I was gonna say you sound a lot like Andrew Huang... After seeing your setup I realized this is your second channel. Great demo as always. Very glad to see you putting out more eurorack content!
Someone needs to make knobs that have jacks going down the middle so you save space and also it'd be super clear what the jack does. That would make something already amazing like this, ridiculously dope.
Oh man, this is sweet! And this expander is brilliant, I wish more modules had something like this. Making a few snapshots and crossfading between them, brilliant!
This makes so much sense and this makes FM way more appealing. I knew you could get sounds like these with FM, but I thought you would have to automate/modulate all of this in a Daw and that never appealed to me, this does! And 2:47 sounds effing amazing!
It’s really so much better to have the immediacy of dialing in the modulation routing and depth at the same time with a knob vs a mouse let alone selecting fixed algorithms before you can make adjustments!
OttoNL you can also look at Akemie’s Castle. Also an FM module. Both are awesome and let’s be honest: you need both 🤣. I’m an FM addict since I got the Digitone. Hope you have fun sonic explorations!
@@OttosTheName No problem! The Akemie's Taiko has less control compared to this one (I think? Maybe? Not sure 100%), but it has a classic FM soundchip. Both are awesome.
@@T.H.W.O.T.H Isn't it amazing to have up to 14 Modular synths per project in your pocket? Caustic is pretty limited, but when you think about it, it's quite limitless for what it is! My best song was actually made in Caustic, it has a couple of Modular patches, here it is if you'd like to listen, and please do it on your best headphones, or speakers if you don't have good headphones (old account so I get nothing out of advertising, it's just relevant to the discussion): soundcloud.com/foresonic/mind-at-large Feel free to send over a link to some of your projects if you'd like. I'm curious what other people are making in this underrated app.
@@mikeexits Great track! 👍👍 I haven't done anything nearly as sweet as that. Most of my projects are in that 'just needs a bit of finishing off' state. Mostly a few looped bars that I play with in the mixer while I'm on the train or whatever. You've inspired me to go back and look at them again - and maybe even complete a few! 🐪
@@T.H.W.O.T.H Honestly, that's how most of my projects are, just unfinished loops, maybe with a slight bit of progression. And the best thing I've ever learned pertaining to music is that finishing songs helps you progress more than just about anything else, even though it's hard if you're not used to it. I really can't understate how much I appreciate what you just said though, wow. It very nearly brought tears to my eyes. I've never had someone tell me something I made inspired them before. Thank you so much, and I'd love to hear anything you've made so feel free to come back to this and send it over. Keep on rockin'! :)
man that is a naaaaasty sound for 4op, love it. i mostly work with the ym2612 which has some ratio and pitch limitations, so it's bonkers hearing it go this far
you can try using the 4ms vca matrix and have 16 patch points. you could also try the smaller WMD sequential switch matrix for switching algorithms im sure there are other modules that would be logical parings
wishlist for this module: a screen somewhere which displays some numerical indication of what position each knob is in, allowing specific patches to be rediscovered thats about it everything else about this thing is basically perf
05:39 - That Breaks i like a lot ! This FM-Tool would be better as some FM-Software, when we can modulate the Matrix Operators, as you say. A really cool tool ! Thank you for the presentation.
Now, I wonder, whether I’d like the options to be available to take a module like this and raise it to another degree still by taking one of them and crossing it over onto another modulation matrix, so that you’d have four of these mod matrices deep, and every knob on this unit would literally be attenuating the cv depth of another one of these modules?! I don’t think it would yield much of anything much more audibly interesting, but possibly if you just used the lower frequencies, and LFOs? Maybe a fun experiment! Only would need to chain four of these through their inputs at the bottom... The only way that I can get much of anything interesting from my Volca FM is if I have an app to throw me a random assortment of parameter settings, or if I sort of plan out a patch by going through the menu items, one by one, and throwing the next operator on or off and making few subtle changes and eventually ending up with the same sound soup that’s deviated far enough from being audibly pleasant, then to just go back and reset the whole arrangement again and proceed with more of the same. PatchBase on iPad has proven to be the most empowering tool in that regard. THANKS FOR SHARING!
pshaww CAN it? of course it can! but what can that 80s preset do for me? this thing was made for interdimensional teleportation, not 80s electric piano
What's not entirely clear to me is if you could also use this as four independent oscillators. There's only one v/o input, which would suggest you can't, but what do the ratio inputs do when the switch is set to "free"?
