If you are really dedicated to learning about synthesis, and have the motivation to see things through, then there is no reason not to start with FM.

You can make a lot of cool sounds that way, and the results are easy and intuitive. You can get a lot out of a fixed-function softsynth or hardware synth, but modular will give you the greatest flexibility.įor others wondering if they should start with FM8 or another FM synth: If you are just curious about synthesis and want to mess around and see quick results then start with an (possibly virtual) analog style subtractive synth instead. If you want to work though the Synth Secrets (which is an excellent resource, by the way), then a modular environment like Reaktor, Pure Data (which is free), Max/MSP or an actual modular synth is the best way to go. So if you only want FM8, I would wait until you have an interest in Reaktor or Massive as well. If you were to go the Native Instruments route, buying one of the Komplete packages is usually a much better deal than individual synths. There is something about a pushbutton interface that works really well for FM, so I've managed to get a lot of use out of my TG77. Downtempo / chillout is more about great sample manipulation than crazy synthesis, so you probably don't need much more than that.Īlthough I have FM8 and am comfortable working with it, I tend to gravitate towards Ableton's Operator or one of my hardware FM boxes. If you don't have it already, I'd recommend upgrading to Live Suite, and working with the synths you get there. FM8 is great for making weird bloopy, bleepy, buzzy, metallic sounds. But even after mastering it, you will still have a hard time achieving a particular sound that you want. FM8 is probably one of the easier FM synths to learn. I love FM synthesis, but it is generally a bit on the esoteric side.

Native instruments fm8 soft synth