Learn how to use Frozen Wasteland's Vox Inhumana module for VCV Rack.

What Will I Learn?

• You will learn the functionality of the Vox Inhumana module
• You will learn the relationships of frequencies when synthesizing the human voice
• You will learn of the formant values table and how it relates to Vox Inhumana
• You will visualize the frequency values by using BogAudio's Analyzer module
• You will learn how to manipulate the timbre of vowel sound by altering the five overtone frequencies and amplitudes (Formants)
• You will learn how to alter a vowel sound from a 'hard' vowel to a 'soft' vowel sound
• You will learn how to control the variables of Vox Inhumana with control voltage

Lesson Files

In the link below you can download my setup for using Vox Inhumana:
https://github.com/buckydurddle/vox_inhumana_tutorial

Requirements

To complete this tutorial learners will need to have the following:

• VCV Rack installed on a Mac, Windows or Linux computer
• Frozen Wasteland module pack installed
• The Fundamentals module pack installed
• The CF module pack installed
• The BogAudio module pack installed

Difficulty

This tutorial is at an advanced level.

Description

Learn the functionality of the Vox Inhumana module

Vox Inhumana is a very interesting voice synthesizer. It uses well established formant values (frequency and amplitudes) to emulate the human voice. It functions by taking in a waveform from a VCO and then filtering the sound to represent specific formants. Users can choose the vocal range and timbre and the vowel sound.

Learn the relationships of frequencies when synthesizing the human voice

As we speak our vocal mechanism produces and manipulates the sound waves to create desired vowel sounds. each vowel sound has a unique pattern of overtones. The frequencies and amplitudes of these overtones define the vowel sound. These patterns have been analyzed and values have been identified. You can view the values here.

Image Source

Learn of the formant values table and how it relates to Vox Inhumana

Frozen Wasteland has taken the formant values provided in the above document to synthesize the human voice. We are provided with the ability to create a sound for A, E, I, O and U.

These are all provided in several vocal ranges from Bass to Soprano.

Each of these selections is created with five unique formants (which is a frequency relative to the root frequency) set to a specific amplitude. These 5 formants combined produces the vowel sound.

Visualize the frequency values by using BogAudio's Analyzer module

While it is possible to hear each formant in a vowel sound it is not very clear. Using a visual tool makes understanding and manipulating formants much easier. BogAudio's Analyzer is an excellent tool for this. Analyzer is a frequency analyzer. It shows all the frequencies present in a sound. As previously mentioned, each vowel sound is a combination of five individual frequencies. Analyzer shows the frequencies and their amplitude.

Learn how to manipulate the timbre of vowel sound by altering the five overtone frequencies and amplitudes (Formants)

Using Analyzer and your keen hearing you can alter each of the formants for a vowel sound. Vox Inhumana provides us with a frequency and amplitude adjustment. You can achieve distinctive vocal sounds by carefully fine tuning the formants. Consider the voice of someone you know. Their voice may sound very dark which would indicate a lack of upper overtones. A person with a ringing voice would have more upper overtones. You can design a vocal sound to your specifications quite easily. Be sure to save your work in VCV Rack once you have found a sound you like.

Learn how to alter a vowel sound from a 'hard' vowel to a 'soft' vowel sound

By carefully adjusting the frequencies for the first two formants a vowel sound can be changed from a hard vowel sound to a soft vowel sound. This take careful fine tuning to achieve desired results.

Learn how to control the variables of Vox Inhumana with control voltage

Vox Inhumana provides voltage control inputs for all variables found in the modules. Frequency and Amplitude CV inputs can be further controlled with inline attenuverters. Frozen Wasteland has limited the amount CV input possible for these variables allowing the CV only a +/- 50% change with respect to a base vowel frequency.
Also the CV for amplitude allows only about 2x modification.

I hope you enjoy this tutorial. If you have any specific questions for me feel free to leave it in the comments of this post and I will do my best to get back to you with an answer.

Cheers,

@buckydurddle

Video Tutorial

Curriculum

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