Vocal FX

Psytrance Vocal FX Shots in Serum

By Psiger · Updated July 2026

Watch the full breakdown

Those vocal-like FX shots that bark and talk over a psytrance transition are not always real vocals. You can design them from scratch in Serum using vowel FX, which shape a sound so it reads like a spoken or sung syllable.

In the video Psiger builds the base sound, adds the vowel character, and maps everything to macros so you can create endless variations fast. Here are the stages.

Key takeaways
  • Vocal FX shots can be designed from scratch in Serum, no real vocal needed.
  • Start with a harmonically rich base sound so the vowel FX have material to shape.
  • Vowel FX use formant filtering to carve the sound into vowel shapes.
  • Move between vowels across the shot to create the talking, morphing character.
  • Map everything to macros so one patch produces a whole family of vocal shots.

Basic sound design in Serum

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Basic sound design in Serum — screenshot from the video

Start with a base sound in Serum, usually a harmonically rich waveform that gives the vowel processing something to work on. The richer the source, the more the vowel FX have to shape into formants.

Get a solid, full base tone first. A thin source makes a thin, unconvincing vocal shot.

Vowel FX for the talking character

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Vowel FX use formant filtering to carve the sound into vowel shapes, ah, ee, oh, so it reads like a voice. Moving between vowels over the length of the shot gives that talking, morphing quality that makes an FX shot feel vocal.

This formant movement is the entire trick. Automate it across the shot for a spoken feel.

Control it with macros

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Control it with macros — screenshot from the video

Map the key parameters, vowel position, pitch, filter, effects, to macros so you can dial new variations instantly. One well-built patch then produces a whole family of vocal shots for different moments in the track.

Macros turn a single sound into a reusable instrument you can vary on the fly.

Common questions

Psytrance production FAQ

How do I make vocal FX without a real vocal?

Design them in Serum using vowel FX. Start with a harmonically rich base sound, then apply formant filtering to carve it into vowel shapes like ah, ee and oh. Moving between vowels across the shot makes it read like a talking voice. Map the parameters to macros and you can generate endless variations.

What are vowel FX or formant filtering?

Formant filtering emphasises the specific resonant frequencies that make human vowels recognisable. Vowel FX use this to shape any sound into vowel shapes, so a synth patch starts to sound like a voice saying ah, ee or oh. Automating the movement between vowels is what gives an FX shot its talking character.

Why should I use macros on a vocal FX patch?

Macros let you control vowel position, pitch, filter and effects from a few knobs, so one patch produces a whole family of vocal shots for different moments. Instead of building a new sound each time, you dial variations instantly, which keeps your workflow fast and your vocal FX consistent across the track.