Synthesis and sound design · updated 2026-08-16
FM SYNTHESIS
One oscillator modulates another's frequency, generating sidebands. Bells, electric pianos and aggressive digital basses.

SOURCES AND CITATIONS
Free, primary references for fm synthesis — standards bodies, manufacturers, government offices and university course material.
RELATED TERMS IN SYNTHESIS AND SOUND DESIGN
- Oscillator (VCO/DCO)
- Filter (VCF)
- Envelope (ADSR)
- LFO
- Subtractive synthesis
- Wavetable synthesis
- Granular synthesis
- Polyphony / paraphony / monophony
Back to the full music glossary or read our latest articles.