u/PeakLive4549

[Max\_Wasabi](https://youtu.be/exA83\_TvKtM?si=j5q5M\_bhSQoPnLxc)

When I listen to MAX’s song “Wasabi,” the drum sound — especially the kick and snare — feels very upfront, takes up a lot of space, and has this tight, punchy, and in-your-face quality to it.

I’ve tried a lot of different approaches to get that kind of drum sound, but I usually end up with drums where the sub frequencies of the kick just feel too "roomy" or "spacey," losing that tight punchiness. And when I try to make them hit harder, I eventually realize I’m just focusing too much on the high-end frequencies.

Of course, I understand that the original source sounds are extremely important. But I’m curious if there are ways to approach this from a mixing perspective, or through effects like saturation, compression, etc.

Also, when using mastering processing or compression, I sometimes feel like the low end gets thinner. How do you all add punch, tightness, and a massive sense of scale to the kick and the low-end area in general?

Hi everyone,

I’ve recently been experimenting a lot with FM and PD in Serum, and I have a few questions about how people usually approach this.

For this question, let’s assume that both the carrier and the modulator are sine waves.

Usually, when the carrier pitch is low and the modulator pitch is higher, the original carrier tone almost disappears and I mostly hear the modulated sound. The problem is that the perceived pitch does not feel very accurate or musical to me.

In this kind of situation, do you usually correct the pitch afterward with a pitch shifter? Or do you find the right spot by adjusting the semitone/fine pitch knobs of the carrier or modulator?

When I listen to other people’s music, these kinds of modulated sounds still feel musically pitched, even if they are metallic or FM-like. But when I try it myself, it often sounds out of tune or unstable. I don’t think it is only because the modulation amount is too high, so I’m curious about what I might be missing.

My second question is about using a modulator that is pitched lower than the carrier.

I’ve been watching different YouTube videos, and I usually see people using the same octave or pitching the modulator upward. Is this mainly because of pitch stability? Or are there other reasons why lower-pitched modulators are less commonly used?

I’d also love to hear any other approaches you use for FM/PD sound design, even if they are not directly related to my questions. I’m ready to learn from different perspectives.

Also, my English is not very strong because I don’t live in an English-speaking country, so please excuse any awkward wording.

Thanks!