what is FM synthesis?

[2nice]

what exactly is it? i'm reading about the yamaha dx7 but it doesn't really explain what FM synthesis actually is and how it works? is it anything like analog waveform synthesis? where can i hear examples (either equipment demos, or use of FM in actual songs)? how does the programming work?

and do hardware FM synths sound any better than software FM synths? looks like software FM such as the NI fm7 has a bit more functionality (though i don't quite understand the functionality) than hardware FM like the dx7, but other than the programming is there any sound difference?

[messyman]

here's a good start to your research

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1997...thschool3.html

MM

[krushing]

That's a good article. I can also recommend a book released by Yamaha, I think it's simply called "FM Synthesis" - it dates back to when the DX7 came out, so it might be a bit hard to find. However, it was *the* book for me - although I'm still no FM guru, reading that book was certainly enlightening...