I disagree, given one of my favorite synths FM8, which in particular I've always found easy given its very thoughtful interface mechanisms of an "easy mode" and a "hard mode" both of which have extremely powerful, precise envelopes which can be dialed in really cleanly to visually carve out any kind of sound one is looking for. It's easy to grab a preset, customize to taste, and experiment with it to gain your footing and intuition around how it works.
I also disagree that a synth which "reverse-engineers" the audio sounds you feed it is the right way to go. By doing this rather than learning how to do it from scratch (albeit with training wheels as I've previously described), you rob yourself of the rich experience of learning how to use FM synthesis as applied physical modeling.
I also disagree that a synth which "reverse-engineers" the audio sounds you feed it is the right way to go. By doing this rather than learning how to do it from scratch (albeit with training wheels as I've previously described), you rob yourself of the rich experience of learning how to use FM synthesis as applied physical modeling.