Ceren is the Founder and Director of STUDIO OGIEN, created in 2014. For a living, she is a Web Developer, and she has built nearly 100 websites in her time working. Ceren is originally from Michigan, but she now lives in Tennessee with her husband. For fun, she enjoys writing, fashion design, and playing relaxed games like Minecraft and Stardew Valley.
Summer updates have begun, so here’s our first changelog! We’ve done our belated “spring cleaning”. Lately, we’ve been tidying up older voicebanks and starting work on character pages. As of today, KASAI’s page is updated and ready to go! As she gains more voicebanks, we will re-format her voice downloads section. At that time, we’ll sort voices by language rather than by voicebank name. Furthermore, we will leave it as is until the full IGNITE release (projected late 2022 or early 2023, we underestimated this undertaking!). We will be tackling the pages for HONOS, AXIS, APOLLO, THEIA, and ATLAS in the coming weeks.
Firstly, we have discontinued “Original”, replaced with “Original V2”. Note: if you have her Original voicebank downloaded, we ask that you do not redistribute it!
Additionally, we’ve updated Original V2, AMORE, SALIENT, and IGNITE (Alpha) for OpenUTAU compatibility.
Updated Original and TELLURIC for OpenUTAU compatibility
To clarify, we’ve made TELLURIC OTO updates. Changed Prefixes to Suffixes. Must download if you are planning to use her in OpenUTAU. Otherwise, her Falsetto Voice Color will not function properly. If you do not use OpenUTAU, you do not need to worry about this!
In addition to this, we’ve updated “Original” to 1.5.0. Furthermore, we swapped around some defaults for better voice control. AXIS TELLURIC’s B3 is now the base voice. The old “Original” has become “Raspy”. “Lively” has become the new “Original”. This will serve as a placeholder until Original V2 is released.
Over the summer, STUDIO OGIEN will be performing a bit of cleanup, updates, and general maintenance across its website, voicebanks, and documentation. Let’s go over these recent developments together in today’s blog!
Changes and Updates to OGIENOID Voicebanks
Discontinuing and Replacing Outdated Voices
Times are changing, and we’ve grown a lot since the initial release of a few voicebanks! We’ve come to a decision to do a little house keeping and retire some voices we are not as happy with as we used to be and replacing them with newer models. The first voicebank we are discontinuing is KASAI OG01 “Original”. KASAI OG01 Original will be replaced with “Original V2”, which will be a lite version of SALIENT. Likewise, we will also be discontinuing AXIS OG06 “Original”. This voicebank will also be replaced with “Original V2” late in the year or early next year. AXIS OG06 Original V2 will be a lite version of ULTIMATE, coming in 2023.
Improvements to Accessibility
Not everyone has equal access to fast, reliable internet, but that shouldn’t stop you from having fun and doing what you love. For these members of our audience, we will be tweaking current voicebank downloads as well as future releases. STUDIO OGIEN will begin splitting up appends and pitches to download individually for those with low storage and slow internet speeds. This way, visitors on our site can download assets one at a time to prevent timeout errors or having to leave their computers on and active for extended periods of time. We truly do not wish to leave anyone out, so we hope these changes will help those who need the option.
Moving Forward With OpenUTAU
STUDIO OGIEN will begin updating current voicebanks to be compatible with both UTAU and OpenUTAU. If for some reason they can’t be utilized by both with one file, select voicebanks will be split into two downloads, one for each software. Going off the above point, all tutorial blogs will be updated for more information on using OGIENOIDs in OpenUTAU.
However, starting in 2023, we will be releasing voicebanks with OpenUTAU first in mind. This may eventually effect voicebank compatibility with UTAU, but we will do our best to avoid this outcome.
Changes to Character Pages
Starting with KASAI OG01’s character page, we will be re-formatting the voicebank download sections. We will begin organizing tabs by language and including voicebanks in a more compact layout. Additionally, we’ll be updating all character pages to reflect the format updates made on DIONE OG05 and VIRTUS OG02’s downloads section. Users will now have direct access to full body boxarts and logos!
