Frequency Modulation Synthesis in FM8

Brian from Trifonic is back with a very helpful and insightful explanation of how frequency modulation synthesis works in FM8 in a special two video post, one for everyone to watch!

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRazfCjnF8M[/youtube]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brNSEKbRH0Q[/youtube]

FM synthesis can be a very difficult and intimidating thing for many people, and this first video does a good job of explaining things in an easy to understand way. A perfect approach for people just getting started with this kind of sound design and for those just looking to gain a deeper knowledge of the mechanics and theory behind this incredibly powerful form of synthesis.

The topics of ratios and harmonics are covered in the beginning to lay a nice base to build on and allow you to understand the waveforms you see in the video and how they are being affected, and of course the corresponding sounds heard. The Brian takes the time to explain the way the operators and carriers work with each other to generate the infinite possibility of sounds that FM synthesis is famous for. All throughout the lesson he continually comes back to the idea of how including slight in-harmonic elements are actually what you want to do and what give you the ability to generate truly unique sounds, which there really is no limit to.

In the second video of this post, Brian goes into great depth the details of how you go about designing sounds intentionally and intelligently through frequency modulation synthesis. As with all Native Instruments synths, FM8 has some features which are very unique and what sets it apart from the rest of synths out there. One of those features is the enveloping system available to you in FM8, giving you the ability to create as many break points as you like to make very complex rhythmic sounds. Throw in some sweet tips and tricks, like clever uses of panning and velocity to create a much larger sound, and these videos are priceless for any user of NI FM8.

Although there is another video in this series, we will actually be coming back to it later, as it is a bit beyond the scope of the first two. It too, is a winner and one you will not want to miss!

Hope you’ve enjoyed this one! Check back often as we are always posting more great tutorials and resources for fans of FM8. Have a request? Let us know by leaving a comment below!

Cheers,
ΩhmLab