Both of these techniques do very similar things, however, Phase Modulation is used more in the generation of Operator tones and Phasing effects. Phase Modulation isn't really a type of synthesis as it is pretty much another way of saying Frequency Modulation. By making these tones hit at a certain time it causes the sound to cancel out or PHASE and result in the very noticeable gliding sound that can be heard for example when a plane takes off. If you want to get the science of phase modulation however it is effectively a method used to cancel out certain frequencies by playing 2 or more sounds at the same frequency range for a very short period of time, creating a shifting sound. Phase Modulation is another way of saying FM (Which was coined by Yamaha in the early 1980s). In theory, FM synthesis is effective for creating incredibly complex sounds based off of the rapidly changing frequencies of each operator, it is complex but it is easier to make intense and diverse sounds using FM rather than Subtractive Synthesis. By using Operators the sound is able to shift and modulate in regards to the various speeds of each sound that is generated resulting in a tone or sound being played at different wave lengths and frequencies. Operators generate sound waves at a certain speed (Hz) which dictates the pitch of that specific sound, for example, bass sounds usually have a range of around 20-250Hz whereas leads and synths have ranges between 500-15000Hz. What is going on? What is the difference between Phase Modulation and Frequency Modulation? How do they relate?įrequency modulation (FM) is the manipulation of the Hz of a sound or "Operator". Native Instruments FM8 and Image-Line Sytrus both seem to perform what is called "PM" in ZynAddSubFX (even though FM8 has "FM" in it's name). A perfect analog square or pulse wave should produce no audible change at all, as it only contains neutral angles (when viewed from "above"). PM on the other hand seems to read the "slope" or the angle of the modulating waveform. Spectrogram view looks like a square wave.įM seems to read the absolute level of modulating waveform for modifying pitch of the carrier wave. PM produces two tones of different pitch, and alternates between them.
![sytrus vs fm8 sytrus vs fm8](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cVHvl4SUG_c/maxresdefault.jpg)
SYTRUS VS FM8 HOW TO
The way FL Studio interfaces with synths is a little different than other DAWs, so the additional instruction on how to map parameters is also helpful.ĭo you have tutorial requests, or perhaps tutorials of your own that you would like to share with the world? If so, let us know by dropping us a message before you take off today.I heard in numerous places that Yamaha DX7 used Phase Modulation in spite of being advertised as an "FM synthesizer".Īn opensource synthesizer called ZynAddSubFX has both PM and FM modulation modes available.īoth produce very similar results for sine wave modulators (hence no big deal with the DX7), but very different results for triangle wave ones.įM produces a single gliding tone when modulating a sine with a triangle - you can see the triangle pattern on a spectrogram when the modulator is slow enough. The depth of instruction is not too great in this video, in regards to the FM8 workflow and mechanics, but the sound is a good one to learn, and the comparison with another synth is nice. Arturia DX7 V Native Instruments FM8 (and FM7 before it) FL Studio Sytrus Big Tick Rhino Loftsoft FM Heaven Audio Nebula Aurora Speedsoft VX7 (. This should help you match things up easily. And you can use the Expert Env window to see all of the operator envelopes in one place. Another tip for you if you are having troubles replicating the sound in the lesson, you can switch your view to Expert Ops and see all of the pitch ratio settings and waveforms in one window. And it is such a simple design, that it leaves plenty of room for tweaking and customization. One thing that is not really explored in this lesson are the many different things you can accomplish with just the envelopes within FM8 with a sound like this one. The sound itself is a kind of modern talking electro style bass, and the key to the modulation is in the envelopes. All that said, it is also an easy tutorial and it is presented in a way that can be followed along with and understood by those who are new to frequency modulation synthesis. And secondly, we do not have many opportunities here to feature tutorials for FL Studio users, and this one happens to go into some detail about how to create automation clips and some other helpful insights.
![sytrus vs fm8 sytrus vs fm8](https://rekkerd.org/img/200907/imageline_sytrus.jpg)
First and foremost it provides a great opportunity to those FM8 users who are new to FM synthesis to see how lucky they are to have an incredibly well made and nicely designed synth to work with while learning a new approach to sound design. You may be wondering why this video was selected to be featured on the site.
![sytrus vs fm8 sytrus vs fm8](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/f5b280cb5ce0672742ef75bc1aa25d35-650-80.jpg)
This is a rather unique tutorial fro us here because it shows how to accomplish the same task twice, how to make a modern FM bass in FM8 as well as in Sytrus.