Hi everybody !

I try to find some kind of a device that could help me to modulate two audio source with the way that I wrote upper.

I’m pretty disappointed by the FM I had heard on a lot of synth, I’ve own a Vermona PERfourMER MKII and a Novation Summit, both have FM but it didn’t go as far as I will it to go.

I would like to create really dirty and quality modulation not like DX7 but more like Dreadbox’s synth. (I answer the question to not having to do it in the future, their product are too limitless for me)

If anybody as a suggestion, maybe a guitar pedal, or an effect box, and possibly analog I will be really grateful

 

i think you should get a cheap set of modules for that kind of stuff.

AM / RM exists as pedals, but using music signals as FM modulator requires filtering or envelope tracking and that is not a standard task.

 

Some suggestion of what module ?

 

Analog cross modulations sound better than software or digital synth to my ears.But they don't go as deep as software like Rob Papen Blue or NI FM8.I've experimented with Rob Papen Blue the other day,this synth is a beast!It can do pretty everything you may imagine.The routing options are vast,lots of waveforms and modulators,FM,PM,subtractive...
If money isnt't a problem,the Moog Matriarch looks sweet for FM.For AM,my Elektron A4 MK2 does it well,it can do AM from external sources.It can do exponential FM via its LFOs too,they run at crazy speed and they are key-tracked.The next Behringer 2600 will do many things too,RM,FM.

I don't think you will be 100% happy with a pedal.The 2600 will do it better.

 

Last edited: Dec 9, 2020

I really don’t like the VST option because it’s digital and the value are fixed (with incrementation) even if actual VA it tend to be less the case.


Wow I just discover that the Moog Matriarch has 4 VCO, I had buy a Vermona PERfourMER MKII while didn’t know that I could had choose the Moog

I really want that it’s an external source OR an oscillator that is modulated not an LFO, so Elektron will not fit.

For the Behringer I read a lot of stuff about the brand, I really don’t know what to think about.

 

By pedal I was thinking actually at a module, some kind of effect processor that is able to cross modulate signals.

 

The moogerfooger MF102 does that... It's a ring modulator with a sine carrier, but you can use an external signal as well

https://back.moogmusic.com/sites/default/files/2018-06/MF_102_Ring_Modulator_Manual.pdf

 

The Moog Matriarch does linear FM,that's great.
I'm not a fan of Behringer or modular either,but the 2600 has much features and it sounds good in the demos I've listened to.On a French web magazine it has a good review,they say it sounds like the original and looks well built,and it has some added features(but not the spring reverb).

The Elektron has unusual LFOs,when I'm saying they run at crazy speed,the run as fast as an oscillator,and they have 2 weird shapes in addition to the common sine,triangle,square,saw,random.But they are digital,not analog...Anyways you can make some very cool badass sounds with it.I have the Summit too,and I prefer the cross modulations of the Elektron.
Elektron has a very unique sound and workflow,if you don't know their gear yet.

 

Last edited: Dec 10, 2020

that funny because I watched the MF 107 and it’s closely what I seak (FM and Hard Sync) so yes, pretty close !

 

I’ve got a Summit too, the modulation are way way too slow for me...
And there isn’t possibility to mod matrix oscillators between them (like Osc 1 source -> Osc 2 Freq destination)

maybe I will take a look to the Elektron.

Does the modulation start to be noisy when you got too far in FM ?

I’d got a Waldorf Iridium and the modulation reaching a certain point started to seems like noise (there wasn’t fm filter...)

 

Any relatively advanced "analogue" synth with the features you desire will be hybrid with various microcontrollers for many tasks, so analogue purism has no place here.
You have two choices - primitive boxes (in a way something like ARP2600 is kind of analogue computer) or digital.
The best FM/PM synths you can find on the market atm are Phase Plant and NI Reaktor. Preferably, you need to be also a "wizard" in sound synthesis and there are no limits in what you can recreate. Unfortunately, there are not many such "wizards" and FM/PM are mainly used by the masses of musicians for sound effects and "noises". Btw, "sync" synthesis may be used as kind of wavetable-like (in sound) synthesis.

 

Just order the Moogerfooger MF-107 !

FM and Hard Sync

 

For me the Summit has great modulations,the LFOs on 'high' speed are pretty fast.It does some basic FM between its oscillators but yes,they are not freely assignable.It also does filter FM and RM.All this stuff aliasing-free.Great synth!
But it's not a DX7 of course,for pure FM synthesis some synths do a better job.

The Waldorf Iridium looks dope too,insane capabilities.You've got some cool toys bro!

 

no, i am not a user of pedals or modules, but frankly, a ringmod is a ringmod, you can´t do much wrong. eventually in eurorack it is better because of the shared PSU.

hundreds of pedals might cause hum at a point.

i personally would choose doepfer for this kind of stuff. the simpler, the better.

 

Last edited: Dec 12, 2020

you cant really crossmodulate or FM arbitrary input signals, you are supposed to average/lowpassfilter/envelopefollow the one you want to use as frequency modulator.

built as analog circuit, "FM for any input" quickly gets very expensive, and it wont allow you to pitch up before you have pitched down for a #reason. digitally you can, but it causes latency.

 

i have moogs and never use them... yesterday i heard behringers deepmind for the first time. and i was like wow. but idk too ... i use waldorf also and that seems a solid brand. but mine is digital.

 

I buy the Moogerfooger MF-107
Input Signal, enveloppe follower, FM input with the inside oscillator.

I will already try this one when it will be there

 

Mine was too, the Waldorf Iridium (and all if I remember well Waldorf’s brand synth are digital).

I sell it because of the coldness of the sound.

Analog are warmer in my opinion.
And I like the non-linearity render caused by circuits.

 

Waldorf Pulse1/2are analog,Wave/Microwave,Quantum are hybrid.

 

What do you mean by "it wont allow you to pitch up before you have pitched down for a #reason (in the analog domain)",please?