Wood sounds tutorial (with ratio offsets)

Before the ratio offsets i had a pretty hard time trying to get the wood sounds in this tutorial right. But now the results are pretty good. Thanks for this awesome upgrade!! This tutorial is great for intermediate FM techniques btw.

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Are you able to interpret the Cxratio, DxRatio, and Detune in terms of Digitone parameters?

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Use DxRatio = whole number is syn 1 ratio, decimal is ratio offset. Match up the algorithm visually. Most of the wood ones use DN alg 2.

I had fun trying to match sounds on this one. Might try some of the others. Not sure I would use any of the sounds in my own music, but quite a fun excercise to get used to programming the Digitone, and learning what the parameters do. I only got a digitone a week ago, so I’m a complete beginner with it. Love it so far, incredible machine!

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some sounds are really great! I have to test these on my DN!
Thank you a lot for sharing @muddeshewrote !

I went through the whole series last night. Wood, Air, Metal. It seems like some of the sounds are tricky to replicate since the Digitone does not have the required algorithm. I omitted those ones from my attempts.
Also on some of the patches, the Ratios given are up in the 20s, but Digitone Ratios only go up to 16. No idea what the scaling is so yeah, expect differences!

However, what I will say, is after following through the three videos, I know have a much better feel for the Digitone, even though I am barely scraping the surface of what it can do. Why didnt I get one of these things earlier?! They are amazing! I also plugged a midi keyboard into it the other day and oh my god the modulation capabilities are off the hook, pretty much everything has four destinations, mod wheel, pitch wheel, velocity, after touch, Yikes! I look forward to many years of creating with it :slight_smile:

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from the metalic tutorial/video explanation:
“Frequency ratios and detune settings are provided for FB01/CX5 4 operator and DX7 (in red).”

so,
cx stands for yamaha cx(series).
dx stands for yamaha dx(series).

cheers!

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Can I just ask someone to clarify something.

I don’t quite understand the algorithm structures being used in these great videos. The algorithms in the video are from VOPM. In VOPM, are the 4 operators are always called C1 C2 M1 M2 even if C1 (for example) is actually a modulator in an algorithm?

For example in the Metal video, first one ‘Bell Bronze’, op2 is called C1 when it is not at the end (bottom or right) of the algorithm. When I look at it, it looks to me like C1 is a modulator. In DX style algorithms, the carriers are always at the bottom to show they carry the audio signal.

Edit: i dont know if I will get an answer to this here, but I’ll ask. I was able to follow these tutorials on the Reface DX, but the Preen fm2 is a bit trickier, even though it specifically says they should work. I can’t see how either set of ratio numbers translate to the preen? Any tips for a learner?

Edit: Thanks mods for merging topics! Looking forward to trying out some of the tips above on my Digitone

I found these interesting videos describing how to synthesize various sounds of raw materials (wood, metal, etc). In particular, I’m not sure how to apply the ratios in a Digitone context.

I assume it would require using the CXRatio, but not sure what parameter the second number would refer to? From the metal video description:

Ratios, how to:
If you are using VOPM, FB01, DX100, CX5 use the CXRatio column. Example:
The first number in the CX ratio is the “Mul” or ratio multiplier (0.5 to 15) and the second number is the “DT2” in VOPM or “IF” on the FB01, CX5 etc. (Should be between 0-3). The Detune is more of a standard fine detune you find on any synth’s oscillator and is for adding chorusing, beating frequencies etc. On the CX5, VOPM etc it is between 0-7

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I don’t have a Digitone, so can’t comment on that, but thanks for sharing these videos, they’re awesome. I’ll be having some fun trying these out on my tx81z tomorrow!

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Really interesting and nice videos!
Now I am also curious about the settings for digitone.

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This seems super useful. Thanks a lot for getting these together.

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I think “If you are are still stuck I recommend learning the basics of FM.” (in the video description) is one of the greatest “don’t ask me for help until you’ve helped yourself” burns I have ever read.

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Thanks, I’m going to try these on my opsix :heavy_check_mark:

Anyone successfully make any of these patches to sound like in the videos? Tried the wood ones, while they sound pretty close to wood, they definitely sound nothing like the patches in the video. The first wood patch for example ended up sounding like the fundamental isn’t the same as in the patch, also for some reason subtracting a ratio offset (detune for carrier B) from a higher ratio doesn’t sound the same as adding a ratio offset to a slightly lower ratio even if the sum of the resultant ratio number is the same :thinking:. I’m using the DX ratio values in the video.

