What is Vocaloid?
If you are new to Vocaloid, you are probably wondering what it is. “Vocaloid” can be confusing – especially at first – as it can refer to different things.
Is Vocaloid a software product, anime, artist, or genre?
And what is a voicebank?
Don’t fret, as we answer all your questions about Vocaloid in this short and simple guide. Make sure to read on!
Table of Contents
What Is Vocaloid, Exactly?
The simple answer is this: Vocaloid is a software voice synthesizer.
It is used to synthesize singing, as well as speech, using recorded vocal samples.
Vocaloid was created by Hideki Kenmochi. Yamaha developed the software in 2000, before releasing it in 2004.
Vocaloid has since gone through various updates and releases, the latest release being Vocaloid 5, which was released in 2019.
The software is compatible with Windows and Mac, and even has a mobile version, exclusive to Japan.
Vocaloid is widely associated with Japanese moe anthropomorphisms – which can be described as virtual idols or avatars – hence its association with anime.
Many of these moe anthropomorphisms were created as voice bank installments (vocal sample bundles), or “mascots”, that were released with different versions of Vocaloid.
Some of them have become recognized virtual music artists, even performing live international concerts.
On the whole, Vocaloid music can be described as upbeat EDM (electronic dance music) with heavily synthesized vocals.
So, Vocaloid refers to the software synthesizer itself and its various voice banks, the moe anthropomorphism singers, and the music created using Vocaloid, collectively.
How Does Vocaloid Work?
Vocaloid is a vocal synthesizer that can be used as standalone software or a virtual studio technology (VST) within a digital audio workstation (DAW).
Put simply, music producers use Vocaloid to create computer-generated vocals for music, by importing real-life recorded vocal samples into a piano roll interface.
Vocaloid vocal samples can be heavily edited, from pitch, tone, and dynamics to the notes and lyrics themselves.
Vocaloid users will take a preset vocal sample, which can be a single word or phrase, and then edit it and combine it with other vocal samples to create a complete vocal track.
Lyrics can be typed into the Vocaloid interface.
The notes themselves can be pitched up or down, changed in length (attack, release, and sustain), as well as increased or decreased in volume, mimicking the dynamic movement of a real human voice.
Vocaloid vocal samples can be English or Japanese. But since Vocaloid is most popular in Japan, the latter is more abundant.
Why Is Vocaloid So Popular?
Vocaloid is most popular in Japan.
This is not just because Japan is where Vocaloid was created, but because it is where the style of music itself is popular, along with the various moe anthropomorphisms associated with Vocaloid.
Despite this, Vocaloid – Vocaloid software, Vocaloid artists, as well as the various Vocaloid virtual idols – have begun gaining popularity with a wider international audience.
Since the development of Vocaloid as a vocal synthesizer in 2000, Yamaha has helped to market and promote the software internationally.
Most importantly, however, Vocaloid owes most of its popularity and success to Crypton Future Media, a Japanese software company that created Hatsune Miku.
Hatsune Miku is one of the many Vocaloid characters that have been created and marketed as Vocaloid voicebanks (vocal sample installments, or bundles).
Some of these animated Vocaloid characters, or virtual idols, have become recognized music artists that have even performed international virtual concerts, which has only helped to increase the popularity of Vocaloid.
Who Is Hatsune Miku?
Hatsune Miku is a popular Japanese virtual idol and virtual singer, created by Crypton Future Media.
Hatsune Miku also refers to the voicebank installment (vocal sample bundle) that was released with Vocaloid 2 in 2007.
Vocaloid, the singing synthesizer developed by Yamaha, was not a success when it was first released in 2004.
It was only when Crypton Future Media created Hatsune Miku, a virtual idol to be released with a voicebank, that Vocaloid gained widespread popularity.
Hatsune Miku become the first-ever “installment” voicebank for Vocaloid, visually designed by Japanese manga artist Kei Garö for Crypton Future Media, the company wanting to release the voicebank with a marketable image.
Hatsune Miku, as a moe anthropomorphism, was created to be 16 years old, 158 centimeters in height, with a weight of 42 kilograms.
She is recognizable by her long turquoise pigtails and schoolgirl-like clothes and appearance.
As for Hatsune Miku’s voicebank, the samples were created from recorded vocals sung by Japanese singer Fujita Saki.
Hatsune Miku is the most popular Vocaloid voicebank, as well as an internationally recognized virtual music artist, with hundreds of thousands of official and “unofficial” songs created using her vocal samples.
Hatsune Miku has since gone on to perform live virtual concerts, as well as appear in Japanese games and anime series, with a reputation for being “the face of Vocaloid”.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Vocaloid A Robot?
Vocaloid is not a robot, but a Japanese software vocal synthesizer that can create speech and singing vocals using recorded samples.
It was released in 2004 by Yamaha and has since become one of the most popular vocal synthesizers in popular music.
Many Vocaloid voicebanks have been released with moe anthropomorphisms or Japanese virtual idols as their “mascots”.
This had led to some voicebank installments becoming recognized virtual music artists.
Is Vocaloid A Genre?
Vocaloid can be used to collectively refer to the music and songs created using Vocaloid – the Japanese singing synthesizer software developed by Hideki Kenmochi and Yamaha, released in 2004.
Vocaloid music can be described as upbeat EDM with computer-generated vocals. There are many Vocaloid artists, as well as Vocaloid virtual idols, released as Vocaloid voicebanks with their own marketable moe anthropomorphism.
Is Vocaloid An Anime?
Vocaloid is not an anime, despite being associated with anime. Vocaloid is a Japanese software synthesizer for creating vocal tracks, using voicebanks (vocal sample packs) that have been released with marketable moe anthropomorphisms.
Due to these moe anthropomorphisms, or virtual idols – which are similar to anime characters – Vocaloid has been associated with anime.
Anime, however, refers to Japanese animated films and shows, often adapted from manga comics.
Conclusion
Vocaloid is a Japanese software synthesizer used to create vocal tracks.
Collectively, Vocaloid can refer to the software itself, music created using Vocaloid, the voicebanks, and the different virtual idols (moe anthropomorphisms) released as voicebank installments.
Vocaloid was developed by Hideki Kenmochi in 2000 and released by Yamaha in 2004. Vocaloid has had various updated versions since then, the most recent release being Vocaloid 5 in 2019.
