Yamaha DX7 FM Synthesis Tutorial | Basic Waveforms

NEW FM Synthesis Explained series WATCH NOW! • Waveforms & Filter Eff...
In this FM synthesis tutorial, I'll explain FM algorithms and they are used. Be sure to LIKE and SUBSCRIBE and hit the BELL ICON so you know when I've uploaded new content.
To support the channel further check out my Patreon page: / madfame
All $2 or more Patrons can download my Custom Patch SYSEX files
Some of the music used in my videos is available on the Magic & Steel bandcamp page:
magicandsteel....
This FM Synthesis series is great for those who are new to FM synths and own any FM synthesizer - Classic DX, FM-X/Montage, reface DX, Volca FM, Dexed, Arturia DX7 V etc.
Thanks for watching!

[@madFame]

Hi everyone! If you use a Korg VOLCAFM then go to my Patreon page and download the INIT VOLCA patch. This is the same as initialising a patch on the DX7 and you can program my DX7 custom patches much easier. Also be sure to subscribe and turn on alerts as I upload content regularly and don't want you to miss out. www.patreon.com/posts/korg-volca-fm-22522453 Happy programming!

[@kontrajelly]

This tutorial is helpful very much. Thank you

[@madFame]

You're very welcome! Thanks for watching and taking time to say thanks.

[@MisfortuneFeeva]

this really works well with dexed

[@nutelu3462]

I've been getting into FM synths lately, and man it's complicated XD. Your videos have helped me a lot, seriously thank you

[@theralhaljordan7337]

2:50 triangle 6:25 sawtooth 8:45 square

[@Ryan.Anderson80]

Using Dexed to follow on from watching you on the DX7 and I was lost this afternoon until finding your tutorials. Thanks

[@naram.riddim.section]

Fuck this is fantastic stuff mate, you're doing god's work. Respect from Whanganui...

[@toomuchtoofast4533]

Insane ... I’m getting the same beautiful sounds out of the DX Reface. Outstanding... fm synthesis is incredibly interesting and everything is synergy

[@centralbpm]

Hello. How would you recreate the DONK sound an the DX7? Is it possible to get some help please?

[@projectptube]

thanks for the vid. I was able to get the waveforms more exact with the montage too. using the skirt parameter and different wavforms that the old FM synths dont have.

[@TheValiantFox]

Amazing how these approximate waveforms look so different, yet the sound is so similar.

[@kojik4271]

the graphic analyzer is so cool!!!!!

[@macronencer]

I'm guessing the sawtooth and square wave have exactly the right spectrum (which makes them sound exactly right to the ear), and the 'broken' waveform on the oscilloscope is merely a result of phase differences?

[@madFame]

Correct! It is possible to create perfect saw and square waves as well but doing this uses more programming resources (ie. an extra operator and specific output/frequency values). The examples here use the most efficient and economical process that produce near-perfect waveforms. I'll post a short video demonstrating how to achieve perfect saw and square waveforms soon.

[@nickwallette6201]

Remember also that square waves are subject to DC-blocking (aka high-pass filtering) on the audio outputs, and possibly on the scope inputs as well. So you won't see flat lines at the top and bottom of the waveform, but instead you'll see sharp peaks at the transitions, with a gentle sweep (defined by the HPF slope and cut-off frequency vs. the oscillator frequency) in between.

[@homeone4054]

Hi there - your videos are really really helpful and by far the easiest to follow. My question is how do you know before starting that your modulator output level needs to be 75 versus 99 for the carrier . Is that based on theory or trial and error?

[@madFame]

@Home One - Great question! Finding value combinations between Carriers and Modulators is something you figure out through trial and error, so before filming I had worked my way through trial and error until reaching the values in the video. Basically, I sat with my DX7, hooked it up to an oscilloscope and adjusted values until I found something as accurate as I could get to saw and square waves. There's probably a mathematical reason as to why these values work but we don't need to know that much, haha. It's just like any other recipe, certain ingredients, certain amounts, adjust to taste.

