Ten Minute

Master No157
Standalone
hardware ring
mods such as
this Moogerfooger
pedal are perhaps
the easiest way to
apply ring
modulation effects.

Ring modulation
Ring modulation is one of the most aggressive and distinctivesounding treatments on offer. Grant Bridgeman explains why.

here are certain

sounds that will always
be associated with
specic generations,
as the early sci- lms
and the evolution of synthesis
techniques went hand in hand.
The Theremin was ideal for this
purpose, while Delia Derbyshire
and Brian Hodgson at the BBC
Radiophonics Workshop created
an array of sounds that would play
a vital part in the Dr Who series.
Not least among these were voices
for the Daleks and for this, we
have ring modulation to thank.

Go forth and multiply

Until the introduction of digital
synthesizers (and, more
specically, FM synthesis) two of
the major constraints of early
analogue synths were that they
were based on waveforms that

could be generated by analogue

circuits, so audio content was not
particularly harmonically rich.
Whats more, the vast majority of
synthesis techniques were based
on subtractive synthesis; that is,
ltering out harmonic content to
achieve the desired sound.
Ring modulation is different.
Rather than subtracting content,
RM in essence works by
multiplying two signals to create a

These additional harmonics are

actually side bands, created at the
sum and difference of the source
frequencies. If we consider two
simple sine waves at 500Hz and
800Hz, the result will be a
waveform with additional
frequencies at 300Hz and 1,300Hz.
This sound is not dissimilar to the
results produced by FM synthesis,
as it can sound bell-like and
partially atonal.

Rather than subtracting content, RM works

by multiplying two signals to create a third.
third. The reason for this often
sounding so far removed from
either of the two sources is that
the harmonics produced in the
result are not related directly to the
frequencies of either source.

Ring modulation is essentially

an advanced form of amplitude
modulation. A simple volume
envelope can be considered to
have values from 0 (silence) to 1
(full volume), and the parameters
of this are usually set by an ADSR
or multi-stage envelope that
stipulates the relative volume
settings in temporal relation to the
key press and release.
Ring modulation goes further
than this. The controlling signal is
now bi-polar and can vary
between 1 and -1. The result is
that the output signal does not
contain either of the inputs, but is
made up from the sum and
difference of the two signals.

AC or DC?
Logic Pros ringshifter combines a ring modulator with a frequency shifter and is
augmented by a sync-clocked LFO.

32 August 2009 MusicTech MAGAZINE

characteristics. AC-coupled is the

conventional form of ring
modulation, whereby the output
signal does not contain the input or
carrier waveforms. DC-coupled,
on the other hand, contains one or
both of the original signals in the
output, as well as the outputs from
the ring modulation process.
The term ring modulation is
derived from the way in which this
process is implemented within the

There are a couple of distinct

avours of ring modulation that
create slightly different output

analogue domain, as well as the

appearance of the circuit diagram.
The basic circuit is relatively
simple, based on two centretapped transformers for the inputs
and outputs. A ring of diodes
(hence the name) acts as the main
processing element. The centre
tappings of the two transformers
form the input for the carrier wave,
while the primary transformer
connections are for the main audio
input and output.
In the digital world, things are
simpler the function is literally the
product of two waveforms
multiplied together. The problem
here is that the side bands created
can all too easily fall outside the
audible spectrum, creating aliasing
as they fall beyond the capabilities
of the specic digital format. This
means that software
implementations of RM processors
www.musictechmag.co.uk

Ten Minute Master

No157 Ring modulation

Combining two sine waves at 300Hz and 500Hz through ring modulation yields an
output with harmonics at 200Hz and 800Hz.

often incorporate sampling

capabilities. The other advantage
with the digital format is that it is
possible to mix in the original
signal with the RM outputs,
emulating DC coupling.

