FM Synthesis. A Catalogue of Materials. 01 Metal

This is the first of a series of videos for intermediate level F.M. synthesis. As such, each video shows frequency data of the patches. They are templates to go away with and work with so you can find your own variations.
Most of the patches are either percussion or sustained sounds and thus the amplitude envelopes should be obvious at intermediate level (either decays or sustains). The operator levels are found by following each example’s operator steps as they are switched on and then comparing the video with ones own trials.
Each video contains the blueprint for the synthesis of the basic sound of physical resonant materials such as metal, wood, air, strings as used in musical instruments. Some of the videos cover more abstract electronic sounds and SFX.
The idea of this series is to show how to improve on the original “plasticky” sounding F.M. factory presets that were/are so ubiquitous on the original F.M. Synthesisers of the 1980s. Remember the original “ Tubular Bell” or “ Timpani” ?
Subscribe to follow the series.
H O W T O U S E
Each example has a "structure" (synthesis parameters) and a "creative" context, which in this case are short film clips.
Synthesis Parameters
C = Carrier M =Modulator (As shown in VOPM)
"Detune" is for slightly detuning for phasing and chorusing effects
The most universal F.M. parameters (mainly frequency ratio data) are provided from which to create variations of the "material" timbres in the videos. For example, you will be surprised how much variation is possible by changing the fundamental frequency and the inharmonic frequencies of the bells.
Ratios, how to:
If you are using VOPM, FB01, DX100, CX5 use the CXRatio column. Example:
The first number in the CX ratio is the "Mul" or ratio multiplier (0.5 to 15) and the second number is the "DT2" in VOPM or "IF" on the FB01, CX5 etc. (Should be between 0-3). The Detune is more of a standard fine detune you find on any synth's oscillator and is for adding chorusing, beating frequencies etc. On the CX5, VOPM etc it is between 0-7
If you are using a DX compatible synth use the DXRatio columns and use that number in your operator frequency.
LFO. This is a very important parameter for creating the rough metallic sound.
The LFO wave must be a random wave (sometimes called Sample and Hold)
Set the speed to max and then dial in depth/intensity until you get the rough metal texture. You will also notice it creates ambient reverberation. Unfortunately the DX7 LFO's are to slow to create this effect. On the SY77 and TG77 use a noise operator as an alternative.
Levels and Envelopes:
Level and envelope data varies quite a lot depending on the model of F.M. device you have so they were omitted here, however, it is fairly easy to work them out by listening and following the order in the video.
1. Make sure you have the correct algorithm.
2. Start with the first operator as the loudest operator (full level). Then get the level for each subsequent operator. Follow the order in which they are switched on in the video and experiment to get the timbre as close to the videos as possible.
2. The envelopes are pretty easy to work out if you listen to each operator as it is switched on in the video.
If you are are still stuck I recommend learning the basics of FM.
Unfortunately because of time constraints, I am unable to offer support.
E44 Music:
tinyurl.com/e433HyFlw
E433 Wordpress:
tinyurl.com/ctvzecks
Bandcamp:
tinyurl.com/e433bndcmp

[@geephlips]

Geez, that was just exceptional.Thanks for doing something that takes the concept of tutorial to a place I never expected. Mesmerizing. Hypnotic. And playful.

[@BrockDavisson]

I'd love a full album to listen too of sounds like this!

[@element433]

Im actually working on this right now. Stay tuned

[@Multi-Waves_Sketchbook]

@@element433 omgomgomg I cannot wait I felt so many surreal emotions listening to those sounds, especially the first one

[@bigthey1827]

I’ve been just getting into FM synthesis and was hoping to find some material to help me get a grip on producing different sounds. Materials are literally exactly how I picture different timbres! Instasubbed 👍

[@howardanderson3061]

Wow...amazing.....outstanding production. Left Brain, Right Brain, you gottem’ going on.. Thanks for sharing this!

[@element433]

Thank you very much!

