FM Drift by A Force Truly Evil is a sound pack focused exclusively on FM synthesis within Ableton Drift, and designed to demonstrate that Drift’s FM engine is powerful, flexible, and very expressive.
Fully compatible with Ableton Live and Push.
FM Drift delivers four complete FM instruments, each built on a clear FM architecture and fully controlled via eight carefully designed macros. All the sounds in the pack have been created exclusively using these FM instruments (Ableton Instrument Racks built with Drift).
Drift’s FM capabilities are on par with classic synthesizers like Operator, and even surpass it in certain aspects.
Included FM instruments
FM Drone
Designed for drones and slowly evolving textures, with organic, continuous movements. The sounds feature assigned LFOs that modulate the FM architecture, creating living, ever-changing soundscapes. FM Drone is crafted for experimental drones and textures, using pure frequency modulation to generate depth and motion.
FM Layer
An instrument focused on harmonic, musical layers. It combines two-operator FM with an additional oscillator whose harmonics evolve over time through an envelope controlling the amount of FM. This approach allows for rich, dynamic, playable sounds such as pads and melodic instruments, balancing harmonic precision with FM character.
FM Drum
A dedicated FM percussion engine, specifically designed for kicks, snares, and percussive sounds. FM Drum is optimized for defined and solid hits, featuring an architecture that includes a pitch envelope, noise source, and precise transient control, allowing for powerful FM percussive tones.
FM Feedback
An FM engine oriented towards sustained, harmonically rich sounds and effects, ideal for harmonic-heavy basses, extreme leads, and aggressive effects. The FM feedback system allows modulation to be fed back, producing complex harmonics, piercing resonances, and intense timbres, ranging from subtle FM coloration to pure chaotic FM, with a highly expressive and radical character.
LONG DESCRIPTION
FM Drift is not just a preset pack, but a collection of FM instruments — four new FM architectures built within Ableton Drift — designed to provide deep control, expressiveness, and a fresh approach to FM synthesis in a simplified, modern, and performance-oriented environment.
A sound pack conceived primarily as a sound design tool, focused on experimental electronic music, IDM, avant-garde, and forward-thinking electronic styles. Rather than relying on typical FM clichés such as bells or electric piano sounds, this pack explores more unconventional territory, featuring advanced harmonic structures, evolving spectra, and timbres rich in complex overtones.
This pack includes 28 drones, 18 basses, 21 pads, 22 polys, 12 drums, and 4 dedicated FM instruments, each built from the ground up using Drift’s FM architecture. In total, it contains 101 sounds plus the 4 instrument templates, offering a complete and versatile FM toolkit.
Unlike typical packs, FM Drift doesn’t include percussion samples. Instead, all rhythmic elements are synthesized entirely with FM Drum. Using a single track, and by adjusting macros or applying parameter locks, you can create complete drum patterns, kicks, snares, and percussive hits—while maintaining total control and flexibility.
WHAT’S INCLUDED — ABLETON MOVE / ABLETON LIVE
- 4 FM instruments: FM Drone, FM Layer, FM Drum, FM Feedback
- 28 drones, 18 basses, 21 pads, 22 polys, 16 drums (105 new FM patches)
- 13 demo/templates sets
All sounds fully controlled via 8 macros, enabling real-time shaping of each timbre and modulation
Drum patterns can be created directly in Drift using FM Drum, no external samples required
EXPRESSION, PERFORMANCE & COMPATIBILITY
All patches are velocity-sensitive and include Mod Wheel assignments, ensuring that every performance responds naturally, with dynamic expression and real-time control. All sounds are designed to be highly expressive and performable on:
Ableton Move
Ableton Live 12.3
Ableton Push
Ableton Note
Any MIDI keyboard
