Basic FM8 Lead Trance Synth Tutorial

When it comes to producing Trance music, there are many genres to consider and many different styles of sounds to accompany each one. This FM8 lead Trance synth tutorial simply shares how to make a basic sound that can then be tweaked to meet the needs of whatever sub-genre of Trance music you happen to be working with. So after you are dine following along with the video and have a good understanding of how it all works, you should absolutely begin experimenting with transforming this sound into something you can call your own. And keep this preset handy, because it can be used as a template for other new sounds in the future!

The first thing you will probably notice about this tutorial is that it is all being done on-the-fly. So you get to see first hand the process of selecting waveforms and routing operators in the FM Matrix as a rather organic experience as the sound comes together over a period of about ten minutes. This FM8 lead Trance synth is a simple sound that should help out anyone who is still new to FM8 better understand the workflow within this synth when designing sounds. And he does a pretty good job of explaining the reasons why each change is made and what kind of outcomes are possible when thinking through different options throughout the process.

After the routing has been completed in the FM Matrix, and the envelopes have all been shaped, the Master window is set up. This is where the total number of Unison Voices is increased to eight and a fair amount of Detuning and Panning are used to spread them out and really fatten up this FM8 lead Trance synth. Both Analog and Digital Quality are also added at this point to introduce more character to the sound.

Next stop is the Effects window where a Chorus/Delay unit is added to bring more depth and movement to this FM8 lead Trance synth. A Shelving EQ and a Peak EQ are also used to accent the top end and some of the mids of this synth. Since the effects in FM8 are so limited, both in selection and functionality, you may want to consider applying some additional effects in your DAW of choice (as is shown in the video).

Cheers,
OhmLab