Does kind of sound like playing low notes on a marimba though.

This stuff is very interesting, but hard to replicate exactly with different synths.

I’ve been spending (too much) time playing with FM synthesis and other stuff in Bitwig grid trying to learn to make drums including metallic hats, bells, wood sounds, snares, kicks etc.

Different synths definitely have different “flavour” when you use the same settings. I guess they all have slightly different envelope behaviour and slightly different algorithms for handling audio rate modulation etc.

As far as I can tell it’s all about fine margins and the difference between something that sounds “authentic” and something that sound quite artificial and synthesized is quite small. Also, your ears play tricks with you after you’ve listened to the same thing for too long. It sounds great, then you go and make a cup of tea and come back ten minutes later and suddenly you think it sounds fake again.

I think putting sounds in context is really important. I spent ages obsessing over synthesizing metal hi-hats recently and I drove myself mad, but once I actually put them into a track with other sounds it buried some of the details that didn’t seem right when the sound was on it’s own.

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I remember trying out a couple of these and tried some mapping of algos from DX to DN to make it a little more systematic. Maybe someone will find this helpul…

Disclaimer

Use at your own risk :wink: – It’s been a while ago, I hope this still makes sense.

Also transcribed the ratios from some of the sounds in the videos:

Algo 01
Sheet Metal
C=1 A=0.71, fb 6 B2=4 B1=0.71, det +3

Tine Bars
C=4 A=15, fb 4 B2=7 B1=15

Tin Hats
C=15 A=0.71, fb 4 B2=5.64 B1=0.87, det +3

Cirrus Cluster
C=0.5, det +1 A=11.28, fb 7 B2=.71, det +7 B1=1.73, det +3


Algo 02
Metal Cylinder
C=19.74 A=9.42 B2=10.38, fb 6 B1=21.15

Lenticular Ships
C=7 A=6.92 B2=21.15, fb 4, det +7  B1=7, det +7

Fugal Contrails
C=0.5, det 6 A=0.5, det 6 B2=8, fb 6, det +7  B1=4, det +7


Algo 04
Wind Gong
C=3, det 6 A=15.7, B2=15, fb 5, det 7  B1=21.15, det 3


Algo 07
Alu 6061
C=1 A=5, fb 6, det 3 B2=14, det 5  B1=1, det 4

Frozen Sines
C=12 A=12, det 1 B2=12, det 7  B1=12, det 3


Algo 03
Wind Cymbal
C=1, det 3 A=25.95, fb 7 B2=7.05, det 5  B1=7, det 7
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Thanks, that’s awesome :), this really helps. Will have a try making a few more of the sounds in the video when I get home.

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What does detune mean here in the context of the digitone? I thought detune as a parameter applies to the entire patch, not individual operators, but in your examples detune is different for different operators.

The transcribed parameters apply to the DX not the DN. You’ll have to experiment a little to get closer to the original. There will most likely not be an exact match.

If it says 0.71, det 3 – I would possibly set the ratio to 0.5 and ratio offset to +0.21, see how this works and try out increasing the offset a little more – which is what I believe not exactly the same, but similar to a separate detune of individual operators.

Edit: You could also set all ratios as close as possible for all operators and as a final step use the DTUN parameter which affects the relationship between A + B2.

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ML DLBRGIA&DRUM.dn2pst (670 Bytes)

This is my attempt at making the first sound in the wood video, I guess it’s reasonably close but sounds a bit more glassy.

If anyone manages to succeed making any of the metal timbres would be cool if you share your results, I haven’t been able to figure out how to convert the ratios and the modulation amounts are also proving tough to get correct.

Attached the preset, if you want to make it more percussive turn the sustain down to zero, increase the release a bit, and slightly decrease the decay. I added velocity modulation on FM amount and resonance amount on the EQ to make it more expressive, but the volume response is still a bit off for soft velocities depending on what midi controller is used, I can’t seem to figure out how to set a minimum volume for lower velocities which would help it sound better. Needs a bit of polishing as far as the modulation menus go. Very high notes sound more like glass and very low notes sound more like a hand drum.

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