Could someone take a moment to explain how the Monomachine’s FM machines work?
I’ve spent a good bit of time with them and the manual, but apparently I’m missing some information regarding how the various parameters are connected in the synthesis routing.
you can start from here…if you didn’t already: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/apr00/articles/synthsecrets.htm
Well the modulation depth has a ganged control that also doubles as an envelope shape after the half way point. That’s a bit odd i suppose but it makes sense, as they are trying to keep the control count down. The tone dial also seems to have an overall effect of controlling the modulation depth (or FM index).
I think the FM machines are great on the Mono, probably my fave along with the Digital waves.
^
Yep, FM Stat, wicked for baselines!!!
Bass, god damn predictive text grrrrrr
When it comes to an FM synth, it’s better to NOT know how it’s working! 
Hello AdmiralBumbleBee –
FM aka Frequency Modulation is actually one of the hardest synthesis engines to explain and understand. This is probably why many people still hate machines like Yamaha Dx-7 because they never got the nuts to actually, learn how to program FM.
I do not want to write a long explanation of how FM works, so I rather want to link to a basic explanation:
why is that?
Because it is so complex
You can get into a way of working with FM though, especially with the MnM machines. The MnM’s FM engine is far easier to operate, understand and predict than something more complex, e.g. the DX7.
Thanks teevee,
for the link to this video. Didn’t know this one. It’s just great!
MNM FM is something for me to explore more and more 
@Freefall is definitely right, FM can be pretty complex.
I think what the Monomachine’s implementation does is to abstract a lot of the complexity away, presenting the user with a minimal set of options that will still enable a diverse range of sounds.
In my short time with my Monomachine, I’ve found the FM synth the most difficult to get to grips with, mainly because tweaking a parameter a little bit makes it go wild!
I think learning the theories and perseverance, as @teevee said is the key with FM(!)
The Teenage Engineering OP-1 synth’s FM engine functions in pretty much the same way.