[@falangistavaleroso9689]

@@element433 David Lynch wants you!!! ( can I do this on my 81z or 802?)

[@Pookaball]

Hi I love this video series you've started. this world needs more people who aren't afraid of FM!

[@alsara2k]

Best video composition style on KZbin i've ever seen. I'm just blown away by it!

[@element433]

Thank you very much, that is very kind of you. Im glad you enjoyed it. Im working on more, so stay tuned!

[@ChrisLeeW00]

One of the few very useful guides on truly understanding FM synthesis.

[@sageoften]

I found your tutorials by searching for "FM synthesis strings". I will benefit so much from these! Thank you. Still, very much looking forward to you completing Strings!

[@12opsynths]

Nice work. While it has the familiar sound of FM you push it in unique/unexpected ways. If I didn't know these were from an FM synth I might have puzzled over how they were generated.

[@RobertKgma]

visual aesthetic is tiptop, great vids!

[@aragorn420]

this is one of the coolest things i've ever seen

[@ZuluEchoRomeoOscar]

Bloody hell - that's beautiful!

[@nichttuntun3364]

That's so cool. FM is an amazing synthesis form and your output is very interesting.

[@cavewerk]

this is the channel i have been searching for

[@AmenBreakBro]

Amazing series, pleasing to see and hear. Thanks for sharing you work!

[@monodux]

What?! Incredibly helpful patch info and suggested atmospheres and mood applications in one video? This is the most amazing thing I have seen on KZbin. How have I missed it?! Subscribed in hopes you’re still producing content!!

[@ennbee5100]

Phenomenal tutorial, thank you!

[@polutropos]

How awesome. Thanks for making this.

[@pfirsichkarton]

wow, this is art

[@udomatthiasdrums5322]

love your work!!

[@ScreaminJoeBlade]

I am gobsmacked. I have tried reading about FM but my eyes glaze over to quickly. This is beautiful, mesmerizing and highly instructional. Kudos and thanks.

[@element433]

Thank you, you are very kind!

[@makers1958]

Late comment, I know, but brilliant, simply brilliant. Thank you!

[@douglasgorney]

Brilliant-thank you!

[@harmannsmith5653]

Amazing! Thanks for share

[@Captyr_____]

Also the Tine Bars composition is so eerie, and "pure".

[@element433]

It was a little musical cell I wrote a very long time ago and never did anything’s no until I realised it worked really well with that context. Thank you very much!

[@ish233]

I enjoy those contexts, the sheet metal made me smile a bit,. I have done plenty FM sounds, plenty I haven't even posted up. It's really fun to work with, if one likes tweaking sounds and learning about sounds and sound. Fun stuff, looking forward to more.

[@element433]

Thanks. That was the idea, to make them tweakable. It's a great medium!

[@ish233]

@@element433 sorry I edited my comment, it had some mistypes, what are you using, software program or other type of synthesizer

[@danielforro-forrotronics3921]

Well done!

[@karim0302]

This is such a cool way of presenting everything! Thanks for making this series.

[@element433]

And thank you for watching them!

[@meilstone]

Glass meets Kubrick, nice! ❤

[@element433]

You got it! Love Kubrick! My “Breath” from Luminous Trilogy was very inspired by his work. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment

[@falangistavaleroso9689]

Awesome, thanks!

[@z-e-r-o-]

informative and nice vids. thanks!

[@Captyr_____]

Fuck, the composition for Metal Cylinder is sick. Incredibly emotive in a strange, new-born child in a dark world-way.

[@h2o1969]

Fantastic!

[@shawnbarker4612]

Thanks for the video, I feel like I've just visited an art installation at a museum 😊 not particularly a fan of industrial or 4op Synths, but you make this interesting to watch and learn, bringing the components together. Thank you.

[@element433]

Thank you very much!

