How to Make a Talking Bass in Serum: Formant Filter Sound Design

What Is a Talking Bass?

Talking bass is a sound design technique where a bass synth mimics the qualities of human speech. The bass sounds like it is saying words or vowel sounds, creating one of the most recognisable and crowd-pleasing sounds in dubstep and bass music. You have heard it in tracks by Excision, Virtual Riot, and almost every riddim producer on the planet.

The technique uses formant filtering to recreate the resonant frequencies of the human vocal tract. Different vowel sounds (A, E, I, O, U) correspond to different filter frequency positions. By sweeping between these positions, the bass appears to talk.

Creating Talking Bass in Serum

Step 1: Sound Source

Start with Oscillator A loaded with a harmonically rich wavetable. Saw waves work well because they contain all harmonics, giving the formant filter plenty of material to shape. Set unison to 2-4 voices with light detune for thickness.

Add moderate distortion (Tube or Warm in the FX tab) to create even more harmonics. More harmonics means the formant filter has more to work with, producing clearer vowel sounds.

Step 2: Formant Filtering

This is where the magic happens. In Serum, set Filter 1 to one of the formant-type filters. The French LP and German LP types are the most commonly used for talking bass. These filter types have multiple resonant peaks that mimic the formant frequencies of different vowels.

Set the cutoff to around 50%. As you sweep the cutoff from low to high, you will hear the filter move through different vowel-like sounds. Each position produces a different vowel character.

Step 3: Automating the Speech

Assign an LFO to the filter cutoff. Use a slow LFO rate (1/2 or 1/4 note) for drawn-out vowel sounds, or a faster rate (1/8 or 1/16 note) for rapid syllable-like effects.

For the most realistic talking effect, draw a custom LFO shape. Create distinct steps in the LFO that correspond to different vowel positions. Each step holds a vowel for a moment before jumping to the next, creating a speech-like pattern.

Step 4: The Yoi Sound

The yoi sound is a specific talking bass technique popular in riddim. It uses a fast sweep from one vowel to another, typically from O to I (hence yoi). Set the LFO to a fast rate with a custom shape that sweeps quickly from one position to another. The transition speed between vowels is what creates the yoi character.

Advanced Talking Bass Techniques

Dual Filter Formants

Use both Filter 1 and Filter 2 in Serum for more complex vowel sounds. Set each filter to a different formant type and route the oscillator through both in series. Assign different LFOs to each filter for independent movement. The interaction between two formant filters creates vowel sounds that are more complex and realistic than a single filter alone.

Envelope-Triggered Speech

Instead of a repeating LFO, use Env 2 to trigger a single vowel sweep each time you press a note. Map Env 2 to the filter cutoff with a medium attack and decay. Each note starts with one vowel and evolves into another, giving you per-note control over the speech pattern.

Combining with Wavetable Modulation

Assign the same LFO that controls the formant filter to the wavetable position. As the vowel changes, the underlying harmonic content changes too. This creates more variation than formant filtering alone because both the filter shape and the source material are evolving simultaneously.

Processing Talking Bass

OTT compression brings out the formant detail beautifully. Use 30-50% depth after the formant filtering. EQ any harsh resonances that the formant filter creates, typically around 2-4kHz. Add a subtle chorus or phaser after the formant filter for extra movement and width.

Get Talking Bass Sounds

Our Dirty DnB and bass preset packs include patches with formant-style filtering that can be used as starting points for talking bass design. Combine them with the techniques in this guide to create your own unique talking bass sounds.

Related Guides

• Riddim Bass in Serum
• Brostep Sound Design
• Wobble Bass in Serum
• OTT Compression Guide