However, we do have one negative change with our downloadable assets for the OGIENOIDs. As of today, we are discontinuing new LipSync models due to low usage. Each girl will get a default LipSync and a Goddess LipSync (if they have a Goddess voicebank). Further, we will no longer include new LipSync models for every voicebank release.
Monthly Scheduled Website Maintenance
We will be implementing scheduled end-of-the-month maintenance on the official website starting in June. This will take place on the last Friday of each month, making the site potentially inaccessible for a few hours. The times will unfortunately be random and will depend upon the availability of group members to maintain. Please plan in advance if you are in need of assets or downloads!
Other Updates
Whew! That was a lot. Now for a few final notes that are more fun! STUDIO OGIEN is unleashing new products to our Redbubble shop. If you have any special requests, please let us know! Likewise, we are, after all this time, planning to offer physical boxarts and other fun products like keychain, buttons, and, eventually, printed version of- oops~! We can’t tell you that just yet! You’ll just have to stick around for a very special future update to find out. Let’s just say, there’s nothing better in the world than the smell of a new book…
We’re dipping our toes back into the water of the world of conventions. This week, fourmembers of STUDIO OGIEN will be attending MTAC in Nashville, TN.
Who Is Going
The voice providers of KASAI OG01, AXIS OG06, ATLAS OG07, and APOLLO OG0X (Ceren), THEIA OG03 (Stormi), VIRTUS OG02 (Artsy) and DIONE OG05 (Kiko) will be attending the convention! We will just be hanging out casually around the convention and may have some goodies to hand out for anyone who may bump into us. Come say hi and take your pick of an ATLAS OG07 sticker or a KASAI SALIENT keychain! We are double vaxxed, boosted, and will all be masking up in proper masks. 🙂
What Are We Doing
Unfortunately, not much this year. Many conventions have a backlog of vendors, artists, and even panelists. With so much competition, and so much going on in our personal lives these last few months, we have decided to forego any planned events, booths, or panels this go-round. We are hoping to bust out a little something we’ve been saving for the future, however, and we’re hoping to make 2023 a year of conventions and travel!
How To Spot Us
Thursday: STUDIO OGIEN garb and merch!
Friday: Juvia, Lucy, and Mirajane (Fairytail), Zhongli (Genshin Impact)
Saturday: Miku, Rin, and Luka (Magical Mirai 2019), Roxanne Wolf (FNAF)
You can follow Stormi and Ceren on their cosplay Instagram accounts to stay more up to date!
Previous Years
In previous years, we have put on a few goofy panels. If you are a frequent MTAC attendee, you may remember our members hosting Vocaloid Jeopardy! and Anime Family Feud. These were very valuable learning experiences for us, for sure, and we had a lot of fun meeting you all. However, we have made the decision to not bring back these panels for this year, but we hope our previous years have given you good memories and a laugh or two!
Future Plans
We’re going to see how this year goes before making more plans for the immediate future. Better safe than sorry!
Today, we’ll be going over our plans for the release of our newest OGIENOID; DIONE OG05. Included in this briefing will also be her voicebank details, range, and a few extras. As of today, her page has been updated once again to reveal more downloadable content on her character page. Let’s get started!
DIONE OG05’s Slated Release
If you’ve followed our TikTok account, you may already know we are teasing a May 2022 release. We are currently slating the official release for the end of the month, May 31st. This is actually a Tuesday, so her release will be combined with our end-of-the-month progress report for May. We want DIONE OG05 out as soon as possible, but we want to give ourselves ample time. We’re working to find the rest of her bugs, finalize her OTO and properly edit her documentation.
For the first time, we have changed the formula for Original/Default voicebanks! We’ve made the executive decision to release new characters as a single timbre. This is to keep up with our more complex releases like KASAI SALIENT and the Goddess series. However, these single appends will be multipitch, with four unique pitches. Going forward, this will be our new formula. The goal is to allow newer OGIENOIDs to show their true potential and range from the beginning, keep their voices relevant for longer, and reduce the number of recordings needed for future expansions. This way, we can create better quality voices and deliver updates to our audience faster than ever before.
