Allmänt
Billed as an 'altered' FM synthesis bomb, the Korg Opsix is Korg's generous way of completely flipping the way we think about FM synthesis and finally making it accessible to all! With its 37 'keyboard action' keys, the Korg Opsix is relatively compact, while the six-'operator'-strong sound generator is anything but. Using these operators, you can bend and shape FM sound to your will using a fistful of added waveforms, a filter that includes hints of subtractive synthesis (like that of the MS-20), so you can manipulate digital sound - the analogue way.
The Opsix: Presets and Presents!
As you'd expect of any solid synthesizer, a nice stack of presets comes included. In the special case of the Opsix, this means 40 algorithms (a combination of different operators and links), that you can start playing with and add your own flavours to. You can, of course, just build from the ground up using the modulation options provided by three EGs and three LFOS, with the possibility of up to 12 virtual patches, giving you more than enough room to play in terms of routing options. Then, you can always drench the result in up to three of the effects found in the bank of 30. If your inspiration has all but dried up, then you can simply lean on the randomise function and let the Opsix entertain you with some random noise depending on a couple of parameters: just the operators? Or all-in?
FM: Analysis is Essential!
When it comes to FM synthesis, it's essential to actually be able to see what you're doing with the sound. As such, Korg have thoughtfully built a display screen in complete with a spectrum analyser. This handy analyser shows you details about the output levels of all the different frequency bands, and you can take a nice, detailed look at and asses any harmonic distortion shifts. You can also make some good use of the oscilloscope which offers a brilliantly smooth way of looking at the output-waveform post-processing. This might just be FM synthesis at its most streamlined.