FM brass sounds have a reputation for being cheesy and unexpressive. This is less a reflection of FM synthesis, though, and more a reflection of the way keyboard players tend to approach performance.
The latest Off The Matrix video demonstrates this – and shows how Yamaha’s DX synths were designed to support expressive control options that can make sounds come alive.
Check out the video and share your thoughts in the comments!
“This is less a reflection of FM synthesis, though, and more a reflection of the way keyboard players tend to approach performance.”
Nice way to frame this! In fact, the breath controller used in the intro to the video gave me hope that we’d hear about ways to make brass sounds expressive with the devices brass players use (breath controllers and windcontrollers, for instance). The DX7 did have a port for breath control and TEControl still sells a compatible device.
https://www.tecontrol.se/products/analog-breath-controller
These allow for expression during the attack phase and through the duration of the note, which is more important perceptually than just the tone at a given moment. Modulating things with velocity can also help for the attack phase and aftertouch could be used to bring the expressiveness of the breath contour. Regardless of synthesis, this tends to require a bit of fiddling. With subtractive synths, we typically play with filter cutoff (breath “opens” the filter so that the sound is brighter and louder when we blow harder). With FM, it sounds like a similar technique could be applied to a secondary modulator.
Can’t say that the video was so convincing though it might inspire me to create some patches using a few FM techniques.
I greatly enjoyed this one. Whether fringe-y or super-established, synths have hidden voices people too rarely tap, including me. Just remember that any electronic mouthpiece for these things can still fall prey to the same issue acoustic players face: a spit valve that doesn’t get sufficiently cleaned, turning it into a stank swamp. Gross, huh?
Great approach.
The problem with this video is that no information is given for the tuning ratios for each operator. And also there is no information about the level of each operator.