DIONE OG05’s Initial Release And Specs
DIONE OG05 Default is a Japanese VCV that will include four unique pitches: C3, F3, A#3,D#4. This will actually make DIONE OG05 the OGIENOID in our lineup with the lowest range (yes, even lower than HONOS OG04!). Her voice is recorded in a calm, gentle tone, making her an ideal fit for ballads, soft pop, and other similar genres.
Her release will include a folder compatible with both UTAU and OpenUTAU. Extra files included are her full body artwork, reference image, and logo.
Most Recent Teasers
At this time, we have one short teaser out for DIONE OG05. New full length demos will begin to come out later this month!
Though the UTAU software was initially designed to process CV voicebanks, the UTAU community, over time, began to experiment and construct new recording methods. One such technique that developed was referred to as “triphones”, “triphonics”, or 連続音 ( renzokuon ). The approach would later be popularly referred to as VCV, or “Vowel-Consonant-Vowel”. VCV was the second major recording method created by the UTAU community, and it soon became one of the most popular and widely adopted. It is commonly associated with multipitch voicebanks (a UTAU recorded with multiple voicebanks at multiple pitches) to obtain even greater realism.
A triphone or triphonic is a sound consisting of three basic phonemes. Phonemes are a distinct unit of sound used in language, such as “k” “d” “p”. VCV utilizes triphones to create a smoother, more lifelike vocal than CV by “stringing” three phonemes together. So, within VCV, a triphone would look something like “a ka”. So long as the voicebank has a high-quality OTO, UTAU will blend together the starting and ending vowels of one note into the next, creating a fluid voice.
Numerous members of the community will argue for and against VCV’s ease of use. Many claim recording and configuring VCV is more difficult and time-consuming than VCV, but that it is more straightforward to utilize and, ultimately, procures a better sound.
Using VCV
Let’s learn how to use VCV in UTAU! First, load up the desired Voicebank and UST file (if you have one). There are two scenarios here: the UST is either formatted for VCV or it just isn’t. Not every UST comes in VCV format, but you may really, really want to use the UST. Fear not, there are many options to remedy this situation!
The tedious method that we aren’t going to actually consider a method, but rather a painful last resort: Add the preceding vowel to the lyric: Let’s say you have two notes “か” (ka) and “あ” (a). Simply add an “a” in the same note as あ. Simply, あ now becomes “a あ”.
The easiest method (that, unfortunately, costs money): UTAU Shareware: If you have the shareware version of UTAU, you can simply hit the auto VCV button, and UTAU will turn the vowels into VCV!
Click “A” for auto VCV
Other methods:Plugins: Some plugins may convert the CV vowels into VCV without altering the rest. Others may turn the entire UST into VCV. Experimentation is key! IroIro is our favorite recommendation, as the plugin has many other useful features packed into it as well.
Navigating to your installed UTAU plugins
If you have IroIro Installed, follow Tools > Plug-Ins(N) > IroIro. Select CV -> VCV and click OK.
IroIro’s many options
Once your UST is in VCV format, you are ready to proceed.
Fitting a UST to a VCV Voicebank
Fitting a UST file to a UTAU Voicebank will definitely improve the sound and make your covers appear more professional. By fitting the UST, you are telling the software to conform to that particular UTAU’s configurations and setup (OTO). This is an important step if the UST was not explicitly made for the UTAU you are using, and it helps to improve the fluidity and clarity of the voice. So, let’s do it!
To start:
Open a UST file
Select all (Ctrl+A)
Right-click on a note
On the pop-up, select “Property” or “Region Property” (if you selected all notes). A new window will appear.
You may notice sections on this window labeled “Preutterance” and “Overlap”. To their right, there is a “Clear” button. We want to click that.
Next, at the bottom of the window, there is a box labeled STP.
If it has a value, delete it.
If the box is grayed out, double-click the box to clear it.
Press “OK”
In the top right of the main window of UTAU, you will see a group of four buttons (ACPT, P2P3, P1P4, RESET).
Click RESET
Then click P2P3
Next, P1P4
P2P3 again
Click ACPT (You can click this multiple times if you see any red “!”, and it may take care of those. More on that in just a second!)
