In the first of a new series exploring our CM Plugin Suite, we prove that phase distortion synthesis doesn’t have to be perplexing, using the mighty BazilleCM

Roland Schmidt

Roland Schmidt is a professional programmer, sound designer and producer, who has worked in collaboration with a number of successful production teams over the last 25 years. He can also be found delivering regular and key-note lectures on the use of hardware/software synthesisers and production, at various higher educational institutions throughout the UK.

As any synthesis enthusiast will know, we owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Dr Bob Moog, who distilled the concept of subtractive synthesis into a convenient format which became the benchmark for 99% of all synthesisers that we see today.

But nothing can stand in the way of evolution, with one of the greatest developments in synthesis appearing in the mid-’80s from Casio. Better known for making pocket calculators (cue a song by Kraftwerk!), Casio’s research into phase distortion synthesis, went on to prove a successful breeding ground for innovation, as shown by the Yamaha DX series of synths. While these are always deemed to be based around FM (Frequency Modulation) synthesis, they actually had far more in common with the Casio CZ than might have been obvious at first sight.