Vocaloid 4

Vocaloid 4
Original author(s) Yamaha Corporation
Developer(s) Yamaha Corporation, Bplats
Initial release December 17, 2014
Stable release 4.1.0 / March 3, 2015
Development status Released
Written in XML
Operating system Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X
Available in English, Japanese
Type Vocal Synthesizer Application
License Proprietary
Website www.vocaloid.com/vocaloid4/

Vocaloid 4 is a singing voice synthesizer and successor to Vocaloid 3 in the Vocaloid series.

History

In October 2014, the first Vocaloid confirmed for the Vocaloid 4 engine was the English vocal Ruby, whose release was delayed so she could be released on the newer engine. Shortly afterwards, Wat of Crypton Future Media reacted to the news in regards to the upcoming "new Luka vocal".[1] Megurine Luka V4X was announced on November 20, 2014. A Vocaloid 4 version for OS X has also been announced. Megurine Luka V4X will be compatible with OS X.[2] All AH-Software vocals, with the exception of Tohoku Zunko, were also announced as receiving updated packages as well as VY1v4. The update of the AH-Software Vocaloid 2 vocals is related to Windows 10 being released in 2015, and the impact it may have on the Vocaloid 2 software.[3]

The new engine allows the importation of Vocaloid 2 and Vocaloid 3 vocals, though Vocaloid 2 vocals must have already been imported into Vocaloid 3 for this to work. The new engine includes other features, but not all of them are accessible by Vocaloid 2 and Vocaloid 3 vocals. One of the new features is a "Growl" feature which allows vocals built for Vocaloid 4 to take on a growl-like property in their singing results. Cross-synthesis was also added, allowing the user to switch between two of a character's vocals built for the same language smoothly using a time-varying parameter. This feature is accessible by Vocaloid 3 and Vocaloid 4 vocals, but not Vocaloid 2. Cross-synthesis only works with vocals from the same character, making use with packages like VY1v4 possible, but not packages such as Anon and Kanon.[3][4] Another feature included is Pitch Rendering, which all imported vocals can use. This displays the effective pitch curve on the user interface. Finally, real-time input has been included in this version and is another feature which all vocals can use. VSQX files made for Vocaloid 3 work in Vocaloid 4, but they will not work the other way around.[3]

For Japanese users who had bought Vocaloid 3, Vocaloid 3 Editor,[5] Vocaloid Editor for Cubase[6] or VY1v3, Yamaha offered a free upgrade for each software. Those who bought the editor after November 10, 2014 were also offered a free upgrade until June 2015.[7]

When it was first released, it was only available in Japanese or English even though it was fully capable of using Chinese, Korean and Spanish vocals from Vocaloid 3. This was similar to the how with the original Vocaloid software that its interface was only in English, despite having vocals for Japanese. Chinese vocals Yuezheng Ling and Zhanyin Lorra were also developed as releases intended for Vocaloid 3 despite the release of Vocaloid 4.

As of the voice "Cyber Diva", some long term bugs were fixed and pronunciations addressed. English Vocaloid libraries now use a new shorter, more effective script. A custom library was made for the vocal, the largest ever made, which caused an issue with the dictionary proxy that was addressed. English vocals now have more clarity, at the price of expressive tones. Due to the mislabeling of certain phonetic symbols, all past English built vocals were reported to have incorrect sounds assigned to certain symbols, this has been addressed with the new script.[8]

A Mobile version of the editor was also released.[9]

Products

VY1v4

See also: VY1 and VY1v3

This is the latest version of the VY1 product. It contains 4 voices ("Natural", "Normal", "Power" and "Soft") and it was released on December 17, 2014, for both PC and Mac.

Ruby

An upcoming female English vocal developed by VocaTone.

Megurine Luka V4X

An update on the Vocaloid 2 product "Megurine Luka" that was released March 19, 2015, for both PC and Mac. She comes with 2 Japanese vocals ("soft", "hard") and two English vocals ("straight" and "soft"). However, she comes with Piapro studio, which features a new function called "E.V.E.C.". This adds options to change tones to 9 additional Japanese tones ("power 1", "power 2", "native", "whisper", "dark", "husky", "soft", "falsetto" and "cute").[10] The vocal is based on breath.[11]

Kagamine Rin/Len V4X

Main article: Kagamine Rin/Len

An update on the Vocaloid 2 product "Kagamine Rin/Len" that will be released in Q3, 2015 released for both PC and Mac. The vocal is based on tension and strength while being able to control power.[11]

Yuzuki Yukari V4

An update on the Vocaloid 3 product "Yuzuki Yukari". This update contains three vocals—"natural" (純 jun), "soft" (穏 on) and "power" (凛 rin)—which can be purchased individually or as a complete package. Released March 18, 2015.

SF-A2 Miki V4

An update on the Vocaloid 2 product.

Kaai Yuki V4

An update on the Vocaloid 2 product. In the case of Yuki, due to the original provider maturing, a new provider is being used for this particular product to make the new samples needed to complete the vocal library.

Hiyama Kiyoteru V4

An update on the Vocaloid 2 product.

Nekomura Iroha V4

An update on the Vocaloid 2 product.

Cyber Diva

Cyber Diva is an English female vocals with an American accent made by Yamaha. She was released on February 4, 2015.[8]

Gackpoid V4

An update of the V3 Gackpoid product was announced. Release date 30 April 2015.[12]

V4 Flower

An update of the V flower vocal released for Vocaloid3, release date estimated summer 2015.[13]

References

  1. ↑ Wataru Sasaki [crypton_wat / @vocaloid_cv_cfm] (October 28, 2014). やっと、新型ルカの名前が決まった…新機能の名前も…公開まで、もう少々お待ち下さい。 [Finally, the name of new Luka was determined ... and also the name of new features ... please wait a little until publication.]. Twitter (in Japanese). Crypton Future Media. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Megurine Luka V4X for MacOSX" (in Japanese). Crypton Future Media. November 20, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Fujimoto, Ken (November 24, 2014). "VOCALOID4への各社の対応とクリプトンの新技術E.V.E.C." [VOCALOID4 measures of each vendors, and Crypton's new technology, E.V.E.C.]. Ken Fujimoto's DTM Station (in Japanese). Retrieved November 27, 2014.
  4. ↑ "VOCALOID4 クロスシンセシス可能グループ一覧" [VOCALOID4 cross synthesis available group list] (TABLE) (in Japanese). Yamaha Corporation. 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  5. ↑ "VOCALOID™ 3 Editor" (in Japanese). Yamaha Corporation. Retrieved 6 December 2014. (discontinued, integrated on Vocaloid 4)
  6. ↑ "VOCALOID™ Editor for Cubase" (in Japanese). Yamaha Corporation. January 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2014. (discontinued, integrated on Vocaloid 4)
  7. ↑ "Yamaha Announces VOCALOID4". Vocaloidism. November 20, 2014. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Yamaha VOCALOID™ Singing Voice Synthesis Technology Now Offers Realistic Vocal Library in American English". PRWeb. January 21, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  9. ↑ link
  10. ↑ link
  11. ↑ link
  12. ↑ link

External links