Hey dude this is cool! Would you ever consider doing an intro to modular video and maybe talk about a great bang for your buck units for maybe a few different objectives, you could do a series. Also you could talk about the unit, how it works, what it does well and how much it costs!! A guy can dream right?
bang for buck huh? youre looking for 90s hardware, not modular! good thing modular moves fast, so bang for buck will also be the 1st gen modules and odsolete stuff that still makes a good noise... but youll still have no shirt after you buy. DIY is another good budget option. thonk.co.uk
FM is best implemented in a digital system for precision and control. Most commodity FM systems are chip implementations, but Humble Audio took the software approach.
Brian Bush I was mostly joking. There is so much retro analog stuff out there that people are going nuts over, and modernized versions with term like virtual analog and digitally controlled (analog circuit) oscillators. Ironic to see a eurorack style FM synth.
Hello, Andrew! I wanted to ask you a question. I want to get myself a synth, but I don’t know where to start. I can’t choose between Pico System 2 and the OP-1. What would you recommend? As always, awesome music! Love your modular stuff very much!
Jake Taco I think some wavefolding type stuff happens. I don’t fully understand it yet honestly but it sounds cool lol. FM8 is by far the best most transparent way to work with FM synthesis that I’ve seen so far if you want to look into that
Each operator only has a CV input for its overall gain, so besides the knobs there isn’t a way to individually address how much modulation it sends to each other operator
Waited months for someone to make a longer video on this module. Looks really fun and hands-on! It was next on my shopping list for a while but then I realized I could do basically the same thing (albeit less immediate) with the Rossum Assimil8or that I already own, if I just added a VCA matrix mixer.
You wouldn't need an entire wall, but definitely, other modules are required. You would need a simple sequencer, like the Varigate 4+, a clock source and a modulation source, like the new Intellijel Quadrax. That would allow you to do some serious FM jamming.
The more I see this, the clearer it is to me that I'd only use modular synths to create Noise and Industrial... some of this sounds are too much to not use for me...
It's a nice module, a bit overpriced (with the little expander). But the Akemie's Castle seems to be more usable, you can switch between algorithms for serendipity more easily than turning all the knobs. This FM module lacks the Chord options of the Akemie, chord inversion, dual A/B V/oct inputs for duophony, etc. I don't think this new device is bringing something really different and it cames very late after the Akemie. I was waiting for something more interesting with new ideas, hoping a fresh new sight on FM. A bit deceiving. I'll keep my Akemie for a while I think...
@@Chozal Yes, but no dual voice, no chords, nor chord inversion, no algorithm you can switch in a snap, just a bunch of boring knobs you will hate once you'll have all turn them a hundred times... The idea of the matrix is very cool but it lacks the most important : CV. just a global level, they missed the most important. This thing has not half the possibilities of the Akemie, and for the other half that could be interesting it's hal done. Sorry I'll not buy. But you can, this is not a problem of course.
I was gonna say you sound a lot like Andrew Huang...
After seeing your setup I realized this is your second channel.
Great demo as always. Very glad to see you putting out more eurorack content!
Straight off I thought he sounded like Andrew too. Same cadence, very similar voice. Separated at birth ;-)
Someone needs to make knobs that have jacks going down the middle so you save space and also it'd be super clear what the jack does. That would make something already amazing like this, ridiculously dope.
You had me at FM
All this modular stuff is awesome. We need to get you to hang out with Venetian Snares somehow and check out his wall of modular gear.
And you know that Andrew would make sure Venetian Snares was hydrated.
Venetian Snares is so sick, that would be a dream.
Just when i thought i spent enough on modular this year. Awesome video, and awesome sounds as always.
Oh man, this is sweet! And this expander is brilliant, I wish more modules had something like this. Making a few snapshots and crossfading between them, brilliant!
Love the in depth content on this channel!
Track with the clap is poppin
This makes so much sense and this makes FM way more appealing. I knew you could get sounds like these with FM, but I thought you would have to automate/modulate all of this in a Daw and that never appealed to me, this does! And 2:47 sounds effing amazing!
