Envelopes Pt. 2
8:23 Combining Wavetable + FM
9:15 3- Operator FM
11:27 Modulating the mod's modulator
12:16 4 Operator FM
13:56 6 Operator FM
14:10 Fat FM Bass
14:57 FM Drums
15:54 Multi-Engine Jam"

Ambient 0 v1.5 - Microtonal Ambient Techno Jam

video upload by ChrisLody

"So Sonicware dropped a new firmware update for the Ambient 0 on Friday which fixes bug and adds a bunch of new features, main details below.

So this jam uses the Noise channel to process external audio by filtering it and panning it around, plus the hands on control for that is great fun. I've also dialled in a Pure Minor temperament and I'm using the new Osc Level target to create an envelope like decay using a one shot LFO. Hopefully you'll be able to hear some of the new temperament in this, particularly in the melody line. Because of the way temperaments work (video soon) they all need a root note assigning to them and this can be abused to get things even more wonky which is what I've done here by setting it to Ab which I'm sure is the wrong key. All in all some very nice additions which make the Amb0 even more appealing to me."

https://sonicware.jp/pages/downloads

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SONICWARE Releases Ambient Ø Version 1.5 — Let There Be Microtonal Sound

Ambient Ø Beginner's Guide [#4 Version 1.5 Expansion] video upload by SONICWARE

"SONICWARE LIVEN Ambient Ø v1.5—Let There Be Microtonal Sound https://sonicware.jp/pages/liven-ambient

This is an additional video in the Ambient Ø Beginner’s Guide series with the collaboration of Daniel Beck Rose, also known as ‪@SonicCartography‬ .

Version 1.5 Expansion

00:17 Introduction
00:45 How to Update to v1.5
03:55 Selecting 64 Preset Patterns
04:54 Relaxation Playback Mode
08:05 Temperament Settings for Each Pattern
12:07 2 Master Tune Modes
16:39 New LFO Waveforms & Assignment
23:41 Line In Selectable on NOISE Layer
27:47 Other Improvements ~ Outro

Version 1.5 Updater (Web app.):
https://www.sonicware.co.jp/exe/LIVEN...

Version 1.5 Preset Pattern Data Transfer (Web app.):
https://www.sonicware.co.jp/exe/Prese...

The details of the version 1.5 update:
https://sonicware.jp/pages/downloads

Version 1.5 Online Manual:
https://www.sonicware.co.jp/DL/LIVEN_..."

Beat w/ CyDrums, MOTIF RACK ES, Prophet-10, Grandmother | Stuck Cursor 2025-03-11 by atnr

video upload by atnr

"A piece created using ‪@SONICWARE‬ CyDrums, YAMAHA MOTIF RACK ES, ‪@SequentialLLC‬ Prophet-10, and ‪@MoogSynthesizers‬ Grandmother. It's beat music that progresses with real-time parameter changes.

All the equipment is controlled via MIDI from the DAW.

CyDrums is used to manipulate hi-hat parameters and change the master effect's filter.

MOTIF RACK ES produces strings, synth pads, and sequence phrases.

The Prophet-10 plays synth pads while its modulation and filter envelope are adjusted.

The Grandmother plays the bassline while its filter is manipulated."