[@agerven]

Absolutely great for anyone using or working with F.M. sounds. Cool sounds protraied. Very happy with that, thanks! Nonetheless some remarks: - Missing the physical background driving the algorithm choice and frequentie ratios. - Can't agree with plasticy sounds of the CX-5M (wrote some F.M. editing software for that!) or the DX series. There were truly physically modelled and great sounds in there. And, although the sounds in this first video of the series seem to be lacking some physical reality they are close enough with added twists and deepness. No effects used, and no modulation other than envelopes people. Great! Synthesis! Sound design! Thank you again.

[@jfklmk13447]

This is fucking amazing ! Great job dude !

[@jubikej1148]

fantastic

[@suitandtieguy]

holy shit. this is fantastic content.

[@missmilky6677]

This is borderline horror, but still beautiful

[@guillaumelebault1340]

Your 2 videos and sounds (Metal and Wood materials) are great, congratulations. I'm gonna try the DX ratios on my MODX to duplicate these sounds.

[@mraduanemc]

Thank you! These sound gorgeous. I was just saying yesterday, what I'd like to see more of is someone demonstrating basic harmonic blueprints in the context of FM synthesis; and then your videos popped up in my feed. In a sea of "Basics of FM" and "Listen as I go through all these patches" videos, yours are truly valuable. Most of what I've read(I'm thumbing through the Chowning/Bristow and Massey books) seems to focus so much on technical aspects of FM that they kind of ignore practical application, insofar as bridging the gap between FM and the acoustics of traditional instruments. Can you point to any resources that touch on this?

[@element433]

Thank you for your kind words. The Chowning/Bristow book is certainly a classic and full of technical information but as a result of buying a Yamaha Sy77 I came across a great book last year called "SY Programming" by Herbert Janben, which is a free download: herbert-janssen.de/sy.html It has some very good examples of FM technics. If you can get an SY77 or TG77 they are quite simple to program and extremely powerful FM machines. Having said that, all of the timbres you hear on my Catalogue series originate from a Yamaha CX5. What makes this machine different is that it has faster LFOs than the DX series thus allowing "dirt" to be injected into the timbre. That is a game changer as dirt imparts a certain amount of "realism". I spent many hours just listening to the edits I did on the CX until I was happy the timbres could be used within my musical needs.

[@raulacevedo8336]

Thanks!

[@dogwithabome630]

this was terrifying i love it

[@minispek]

I was revisiting this today (still love the atmosphere in your videos, by the way.; excellent combination of sounds and visuals). I tried reproducing the sounds in u-he's Bazille. With some of them I have the impression that I can get close, but not quite there. Notwithstanding the results, your videos are very helpful in understanding better how to build up sounds with FM, and after a while I figured it is actually better to try to do it by ear, rather than simply trying to copy your settings.

[@element433]

Thank you. Yes “by ear” is definitely the best approach and I think it trains you to feel where the timbre should go.

[@craig_z]

This is fantastic. Some of the algorithms are not available on my Digitone (like algo 6), and the ratio values are quite different, but I was able to follow on and get pretty close in many cases, or at least come up with something else interesting like the bells and harpsichord I ended up saving.

[@element433]

Excellent!

[@kinderobi]

Amazing video, I will say aesthetically MINDBLOWING and also so fucking useful! THANKS!

[@minispek]

Amazing sounds and equally amazing visuals. Just one question for clarification (sorry, relatively new to FM synthesis): What do the C1 and M1 symbols and so on stand for?

[@minispek]

NVM my question, I guess it stands for Carrier and Modulator.

[@element433]

Yes Carrier and Modulator. If you download VOPM you'll see that it uses those symbols.

[@zaloo]

screw the FM! (not really but a little) i'm having an art-envy attack. who makes the imagery? you? collective? it's very well integrated with the sound, the shorts are great. great work aestheticizing the synth tutorial genre.. :)

[@element433]

Thank you. Photography and video making are parallel passions that I have alongside the electronic music stuff. I always felt that there was room for a more cinematography approach to tech videos and hope to develop it more. Over a long period of time I have assembled a huge catalogue of photographs and later videos thanks to the magic of smart phones. Sometime I animate the photos. I'm back making a new video after a busy period. Next will be a video on FM drums. Thank you very much for your enthusiasm. E

[@yeowch8663]

most ppl: idk write a major scale in midi this guy: im going to score a david lynch film to show off my fm synthesis patches :) magical ty

[@element433]

I'd love to score a Lynch film!