RM emerges
In 1960 the musique concrte
composer Karlheinz Stockhausen
began to use ring modulators in his
compositions, but it was in 1964
that the harsh, metallic sound of

technology developed over the

following years, as it produced the
most useful levels of distortion.
Ring modulation should,
however, be used with care. Due to
the nature of the process, while
you can use any two sound
sources, using two harmonically
rich sources will create a sound
that is more approaching white
noise, so some degree of
discretion needs to be applied to
achieve the best results. Indeed,

does not appear within the output

signal, this process is often called
suppressed carrier modulation.
The frequency of the carrier
wave creates the different colours
of the ring modulation effect: at
very low frequencies that are well
below the audible range, the effect
sounds like a gentle tremolo, but
as the frequency enters the
audible range (>20Hz) the
additional harmonics and
overtones can be heard.
The original Dalek effect was
created using a carrier wave of
30Hz. As the carrier frequency
increases and depending on the
frequency content of the audio
signal both the upper and lower
side bands will enter the audible
spectrum and create the atonal
qualities associated with RM.
When using the internal sine
wave generators of the processor
as the carrier wave, it is now not
uncommon for the frequency to be
modulated by an LFO, changing
the frequencies of the upper and
lower side bands. As the output

Ring modulation has a range of applications

that span a very wide spectrum.
the Daleks was rst heard on TV.
The sound was very different from
other styles of synthesis that
existed at the time, as it was rich in
overtones that were unrelated to
the fundamental frequencies
(hence the dissonance).
Combined with a very crunchy,
lo- style of distortion, this meant
that the original design of the ring
modulator was still preferred by
BBC engineers even as the

this is one of the reasons why ring

modulation is often written off: it
can be all too easy to create noise
and potentially be over-destructive
with the process.

Suppressed carrier
A common approach is to have an
audio input signal combined with a
low-frequency sine wave that is
internal to the processor or synth
a carrier wave. As this frequency

produced by the ring modulator is

the product of the input and carrier
waves, even if the input wave is a
constant sine wave, the modulation
of the carrier wave by the LFO will
change the frequencies of the
harmonics produced.

Ring modulation and you

Once youve satised your initial
urge to shout Exterminate!
through a ring modulator (and you

Using an additional mixer in line with the RM

module in Reaktor gives you the ability to
create both AC- and DC-coupled sounds.

know youll want to), the treatment

has a range of applications that
span a very wide spectrum, from
music to sound design.
Most software ring modulators
now allow for both signals to be
harmonically complex (via use of
sidechaining), while also offering
the usual range of fundamental
waveforms as the carrier wave.
Percussion loops combined with a
sustained keyboard pad can
produce some wonderfully
industrial-sounding drum patterns,
while feeding in the stereo inputs
of a rather dull-sounding digital
pad can create something with
much more warmth.
The problem is that the more
complex the combination of the
inputs, the more harmonically
complex the outputs become so
its easy to generate noise.
Generally, the simplest sine wave
carrier leads to the most musical
results but it all depends on what
youre looking to achieve. MTM

Tech Terms

Side bands
The side products of a modulation
process on a waveform, most
commonly referred to in radio
transmission. In audio terms it is
most often referred to when digitally
sampling an analogue waveform,
as the side bands are formed at the
sum and difference points between
the carrier wave (in digital terms, the
sampling rate) and the audio signal
itself. When these side bands appear
within the audible spectrum, strange
things can happen...
FM synthesis
Synthesis by frequency modulation
emerged in the 70s and can create
some of the most harmonically rich
sounds by using different waveforms
as the source and modulator signals.
Sidechaining
The technique of using an external
input signal as the controlling signal
for the modulation.

FURTHER INFO
For a history of the amazing BBC
Radiophonics Workshop, visit:
http://whitefiles.org/rws
Harmony Central has a good
article on ring mods: www.
harmony-central.com/Effects/
Articles/Ring_Modulation
For a look at some modular
synthesis modules that offer
different flavours of RM, visit:
www.analoguesystems.co.uk/
modules/rs20.htm

www.musictechmag.co.uk

MusicTech MAGAZINE August 2009 33