That’s it! You’ve fit the UST to your VCV Voicebank
Special Characters, Envelope Issues and Other Problem Samples
Special Characters
Example of notes with special characters
While fitting a UST to your UTAU, you may find errors highlighted as red “!” along the way. VCV is a popular method and widely employed, so a user may run across custom notes, properties, and expressions within a UST. Your UTAU may not have these special notes and sounds, so, we need to run through a few options.
Manual removal
Simply edit each note, one by one, and delete the extra symbols.
SuffixBroker (for custom characters at the end of a note such as an up or down arrow, a number, or another special symbol)
Select the notes you want the characters removed from
Found under: Tools > Built-in Tools > SuffixBroker
Leave the box blank, click OK, and now the Suffixes are gone! PLEASE NOTE: this does not always perform 100%. Make sure to double-check your work.
Third-Party Plugins
Example of notes with special characters removed
Much better!
Envelope Issues
The error still shows up, and, more confusingly, the sound sample exists and your oto is fine. Grr… Now that’s frustrating! But we have a fix. Let’s check and edit some envelopes!
Very carefully, right-click on the note. A new pop-up will appear. Hover down to “Envelope…” and click on it.
And…
YIKES! That’s pretty bad! Worry not, there’s a simple fix. Let’s click “Normal”. 9/10 times, that does the job.
If the error still persists after hitting “Normal”, simply drag the red boxes around until they look, well, normal. Click OK and it should be good to go!
Much better, and now our “!” is gone. We are ready to tune and mix!
Other Problems
Some users may experience odd glitches. If you play the track back and notice slurring happening, you may want to change what notes you select. In our experience, selecting only the notes tends to help. Sometimes, hitting Ctrl+A selects rests and other unique settings that cause the fit to mess up. Click the first note of the vocal track, and then scroll to the end. Select the last note by holding down Shift, then left-click the lyric. Fit the UST again, and it should work!
Conclusion
Today, we’ve covered quite a bit about how to use VCV UTAU Voicebanks! With these tools, you should be ready to dive right in. We hope this resource has been a big help.
Need more assistance with UTAU and creating your very own voicebank? STUDIO OGIEN has compiled resources to use with the UTAU software. Check it out here! If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please let us know through our contact form or leave a comment on this article. We can’t wait to see what you create!
Introduction to Multipitch, Multiexpression Voicebanks in OpenUTAU (as of January 2022)
Before We Begin
This tutorial is a bit much, and it acts as Part One to our Voice Colors blog! Today, we want to go over how to set up Multipitch, Multiexpression voicebanks in OpenUTAU. The tutorial assumes you understand the following:
How Multipitch voicebanks work in UTAU
How to use and set up a Prefix.map
Suffixes and Prefixes, and how to use them to create Multipitch
This tutorial also assumes:
You have operational voicebanks prepared
All of your pitches and expressions, for each voicebank, have a different suffix
Lastly, we are not experts! We are learning along with our community. There may be more than one way to perform the following steps, and things may change in the future as OpenUTAU develops. We will do our best to keep this blog as up-to-date as we can, and we will come back to make edits when necessary. Knowing that, let’s dive in!
Getting Started
We know now that it’s possible to set up Multipitch, Multiexpression Voicebanks in OpenUTAU. Today, let’s go a step further and use our knowledge about Voice Colors and PrefixMaps. Let’s get into the nitty-gritty and set up something a little more complex!
For this example, I will be porting over an existing UTAU with five different appends/expressions. As this is not a STUDIO OGIEN created UTAU, we will be redacting the name to avoid confusion. We do not manage or act as user support for this voice, and the following tutorial is only for educational purposes. Now, let’s set this up!
To start, I have downloaded all 5 expressions as well as organized and extracted them on my Desktop. For the sake of sanity, I have also prepared six new folders for extra samples to help keep organized during the process. Make sure to keep the original compressed files as a backup, just in case.
Let’s begin inside Voice 1’s folder. I have Voice 1_extras open alongside it. Let’s delete the $read. Next, if you have breaths and other samples, let’s sort them into the _extras folder for now.
Alright, now that we have cleaned up, we are left with the following three folders, each containing a unique pitch.
For the sake of organization, let’s rename these folders. For this example, I will name this Voice 1_[original folder name]. Go ahead and repeat these steps with the next expressions.
