How to Get Started with the FM-X Engine on the Yamaha Montage

Please use headphones to appreciate the subs
On this video I am showing you how to create a simple Deep House Bass sound using only the FM-X synthesis engine on the Yamaha Montage.
Step-by-step:
1:39 Selecting your Algorithm
5:00 Adjusting the envelopes for your Operators
9:00 Adjusting the Key Level Curves
10:48 Using the Pitch Envelope for more attack and punch
12:22 Finalize the sound (System Effects)
Intro & Outro Music by © Dom Sigalas
Facebook: / domenicosigalasmusic
Instagam: / dom_sigalas
Official Website: domsigalas.com

[@gabrielgray83]

Thanks, Dom. I really want to start creating unique sounds, so I'm glad you showed us this. Be blessed.

[@JDStoneCreations]

Watching this demo and seeing the operators modulating each other... Something just clicked in my brain after years of having no clue what FM synthesis was. I get it now!

[@wilcandou]

Dude... Great video on FM. I have been struggling with FM for years on how to choose an algorithm. You're the master! Thank you heaps brother!

[@TommyHelgevold]

I love your tutorials, I can safely say you're the reason I'm starting to grasp this beast.

[@MrJONOAS]

Great tutorial , Dom , Thank you so much !!

[@ElectronicazMusic]

Beautifully clear video! Thank you.

[@darrenhirst9900]

Knowledge is meant to be shared as it builds a better world for all of us. Appreciate you sharing yours.

[@Moessieurs]

Great video Dom, thank you ;)

[@jeremycayea7541]

Awesome explanation of the fmx engine

[@GospelMusicians]

Love your stuff man. Great meeting you at NAMM.

[@rajukbd29]

really nice information dom thanks

[@faultpicker]

Hey I’m loving the House Base sound, I’ve been experimenting with these parameters since your demo back in Birmingham. Cheers Colin - oh thanks for the shout and keep up the great demos!

[@DomSigalas]

Hey Colin, glad this helped and thanks for sparking the idea for this video :) Have fun and I am sure I will see you when I come to Brum next time !

[@Amanet13]

Amazing video thank you

[@backbeatml]

Thanks, Very helpful.... the envelopes are so key, and this is the first video Ive seen that got into them. Using them on the carrier along with velocity, and freq wave, wave variations... just opened the door for me. Also the basic logic on which alg to pick... between Moessiurs, Dom, and Bad Mister...., I am definately learning how to tame this beast. The FM-X stuff is like a new universe to me.

[@DomSigalas]

Hi Mitch, thanks so much for your good words and glad the video helped a bit :)

[@TheRenalicious]

I'm starting to understand how the Sega did the sounds with the Genesis. When you were experimenting with the attack and pitch settings, I was hearing similarities to the old Yamaha chipset in that console. Great videos btw! :D

[@snuppssynthchannel]

The sega used fm cards, yes.

[@jeffwilliamson1426]

DOM IS FANTASTIC......

[@GeorgeDimopoulos]

Nice Dom very informative thank you!!!!

[@DomSigalas]

Cheers George, glad you liked it :)

[@MichaelHarmanWoodDesign]

Awesome info

[@IroLidorikioti]

Good stuff in this channel! :-)

[@electricimagesaustralia6899]

i just got a modx8, this is very helpful thanks. i would love to see how to make a long decay/release evolving pad. there are quite a few in the factory bank, but i have no idea how they are made!

[@DarianoProductions]

That's clean man! Great good on creating that house bass! I'm using the "ModX7". I'm still learning the ends and outs.

[@synthelover]

Magnificent!! I'm not good at English but, It was really really helpful. thanks a lot :)

[@DomSigalas]

Thanks! Glad you found it useful :)

[@kennethteo7974]

Nice. Thanks.

[@TenMilL]

👍MORE house training, please,😁 thank you! I appreciated your explanation on FM synthesis. Hardest part is selecting the right algorithm for the project, you could spend days just experimenting on just one🤦‍♂️. This just clarified things up a lot more.

