FM Synthesis - A Practical Guide - Part 2 - Pad Example, Vibrato, Tremolo, Wubs and Wonk!

video upload by ChrisLody

FM Synthesis - A Practical Guide

"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 which setting will make usable sounds.

This episode covers using 2 operator 'stacks' to create a 2x OSC like setup, setting up vibrato, tremolo, LFO to filter like wub-wub sounds, 2 types of 'wonk' and a pad example.

The pad sound is inspired by Selected Ambient Works by Aphex Twin. I think more specifically it was inspired by the pad sound from Ageispolis but I haven't tried to recreate it exactly.

(I have a horrible cold at the moment so apologies for my voice!)

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"

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"