[@ntrsnofficial8328]

@@madFame yes i agree I replaced 2 dx7 mk1's with a Sy77 and I see the level values are different on the operators etc etc . the input for awm on the (a)FM is super and is a big level forward to create strange tones . I gonna be busy for a while 😂

[@ewwitsantonio]

Excellent demonstration! Thank you for this :)

[@hardstyleloverjjj]

Could you upload an initialized patch from the DX7 on Patreon so the people with a Volca FM's can program along from the same blank initialized patch as you are in these tutorials. Another way is to show us how we can make such a "init patch" for the Volca FM this way we can save this Init patch and start from there whenever we are programing. cant wait to get started with this little box

[@madFame]

Hi everyone! If you use a Korg VOLCAFM then go to my Patreon page and download the INIT VOLCA patch. This is the same as initialising a patch on the DX7 and you can program my DX7 custom patches much easier. Also be sure to subscribe and turn on alerts as I upload content regularly and don't want you to miss out. www.patreon.com/posts/korg-volca-fm-22522453 Happy programming!

[@mercyplease8561]

Really enjoying this series. Just got a TX802 and I'm inspired! Had a TX7 for time, and VSTs but they never grabbed me. I built a drum kit through tweeking and just messing around. Getting into the design a bit more. Could you do something on how to produce noise, and maybe talk about unique envelope features like note off, or the rate scaling (which still has me confused, but intrigued)? Keep up the good work cheers!

[@madFame]

Thanks for watching! I'm actually re-filming and expanding on these early videos. My production quality and info wasn't as refined as it is now so keep an eye out for the updated madFame FM Synthesis Method video series. I'll be explaining all of that stuff :)

[@meeder78]

What kind of oscilloscope do you use in these tutorials?

[@madFame]

Hi there! It's a Jyetech DSO138

[@silverlight2004db]

great FM basics videos you have...thanks for this resource. i started using a TG77 about a year ago, fell in love with the AFM sound and synthesis and got a second one to double polyphony. btw you sound like a kiwi? i'm a nz ex-pat...

[@madFame]

Great to hear, and yes, I am a Kiwi! Great to have a fellow NZ-synth enthusiast check out the channel :)

[@cbstanfo8314]

@@madFame kiwi here and recently got the synth bug. and purchased 3 synths..one being a volca FM ...but synthesis and FM synthesis i'm trying to get my head around..I must admit its hard work but thanks for the tutorial ..it helps

[@CaptJackAubreyOfTheRoyalNavy]

Is there a way to approximate a saw wave without feedback? So just with basic FM?

[@madFame]

Great question! I've experimented with this many times and the answer is yes but the waveform shape is not as accurate as when using the feedback loop. Plus it requires at least three operators to achieve and is not very economical when you only have 6 or 4 operators total. I've used this non-feedback method in conjunction with the feedback method to emulate sounds that use two sawtooth waveforms slightly detuned from each other. Algorithms like 2, 3 and 19 are good for this. A video about this is on the way, stay tuned!

[@CaptJackAubreyOfTheRoyalNavy]

Nice, looking forward to it. Subscribed! Yeah, that's exactly what I'm trying to get. That classic detuned saws sound, but with the DX7's unique character, for pads and stuff. I'm actually using Arturia's DX7 V plugin, which features feedback on every operator, but I want to design sounds with the original DX7 method.

[@melvinhawkins4567]

If you’re in short supply of operators, you can take a stack containing a single carrier and modulator, and set the two with the same output levels, and a 1:1 ratio. This will give you a bright, loosely sawtooth-sounding timbre. However, it’s not as convincing as the other two methods he mentioned.

[@f0kgggle542]

Oh ... here I see what you're up to with that sawtooth and pulse generation. Ok!

