Designing FM8 FX and Foley - Jet Flyby

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDgdO_Smm2c[/youtube]

[aside title=”Realistic FX!“]This lesson in FM8 FX sound design is a nice reminder that FM Synthesis is still one of the best tools for cinematic sound design![/aside]

With so many tutorials about musical and instrument sound synthesis out there these days, the fact that FM8 is a popular synth amongst FX and foley sound designers is often overlooked or forgotten. FM Synthesis has long been heralded for its unique ability to re-create incredibly realistic sounds from scratch while providing the kind of control needed for this kind of work. In this particular example a jet plane flyby is created, while various tips and tricks are shared throughout the course of this lesson in FM8 FX sound design. You also get to see how a sound like this is processed, and how the automation is set up to ensure the proper delivery and timing.

It starts out in the FM Matrix, where only the Filter (Operator Z) and the Noise/Saturator unit (Operator X) are used. This is because with this specific type of FM8 FX, the sound is created entirely through noise and shaping. In fact, tonality in general is avoided in a sound like this because of the processing and effects that will be applied later on, mostly distortion. It’s all about finding just the right balance of noise, resonance and filter cutoff.

Once you have a sound that will work for your needs, you can begin to process it in your DAW of choice. Although Cubase is featured in this tutorial, any DAW will do. This FM8 FX will only need one note to be programmed in your piano roll for you to work on it. The proper type and amount of distortion provide the character and grit need to make the sound more realistic. The rest of the work is done through programming the automation across several different parameters in the synth and effects plugins alike.

Cheers,
OhmLab