Formant Frequencies for Talking Synths

[Hexa-dB]

It took a bit of digging but I just tracked down this table on the Sound on Sound website:

Code: Select all

VOWEL SOUND   AS IN...    F1    F2    F3
"ee"          leap       270    2300  3000
"oo"          loop       300    870   2250
"i"           lip        400    2000  2550
"e"           let        530    1850  2500
"u"           lug        640    1200  2400
"a"           lap        660    1700  2400

So, if you want an aaaaahhhh type sound, start with a harmonically rich sound, then adding 3 parametric EQs, with a narrow Q, and a hefty boost at 660hz, 1700hz and 2400hz should get something close. Either that, or duplicating the sound 3 times and adding a bandpass filter set at the relevant frequency on each might do it.

I did try following the principles in the article when it came out in the printed mag (in 2001) and I think it got some recognisable results. The full article is now online and has some graphs showing extra frequencies and loads more information.
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar01/a ... nthsec.asp

I'm yet to try it for dubstep sounds but it looks like it could be useful, if only to emphasise the frequencies to bring out the formant sounds.

[Gombles]

nice post man, i'll give this a go later !

[Hexa-dB]

nice post man, i'll give this a go later !

Cheers - glad someone got something out of it

[yamaz]

how do you get constants? Like RAWR or ARGGH!

[knell]

how do you get constants? Like RAWR or ARGGH!

try messing around with the index on graintable synths, with some waveshaping.

[shaneynclan]

interesting post.
i'll have to try some adjustments.

[narcissus]

wikipedia has a table too..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formants

R's an L's are also there

[codymackaz]

Big up! Gonna experiment with this now!