[@jourdan333]

INSPIRATIONAL , bro, appreciated, God Blessed

[@DomSigalas]

Thanks Jourdan :)

[@theoversouls]

I used to sell DX-7 sounds back when it came out, and still love FM synthesis. I have a Montage coming tomorrow and can't wait to dive in. Thanks for this excellent tutorial!

[@ThePackos]

and,how it is?

[@theoversouls]

@@ThePackos I LOVE IT!

[@quantumeseboy]

I love FM synthesis because I don't know what the hell I am doing! It is more adventurous then subtractive synthesis :)

[@RockLobster223]

Totally with you there! Just bored with 'normal' synthesis methods - FM just tweak some stuff, tweak some more stuff, and 'discover' what comes out!!

[@javiceres]

Lol When you get into it you can really command it to yield a lot of the “sounds in your head” but there’s still a huge room for the unexpected. And More so with advanced FM engines like the FM-X

[@rg2027x]

Precisely! happy accidents ! :D I'll stumble upon stuff I _never_ would have consciously 'thought' of programming, only to lead to a new sound entirely..lol. Also the dynamics & *velocity response* possible with FM is great

[@javiceres]

Quantumese Boy I only wish ADSR envelopes to be selectable to make FM way way faster. I’d use them for half of the operators 99% of the time

[@boboscurse4130]

I had a DX21 because I couldn't afford a DX7. I NEVER understood how to program the thing.

[@BobMcCarroll]

Great video, Dom. If i could, I'd like to make a request for a demo video on routing to the modulation system and the an in-depth look at programming for the Motion Sequencer. I only wish the manual was a more step-by-step approach and how to use it. Thanks. All the best. Bob.

[@mayurbahanmukherjee2433]

Thanks a lot spended hours and hours for algorithms, ur God gifted , I use a MODX7 AND PSR SX 900 NO MONEY TO BUY MONTAGE

[@Achillieas420]

This is awesome! Thank you for these tutorials also is there a quick way you added percussion loop

[@fundementalroast7002]

Thanks Dom, that was a really good video. I am sure it just opened up the Montage for a lot of people. It really does prove that FM-X sound design is not actually so daunting when given a live demonstration. Just to think you were only using one operator and have another 7 more to go! In a future vid I wonder if you could try and recreate classic house / dance synths using the FM-X? Or even the more cutting edge sounds - perhaps think Jack-U ? Anyway really enjoyed that and looking forward to some more videos.

[@DomSigalas]

Hey man, glad you enjoyed that! I am definitely going to try and do more videos on the FM-X engine if these do well. If it helps people then I'm all about that :)

[@squadronbe6140]

Helped me understand FM a little better TX!

[@niall2236]

Dude, ive had the montage for a year and didnt even know i could do all this! THANK YOU!

[@DomSigalas]

Glad this helped Niall :)

[@intell0]

Dom thnx for the uploads. I have a vst FM synth - and i still do some weird basses (Dubstep like) with it, instead of the MODX that i have, I am still confused about how the algortithms work. On my vst i only link the operators to my main source and the bass starts to wobble? Could you please do a dupstep bass, i think it would be very apreciated :) Thank you

[@gpr4eva]

It would be wild if you could use AWM2 sampled waves in the FMX engine. Future update I pray!

[@flightsimmer7410]

I think that was actually possible back in the days with SY77/99.

[@snuppssynthchannel]

@@flightsimmer7410 It was, i have one.

[@KUPHSER]

yep i also hav sy99 and this is a thing. i just got a modx8 and im hoping that this becomes an update with fmx-awm2. god i love my 99!

[@gpr4eva]

@@KUPHSER awesome!

[@forgottenmohawks8734]

Nice work my dude 🔥 This is the first video from your channel that I have seen and it looks like you have lots of other videos too, looking forward to check those out, subscribed :)

[@DomSigalas]

Welcome my friend :)

[@andreafox7267]

Very helpful. Thank you. I’m getting a Montage 8 in the next month. Can’t wait! 😀

[@DomSigalas]

You’ll have loads of fun Andrea, enjoy! :)

[@onionhat9141]

This makes me wanna try to recreate the Yamaha GS-1 electric piano patch

[@sergiomelo9245]

Dom.. Very goood video.. How do you think about audio quality when i compare Montage and Modx? Tkz a lot.