Finding Pitches For Mystery Files And Unsorted Folders
As I began to clean up Voice 2’s folder, I noticed a small situation. We have a bit of a dilemma on our hands!
One of the pitches for Voice 2 is in the main directory, it hasn’t been labeled with the pitch’s name, and there is no Suffix in the oto.ini. If this is your own UTAU, and you know what the pitch is, go ahead and throw these samples into their own labeled folder. If this is not your UTAU, make sure you check the readme files provided to figure out the pitch. However, let’s say there was no documentation to help. We can still find the pitch, even if we’re not musically inclined. I will show you how to find the pitch using REAPER!
After opening, drag and drop a sample into the track. To understand what pitch this sample was recorded on, I’m going to add an FX to the track called ReaTune.
Hit OK, and you will see a new window pop up. Play the track and watch REAPER works its magic.
The pitch will waver, so pay attention and try to find the average. If you can also find documentation on the voicebank, that will help a lot as well. Create a new folder with the pitch’s name, and move the voice files into it. Let’s proceed!
What To Do With Unique Samples and Other Files
What do we do with our extras, now that our folders are set up? Well, that depends, and it can be done in many different ways. For this particular Multiexpression OpenUTAU voice, I’m going to put in a little more manual effort to make sure these notes always work.
Let’s open Voice 1_extras back up alongside Voice 1.
We want to still save the readme files, the character file, and the icon to merge together later on. For now, I will leave those in this folder. However, for the voice samples, it’s a little more complicated. In this example, the extras are recorded for only one pitch. Normally, these would be useable in regular UTAU, but with the nature of these Multiexpression OpenUTAU configurations, we need to define them more clearly for the program to understand what’s going on. So, gather your Suffixes and get ready to copy-paste, and copy-paste a lot at that.
Inside the oto.ini, we can see the extras lack a Suffix. That’s fine, as one pitch in this particular expression does as well. For that, we will copy paste the voice files into said folder. Once copied over, open the oto.ini file within that folder, and copy+paste the lines for your extras within. Now, this pitch knows how to use these samples.
For the next pitch, you will have to add the suffix in by hand. Once you’ve added in the suffix, copy and paste those oto lines into the oto for the next pitch. Example:
Copy and paste the extras into the folder. For the next pitch, just hit Ctrl H to bring up Notepad’s search and replace. Just be careful what you put into it. Always double check your work!
Configure the rest of the extras and we can proceed!
Putting It Together With Voice Colors
Now that our files are ready, let’s move them into a brand new folder. Create a new folder, this one you can name whatever you please. For this example, I will call it “VOICE_Master”. VOICE_Master will need a few special files.
First, let’s gather all the readmes, character files and icons. Decide what icon you would like to use, and set up the character.txt accordingly. Update the name, author, image, web, etc. as you see fit. Next, it would be best to label each readme to refer to the proper voicebank, or combine them all into one. Once finished, you will want to place these within the VOICE_Master folder.
Next, it’s time to place each pitch into the main directory. PLEASE NOTE: You must place individual pitches into the main directory. Splitting the pitches up by expression (ex: VOICE_Master/Voice 1/1_G3) will not work, and OpenUTAU will split the expressions up. Rather, you want your setup to mimic the one below:
Let’s compress this bad boy and import it into OpenUTAU!
It works!
SUCCESS! The files are recognized as one voicebank. Exactly what we need for part two.
From here, you can follow our tutorial on OpenUTAU voice colors to achieve the desired effect.
Voice Colors (also referred to as subbanks) are an exciting new direction for the OpenUTAU software, improving upon the usage and development of multi-expression voicebanks. Until now, users of UTAU have had a strict way to go about using Appends. For a monopitch voicebank with the additional expressions added in, creators of UTAU voices could configure appends with suffixes. Users could then plug the suffixes into the SuffixBroker within the software, or manually add the suffix to each note to achieve the desired effect. For example, a “Soft” append may include the suffix “S”, users would then add this letter onto the end of a note to make the software play that notes for that specific append.