[@christopherelizabeth503]

when i learn how to read that chart its OVER

[@josephcomstock456]

is this possible using Sytrus im finding dificulty finding counter parts to coarse and fine detuning per oscillator

[@aragorn420]

would you be willing to share whether the crispy timbre introduced with operator 3 on metal cylinder is purely the result of the frequencies interacting, or is there something else at play? LFO etc?

[@element433]

Its purely the ratio between op3 and 4 = 9.42/19.74= 0.477 will produce some interesting inharmonics as opposed to an integer ratio of something like 2/1 = 2 which would generate more consonant overtones. Also the nature of the CX5m/sfg05 tone generator produce some aliasing which colours the final sound but you should get a close match with newer technology.

[@anonymousmobster2444]

Reminds me of the portal soundtrack

[@willstockwell9493]

These are super interesting! Does anyone have any pointer on translating the CxRatio and DxRatio values for FM8 or Ableton Operator? I'm not able to run VOPM on my Mac to help me understand this.

[@element433]

For Fm8 use the DX column number. It can be used directly on the FM8 or any DX compatible. I haven't used Operator yet but will take a look

[@willstockwell9493]

@@element433 Thanks. I'm seeing it now (i.e., not all the parameters are relevant). How does one incorporate the detune value appropriately?

[@element433]

The detunes is just to create a chorusing effect. On the dx or fm8 just change very slightly the fine tuning of the frequency until you get the right movement of sound. On the CX series or FB01 it is slightly different as you have to specify it as a parameter. A good patch to try it on is the Air ones where the detune creates poly rhythms. I purposely didn’t put the amplitude parameters to allow people to play with these to get their own unique sounds. But with a little perserverance you can get the same tones and that is always rewarding. Let me know how you get on.

[@willstockwell9493]

@@element433 Cool, thanks for the clarifications!

[@iOnlyHereForTheBeer]

Can someone tell me what the ratios and the detune values actually correspond to? I always assumed the ratio is simply the the quotient of the frequency of the operator over the frequency of the played note. Why do CX5 and DX7 use different values?

[@element433]

Here is a good explanation with regards ratios. www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=310508 Also read The Chowning/Bristow book (there are a couple fo pdfs floating on the net) and should help you understand more about the nature of FM. All the best

[@end_rick]

your videos are so nice. thank you very much. i'm having a hard time getting the envelopes right for the tin hats on the dx7. what's the secret?

[@element433]

Thank you. Experimentation and persistence will pay off as every synth model is different. Use a visual editor.

[@end_rick]

@@element433 Ah, a magician never reveals his tricks. I'll try my best. Thanks again and I would really love to see a fm drums video someday.

[@element433]

The reveal is in the hi-hat diagram. Follow the diagram as operators are switched on and off. And listen to the sound carefully at each stage. As mentioned it depends on what FM synth you are using. Envelope timings are different on each model. Drums coming soon ;-)

[@Redbunny5000]

Amazing! I SMASHED Like & Subscribe

[@theRiver_joan]

Can I ask why operator 4 by itself sounds like that? Shouldnt it just be a higher pitched but clean sine wave? When i try to follow along in FM8, thats basically what i get out of that single operator set to a 15.00 ratio. I can get little taps out of it with the envelope but it lacks that "sizzle" that yours has and im wondering if im missing something? Regardless, ive been really enjoying following along these videos and they have been very useful for learning FM. Thank you very much for the videos!

[@element433]

Which particular sound were you referring to? Could you paste a time on the video?

[@theRiver_joan]

@@element433 oops, sorry I forgot to mention that. I was working on that last patch, the tin hats. They sound so good!

