Yamaha TX-81Z

[iqoruvuc]

Not really anything to do with circuit bending but I picked up one of these the other day really cheap.  I have heard really good reviews about these and that you can get some good bass out of them.  Only I can't.  I understand the principles of fm but in practice I'm totally confused by it, and any enthusiasm to make music quickly transforms into inner rage, self-hatred, and bodily mutilation.  So help me!!!!!!  please!!!!!!  aaaaarrraaagggghhhhh!!!!! (and if anyone knows of an editor that would be good too )

[Circuitbenders]

The principles of FM synthesis are as follows:

1. Buy the FM synth of your choice.
2. Go through the presets marvelling at the brilliance of 'Solid Bass' and 'Pluck Bass'
3. Think to yourself 'hang on, i recognise all these sounds from Leftism'
4. Attempt to do some programming and make a selection of wierd fizzy clanking grind sounds that you will never use.
5. Attempt to actually understand the principles of FM synthesis, it is very important at this stage that you avoid your brain dribbling out of your ears.
6. Give up, use 'Solid Bass' on a couple of tunes then leave the thing to gather dust for a couple of years
7. Sell it

[james.athesberg]

4. Attempt to do some programming and made a selection of wierd fizzy clanking grind sounds that you will never use.

i think that sounds like a good sound, maybe i should get n fm synth 

[iqoruvuc]

I believe yamaha made an fm synth a few years ago with analogue modeling and filters, kind of looked like a korg electribe or along the lines of one of those groove-synths or whatever they're called.  That looked quite fun, though I honestly cannot see myself buying anything else fm unless it is destined to be circuit bent.  It's much more fun playing with the 'digital synthesizer' on the pss range then on the damned thing I bought, and I seem to get more useful sounds too.

The seven principles of fm are spot on!

[Circuitbenders]

Get an external controller that you can program to send SYSEX and assign some knobs or sliders to the operator levels and envelopes etc. You still won't know whats going on but its a lot easier to deal with and you can make some savage noises by accident.

Thats the theory anyway.

[iqoruvuc]

I will have a go at that. Thanks.

[Signal:Noise]

Sounds fun, how much did you pay for it?

[iqoruvuc]

Hi - £25

[voodoolikeudoo]

I got a audio cassette that came with my DX100 with some guy attempting to explain FM synthesis.

It's the most painfull thing i've ever heard

[digimatic]

I think you need to try harder If you know what the harmonic series is, or if you don't, but figure that out, understanding FM gets a bit easier. Try and understand what the synthesis technique is trying to achieve, in the context of "musicality", and it shouldn't be too difficult to move from there. 
There are lots of resources online, here's a couple without an equation in sight, if you haven't already seen them

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1997_articles/sep97/synthschool3.html

http://www.clavia.se/nordmodular/Modularzone/FMsynthesis.html

I would recommend reading John Chownings original paper on FM, if you can get your hands on it, for the diagrams alone.

J. Chowning (1973). " The Synthesis of Complex Audio Spectra by Means of Frequency Modulation". Journal of the Audio Engineering Society 21 (7)

I seriously suck at math so if I can figure this one out just about anyone can.

[Circuitbenders]

I would recommend reading John Chownings original paper on FM, if you can get your hands on it, for the diagrams alone.

But this is the problem i find. When people are recommending reading a 'paper' on a synthesis method in order to understand it instead of just reaching out and changing something with an intuitive knowledge of whats going to happen i think it becomes apparent that you'll end up making less music in an infinately more complex way.

Right....... now i'm off to spend 5 hours patching together my modular synth to make a beep.................