The Old Way
To achieve a multi-pitch, multi-expression voice, creators would have to either split up each append (ex: soft, power, and the base voice all released and used separately) OR the creator of the voicebank would have to use the same pitches for each expression to be able to use all three voicebanks at the same time (ex: all pitches of soft, power and the base voice would all be recorded at A3, C4, C5). Such an example is our very own KASAI OG01 SALIENT voicebank.
These issues add difficulty when developing new voicebanks, as many voice providers find it difficult to keep the same range for such different tones of voice. Luckily, we no longer have either of those problems with OpenUTAU Voice Colors. Essentially, every Color can have its own, unique prefix-map. In short, this gives users the ability to assign different ranges and suffixes to different voicebanks.
An Example
Let’s say a voicebank includes three appends; Soft, Power, and Base. Let’s also assume each of these voicebanks has three pitches, but they all use a different set. Soft might use F3, A3, C4. The base may use A3, D4, and F4. Meanwhile, Power might include G3, E4, and A4. That’s very complicated and pretty much impossible to use together in UTAU. Some samples would be used on totally different ranges than they were meant to be used for, causing a rather chaotic sound. In this scenario, within UTAU, it’s better just to split these voices up to use individually.
HOWEVER, with OpenUTAU’s Voice Colors, we can now assign all three appends to their correct ranges. Soft can use F3, A3, and C4 where they are meant to be used, and the same goes with the other two.
An Example of Defined Voice Colors
The New Way
In comes OpenUTAU’s Voice Color feature! A handy new tool that gives UTAU creators a greater scope of diversification for their expressions and range. The Voice Color feature is essentially the SuffixBroker’s natural evolution, becoming more and more like commercial vocal synthesis products. Users no longer have to plug Suffixes in individually or through a series of menus. Rather, simply make sure “CLR” is available to use at the bottom of a track, and make sure you are using a UTAU configured for Voice Colors. If not, we’ll teach you how to set that up in just a minute.
Voice Colors in the CLR Editor
Okay, so what makes this so great? Just how easy is it to use? Well, that’s a simple question with a simple answer. By just the press of a button, or a click and drag, users can quickly and easily alter numerous suffixes at the same time. No more rooting around in readme files to copy and paste special characters!
Example of Working Voice Colors
Awesome, how fun! Now we have greater flexibility than ever before to develop interesting and unique voicebanks. However, as OpenUTAU is still very fresh and new, it is going to have some issues as it continues to evolve. One such issue is setting up Voice Colors themselves. There’s not a lot of documentation or help just yet on that, so setting OpenUTAU’s Voice Colors up? A little tricky.
Setting Up Voice Colors in OpenUTAU
Let’s go through the process of setting up Voice Colors! The developers behind OpenUTAU have made this process pretty darn easy. Today, I am working on porting over APOLLO OG0X, so she will be the voicebank used in this example. Let’s go to Tools > Singers.
Tools > Singers
The Singer Window
Ah, here we are in the lovely Singers window. Here, we can see a list of all our subbanks, their aliases, Sets (folders), sample names, phonetics, and prefixes. Extend the window out to see even more information!
The Singer Window, Expanded
Let’s set up some Voice Colors. Go ahead and click “Edit Subbanks”.
The Edit Subbanks Window
Alright, here’s where the magic happens, and things get a little tricky. APOLLO OG0X’s VCV includes three voicebanks. Original, Breaking, and Murmur. Let’s set those up, so I can show you an issue you may stumble upon. Click “Add Color” and enter the name you wish. I’ll start with “Original”, her default singing voice.
Naming a Color
This one is a super easy monopitch voicebank, as it has no suffixes or prefixes. Simply hit save.
A Voice Color, Saved
Boom. Done. One color down. Now, let’s set up an append. Click “Add Color”, and name the append like before. Now, grab the suffix used in the oto.ini for this specific voicebank. Hit “Select All”, add the Suffix into the Suffix box, and hit “Set”.
Select All, Enter Suffix, Click Set…
Looks good. Hit save and repeat for all appends.
Defined Voice Colors
Voice Color Issues
All right, everything looks good, now let’s test it!
An Error. The Suffix For “Breaking” Will Note Populate.