It’s really so much better to have the immediacy of dialing in the modulation routing and depth at the same time with a knob vs a mouse let alone selecting fixed algorithms before you can make adjustments!
@@suturesound I bet! I was planning on saving up for an Organelle M, but this guy is very tempting...
OttoNL you can also look at Akemie’s Castle. Also an FM module. Both are awesome and let’s be honest: you need both 🤣.
I’m an FM addict since I got the Digitone. Hope you have fun sonic explorations!
@@fernandomercado2711 Thanks for the tip, I'll look in to it!
@@OttosTheName No problem! The Akemie's Taiko has less control compared to this one (I think? Maybe? Not sure 100%), but it has a classic FM soundchip. Both are awesome.
That's awesome, man! This makes me want to get back into VCV Rack, or at the very least, Caustic 3's mini Modular synth instrument.
I'm also a fan of Caustic 3's mini mod synth. I thought I was the only one! :)
@@T.H.W.O.T.H Isn't it amazing to have up to 14 Modular synths per project in your pocket? Caustic is pretty limited, but when you think about it, it's quite limitless for what it is! My best song was actually made in Caustic, it has a couple of Modular patches, here it is if you'd like to listen, and please do it on your best headphones, or speakers if you don't have good headphones (old account so I get nothing out of advertising, it's just relevant to the discussion): soundcloud.com/foresonic/mind-at-large
Feel free to send over a link to some of your projects if you'd like. I'm curious what other people are making in this underrated app.
@@mikeexits Great track! 👍👍 I haven't done anything nearly as sweet as that. Most of my projects are in that 'just needs a bit of finishing off' state. Mostly a few looped bars that I play with in the mixer while I'm on the train or whatever. You've inspired me to go back and look at them again - and maybe even complete a few! 🐪
@@T.H.W.O.T.H Honestly, that's how most of my projects are, just unfinished loops, maybe with a slight bit of progression. And the best thing I've ever learned pertaining to music is that finishing songs helps you progress more than just about anything else, even though it's hard if you're not used to it.
I really can't understate how much I appreciate what you just said though, wow. It very nearly brought tears to my eyes. I've never had someone tell me something I made inspired them before. Thank you so much, and I'd love to hear anything you've made so feel free to come back to this and send it over. Keep on rockin'! :)
Mirack on iOS is a fun way to get into the VCV platform - more hands on an intimate than mouse + kb on a desktop.
wow i sure say "super" a lot lol
Now i realise it 😂😂
YOU'RE super!
Because it's super
It's a super review, thanks so much :D
It's ok. I say "basically" a lot. I don't know why. Usually I'm not talking about basic stuff.
So a modular FM8 (times a half) I LOVE IT
oh I was dreaming about a synth like that!
So it's sytrus in real life and probably sounds alot better
Anything sounds better than sytrus
@@logandarbz1257 I will defend sytrus till the day I die
Never realized how weird sytrus is until I read this comment
man that is a naaaaasty sound for 4op, love it. i mostly work with the ym2612 which has some ratio and pitch limitations, so it's bonkers hearing it go this far
You straight up made a 100 gecs instrumental with that first patch
it's like a hardware version of cytrus
simex909 i thought you meant cytus lol
Actually literal inspiration was FM8 from NI, which has a similar modulation matrix concept to Sytrus, so yeah :)
so nice, those ryhyms on the bass with the treble in the place
Love when you do Eurorack reviews!
you can try using the 4ms vca matrix and have 16 patch points.
you could also try the smaller WMD sequential switch matrix for switching algorithms
im sure there are other modules that would be logical parings
imo
good vid on a synth that deserves no less.
imo
Sounds excellent!
wishlist for this module:
a screen somewhere which displays some numerical indication of what position each knob is in, allowing specific patches to be rediscovered
thats about it everything else about this thing is basically perf
So, this is the FM synth I always dreamt about
this thing sure sounds awesome
05:39 - That Breaks i like a lot ! This FM-Tool would be better as some FM-Software, when we can modulate the Matrix Operators, as you say.
A really cool tool ! Thank you for the presentation.
Hey, wait a minute! This guy sounds a lot like Andrew Huang! Thanks for the recommendation, TH-cam.
Looks cool!
Damn your close-up b-roll footage is incredible.
