Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Sounds on the Carbon 8

Hi, Paulee here!

This week, MODAL released a new video where I was tasked with the (fairly gargantuan!) challenge of recreating the twangy, nostalgic sounds of the YM2612 FM sound chip - which powered both Sega's Mega Drive & a slew of their classic arcade hits.

In this episode, our Synth Explorer Paulee Bow dives headfirst into the wonderfully weird world of CARBON8, where FM sounds go deeper than a rabbit hole with no bottom! Watch as Paulee twists knobs, tickles algorithms, and coaxes out tones so rich and layered you'll swear the synth is showing off. It's a playful, sonic adventure you won't want to miss -- so grab your headphones and come along for the ride!

The FM within the YM2612 chip is a 4 Operator variant - so recreating Sega-like bass, bell, brass and lead sounds on a 2 oscillator synth like Carbon 8 could be seen as a tricky task. Thankfully, a number of the oscillator "XCores" feature bright-sounding starter waves or even, simple 2OP phase modulation sounds within one oscillator! The intensity of the modulation within each XCore can be controlled via an LFO, envelope or other source (short envelopes creating various plucks and twangs) and, by combining these oscilators via the Carbon 8's cross-modulation options, I was able to generate sidebands that scream "FM"!

I hope you enjoy the nostalgic video I put together to accompany the music...an arcade machine running retro games, underneath a beach canopy at sunset :D

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