I am new to the synthzone, and have progressively been dabbling in the KBS realm for the past few years - guitar and vocals being my first instruments of choice - modern rock/grunge/heavy/ genres but with much interest in hip hop and rNb beats.... Anyway. I have a Yamaha DX200 desktop synth - which I think counts for FM synth?
I also have a KORG EA-1 electribe and I must say I dig the FM possibilities.

I'll have plenty of questions for the many wise ones later!

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Yes, DX200 is FM.

I find that FM lets you program sounds that work well with heavy guitars.
Simply pick any sound and turn up the level of the modulators 'till the sound starts to distort. the result is more interesting then simply running a sound through a distortion effect. Bands like Skinny Puppy and Nine inch nails have been using that simple, but effective method for years. (although they also used fuzzboxes and guitar amps to distort their synths).
By the way I also play guitar and sing.
ED

[This message has been edited by 3351 (edited 09-15-2003).]

cool....

I've been most influenced by a band called "God Lives Underwater" in the whole synth - guitar - rock hybrid. I've never heard anything like them in the way they blended everything. I hear a lot of synths and keys in music today, but nothing like the early GLU factor.

What do the Fantom s88 and Triton Studio fall into as far as analog/FM on the synth aspect that is?

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The Roland Fantom s88 and Korg Triton Studio are neither FM nor analog.
They use a linear substractive synthesis )sample- amplitude - filter - pitch) combined with sampling and advanced sample processing. Pretty much the same thing as a Yamaha MOTIF. I believe, some of them also feature a bit of physical modeling and Granular synthesis. But in overall they are just sample based digital workstations that don't really have anything to do with FM synthesis (although
V-synth has FM - but that's not what sells it.)

If you are looking for other FM synths check out:
Yamaha DX, TX and SY series. You can also check out the Yamaha FS1R.
Besides using FM for usual FM stuff, the FS1R features formant synthesis, which is basically FM, but a little deeper and produces more complex textures that range from human vocal patterns & loops to realistic acoustic and percussion sounds.

Also check out Native Instruments FM7. I use it ALOT. Besides being compatible with all the Yamaha FM stuff, it has some unique abilities of it's own. It's pretty good at creating loops and sounds with a lot of motion.
ED

so there's not much changing of the sampled sounds on the workstations unless you re-sample your own sounds ? right?

I like the workstations though for the overall ability to compact so many different parts of a song in one unit/instrument - the way I understand them that is (thinking on purchasing one) opposed to each part/phrase individually, then attempted midi sequencing which isn't working to well fo me, like on my two desktop synths in collab with a yamaha djxii (don't laugh) now.

but I wouldn't ditch the FM desktop or either one. they so portable and simple - sort of simple that is.


What about the NORD lead seris, like the 2 and 2x - don't those have FM capability? I think GLU used them?


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[This message has been edited by frequency49 (edited 09-16-2003).]

Many nowadays mainstream synths have FM capabilities. But they do emulations of FM as in oppose to real FM A-Z kind of synthesis.
DX200 is a pretty advanced box. From FM point of view anyway.

And I think workstations like S88 and MOTIF offer some interesting sample processing capabilities. You'd be amazed with what a simple sample time stretch can do to a sound.
As for sequencing - don't worry about it. You'll learn. Get CUBASE and keep on trying - you'll become pretty good. I guarantee that.

ED

I'm hearing you! I buoght cubasis VST right before I upgraded to OS X, hence I am not using it as I'd have to run classic OS 9 to do so noticed you use Logic - but not ready to gouge the pocket for that yet - so yes, cubase SX might be an option.

no input/output on the Nord Lead(s) 1,2,2x,or 3?

I don�t know much about the NORD LEADs because I don't own one myself.
But there are a few guys that hang around this site that do.

By the way I find that I'm also forced to bounce in between OS9 and OSX. Mostly because of some soft synths that have not been updated for OSX yet.
ED

Well, my latest FM challenge is to program that sound from "Money for nothing" (Dire Straits). If anyone here ever programmed a DX, they'll know what I'm talking about.
I've made lots of attemts to get it right, but only got close. There must be someone that knows how to program that sound...
ED

Here is a Nord Modular FM workshop. It's probably useful for non-clavia users too, as it is very visual. You can follow the examples, if you have the routing capabilities in your synth. Remember, alot of the patching is already done on FM specific synths.

The rest of the tips (not just FM) are here . Alot of synthesis reading here, with pictures that show connections and so on.

-tek

[This message has been edited by I SWEAR THIS UBB CRAP HATES ME! AAAAARRRFGGGH!�!!"21 (edited 09-19-2003).]

[This message has been edited by tekminus (edited 09-19-2003).]