A Complete Guide to FM Synthesis – Frequency Modulation Made Easy – Music Recording and Composition

A Complete Guide to FM Synthesis – Frequency Modulation Made Easy – Music Recording and Composition

Article by Greg Hoffman

In the early 1980s, Yamaha came out the DX synthesizers. Thus, the birth of frequency modulation, which is what, you hear on the radio. This provided unheard of new sounds that could be utilized by keyboard players anywhere.

However it became the downfall of the classic analogue synths. Analogue VCO’s were unstable which is why dedicated FM synthesizers are digital by nature. It’s easy to produce un pitched and metallic tones with the FM synthesis methods, as opposed to the standard subtractive sounds.

The modulator oscillator is one necessity for FM synthesis. It uses a sine waveform. And works just like an LFO as it modulates the frequency pitch of the carrier oscillator, which by the way is the second key thing required. The carrier oscillator also utilizes a sine waveform.

If you set up a sine wave oscillator and a LFO on a normal subtractive synthesizer you will achieve similar affects. You will need to use the LFO to modulate the oscillators pitch at the same time you increase the LFO rate. Then the sound becomes non harmonic. FM synthesizers lean towards having around 4-8 operators which livens things up. This eliminates the lifeless sound of the operators. You can utilize a technique called algorithms, which means routing all those extra operators in unique and different ways. You can arrange the operators so that modulators 1 and 2 go into the carrier. Or if you like, you can send modulator 1into modulator 2, which then goes into the carrier.

This is a complicated way of making a new waveform. So what you can’t achieve with other types of sound synthesis is the interesting and lifelike sounds that you can by using many operators.

When you change the carrier operator’s modulation, the carrier frequency fluctuates up and down. This depends on the depth and rate it is set at. What this creates is sideband. Because depending on how it’s modulated is what creates the harmonics that surround the carrier. Most often in FM synthesis, the term oscillator is referred to as operator.

VSTPlatinum provides a goldmine of over 1700 VST instruments, plugins and VSTi effects for home studios or professional recordings

Greg Hoffman is a former BMG sound engineer and the founder of VSTPlatinum.com – http://www.VSTPlatinum.com

Discover the easiest way to create cutting edge music

by ⌘N

Learn how to properly set up your instruments to start recording and add a new audio track to your project in Music Creator 5.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Excerpt from Tadlow Music’s recording sessions of the complete music from Miklos Rozsa’s EL CID with Nic Raine conducting the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra on 13 & 14 March 2008. Video contains rehearsals of the cues “Sancho’s Demand” and “United Again”.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 at 15:26 and is filed under Music Recording. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

26 Responses to “A Complete Guide to FM Synthesis – Frequency Modulation Made Easy – Music Recording and Composition”

1
KietsuHayabusa Says:

so i hooked my guitar up and set it as the input, but MC gives me no audio at all. when i imported a midi file  it also gave me no audio. itunes gives me audio, so its not a speaker problem. please help!
February 8th, 2012 at 15:30

2
LScully Music Follow Says:

A Complete Guide to FM Synthesis – Frequency Modulation Made Easy – Music Recording and Compos… http://t.co/30Hhqqkn LSMc-L-Sb-4-Music
February 8th, 2012 at 15:49

3
chuy14nba Says:

how to fix latency? please
February 8th, 2012 at 16:15

4
SuperColberts Says:

@ExhaustedPenguin
LOL.. You said it!!!!
February 8th, 2012 at 16:48

5
444liam444 Says:

how do you import audio already on your computer to the track?

