FM stands for Frequency Modulation. FM has been a feature in synthesizers since the 1960s, but was most famously realized in Yamaha’s DX/TX series of digital synthesizers in the 1980s. It was well-known for producing sounds that are glassy, metallic, and more harmonically complex.
FM is a form of audio synthesis where the timbre of one waveform, called the “carrier,” is changed by modulating it with the frequency of another waveform, called the “modulator” – hence Frequency Modulation Synthesis.
FM can take simple waveforms, like sine waves, and make them sound quite complex.
Each Layer in Trilian has a dedicated, hidden FM oscillator, which acts as the modulator, so the other Layer’s Oscillator is not required for FM synthesis to work. This dedicated Modulation Oscillator can utilize different waveforms and both its frequency and depth can be shifted and modulated.
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