FM synthesis is based on taking an audible sound wave, like a basic A440 sin wave, and modulating its pitch, in other words vibrato, at audio frequencies. So, for instance if you take a pure simple A440 sin wave and make its go up and down 440 times per second, you get lots of crazy harmonics. In MOD (Modulation Delay) mode, the pitch modulation frequency can be adjusted from 0.01Hz to 328Hz. That’s well within audio frequencies. We can use that to produce FM synthesis effects.

[strong]Control Settings[/strong]

MODE: MOD
FX LVL: 9:00
DELAY: Minimum
FEEDBACK: Minimum
Secondary Function DELAY: From about 3:00 to about Maximum
Secondary Function FEEDBACK: From about 3:00 to about Maximum

[strong]Playing Tips[/strong]

Set controls as above. Hold the TAP DIVIDE button for 2 seconds to activate the secondary functions. Start with DELAY (Modulation Speed) at Maximum, that is all the way to the right. Start with FEEDBACK (Modulation Depth) at Maximum, that is all the way to the right. Now start playing some notes. When mix the FM synthesized wet signal with the dry signal you’ll get something similar to ring modulation. Each combination of modulation speed and depth, and mix of dry signal will have a sweet spot on the neck of the guitar. Play different scales up and down the neck to find the sweet spot.

I call this “dirty ring modulation” because it’s not true ring modulation, it’s a bit “harsh”, and it’s pretty crazy. Still, you can get some interesting sounds out of it. Because of all the harmonics this is primarily a monophonic effect, but you can certainly try intervals and chords. You can control the amount of effect with the FX LVL to make it less crazy and maybe a bit more musical.