Tutorial on FM module?

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Darkhog
Posts: 250
Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2011 11:03 pm

Tutorial on FM module?

Post by Darkhog »

Can anyone make tutorial on FM module? It is too complicated for me and I can't really understand how to work it.
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The Handle
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Re: Tutorial on FM module?

Post by The Handle »

I could work on one, though the best way to learn it (currently) is to mess with the controllers for a while. Don't be intimidated by it ;)
Darkhog
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Re: Tutorial on FM module?

Post by Darkhog »

Yes, that was first thing I've tried. Nothing good came out of it.
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The Handle
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Re: Tutorial on FM module?

Post by The Handle »

PLEASE READ THIS POST IN ITS ENTIRETY, IT EXPLAINS MY ATTITUDE TOWARDS TUTORIALS, ETC.
The Handle wrote:I could work on one, though the best way to learn it (currently) is to mess with the controllers for a while. Don't be intimidated by it ;)
Darkhog wrote:Yes, that was first thing I've tried. Nothing good came out of it.
Haha, and you think I got good with FMs right away? Best thing I can suggest right now is to mess with each controller individually to learn what they do. Breaking it down into small steps will make it less overwhelming.

It's difficult to explain 4 years of experience with sunvox without putting a lot of thought (and time) into my explanation. I could give you settings that work, but what would that teach you? It would remove some of the respect you earn when you learn the tool, and you still wouldn't learn to teach yourself (which is an INVALUABLE tool).

Suffice it to say, you would still be dependent on tutorials. I learned a lot of what I know through trial and error and listening to other music made with sunvox (and other programs), and while I'm willing to share what I've learned, you need to struggle with it for a bit to fully appreciate the work me, gilzad, and others have put into learning this program.


Yes, this may seem harsh, but I don't want this to become like the FL-Studio community, where there are tutorials for just about everything and something like 80% of the producers all use the same sounds. Time and time again I've seen FL-Studio users begging for a tutorial on how to make a sound, as opposed to figuring it out for themselves. It takes away the struggle for new producers and they loose respect for the hard work others put into their sounds. Tutorials (in my eyes) are best suited for teaching fundamentals. If I were to post tutorials for everything I know, where's your incentive to teach yourself, to explore the program and search for new things?
Koekepan
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Re: Tutorial on FM module?

Post by Koekepan »

Since, as I mentioned elsewhere, I'm involved in instructional materials and instructional design in my day job, I would like to suggest that there's a middle road here.

It is possible to write material which covers the basics just as it is possible to write material which expresses principles.

It is also possible to break material up into defined chunks which can be selected by a student to address the student's particular needs.

I agree with The Handle that there are definitely some bad ways to go about this, but I want to suggest that it is possible to go about this well, too.
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menthes
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Re: Tutorial on FM module?

Post by menthes »

creating instruments and sounds with frequency modulation requires a certain level of theoretical knowledge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIjp1btMEQs =@

this ^ video, presented by none other than virt himself, breaks down fm synthesis into its fundamentals. there are ample examples of fm hardware synths and instrument patches throughout the presentation, as well as a history and development timeline of fm synthesis. the presentation may be somewhat general, lengthy, and poorly shot, but i left the video with a broader understanding of how fm synthesis operates and modulates.
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The Handle
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Re: Tutorial on FM module?

Post by The Handle »

Koekepan wrote:I agree with The Handle that there are definitely some bad ways to go about this, but I want to suggest that it is possible to go about this well, too.
I agree that there is a positive way to do it. Darkhog, I simply don't want you (and others) to become dependent on tutorials :)

A good way to start learning this module is to study Nightradio's example tracks and page through the tutorials section on the forums here. I made a post a while back about my basic electro synth (viewtopic.php?f=16&t=1445&p=5054&hilit= ... ynth#p5054), which should help reinforce what I say later in this post. Supplementing that with videos like the one menthes mentioned will go a long way to helping you use the module.

Regarding learning the controllers, I would highly recommend messing with the first six in the FM, as they are the ones I use the most to shape the sound. You're going to want to mess with the C/M Volumes and the M Feedback first. To simplify things, the carrier (C) volume is what controls the overall volume of the FM, and the modulator (M) is what "colors" the carrier's signal, resulting in the output sound from the FM. Another tip: the FM usually sounds best above octave 1.

I've also found this to be helpful:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency_modulation
^This one has a perfect example of the difference between FM and AM (see animated picture to the far right, towards the top). It may sound like a lot of complicated mumbo-jumbo (I don't know what previous experience you have with DAWs or sound design), but over time and as your knowledge grows it'll begin to make sense.

FM= Frequency Modulation
AM = Amplitude Modulation

Also, learn to distort. You can get some hard sounds when you throw a distortion module on FMs ;)
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monoben
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Re: Tutorial on FM module?

Post by monoben »

menthes: great video! thanks :)
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