How do I use the FM synth?
OP-1tutorialguide
The FM engine is one of the OP-1's most versatile synths, great for metallic tones, bell sounds, and clean sine waves. Here's how to get started and shape your sound.
Loading the FM engine
- 1.Press the Synthesizer key and choose a sound slot with keys 1-8.
- 2.Press Shift + T1 to open the engine browser.
- 3.Turn the blue encoder to highlight FM, then press T1 to confirm.
Shaping the FM sound
The four encoders control the main parameters on the T1 screen:
- Blue encoder: FM amount. Turn counter-clockwise for a clean sine wave, clockwise to add harmonic complexity and distortion.
- Green encoder: Frequency ratio between operators.
- White encoder: Topology, which changes how the four operators are routed into each other.
- Orange encoder: Detune between operators.
Hold Shift while turning any encoder to access the secondary parameter for finer control.
Practical tips
- For bell or chime tones, try a short decay and low sustain in the envelope (T2), with moderate FM amount.
- For bass sounds, keep FM amount low and set octave down with the left arrow key.
- For metallic percussion, increase FM amount and use a short envelope with near-zero sustain.
- The spring or delay effect under T3 pairs well with FM for ambient textures.
Press T2 to shape the envelope and T4 to add an LFO for movement and modulation.