Why buy a vowel when you can make your own? Vowel formants, that is. Formant can refer to two things: the shapes our mouths make to form vowel sounds, or the frequencies these shapes emphasize. You can get very close to any vowel sound by emphasizing just three frequencies. This cheat sheet tells you which ones to focus on using an EQ or bandpass filter.
It’s best to start with a harmonically rich waveform like a sawtooth, but these settings will have an affect on almost any source material.
You can use resonance or bandwidth (Q) controls to fine-tune the vowel sound to your liking. To shift the entire vocal range of the chart, simply halve or double each frequency. The ratio between the frequencies will remain the same. (Try it — the math works!)
Adjusting the poles/slope of a filter will also have an affect on the vowel character. So, experiment and enjoy!