Ok.. next oscillator I’m gonna get. Likely not so great for my live case but for my sound design case... drooling already. So nasty sounding
oh it looks cool, now let's watch the video
We need more modular stuff from you!!
I like phase modulation. You get good results with it.
These are some heavy ass sounds that this thing can emit
Holy crap that’s sick
This is sick
Cool video. How about an “analog thru zero fm” version, since digital fm often aliases
This is some next level shit
Intriguing!
This reminds me of the plugin sytrus on fl studio with the array of knobs and 4 oscillators
This is SOOOO nasty. I had by stank face going during that song demo.
If you put a human voice into the audio rate fm input, can you turn this into a vocoder-type effect?
Now, I wonder, whether I’d like the options to be available to take a module like this and raise it to another degree still by taking one of them and crossing it over onto another modulation matrix, so that you’d have four of these mod matrices deep, and every knob on this unit would literally be attenuating the cv depth of another one of these modules?! I don’t think it would yield much of anything much more audibly interesting, but possibly if you just used the lower frequencies, and LFOs? Maybe a fun experiment! Only would need to chain four of these through their inputs at the bottom... The only way that I can get much of anything interesting from my Volca FM is if I have an app to throw me a random assortment of parameter settings, or if I sort of plan out a patch by going through the menu items, one by one, and throwing the next operator on or off and making few subtle changes and eventually ending up with the same sound soup that’s deviated far enough from being audibly pleasant, then to just go back and reset the whole arrangement again and proceed with more of the same. PatchBase on iPad has proven to be the most empowering tool in that regard. THANKS FOR SHARING!
You can make feedback loops on matrix like this
Modular is funny cus its technical and practical simultaneously
Coolest FM set up I've ever scene
FM Synths are so versatile
But can it do 80's style electric piano? Y'know suitable for ballads and such.
I honestly was thinking along thevsame lines.
pshaww CAN it? of course it can! but what can that 80s preset do for me? this thing was made for interdimensional teleportation, not 80s electric piano
@@alien_brain I was joking dude.
@@adamsmith7058 i know
What's not entirely clear to me is if you could also use this as four independent oscillators. There's only one v/o input, which would suggest you can't, but what do the ratio inputs do when the switch is set to "free"?
cool! can u make a titioral about making this kind of beats 5:45
Quaperator
Hey dude this is cool! Would you ever consider doing an intro to modular video and maybe talk about a great bang for your buck units for maybe a few different objectives, you could do a series. Also you could talk about the unit, how it works, what it does well and how much it costs!! A guy can dream right?
bang for buck huh? youre looking for 90s hardware, not modular! good thing modular moves fast, so bang for buck will also be the 1st gen modules and odsolete stuff that still makes a good noise... but youll still have no shirt after you buy. DIY is another good budget option. thonk.co.uk
@@alien_brain Thanks for your reply! i guess when i say bang for the buck, i'm wondering what would 1 grand get me? I'll check link!
Here from Instagram. Glad I came
so a hardware version of IL's Sytrus
That's basically an IRL sytrus but with 4 operators instead of 6.
gnarly
Virtual digital? Analog controlled digital oscillator?
Interesting judo flip on the architecture
FM is best implemented in a digital system for precision and control. Most commodity FM systems are chip implementations, but Humble Audio took the software approach.
Brian Bush I was mostly joking. There is so much retro analog stuff out there that people are going nuts over, and modernized versions with term like virtual analog and digitally controlled (analog circuit) oscillators.
Ironic to see a eurorack style FM synth.
If you could cv all those controls what cv range would you use?
Did you start a new channel for gear nerds? Didn't know it was your channel til I heard your voice.
Nice
Hood job Huang.
is this andrew huang?
so each operator doesn´t have envelope?
Rad! 💸
Hello, Andrew! I wanted to ask you a question. I want to get myself a synth, but I don’t know where to start. I can’t choose between Pico System 2 and the OP-1. What would you recommend?
As always, awesome music! Love your modular stuff very much!
0:42 I swear to god I just heard that same scale in some background music but for the life of me I CANT remember what it was...
synthmalicious Could be from microtonal music perhaps
What does it mean for one wave to modulate another? Is it an addition?
Basically it means that one wave is controlling the speed at which the other wave oscillates.
Joey Deutsch so what would result from a sine wave modulating another sine wave of the same frequency?