Ah… Uhm… Remember that tricky bit I mentioned beforehand? Yeah, this is it. As OpenUTAU is still in the early stages of development, it’s going to have some little bugs here and there. Notice how “Breaking”, APOLLO OG0X’s power bank, doesn’t assign her suffix to the note? At this time, on January 18th, 2022, OpenUTAU prioritizes Voice Colors alphanumerically. If the name of the default voicebank comes after the name of an append in the English alphabet, OpenUTAU assumes it is the default voice and won’t add a Suffix. This is just a simple override issue that may change!
For now, let me show you a quick, easy fix. Go back through Singers > Select the UTAU > Edit Subbanks. For this instance, I’m selecting Original.
Renaming A Voice Color
Simply hit “Rename”, and give it a name that, alphabetically, comes before the names of any append. For this example, I chose “Base”. I’ve also seen others simply use quotes (“”), which also works. Click “OK” and then “Save”. Go back to your track to check….
Woohoo! Working Voice Colors!
There we go, all fixed! So long as the default voice has a name that comes first alphanumerically, it will stick to the bottom of the Voice Colors list and should function properly. As OpenUTAU develops, this trick may become unnecessary, but, for now, it is here to help, and so are we!
A Quick Tip
You set up your voice colors, you tested them and they worked, but when you loaded a UST… What the heck!? Why aren’t they working!?
Ugh, Not Again!
Here’s a nice quick fix. You may notice the UST imported in this example is in VCV format. Hit Ctrl + A to select all. Go to Lyrics > Japanese VCV to CV. This will turn the UST back to CV, and OpenUTAU will automatically convert the notes into VCV as seen below. We have only tested this with VCV voicebanks at the moment, so if you are employing a different method, you may need to experiment!
It’s Working Again!
LET’S HAVE FUN WITH VOICE COLORS!
Check back soon for more tutorials on OpenUTAU!
Need more assistance with UTAU and creating your very own voicebank? STUDIO OGIEN has compiled resources to use with the UTAU software. Check it out here! If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please let us know through our contact form or leave a comment on this article. We can’t wait to see what you create!
Our team got to thinking, “What would all the OGIENOID girls look like if they were real or in our world?” Well, we decided to find out! Thanks to the incredible machine-learning website Artbreeder, we were able to create real versions of the girls. Ah, if only they were real.
A rendition featuring both of her eyes, funny enough! This rendition truly captures how striking AXIS’s mint-green shade of hair would be in real life.
ATLAS OG07 “Celestial” is a 7-pitch Japanese VCV style Voicebank developed by STUDIO OGIEN. Released in 2015, “Celestial” is the second addition to The Goddess Series, a mini-series of voicebank releases based on the OGIENOIDs’ alter-egos in another world.
How To Use ATLAS OG07 Celestial
Using Multi-pitch
“Celestial” consists of 7 unique pitches that are auto-configured using the Prefix.map function in UTAU. As long as the user does not remove the Prefix.map file, the multi-pitch functions of Celestial will work without any additional effort. From this point, a user can carry on as if they are using a normal VCV voicebank.
For those new to the VCV voicebank format, let’s learn how to use it in UTAU! First, load up the desired Voicebank and UST file (if you have one). There are two scenarios here: the UST is either formatted for VCV or it just isn’t. Not every UST comes in VCV format, but you may really, really want to use the UST. Fear not, there are many options to remedy this situation!
The tedious method that we aren’t going to actually consider a method, but rather a painful last resort: Add the preceding vowel to the lyric: Let’s say you have two notes “か” (ka) and “あ” (a). Simply add an “a” in the same note as あ. Simply, あ now becomes “a あ”.
The easiest method (that, unfortunately, costs money): UTAU Shareware: If you have the shareware version of UTAU, you can simply hit the auto VCV button, and UTAU will turn the vowels into VCV!
Click “A” for auto VCV
Other methods: Plugins: Some plugins may convert the CV vowels into VCV without altering the rest. Others may turn the entire UST into VCV. Experimentation is key! IroIro is our favorite recommendation, as the plugin has many other useful features packed into it as well.
Navigating to your installed UTAU plugins
If you have IroIro Installed, follow Tools > Plug-Ins(N) > IroIro. Select CV -> VCV and click OK.
