REQ: Rubicon FM Landscapes
Exploring the strengths of Astra, FM Landscapes focuses on the infinite possibilities of just one of its many oscillator modes: FM synthesis. Short for “frequency modulation,” FM synthesis is one of the most flexible approaches to synthesized sound design, yielding everything from futuristic plasticity to the pseudo-realist textures of bells, drum skins, and more. Explore these FM Landscapes to get a glimpse into one of the powerful forms of synthesis to revolutionize sound from the 80s to the present.
In FM synthesis, the frequency of a waveform is modulated to create harmonic and inharmonic forms. Digital FM synthesis made its way into the many studios in the 1980s by way of Yamaha’s legendary DX-7. Astra’s contemporary layout does away with the tedious menu-diving needed to program early FM synths like the DX-7, and expands upon contemporary FM synthesis with macro modulation and pitch sequencing. The presets in FM Landscapes were designed by Minor Science, Anthony Naples, Eams, Visible Cloaks, and Tristan Arp.
In FM synthesis, the frequency of a waveform is modulated to create harmonic and inharmonic forms. Digital FM synthesis made its way into the many studios in the 1980s by way of Yamaha’s legendary DX-7. Astra’s contemporary layout does away with the tedious menu-diving needed to program early FM synths like the DX-7, and expands upon contemporary FM synthesis with macro modulation and pitch sequencing. The presets in FM Landscapes were designed by Minor Science, Anthony Naples, Eams, Visible Cloaks, and Tristan Arp.