Hi everyone!
This is Kaito Sato, an independent developer of IMFMSynth from Japan.
I love FM synthesis. I grew up listening to everything from video game music to Ryuichi Sakamoto, and I have always been drawn to those sounds.
Since this is my first post, I should probably share a few of my other interests too. I like cats, tea, fountain pens, cats, and cats!
Now, back to the main subject. First, here is a short demo:
Why I built this synth
FM synthesis can sound incredible, but creating your own presets with it is notoriously difficult. The purpose behind this synth is to make FM easier to understand through modern web interface design, while also bringing wavetables into the system as operators.
The aim is to help music producers, composers, and arrangers create their own sounds without losing sight of what the modulation is doing.
My hope is that someone can begin by creating a sound they like with a wavetable and using FM only to emphasize the attack. From there, they can gradually explore more modulation. Eventually, FM should stop feeling abstract, and creating sounds without relying entirely on factory presets should start to feel natural.
The patch-based FM routing follows the same idea. I think it offers a new interface that combines the tradition of patching with a more direct and intuitive view of what modulates what.
There are many smaller features as well, but they are already described on the official site, and I plan to write about them in more detail in future posts.
Try it in your browser
Right now, I especially want to hear from the people who might use it. For that reason, you can access an almost complete version of the synth directly in your browser without creating an account. Access to some presets and file import and export are left out, but the real DSP is there for you to explore.
Please try it, get a feel for it, and tell me what you think. I would particularly like to hear whether the routing is easy to follow and whether the interface helps you understand what the FM is doing.
Sonicstate interview
Soon after the release, Sonicstate contacted me by email and interviewed me about IMFMSynth. The article also covers my background and the path that led me to develop it.
Read the Sonicstate interview about IMFMSynth
I am a little nervous about making my first post here, but please feel free to leave a comment or ask me anything. I look forward to hearing from you!
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