February 8th, 2012 at 17:39

6
robert199594 Says:

why does the sound echo has a delay? it’s very confusing
February 8th, 2012 at 17:42

7
josh10177 Says:

@CakewalkSoftware the USB that our instrument plugs into. can you answer the Question?
February 8th, 2012 at 17:45

8
JPPchannel Says:

Since Cakewake isn’t helping me at all I had to figure out how to make the sound playback by myself. What you have to do at least this worked for me is go to “Options” then audio then where it says “playback device” it was set on the microphone. So change the playback device to your speakers that the system detects. This worked for me, I hope it helps. P.S I shouldnt have to figure all this out just so I can use this software, I am not happy with it…
February 8th, 2012 at 17:57

9
roofman2002 Says:

the cakewalk5 is the most non friendly recording software i have ever had the displeasure of using.after reading about all the problems that everyday people have with it i dont feel so alone any more. guess i’ll go shell out the cash for mixcraft
February 8th, 2012 at 18:35

10
xX1OfaKiNdXxXCoolXx Says:

my usb is not working with this softwear. i did every thing to use this product but when i try to play the sound dose not come out and the sound meter stays above when i record. and costumer service said to restart the computer and make sure the driver is install. the driver install but i still dont hear or see the sound move meter move. help! please
February 8th, 2012 at 19:22

11
Coliny838 Says:

If you can’t hear anything while you have a microphone plugged in, On windows 7 go down to your Speaker Icon and click on it, there should be two different speakers after that. Click on the one thats playing volume and go to where it says usage of device(enabled) and then click on disable. And Boom!
February 8th, 2012 at 20:22

12
okimarobot Says:

I know cakewalk is good stuff cause I used it 10 years ago… but where the hell is the advancement in user friendliness? This is unnecessarily complex
February 8th, 2012 at 20:34

13
CastleRecordz Says:

My problem is this, not being able to edit a track individually with it being on the Track View Board,
When it’s in loop construction, that;s the kind of editing screen I’m comfortable making adjustments in. Why can’t I? Why is it only grayed out?
February 8th, 2012 at 21:16

14
RoundupLongboarding Says:

Is music creator 5 free???
February 8th, 2012 at 21:38

15
RoundupLongboarding Says:

Is music creator 5 free???
February 8th, 2012 at 22:03

16
BarcelonaSpain100 Says:

Spain is full of disgustin moors again…shame
February 8th, 2012 at 22:52

17
JH14Bilbao Says:

I love this music!!!. Thanks Mr. Rozsa. Excelent film, extraordinary score.
February 8th, 2012 at 23:43

18
Prospro8 Says:

Just think … these are two cues that never made it onto English-speaking prints of the film. ‘Snacho’s Demand’ is only on European prints. So this is the very LEAST of the score, in a way. This will surely be the best soundtrack release for a very long time.
February 8th, 2012 at 23:47

19
tonyromatonyromaam Says:

Amazing!!
February 9th, 2012 at 00:30

20
Leewolke Says:

could u pls upload the whole part of this music ? That would be great.
February 9th, 2012 at 00:59

21
pp312 Says:

It’s one of the all-time great scores and should make one of the all-time great recordings. James Fitzpatrick (Tadlow) has declared himself tremendously happy with the results, saying the Prague Philharmonic played their hearts out for him, knowing how much money he had invested in the project. This one just has to be a winner.
February 9th, 2012 at 01:29

22
Hammid Says:

Been in love with El Cid, both movie and score since childhood… 
Defines me in person.
February 9th, 2012 at 02:10

23
PragueNaPrikope Says:

¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ★
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ★★
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨★★★
★★★★★★★★★★★
¨¨¨¨★★★★★★★★
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨★★★★★★
¨¨¨¨¨¨★★¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨★★
¨¨¨¨¨★¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨★
Great! Thanks for you video I’ve enjoied it You can help me to find out this person from my videos by subscribing to my channel ty
February 9th, 2012 at 02:33

24
Ram1296 Says:

I have all musicsb (Ben-Hur and El-Cid)
February 9th, 2012 at 03:17

25
Dalkveron Says:

can’t wait to buy a copy of this amazing soundtrack. I’m Spanish and I must say that Mr Rozsa captured perfectly the sound and essence of my country (excuse my English)
February 9th, 2012 at 03:26

26
MarieLCoccia Says:

Majestic.
February 9th, 2012 at 04:11