The Secret Effect of the DX7

This video covers how to get a phaser like effect that is great for guitar and piano patches. It's also useful for fat analog synth emulations.
The patches can be found at: www.offthematrix.net/shop

[@DrSynth]

Why this occurs is the 'through zero' effect of the negative order sidebands. A low fixed frequency carrier essentially creates a 'mirror image' of the modulators input to it, pitch shifted by the 2x value of the fixed carrier frequency. Hence the movement/beating you hear is similar to detuning two identical waveforms. Where this is significantly different is the 'detuning' is constant Hertz, so no matter what pitch/note is played it stays the same, not doubling every octave like traditional detuning. The same constant Hz behavior occurs with the harmonics within the sound, meaning their detuning amount does not increase by the factor of their harmonic order (i.e. the 3rd harmonic would be 3x the Hz offset compared to the fundamental, there 5th harmonic would be 5x etc). This is why the effect of the fixed carrier detuning is more subtle than traditional detuning

[@AztecWarrior707]

Ive managed to get a chorusing effect on a square like sound, by detuning the operators, basically trying to recreate an analog sound from a Yamaha SK-20 with a Square Wave with the ensamble effect switch to ON, it basically sounds like a Calliope flute like sound, which is nice

[@159awi]

This is very interesting and I had to think about it. The carrier is no longer in the typical fm range. The fundamental is outside the audible range so all you hear would be the harmonices.

[@offthematrix5310]

Yes, that's correct. I discovered when I set a modulator to a ratio to 2.00 to effect a fixed frequency carrier, the tone wasn't the square or clarinet like tone because of that.

[@______BS______]

brilliant explanation. thank you for your dx7 videos

[@jarikoskenniska299]

Thank you put all your effort to explain n making this video going through all in details! 👃

[@TrazomGV]

I owned V50, but before it I had DX21 and I could get even better, warmer string sound than on V50. It is a matter of deep dive into the very core of FM synthesis. DX21 had no advanced features of V50 such as built-in DSP or key velocity, aftertouch or multitone option, but despite that it was possible to create persuasive string sound instead of sterile factory setting miew-like one, typical for digital synths of the time back then. With the use of dual option, two such string tones with a bit of detune could easily compete with famous strings on Juno 60.

[@effervescentelephant917]

I would say it’s more like a chorus since you are detuning the oscillators

[@MGMark6830]

If using fixed frequency carrier has the modulator volume impact as a filter

[@offthematrix5310]

The modulator will make the tone brighter as it's output level is raised, if that's what you mean.