So, just got a Digitone, and trying to work out uniqueness of combinations embedded in the algorithms. Everything seems pretty cool, until I cam across:
Algorithm 6 (i) now, I wonder about the ‘cross’ there - is it indicative of envelope operation, or of 2 carriers each in the X and Y ‘carrier streams’? Algorithm 7 - what does it mean when the envelope indicator ( full line) goes all the way to X and Y ( (The sound)? Furthermore, in the Y-stream, there is no sound output indicator (dotted line). What does that mean?
Thanks Matthew - think you sorted me for Alg 6 there
So, coming back to Alg 7, then, just so I know I’ve got this right - the X and Y audio ‘streams’ are comprised of a double-oscillator feedback loop each?
There are two “carriers”. C, of course, which is directly routed to X, but also B1 (the bottom B) which is directly routed to Y.
Each carrier has is modulated by two operators. C is modulated by A and B2. B1 is modulated by A and B2. Operator A can additionally modulate itself via feedback.
As is customary for operators, both A and B2 pass through their respective envelopes before modulating their targets.
Algorithm 7
This is a little goofy. There’s technically only one “carrier” here: C which is directly routed to X. All the rest of the oscillators pass through their respective envelopes which technically makes them operators.
But aside from that little bit of trivia, what happens is:
Op A is shaped by its envelope, the result of which is used to:
modulates itself (feedback)
modulate C
get summed with C at X
Over on the Y side, Op B2 gets shaped by the B envelope, which is then used to:
modulate B1
get summed with B1 at Y
The modulated B1, unlike C, is also shaped by the B envelope, and then summed with B2 at Y
Edit: added pictures. Also: you can learn a lot about how DN algorithms work by studying the differences in sound between algo 7 and algo 2.
I don’t think that’s true. Black lines only show that the envelope is being applied. An example from the manual:
The lines going to X and Y indicate the output from a carrier. There are two different ways a carrier output is sent to the X/Y outputs: 1. Its amplitude is unaffected by the operator envelope (dotted line). 2. Its ampli- tude is affected by the operator envelope (filled line).
The only feedback is a line that loops back on itself like this:
Are you sure? from right above that in the manual:
Ohh just tested. You are totally correct. Ill delete my shitty ass take. @AfroLektronik@jemmons is 100% correct here. Ignore my bad reading of the manual.
I am used the the TG/SY where I can set the oscillators up as carriers or modulators, so I always just mapped it to that. Going to have to explore this a bit more. TY
Thanks so much, Jemmons! More thanks are also due for your second post on how the lines work - I must admit, I too was thinking on Matthew’s lines ( pun?) so thanks for the correction.
Man, this FM stuff’s gonna be a marathon, I can just feel it.
I’m adopting a combinatorial approach to singularity at the carrier level and a permutative approach to singularity at the modulator level. There are 1024 possibilities to assess, and that’s just at the 1carrier, 1operator level!
Some advice that might help? One of the ways the DN is very different from other 4-operator FM synths is the way it pairs together two operators into “B1” and “B2”. This can be really confusing, but also very liberating when it comes to exploring sound.
Most algorithms are set up so that you can configure the carrier C and its modulator A to get the broad shape of sound you’re looking for (usually while mixing hard X). Then, to explore possibilities, mix in some Y and sweep over all combinations of the Bs by turning just one encoder, listening for sweet spots.
It’s something I’ve really grown to love about the DN.