Jake Taco I think some wavefolding type stuff happens. I don’t fully understand it yet honestly but it sounds cool lol. FM8 is by far the best most transparent way to work with FM synthesis that I’ve seen so far if you want to look into that
Joey Deutsch 😘
I saw a 4MS Matrix Mixer in there. Build your own using it. Missing CV woes begone!
Each operator only has a CV input for its overall gain, so besides the knobs there isn’t a way to individually address how much modulation it sends to each other operator
you forgot to mention that algo only stores the mod matrix
Some of that stuff sounds like something Richard Devine might make.
facebook.com/RichardDevineMusic/posts/10157474044819761
its wild to me that theres another musician that uses fm synthesis and the word suture
At 3:10 I was expecting to see Non Stop Marcus steppin` ....
I would add some screens at least one for operator (4 in total) to make FM synthesis more visual and therefore appealing, 😉.
Best screens are your ears ;)
Please plug this into Intellijel's Rainmaker
Welp got a little excited and said that before 6:00 now I am happy
Didn't know you knew REZZ
is this andrew huang second channel
Bro how do I listen to that track because that was A M A Z I N G
Those yummy squeals and squanches!
SQUANCH
My dumb ass: "wow this guy sounds a lot like Andrew Huang, that's wild"
That intro was a hook and a half
Akemie Castle’s Granddaddy
Holy... shit...
Second channel synth squad assemble!
Waited months for someone to make a longer video on this module. Looks really fun and hands-on! It was next on my shopping list for a while but then I realized I could do basically the same thing (albeit less immediate) with the Rossum Assimil8or that I already own, if I just added a VCA matrix mixer.
Well he sure sounds like Andrew Huang 🤔
You became Merzbow at 6:55
really wish we had the space or money for modular stuff
Great module, but makes it seem like I'd need a wall of modules to really make effective use of it. Eurorack is intense these days.
You wouldn't need an entire wall, but definitely, other modules are required. You would need a simple sequencer, like the Varigate 4+, a clock source and a modulation source, like the new Intellijel Quadrax. That would allow you to do some serious FM jamming.
Just for millionaires, the poor just see
hmmm korg op six or two of these
The ultimate FM synth is still FM8, change my mind.
synclavier
Fm8 sucks
Mario ok boomer
@@cueva_mc explain yourself
Sounds like Andrew hong
I just buy one on this thing and will fly to α Orionis, Good bye everyone!!
The ultimate FM... to me is the Reface DX...
Fabio Martini Reface DX, the uttimate FM synth? You should explore the FS1r...
@@CO5MA... I know... if I can find it 😢
Fabio Martini I have one to sell (I have two units) :)
@@CO5MA thank you but...it's not a good moment for me...
Fabio Martini I can understand, no problem!
Sounds like CIP.
I thought 6 op > 4 op FM
I know nothing about synth module and how they work. Why did I watch this the whole way through?
The more I see this, the clearer it is to me that I'd only use modular synths to create Noise and Industrial... some of this sounds are too much to not use for me...
Hanten Kurosu modular synth doesn’t lend itself to one style or another. the synth you build is the synth you build
@@blaythessteuer I am well aware of that. It's just that if you give me a machine that makes noises I'm gonna make noises.
sytrus but modular
Thx for braking my ears right at the start.
Gud vid thou
It's a nice module, a bit overpriced (with the little expander).
But the Akemie's Castle seems to be more usable, you can switch between algorithms for serendipity more easily than turning all the knobs. This FM module lacks the Chord options of the Akemie, chord inversion, dual A/B V/oct inputs for duophony, etc. I don't think this new device is bringing something really different and it cames very late after the Akemie. I was waiting for something more interesting with new ideas, hoping a fresh new sight on FM. A bit deceiving. I'll keep my Akemie for a while I think...
a lot of the clicks and hair of the Akemie's is smoothed out here
@@Chozal Yes, but no dual voice, no chords, nor chord inversion, no algorithm you can switch in a snap, just a bunch of boring knobs you will hate once you'll have all turn them a hundred times... The idea of the matrix is very cool but it lacks the most important : CV. just a global level, they missed the most important. This thing has not half the possibilities of the Akemie, and for the other half that could be interesting it's hal done.
Sorry I'll not buy. But you can, this is not a problem of course.