Hello everyone,
I am a newbie, and have been playing with M:C for a couple of days now. A couple of questions keep popping up in my head, I would really love to get some answers to:
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when you create a new project, and start sculpting sounds - what is your process? Do you know which machine with which settings (more or less) to use even before you start? Or is it more like you have an idea what it could be, but then you experiment until you find what you like? What if you can’t reach a desired sound? How do you know when it’s the limitations of the device vs. your lack of skills?
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with my very limited understanding of FM synthesis, it seems like it’s hard because it’s about perfectly aligning multiple operators in a way that produces a stable, desired sound. Kind of like finding a needle in a haystack if you don’t know what you are doing. Following that logic, M:C comes with pre-designed, pre-configured operators limiting the possibility for “unhappy” accidents, therefore reducing the haystack size. Now, that still leaves enough of surface area for making unique sounds, but I am wondering how much it really is? I don’t expect a number - just an estimate. Because when I first got the M:C and played with machines and their most important knobs (color, shape, sweep, contour) it felt like the possibilities are limitless. But the more I am playing with it, the more I notice that only a smaller subset of combinations sounds good. By my very rough estimate, maybe 1/10 of all possible combinations?.. Maybe more if you include pitch and decay. Also, the punch and distortion. But still my point remains. This is rather an open ended question. Not a critique of the device (which I already love, btw). I am just trying to build a better mental model of it.
Thank you