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My question: FM 3-OP 2:1:1 means Carrier + Modulators, frequency ratio 2:2:1
What would be the NS3 equivalent?
Right now I'm trying on NS3:
OSC1: Classic Sine
Config: 13 FM2 (3 operator setup)
OSC Ctrl: 54% (to mimic the 5.4 NS2 Shape ctrl?)
OSC 2 Pitch: Sub (to mimic the free ratio?)
I'm sorry, I wish I could help you. If someone can provide a MP3 from their Stage 2 recreating these settings, it would be much easier to build something "equivalent". Good luck!
Last edited by WannitBBBad on 22 Nov 2021, 14:22, edited 1 time in total.
Nord Stage 4 | Nord Stage 3 | SC Prophet T8 | Korg X50... In the past: Nord Stage EX, 2, 2EX | SC Prophet 5, 10 | MiniMoog | Hammond B3 & 122 Leslie | Yamaha DX7IIFD, EX5, CP60 | Hohner D6 | Fender Rhodes | Roland S-50, D-50, XP-50...
That 2:1:1 configuration should be a chain of 3 cascaded operators connected like this
OP1(2f)->OP2(f)->OP3(f)-> output
so it is not just one modulator over one carrier as the first OP modulates the second that modulates the third, while reading NS3 manual it sounds like with FM3 config you have 2 modulators in parallel. I would suggest that you rather try with a DualFM where OSC 2 (modulator) is not a sine wave but a square wave (to approximate the result of a 2:1 FM).
(As Mr_G says having a sample/mp3 of the original NS result would be a great help for you to get close to it.)
Last edited by maxpiano on 22 Nov 2021, 11:28, edited 2 times in total.
I never really investigated on the FM part of my Nord (and never had FM synth neither). But wanted to better compare both version, and understand how it works.
One more question, table below lists the NS2 FM configuration.
NS2 FM.png (222.38 KiB) Viewed 2764 times
.. and NS3 options:
NS3 FM.png (193.51 KiB) Viewed 2764 times
1. Is it correct to say NS3 FM1 (DUAL FM) is equivalent to the NS2 2-OP family?
2. How to interpret all (+FB) ? Is there an equivalent on NS3?
3. On NS2 are all 3 operators type cascaded? or is the 3-OP (+FB) something equivalent to NS3 FM2 (Triple FM)?
1. I'd say "yes" for configurations without feedback (FB), for the others see next point
2. +FB means that the topmost modulator of the algorithm also modulates itself (feedback) and that implies that the resulting waveform (driving the next OP in the chain) is affected by this "self-modulation"; there doesn't seem to be any equivalent on NS3 so you need to take that into account somehow (like using a more harmonically rich waveform on the NS3 OSC2 = modulator, to mimic the FB results)
3. they should always be cascaded yes, the Nord Wave manual has a more detailed description of that FM implementation (remember NS2 synth is derived from the NW); I am not sure how the NS3 Triple FM works, as I wrote before the manual is not so clear about that and provides no additional info, reading it again it could be equivalent (3 ops cascaded) but then it is unclear if/how you can specify the frequency ratio of the 2 modulators "embedded" in OSC2 in that config, since you have only 1 OSC2 Pitch control.
If you wish to compare the NS3 FM algorithms/behaviour to a standard FM, you can use a freeware FM Synth like Dexed (you can simulate the NS2 configurations on it too) and play with NS3 parameters to try to replicate the sound you get from Dexed for a given configuration = algorithm, FB, frequency rations & modulation amounts.
Last edited by maxpiano on 09 Dec 2021, 19:19, edited 16 times in total.
