• Import AIFF files
• Audition and edit formant sequences in real time
• Export .syx files for the Yamaha FS1R

Click to launch. Press the space bar to play the sound.

You can push your formant sequence to the Yamaha FS1R, using software such as K_Take's FS1R Editor. Click the "Save .syx" button, and follow the instructions in K_Take's documentation. This is a lot of fun, and breathes new life into the FS1R.

This project became much deeper than anticipated! The code includes FFT analysis (thanks Gerry Beauregard), pitch detection, a formant detection algorithm, and an AIFF parser to read AIFF files. The interface was a challenge to design and implement, and there are still many unfinished features (see the issues list).

My energy is shifting to other work, so I'll enhance fseq-flash when time permits.

More »

Here's something from the vaults. Aquasound was built with these requirements in mind:

• Generate sounds that aquatic animals might make
• Sounds can be "combined" somehow
• Sounds can emote

This was never used in production. I wonder if I could turn this into something? Like a paid iPhone app? ;)

Double-click the envelopes to add/remove control points. Drag lines up & down to change their curviture. The best feature is the "Combine With" dropdown, which splices the current sound with your selection. Also the "Emote" menu will play sounds with different expression.

The audio algorithm is reverse-engineered from my beloved FS1R. I generated formants in two ways (toggle the "Tonal" checkbox to hear both), the "atonal" version is closer to ring modulation than actual formants. It's more fun if you don't understand what the controls are doing, but if you insist: Pitch controls the overall pitch of the sound. Freq controls the center frequency of the formant (like a bandpass filter). LFOFreq and LFOWeight control a low-frequency sine wave, which can be applied to other controls via their "___LFOAmt" curves. Amp is amplitude, Width is formant width (think: width of the bandpass filter), Skirt adds distortion. Each voice has two formant generators, check "Formant Active" to enable them.

May all your bloops and crackles be happy ones!

More »

Like the era-defining DX7, the FS1R is an FM Synthesizer, but it boasts a massive 8 operators per voice, compared to 6 in the DX. And the FS1R sports a new toy, Formant Synthesis, capable of mimicking voices, human and otherwise! Waves and formants can modulate each other in 88 different configurations. Top that off with LFOs, filters, on-board effects... It's so flexible, and so complicated. So much power.

The FS1R was the last of Yamaha's FM synthesizers, and that's no accident. Even by 1998 standards, this thing dwells in a deep abyss of user-unfriendliness. Without a GUI, you must program 1,000+ parameters using 15 tiny buttons on the front panel. Fortunately, K_Take has developed FS1R Editor Software which lets you load/save patches, and twiddle the internals in real time (thanks K_Take!)

The unit sold poorly and was discontinued after 2 short years (long before a proper GUI emerged). I didn't know the FS1R existed, until Tavvv of the Braindead Monkeys mentioned it might be something my brain would enjoy -- Weird vocal effects! Technical crazy-sauce! Aural blasphemy!

Thus, the hunt was on. After two months, I had a single nibble -- a unit appeared on eBay, and I became its adoptive parent. (These units are scarce; only two units are listed on eBay at the time of this writing, and they're not getting any cheaper.) Was it worth it? Good question. If I had to describe this thing in one word, it would be: "Uhnnnhhhhh ... !!!"

After three months of use, I'm starting to comprehend this beast. With 8 operators (waves/formants) per voice, you must choose one of 88 algorithms. Here's a screenshot of a few (in K_Take's application):

Each operator has a zillion parameters: pitch and amplitude envelopes, a "skirt" (which makes the sound fuzzier), and wave shapes (sine, sawtooth-esque, square-ish, formants) which have another zillion parameters of their own. Also each voice has 8 "unvoiced" operators, which generate pitched noise. These imbue its "speech" with sibilance, and thus, consonants; A zillion more parameters.

Everything I just listed is actually quadrupled, as you control 4 voices per program. And you can use "formant sequences" to make the operators fly around and "talk", morphing into vowels and phonemes.

Yeah, it's pretty hectic. This is a saturation point of some sort. This must be what happens when synths fly too close to the sun. Here are some sound samples that demonstrate the madness. If you're brave, here's a medley of my FS1R creations spanning 3 months, oldest to newest.

What the hell can you do with this device, then? I tried using the FS1R in a "lead" role for months; carrying the melody, or standing in front of the other instruments, snarling aggressively at the listener. That's not what the FS1R excels at. It sports an impressive collection of waveforms, but compared to other synths I've used, the waves sound soft, and clean. Even with the "skirt" maxed out, the FS1R can't produce a sawtooth wave, or a square wave, or anything big and phat that resonates your rib cage. FM synthesis can sound harsh on other platforms (the Yamaha TX81Z; the Sega Genesis) but the fidelity of the FS1R is apparently too good. You can't make this thing scrape, or scream.

This leaves you with a few options -- you can use it as a "background" instrument, or as a smooth pad. This is where the FS1R shines. It produces excellent textures that liven up a mix if they're used ornamentally. The FS1R could become my "secret weapon", adding that undefinable something to my sound universe. At least, I hope so. FM synthesis is hard to program because you don't really know what will happen when you twist that knob; little tweaks can send a patch spinning. The FS1R constantly surprises me, and that makes it cool. My best sounds come from building a patch using one algorithm (out of 88), and then clicking the other algorithms, arranging the operators into something that I couldn't have premeditated.

It has filters and on-board effects, too. Honestly, I've barely touched these, I'm still internalizing the other stuff. The filter seems unexciting; it's transparent and color-less, although it does offer three lowpass slopes (12, 18 and 24 db/octave), which is nice. The effects include several flavors of chorus & reverb, delays, dynamics processors, and two distortions (although they're soft too, and neuter the sound more than give it teeth).

My wish list for a sequel (the "FS2R"?):

• New modulation types between operators -- ring modulation and hard sync. That way, "the kids" can play it in "the clubs".
• More LFOs. You get 2 per voice, and 1 is reserved for the filter. More are needed!
• Formant sequences should be editable, or better yet, recordable. The manual states that sequences cannot be edited, but of course they can if you're willing to hack it a bit.

Meanwhile, the FS1R will keep me busy with its steep learning curve. At this point, I have rare moments of clarity where I can plan, and (mostly) construct the sound I want. What will I produce after 3 more months? I have no idea, none at all. We shall see.

P.S. Thomas Gruber explains how the FS1R's DSP works, and it's spiffy.

More »