[@winddealer1]

Hi Dom, irrespective of algorithm does FMX permit the use of Feedback on "any" OP or only the ones that include the Feedback loop logo? It would be great to self modulate any OP without the need of a second operator. Maybe it is already supported? That would be great if it was, if not maybe a good feature request for the next major Montage/ModXupdate.

[@hanswurst2490]

"Unpredictable" is absolutely not a word that brings me to FM. In contrary. That is exactly the reason why people refuse this feature and don't understand it. Create the lead of Alan Walker's "Faded". With a softsynth there is a system... and a reasonable result.

[@user-hp8nv5ps8s]

FM シンセは最高ですにゃ～ フルデジタルでありながら、アナログライクな操作性、某雑誌のレビュー記事で、あるプロプレイヤーに、まるで指先に絡み付く様な表現性と言わしめたキーボードタッチの表現の付きの良さ。 コイツは、楽器屋の造るシンセだな

[@YotamPiano]

Hey Dom, nice tutorial.. but it seems from your vid and other vids that the Montage touchscreen is really glitchy, slow to react and lags quite a big.

[@WARDISWARD]

you can turn of smooth animation in the montage settings ; Then the screen reacts much faster

[@joebond9435]

Great video... but I have a question... when I choose my number of operators like you did. My number 8 fades the sound but number 7 doesn’t effect anything. It’s like I only have control over operator number 8.... and operator number 8 is the only audible operator... I do have some understanding of fm. I use the Digitone and FM8 but I’m a little confused by the montage setup

[@DomSigalas]

Hey Joe, which algorithm did you use?

[@FuZhixiang]

Not to mention creating or modifying a voice in Montage, many users who own their Motif XS/XF seldom try the voice programming function at all. Specifically, a electric guitar sound in Motif XS, the waveform of it does not necessarily a PCM sample of a real electric guitar sound, but it is only very simple waveform just like sine-wave. The distortion feel comes from the VCM effects. Since Motif has in-depth modification abilities, Montage can be more profound.

[@MadelnMachines]

Thanks for the tutorial. I was curious how the fm programming worked on the montage. Seems a lot of pressing on the touch screen and scroll wheel. Can you not use the encoders on the left to change the ADSR settings for each operator envelope rather than have to press to select each portion of the envelope and use the wheel?

[@DomSigalas]

You can use the encoders for changing the ADSR settings. I just want to be able to fine-tune to perfection that's why I prefer dialling the values with my scroll wheel :)

[@isbjorn64]

@@DomSigalas really you can use the sliders to change adsr settings? How? Can you make a video or a short answer here? I cannot figure it out. Is it possible also with the awm2? Thanks

[@geoffreymerrifield5666]

Dom, do you have a sound pack you created for sale? If not, you should!

[@DomSigalas]

Hey Geoffrey, I am working on it ;) in the meantime, I have a few free soundpacks on soundmondo for the reface series :)

[@magnusdevo]

Hi Dom! Thanks you for this! One question! I can't control the operators with the faders, even though the element /operator mode is activated on the left side of the faders.

[@DomSigalas]

Make sure you have the correct part selected and you’re not in common mode. :)

[@RiturajMusicHouse]

Sir, could you teach me how to connect montage with musicsoft downloader and how to get the free montage expanded performances from the yamaha web site..... waiting for your video sir....Thank u...Much love from India

[@Esperluet]

0:50 Hi, is this sound always the same when creating a sound from scratch ?

[@MrGoosE3557]

Yes. You start off with a basic sine wave

[@basspig]

Is it possible to get percussion and bass arpeggios going so all one has to worry about is playing the melody?

[@DomSigalas]

Yes you can do this :)

[@lwpweb]

great performance. How to create a delay as add to reverb?

[@DomSigalas]

Hey Lothar, do you mean how to add delay as well as reverb?

[@lwpweb]

both: as delay separately or as delay after reverb.

