FM Editing Tutorial 1 - The Basics - SONICWARE Liven XFM - Accessible Tutorial

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Full Disclosure: I occasionally take on freelance work at Sonicware on an hourly rate producing synth & sample sound design, beta testing, checking English text, video manuals etc. This video wasn't paid for directly but as a result of my work with Sonicware it is marked as Paid Promotion
So here is a new series of videos exploring the edit mode on the Sonicware Liven XFM. Using an overlay gives us access to a full 4 Op FM synth engine. I'm calling this tutorial 1, but I've actually already made another that covers making a growl bass. You can find that here:
• How To Make FM Formant...
My main tutorial that covers all the features of the XFM is here:
• Analog Style Kicks & C...
This tutorial is much more of a gentle start though and explains the way that FM synthesis works while showing how to build a quick patch from scratch.
I've tried to keep this tutorial accessible though I neglected to mention all the level adjustments I make to the parameters I select as I create the sound are made using the Value knob which is knob 10. Also I noticed after I'd made the tutorial that the knob latch setting seems to also affect edit mode when using the newest firmware, I'm sure this is new. Knob Latch can be turned on and off in Pattern Edit mode.
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[@semyonboyk0]

Never understood what the feedback control is for in 2-op FM mode of my Microfreak. Thank you for making it clear!

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Yeah I've got one of those too. Its set up like the typical 2 Op FM setup I described so you can alter the FM amount, ratio and feedback using the mod matrix to replicate sounds like this. It's amazing what can be done with just 2 operators

[@SimpleHold]

I know it’s nerdy of me, but I never get tired of hearing people explain fm synthesis. Nice demo, too. I like the ability to use feedback to morph the sine wave into a saw or square wave.

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Well that's good because there will be more to come 😄 Yeah the ability to have positive or negative feedback per operator is very powerful. Its a brilliantly designed FM engine 👌

[@RobbekenSynthMusic]

Time to get in the deep end of the pool! Whoo, let’s go! Thanks for putting this together.

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Yeah man get your goggles on, we're diving in 🤿

[@WUOTH]

thank you Chris, perfect timing for understanding the XFM... I keep looking forward to some modern patch ideas, like the usual suspicious dubstep wobble bass you already did. cheers!

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Thanks for watching. Yes I try to keep it a mix of classic sounds, modern sounds and a few random things. Next I think I'll show how to use the operator feedback I mentioned to make a pad sound. Hopefully it sounds nice 😄

[@Yeahsometimes]

Found this super helpful! Would love to see some of the preset sounds “deconstructed” in edit mode to better wrap my head around it.

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Thank you. Yes that's a good idea. There are a few presets I made that contain some interesting tricks so that would be worth looking at

[@PhilanderingBastard]

Welp, now I’m convinced. My no-new-gear policy just went out the window.

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Oh damn, sorry about that 😬😄

[@DylanFerno]

Thanks for making this. I find learning about FM synthesis is like sitting in a university level physics lecture lol.

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Ha yes it is a bit academic 😄 Don't think I'm helping with my whiteboard and open university vibes 😂 Hope you find it useful

[@DylanFerno]

@@ChrisLodyMusic Yes thank you. Just wrapped my head around deep editing on the Volca FM so looks like the principal is similar

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

I don't own one but with that interface it must feel like performing keyhole surgery 😅

[@DylanFerno]

@@ChrisLodyMusic lol maybe I actually find it quite intuitive somehow. Hopefully I'll get into it more on the liven

[@eugeniovincenzo1621]

Grazie!!! Excelente tutorial!!!

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

You're welcome, thanks for watching 😁

[@ACURAOCULTA]

Very nice

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Thanks 😁

[@NoxBoxdy]

Nice tutorial Chris. I noticed there is an update for program change as well for it. I have spent last few weeks getting to know the mpc workflow and doing a song for contest w samples. I was like I need to make new sounds in xfm and your video was in my feed today. Hope all has been well :-D

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Oh nice timing then 😁 The update fixes a bunch of bug as well as adding program change. I knew that was coming so I made a video about how to update just in case you didn't spot that

[@NoxBoxdy]

@@ChrisLodyMusic Sure thing and I did. I gave it a like. I know how to do it, but I am sure many will appreciate the simple and intuitive tutorial you did. Wish simply making and editing video was/is as simple for me. Lol

[@edgeof60]

Thanks for another very informative tutorial! This is a good an explanation of FM synthesis in general as anything else out there. Would I be correct in assuming FM engine on the 8bit Warps is based on a two-operator model, and that the four-operator of the XFM would result in a "richer" sound?

