Can anyone explain what is happening when you use one oscillator to modulate another oscillator? For example, what is happening if you use Osc. B to Modulate Osc. A in serum?
I come across quite a bit of sound design videos where this is a technique, but I want to understand what is happening!
Synth Modulation
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clayton.dickmann
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justanametouse
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Re: Synth Modulation
It's called frequency modulation synthesis or FM for short. There's a ton of info online about how it all works. It can be a bit confusing to start, but with some practice and deliberate experimentation, it all starts to click. Basically, you're sending an audio level signal (above 20 Hz) into another signal and modulating it. It's basically the same thing as an LFO (low frequency oscillator), except an LFO is between 0-20 Hz and while it changes to pitch of the receiving signal, it itself inaudible.
I'm not sure how Serum handles FM, so I can't talk specifically on the approach there. I assume it's a little more chaotic and doesn't use something called Ratios, which is how your typical digital FM synth like the DX7 or FM8 work. If you have Ableton's Operator, it's not only one of the best FM synths available, but very beginner friendly.
I'm not sure how Serum handles FM, so I can't talk specifically on the approach there. I assume it's a little more chaotic and doesn't use something called Ratios, which is how your typical digital FM synth like the DX7 or FM8 work. If you have Ableton's Operator, it's not only one of the best FM synths available, but very beginner friendly.
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Mark Williams
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Re: Synth Modulation
I would also check out the new Flow Motion from Waves, nice little new FM synth. Worth a go especially at the launch price.
Link below to save a little more too.
Link below to save a little more too.
Live 11, M1 Mac Mini, Push 2, Scarlett 18i20 & ADA8200, Softube Console 1 Mk2, Deepmind12, Hydrasynth, Cobalt 8M, Moog Subsequent 25, IK Uno Synth Pro, Plethora X3, Nord Drum 3P
Re: Synth Modulation
This is about as simple an explanation of FM synthesis as I've ever seen - http://synthesizeracademy.com/fm-synthesis/
As well as Operator an FM synth worth looking at is Dexed. It's free and is a very good emulation of the Yamaha DX7, can use DX-7 patches and comes with a lot of them. As a bonus all the programming stuff is laid out in the gui. Unlike the DX 7, where all you got was a bunch of mysterious buttons, a slider and a small basic screen - altogether an interface so hard to use that most DX-7 users found the thing almost impossible to program themselves. Which is why there were lots of preset banks for sale at one time. Nowadays huge numbers of DX patches can be found online.
If you've an iPad the synth FM-4 is worth looking at, it sounds good and is easy to program.
As well as Operator an FM synth worth looking at is Dexed. It's free and is a very good emulation of the Yamaha DX7, can use DX-7 patches and comes with a lot of them. As a bonus all the programming stuff is laid out in the gui. Unlike the DX 7, where all you got was a bunch of mysterious buttons, a slider and a small basic screen - altogether an interface so hard to use that most DX-7 users found the thing almost impossible to program themselves. Which is why there were lots of preset banks for sale at one time. Nowadays huge numbers of DX patches can be found online.
If you've an iPad the synth FM-4 is worth looking at, it sounds good and is easy to program.
Live 10 Suite, 2020 27" iMac, 3.6 GHz i9, MacOS Catalina, RME UFX, assorted synths, guitars and stuff.