Best FM programming book or guide?

[6581punk]

What's a good book or guide to programming FM sounds?

[Xavier]

Hi 6581punk,

Copy and past for an Old PreenFM1 thread.
It's still valid, should copy that in the FAQ ;-)

"Why not starting by a video  ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3yrd2YvkUo

Then, I would suggest this reading :
http://noisesculpture.com/how-to-make-a-noise-frequency-modulation-synthesis
1,5 Euros for the Kindle version...

This link is intersting too:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr00/articles/synthsecrets.htm

In this one you need to adapt the example to the PreenFM but is worth reading:
http://the-all.org/tx81z/fm_overview.html

To practice with the PreenFM you can start with AlG1 with IM2 = 0 and IM3 = 0.
Just play with OP1 and OP2 and IM1.
Start modifying the OSC and the enveloppe and try to understand what's happening...
Remember that OP1 is the carrier (the one that create the sound)... and OP2 a "modulator", it affects the spectrum...
Start slowly to add a LFO in the Matrix.
Continue step by step."

Xavier

[6581punk]

Thanks, I have that ebook. I wondered if there was any others or tips from people on here?

My technique is to just take an existing sound and flip through the algorithms until I find something interesting, then tweak.

Another thing I think is useful (feel free to disagree) is an easy way to save. Many synths of old had a write button.

What I think is useful is if you can write to a temp patch that is always the initial state of the device. So you edit a sound, press save then don't need to tell the device where and what name. It just gets stored, then if you turn off the device and go do something else, when you switch it on next you can continue where you were before?

It's like your desktop, then you can file it away later on.

[kuzma_p]

Hello!
One of the best readings about OP ratios:
http://www.sfu.ca/~truax/fmtut.html

[Xavier]

@Kuzma, thanks , nice link.

@6581punk, "default combo"'s goal was to save temporary patch. Menu->Save->Defl->Save.
Once you've done that once, just pressing several times the menu button, will save again the default combo.

Switch off and on the PreenFM and you're combo is loaded.
I agree about a simple default patch to begin with.

[6581punk]

Thanks I don't have a case for my Preen yet but I'm getting one made. So I've not used it extensively yet, I will try that when I do.

It's a concept I recently noticed the Novation Bass station has, although that was after I made my post here.