[@Sam_Locke]

Someone told me that the DX7 should be good enough to recreate some sounds form the 1980's Howell theme. Mainly the middle 8 and the brass section. The middle 8 has a nice 'glassy' feel to it - it requires an arpgeddiator to have that effect that goes up and down the octaves as Howell describes it in his Masterclass kzbin.info/www/bejne/pofao414eZqNbKs - ooohhhh it could be Howell theme recreated on a DX7! kzbin.info/www/bejne/e321doRqlLF3qLc

[@johnmoser3594]

It was probably originally made using the DX7.

[@phaselockstudio6085]

Great vid! This helped me a lot. Where did you get your oscilloscope? How much was it?

[@madFame]

I glad to hear that! The o'scope is a JyeTech DSO138, super affordable and easy to find on eBay

[@TheSkrylar]

I tried this but in the triangle wave, with Dexed, the 1:2 ratio just creates a square wave. 1:1 did create a triangle. Not sure what's up with that.

[@Dcyde86]

i m seriously thinking that my first synth in a couple of months will be a DX 7 , but i really want that oscilloscope too... :P real helpful vid

[@madFame]

The oscilloscope I'm using is the same as this one Markus Fuller is assembling and reviewing on his channel: kzbin.info/www/bejne/onKTY5Sgl82Dn80 I highly recommend getting a DX7, they're not as difficult to program as most people say, which is why I'm posting these short tutorials. I'll have more videos up in the next week or so, thanks for tuning in!

[@Dcyde86]

thank you :)

[@jeffu6514]

Your videos are definitely a lot of help! Thank you! I really like the visual aspect of having an oscilloscope while programming. How do you hook it up to your DX7?

[@giovannizanocco7982]

Great explanation! Thanks a lot man

[@whatshendrix]

Your videos are very informative and great fun!

[@WARDISWARD]

A triangle has the exact same partials as a square wave ,, just a diiferent phase . Square , modulator ratio 2 ( double of carrier ) going into carrier ratio 1. A bit of feedback for the modulator , gives thesquare wave edginess And saw just requires 1 operator set to feedback , no modulator needed ...algoritm 32 is good for that

[@Zack-xz1ph]

could you do one of these but for the Korg Volca FM? since it's so cheap I picked one up, and I'd like to get past the default sounds and use it as a platform for learning FM synth. thanks for reading

[@madFame]

Yeah it's definitely going to happen. I've been asked to upload a Init Program to reset the Volca to DX7 default settings to make a patch from scratch. Check out my Patreon page: www.patreon.com/madfame

[@Zack-xz1ph]

madFame I look forward to it!

[@emesde]

Do you see a benefit of fm chips that have a selectable operator wave form?

[@madFame]

Yes, waveform selection can make complex FM programming easier, efficient, and add variety to the timbre.

[@antonellomascarello4698]

Just discovered your channel, I'm gonna watch all the tutorials 🙂!! Thanks a lot 🙏

[@BabyEvil1]

I'm on my third DX7 since a decade, and I finally start to get how to program it, thanks. My go to patch is that Vox Humana sound as in Numan's Cars. So basically, two oscilators with different lfo's and rates. Do you think that's possible on the DX?

[@madFame]

Hi Jan, thanks for your comment. That is a great question, I think it may be possible and definitely worth trying. Vox Humana is a beautiful patch and one of my favourites. I'll give it a go and will upload a tutorial if I can achieve something similar. Great suggestion!

[@madFame]

Hi Jan, I've made a DX7 emulation of Vox Humana. I'm going to film the tutorial and have it ready for upload once I reach 300 subscribers. Stay tuned!

[@BabyEvil1]

that is, and I very rarely use the word, awesome. Thanks.

[@YotamPiano]

Great vids subbed ty any chance you will release patches in sysex thanks I am loyal viewer...

