Phase distortion synthesis with BazilleCM

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

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.

March on a couple of decades, and softsynth pioneers u-he developed the superb BazilleCM synthesiser for this very magazine. This not only adopts phase distortion as a guiding principle for creating interesting sounds, but introduces a modular element to the software domain, making this sonic world the CM reader’s oyster.

We’re going right back to bass-ics, beginning our delve into the CM Plugin Suite (which you get with every issue) with the BazilleCM’s oscillator section, using phase distortion as the main focus, without the need to use a filter. So, access the CM Plugin Suite from this issue’s downloads form and grab your BazilleCM.

A gem of our CM Plugin Suite, u-he’s BazilleCM is our unique version of the company’s patchable modular synthesiser, sequencer and mapping generator. It’s a beast! AU/VST 32-/64-bit