[@DomSigalas]

Check at 1:07 If you click on the Effects tab you will find the two insert slots. There you can add two insert effects on top of the Variation an Reverb sends. They can be anything from reverb, delay and everything else Montage offers. You can also route them however you want :)

[@lwpweb]

how physically? As Insert through the so called A/D input interface from Montage and a send I take from the output headphone or the second output? Then i could take a nice stereo delay in/out pedal?

[@DomSigalas]

You connect anything into your A/D input, apply the insert effect and it will come out of your stereo outputs processed. Hope this makes sense :)

[@thisisobsolete]

Is the MODX UI and FM engine close enough to the Montage's for this video to apply to MODX?

[@DomSigalas]

thisisobsolete exactly the same. Only difference is Montage has 128 notes polyphony on FM-X and MODX has 64 notes :)

[@seankalifut9948]

@@DomSigalas Wow. 64 notes is a lot for FM synthesis. I cannot imagine 128!

[@debjyotidubey]

can i do the same on modx

[@SagarPaul]

How can we save this?

[@KUPHSER]

Tell them that the bottom operators are always carriers and that carriers make an audible sound, which can be any wave of your choice. Then any operators above are modulators which will modulate all operators follow downward in the algorithm. Then it’s all about pitch, amplitude, ratios between operators to create timbres, and then envelopes for each operators to shape the sound. Fm is actually very easy and fun once it makes sense

[@KUPHSER]

That’s a basic explanation anyway

[@debeshnaskar7796]

Can I use it as midi as well???

[@DomSigalas]

Yes of course :)

[@gamanechine]

REALLY REALLY NICE YOUR VIDEOS !!!! THANK YOU VERY MUCH !!!! PLEASE KEEP MAKING IT !!! BEST REGARDS FROM BRAZIL !!!!!!! @gabriel manechine

[@Snowbound2643]

How do you save this sound into the library

[@DomSigalas]

Just hit store and store as a new performance :)

[@Snowbound2643]

@@DomSigalas can I save it in th library as sound to add to new performances from the general montage library?

[@johanboyen1275]

Hi Dom, I've tried so many times to use my yamaha modx to create the lead brass pad sound used by Vangelis in Blade Runner's opening track. I don't know much about sound design but I think the sound is made with 2 mono osc with a little detuning and low and high pass filters, resonance and a lot of reverb to do. Still, I never get that perfect brass pad like in the trailer. Is it possible to explain this in one of your next KZbin sessions how you can do this with the Modx / Montage? ... Tip ... I think thousands of musicians and fans of Vangelis would be happy with it . My musical greetings! And ... always great sessions that I already saw! Johan 🎹

[@Wulfcry]

FM is Spacy , Bassy , Clangky , Blant. Woodly, Flutely, Bonky, Brass. Springy , Glassy, Metal , Fuzz.

[@pauloyoshizaki2103]

YAMAHA; MEMORY ; PEN DRIVE ; ou uso de computadores para Aumentar Milhões de RECURSOS DIGITAIS!!!……

[@radurobert1]

You can do this sound with VSTs much quicker ..Motif ES was released in 2003 having 1GB of user memory . Montage is released in 2018 having only 2GB of user memory over ES. Strange right ? .

[@teffymayne8305]

yes that's true, but having 1 instrument that can do more than that is amazing.

[@mattsynth]

Well explained but this reminded me why I hated FM programming.

[@WARDISWARD]

01:28 LOl ..create sounds thtat nobody has ever heard before ...yeah right ...fm has been here since the 80' s . TRue ..the montage has a bit mùore functions ...like the the fs1r and spektral skirt etc...

[@DomSigalas]

Hi man, indeed, FM synthesis has been with us since the legendary Yamaha DX7, however, back then sound designers were focusing their efforts on re-creating emulations of sounds (ep's, strings, brass etc). It wasn't until the 2000's where EDM producers started taking a brand new approach with FM synthesis and started creating unique sounds. See artist like Skrillex for example: this is all FM. So yes, I do stand behind my comment there. The possibilities with FM are endless even though it's been invented in the 80's :)

[@snuppssynthchannel]

@@DomSigalas Brian Eno ansmd many more musicians used the DX7 in a more experimental manner in the 80s allready.