[@element433]

So what you are hearing there is the effect of aliasing and an LFO set to noise waveform and fastest speed so you can modulating pitch ( just enough to get the rough organic material). I state this is the other two videos but it seems I forgot to include that important info on this one. I’ll update the description, many thanks for pointing this out.

[@theRiver_joan]

@@element433 holy shit new technique unlocked! I never would have thought to use a noise LFO like that, that’s brilliant. These tutorials have taught me a lot. Thanks so much for them!

[@brbmakingmusic9179]

Complete newbie here. I would love to learn to recreate these sounds but It's all a little out of my depth. Does anyone know a good resource to understand some of these terms and abbreviations? would really appreciate it.

[@element433]

which FM synth are you using?

[@brbmakingmusic9179]

@@element433 trying to learn on Ableton's Operator and also NI's FM8

[@element433]

Forget Operator at the moment. So if you are using FM8 ignore the CX values in the videos. Read the description about this on the video. The frequency ratios you want are the DX ones. Choose the algorithm closest to the diagrams on the videos. It would be worth your while watchers by a few vids on the FM8 to get a feel for it then come back to this one. Best of all just mess with a preset on the FM and see what sonic journey it takes you on. When you get somewhere save it, then carry on. That’s how I learned :-). Curiosity fed the cat.

[@brbmakingmusic9179]

@@element433 Thanks so much for responding, I really appreciate that! These are very valuable videos.

[@element433]

just a thought. have you got an iPad or iphone? There are a couple of good cheap FM synth on there that will be simpler to navigate and close to the diagrams ( 4 operators) on my videos. One that stands out is 7xdxfm-4-op-fm-synth-groovebox as it is 4 operator and the frequency ratios look the same. to start approximating my sounds remember that they are mostly percussion so short envelopes. the see how the M ( modulator) level affects the percussiveness. also and this is crucial and explained in the description, it the LFO that gives my timbres that acousticness.

[@WolkenhauerOlaf]

This is exceptionally good - thank you. The sounds are quite different to the other Digitone sound packs. Would love to purchase the sounds in the videos.

[@element433]

Hi. Thank you. I'm working on releasing some libraries at end of summer. I'll keep subscribers posted.

[@element433]

Hi, im not familiar with the Digitone. Im interested to hear some examples and get and idea. The important thing to know is that older Yamaha FM has a lower sampling rate and bit depth. This is crucial in creating character in the sound.

[@WolkenhauerOlaf]

Element433 I am myself only a beginner with FM synthesis and the Elektron Digitone. I am attracted to your videos because you state a type of sound and the get there. So, the attraction is that you seem to be able to explain (also in a creative and beautiful way) how o design sounds. Rather than purchasing sounds, I would be hay to purchase videos in which someone like you guides me to the process. At the moment, I am left to purchase packs and the fiddle around. Nothing wrong with it but your classification of sounds is what is exactly what I seek with FM synthesis and is something that I have not seen anywhere else (also your sounds being distinct to existing packs - the key however being your classification). The Digitone is different to classical FM machines, I am hoping in a good way, and it would be interesting to see what you would make of/with it. Thanks!

[@pfirsichkarton]

does anyone know the source of the visuals?

[@element433]

Yes. They're mine! Thank you

[@pfirsichkarton]

@@element433 wow, so inspiring!

[@pfirsichkarton]

@@element433 is there any movie/shortfilm or other video content from you that i can watch?

[@tvdeath]

Can I somehow use this info to reproduce this with Ableton Operator?

[@element433]

If it has FM frequency ratios as shown in the video, yes. Operator coarse frequencies look the same. Algorithms look the same too. They have the same block structures.

[@element433]

The fine frequencies you’ll have to play about by ear, but that is kind of the idea behind the videos, to play with the structures and experiment. You have me interested in operator now :-) thank you

[@tvdeath]

Element433 Would be great if you could tell one example about how it translate. Tried to figure it out myself, but couldn’t get close (couldn’t get the ratios into operator as shown and also struggled with type of modulation shapes). Have a sounding time!