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Yes it's a fully fleshed out FM engine on the XFM while the 8bit Warps has a basic 2 op mode with an LFO that can be used as an envelope. The 8bit Warps is pretty special though, that FM sounds like nothing else. I made a video about that actually, the FM bit is in here somewhere kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJrcdZ2EhZyld7s

[@dinogoldie9716]

Thanks for another great tutorial. As always, I have questions.I'm doing OK with 2 operator FM and even serial (modulators modulating modulators) FM. However, parallel modulation (multiple modulators separately modulating a carrier) has got me stumped. When it comes to ratios/frequencies, I'm comfortable when all operators are between 0.5 and maybe 7. I honestly can't get my head round ratios/frequencies higher than that. So please consider covering parallel modulation and extreme ratios/fixed frequencies in a future video.

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Yeah that would be an interesting subject to cover, especially if I can use it within a sound. Though it has to be said very much of the school sound design that's 50\50 theory versus experimentation, so I'm not sure what I'd use that particular style of routing for at this point 😄 But I'll see what I can come up with

[@eduugr]

Great videos! I wonder how would you compare this synth with the LXR-02...

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Thank you. I'm not sure, I've never used one of those. Seeing as it's a dedicated drum synth and the XFM is less specialised I imagine there but be a lot of differences between them

[@eduugr]

@@ChrisLodyMusic thankd for your reply. I just noticed that the XFM is not a drum machine (as published on many places) but more of an FM synth... I like it, just a bit concerned on the miniplug output and the general sounding...will keep on watching your videos!

[@thehowlingterror]

Thanks for doing this Chris. Quick question; why don't FM synths have filters somewhere in the signal chain? To my mind a simple LP/HP type would prove useful.

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

I guess back when the idea was new it must have been too expensive as analog filters were the only option, but the XFM has digital filters after the FM synth section so it can be used as a hybrid synth. Best of both worlds 😁

[@BendApparatus]

Hey Chris I would really appreciate if you could answer a couple of questions for me. 1. How do I completely erase a track pattern (it keeps coming back!)? 2. is the engine in the XFM completely different from the warps? (Can I "make" all the sounds from the 8bit on the XFM?)

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

No problem. You should be able to hold CLR and press PTN then select Note of Sound to erase either. Notes will be completely removed while the sound will be returned to what ever state the last save was. If you want to erase the whole pattern you can hold CLR and press PTN. It is a completely different synth engine to the Warps so they sound totally different

[@BendApparatus]

@@ChrisLodyMusic thanks for the reply!

[@ramseydoon8277]

The xfm is good as a bass machine?

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Yes it is, try this tutorial of mine: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJampK2Beal8a5I

[@ramseydoon8277]

@@ChrisLodyMusic thank you!

[@TooSlowTube]

How do I see the name of the current patch ("Sound") and bank? There doesn't appear to be anything about that in the manual. If I'm playing a sound (on a selected track, played manually with a keyboard) and I want to edit it, I have to go into Edit mode, and first find the sound again, so I can edit it - which is really awkward, but it's made worse by the fact that I don't know what sound I was playing, so I'm just guessing when I choose one to edit. If I've made a few that sound similar, I'm likely to get that wrong and edit the wrong one. I want to be able to go from playing a sound, to editing that sound a little, to saving it, possibly with a new name, then go back to playing. While the editor mode itself is fine, the process of going through that cycle, from playing to editing to saving and back to playing, is a minefield.

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

The best thing to do is to save your pattern once you've chosen your sound. Then when you turn any knob a small dot will be shown at the bottom right to show which knob position has been saved into memory, including the Bank and Sound settings. It's also worth trying that with Knob Latch on as it will display the current setting immediately if the knob is in a different position to the saved setting

[@TooSlowTube]

@@ChrisLodyMusic Thanks, Chris. That helps. Incidentally, is there any way to tell if Knob Latch is on or off, other than by how the knobs behave? The button is backlit, but that doesn't seem to be what the colour means.

[@ChrisLodyMusic]

Yes if you hold Func, if the Knob Latch button is lit it’s on and if it’s not lit it’s off. If you’re experiencing any other strange behaviour then I’m not sure what would be causing it

[@TooSlowTube]

@@ChrisLodyMusic I see. Thanks. I was expecting the LED colour to indicate the status of Knob Lock after I'd changed it.