[@madFame]

Hi Yotam, I like the idea of sysex files and I will likely release them as part a Patreon account I'm setting up. My main goal is for people to sit down with the DX and program it by hand and going through the process. I hope through my videos the difficulty in FM programming will diminish. Thank you for supporting the channel, I truly appreciate it!

[@ArwynKeast]

Great content!

[@румын-ы5л]

Thank you for simple and very understandable explanation!

[@jorgevasconcelosmadetomove]

DX7 has more bass

[@PeterWalkerHP16c]

LOL I followed along with the _Dexed_ plugin and was startled that the results were identical. Same sound. I was not expecting that. Thanks, it was a lot uf fun.

[@madFame]

Hi Peter, glad it worked for you. Although I haven't tried any FM VST's a few viewers, like yourself, have confirmed my patches work on the software. Well done, thanks for confirming it works on Dexed!

[@JeffIrok]

Just did it with Dexed myself, then saw this comment (only 18 hours old!) Yup - the same results!

[@kyrylopaints]

Same!

[@Zack-xz1ph]

wow I just downloaded a free DX7 lol, lots to learn though

[@FreeSavaz]

Hi, very clear and educative video! About sawtooth wave, you can also use a simple operator with full feedback than a stack modulator(fb)-carrier, am I right? I own a TG77 but I don't know if it's possible to do so on a DX7. Then I use the feedback as a kind of low-pass filter. In that way you could have a "six-osc" synth slightly detuned for a unison effect?

[@FreeSavaz]

No, ok I read it's not possible to feedback all the operators.. pardon!

[@madFame]

Yes, the TG77 does have a some advancements on the DX7 including more operators with feedback. I'm not sure how the feedback settings work on the TG77 but on the DX7 it steps up between values and only goes from 0 (low) to 7 (high) so there is limited feedback range on the DX7. Great suggestion though, thanks for watching!

[@CornelionSigismon]

Excellent serie, the best on the subject. Hope you'll release more

[@benc9722]

Very helpful, thank you!

[@madFame]

You're welcome Ben, thanks for tuning in and sharing the positive feedback!

[@maendelofdoom]

Good and clear tutorial, thanks for making this!

[@madFame]

You're welcome, thanks for viewing! There are a lot of great FM videos online which are quite extensive, so I've decided to do basic guides of the functions most of us struggle with. More videos to come!

[@asterzaster1]

Can you explain why you said the ratios might be different on a 4 operator FM synth? (6:30) If the other operators are turned off what difference does it make?

[@madFame]

Some 4-op DX synths like the DX27/DX100 (I own both) don't process the values in this video the same way as a DX7. I've put the exact same values in on those and had close but varying results. The process still works but the outcomes are different because the PCB design is different. Even if you only use 4-ops on the DX7 it will sound different to a DX27/DX100.

[@asterzaster1]

madFame hmm I wonder why? Just getting into FM. Maybe someday it’ll make sense!

[@madFame]

asterzaster1 - I assume they just cut down costs with components and PCB design on the budget models. In the end it had an effect on the quality of the sound and the complexity of the editing parameters for the lower DX models. One interesting thing I found is that when making a saw tooth waveform on the DX100 it showed on my oscilloscope going the opposite direction to the DX7. This was my main clue that something very different was going on internally between the two DX models. I might do an A/B comparison video showing this sometime.

[@asterzaster1]

madFame I’ve been trying it on the iPad with FM4 (TX7 is in the mail!) and soundwise it seems to create the waveforms you say with those same ratios and 7 feedback. But I don’t have an oscilloscope to check for sure.

[@nickwallette6201]

Sure you do -- just record the audio on your computer and use the audio editor's waveform view, or an oscilloscope plugin if you want a realtime windowed display.

[@renzotorr537]

Bro, i love your videos they are greatttt. Just one critic: Work on the speak flow, sometimes the video gets slow, still great tutorial tho. Greetings

[@madFame]

Hi Renzo, thanks for watching! I hope your understanding of FM/DX programming has improved.