Lessons
Course Introduction
04:57 2The FM Concept
09:50 3Operator Fundamentals
10:16 4FM Pro Tips
11:14 5Classic Subtractive Techniques
08:15 6FM Monophonic Bass
11:32 7FM Polyphonic Leads
18:49 8Drum and Percussion Overview
11:26Lesson Info
Classic Subtractive Techniques
all right. Here we go for level two for level two and the FM course when I first want to start off by doing is digging into the operator's functionality. As far as a classic synthesizer goes, Before we get into doing any super complex course tuning and Siri's routing and stuff like that, I want to make sure that we first know how to just get ripping sounds out of this thing, using it like a classic synthesizer. So in order to do that, as I mentioned in previous videos, usually what we're gonna do is we're gonna first click on the global panel down here and choose the far right algorithm. The fire right algorithm is gonna be the one that is going to let us use all these oscillators independently of each other. And that's not unlike the exact same way a normal subtracted or added synthesizer works. So first step we're gonna do once we've got these routed in parallel is I'll keep my level all the way up to keep sustain all the way up for just for this demonstration, and I'm gonna choose a...
wave form that's more rich with overtones. The digital Sal wave is the most rich of all of them. But I also have these other combinations. Excuse me. How many overtones I'd really like in the mix for a classic subtracted patch. I'm going to go with the digital saw, but let's notice how the Saw three looks and sounds. 123 Now I can arrow through. Here's the 462 And then finally, the digital saw you even noticed that are actually Ah, uh, sine wave Nice on. So we kind of have a little bit of, ah, wave table engine here where we can blend and build our own kind of additive waves. These are just presets now. Ah, let's make let's make a patch. So now that we've customised their way of shape a little bit, let's go ahead and throw a sub track tive filter on their on, and maybe even add another wave form at an octave below. Let's go with the sub occupation. This time. Let's use a square wave. Nice, huh? I've got a nice low sub base and now what I need to do to evoke a classic subtracted patches I need to modulate filter. In the case of classic synthesizers. The oscillators are your vocal cords, and the filter is your lips and mouth. You close your lips and mouth. You essentially are now making your cousin your tailoring, the overtone content with no lips. Their mouths were kind of like a dog barking. When we close our lips and mouth way have the ability to like attenuate those overtones while leaving the fundamental nice and loud. The next thing we'd probably want to dio is modulate that filter from a variety of sources, either from its own on board envelope for the operators, LFO or from our keyboard keyboard can happen in a variety of ways. The most common thing to do with the filter cut off in a classic subtracted patches key track the filter cut off. And that's where we do that right down here we say keyboard to frequency. We set that up in 100%. So now what happens is if this is my tambor down here and I play higher on the register, filter moves along with my pitch. So the key tracking of the filter cut off is a critical thing for bases and leads and anything that we're gonna actually play up and down the keyboard, so generate your overtones by yelling. Close your mouth and now be able to pitch. Filter cut off just like your pitching. The oscillators with key tracking at zero, This filter cut off does not move. And if you have it nice and low when you go way up high in the octave range, you can hardly hear it turns away down right, because the filter is so low. So that's the key tracking modulation. Now it's actually add some modulation from maybe our filter envelope. How about a clock? That's nice. Now, how about some LFO modulation? You'll notice when I first turned on my LFO that it's routed out to all of our oscillator pitches and we don't want that. That would be for VEB Arado, but in this case we want filter modulation. I can turn up speed and I can turn up the amount, and you'll even notice that my LFO has its own built in envelope. We'll check the raid, check the depth now we'll have it slowly Attack. It's having even delay for two or three seconds. A nun. Over the course of three seconds, it will get to full register Longer delay Longer decay can even sink this LF os and get to your drum machine, maybe have slowly attack greater depth. Higher cut off. So this is just to wave forms a square in a saw. We could add other waves to Let's go ahead and let's pitch this one up a bit. Full sistan Nice on. So this is now we're getting into some leg Lobell zone, but because we got our LFO rounded out to our filter cut off, we've got our own attack and DK shape for the amplitude of that LFO as well as our own unique envelope allowing to give us unplugged getting some pretty rich territory. Once we start d tuning these, it's even gonna get cooler. Notice that we have much more growl. Zoom in on our wave notice again how when that filter is low No matter what I've got going on in my oscillator section, it's pretty much looking like a sine wave. That slow motion is happening. Why pop? Who is because of the d tuning? If I locked these back up to zero static So that's how you make a classic subtracted patch? No as we move on, we're gonna kick this thing over into FM mode, and we're gonna probably go back to our saw waves and get rid of the filter, just like I mentioned in the end of my pro tips level. But let's go ahead and dig in deep. And on behalf of Slam Academy, let's do this.
Ratings and Reviews
a Creativelive Student
People complain about Abletons "uninspiring" synth presets, and Operators businesslike interface doesn't scream "fun". It is however, an insanely fun and powerful instrument once you get your head around it. This class is perfectly formulated to turn anyone into an FM super-ninja in no time. It starts with the basics - perfectly explained, and delves deeper at a nice pace. I've been using Operator for years but still picked up a few tips in the later lessons. Taking this class will empower you to stop worrying about having the latest, greatest third party VST. Operator is a beastly synth. I rarely use any other synth because of the sheer sonic capability, and tight integration with Live.