IroIro’s many options
Once your UST is in VCV format, you are ready to proceed.
Fitting a UST to a VCV Voicebank
Fitting a UST file to a UTAU Voicebank will definitely improve the sound and make your covers appear more professional. By fitting the UST, you are telling the software to conform to that particular UTAU’s configurations and setup (OTO). This is an important step if the UST was not explicitly made for the UTAU you are using, and it helps to improve the fluidity and clarity of the voice. So, let’s do it!
To start:
Open a UST file
Select all (Ctrl+A)
Right-click on a note
On the pop-up, select “Property” or “Region Property” (if you selected all notes). A new window will appear.
You may notice sections on this window labeled “Preutterance” and “Overlap”. To their right, there is a “Clear” button. We want to click that.
Next, at the bottom of the window, there is a box labeled STP.
If it has a value, delete it.
If the box is grayed out, double-click the box to clear it.
Press “OK”
In the top right of the main window of UTAU, you will see a group of four buttons (ACPT, P2P3, P1P4, RESET).
Click RESET
Then click P2P3
Next, P1P4
P2P3 again
Click ACPT (You can click this multiple times if you see any red “!”, and it may take care of those. More on that in just a second!)
That’s it! You’ve fit the UST to your VCV Voicebank
Special Characters, Envelope Issues, and Other Problem Samples
Special Characters
Example of notes with special characters
While fitting a UST to your UTAU, you may find errors highlighted as red “!” along the way. VCV is a popular method and widely employed, so a user may run across custom notes, properties, and expressions within a UST. Your UTAU may not have these special notes and sounds, so, we need to run through a few options.
Manual removal
Simply edit each note, one by one, and delete the extra symbols.
SuffixBroker (for custom characters at the end of a note such as an up or down arrow, a number, or another special symbol)
Select the notes you want the characters removed from
Found under: Tools > Built-in Tools > SuffixBroker
Leave the box blank, click OK, and now the Suffixes are gone! PLEASE NOTE: this does not always perform 100%. Make sure to double-check your work.
Third-Party Plugins
Much better!
Envelope Issues
The error still shows up, and, more confusingly, the sound sample exists and your oto is fine. Grr… Now that’s frustrating! But we have a fix. Let’s check and edit some envelopes!
Very carefully, right-click on the note. A new pop-up will appear. Hover down to “Envelope…” and click on it.
And…
YIKES! That’s pretty bad! Worry not, there’s a simple fix. Let’s click “Normal”. 9/10 times, that does the job.
If the error still persists after hitting “Normal”, simply drag the red boxes around until they look, well, normal. Click OK and it should be good to go!
Much better, and now our “!” is gone. We are ready to tune and mix!
For tracks made from scratch, start by clicking the “+” icon on the left-hand side. A new track like so will be created.
Click on “Select Singer” and choose a voice. In this instance, we will choose Atlas CELESTIAL.
The voice is loaded. Now, we must tell OpenUTAU what type of voicebank she has. Click on “DEFAULT” to open a new menu of options.
Select “[JP VCV] Japanese VCV Phonemizer”. We are ready to use VCV in OpenUTAU!
For Existing USTs:
Go to “File > Import Tracks…” and choose a UST of your liking.
You may notice the singer data is saved from the UST file. You may or may not have this UTAU in your library. Either way, we are wanting to use Atlas CELESTIAL in this example as well. Go ahead and click on the singer’s name to open a new menu.
Select the preferred singer by clicking their name. In this instance, we will choose Atlas CELESTIAL.
The voice is loaded. Now, we must tell OpenUTAU what type of voicebank she has. Click on “DEFAULT” to open a new menu of options.
Select “[JP VCV] Japanese VCV Phonemizer”. We are ready to use VCV in OpenUTAU!
ATLAS OG07 “Original” is a Japanese VCV style Voicebank developed by STUDIO OGIEN. Released in 2018, she is the first member of the OGIENOID character subset collectively known as “The Triad,” her counterparts being HONOS OG04 and VIRTUS OG02. Her voice suits pop, rock, and EDM genres with a broad range of expressions, among other music types. Currently, she is the OGIENOID with the largest selection of Monopitch appends.
ATLAS OG07’s “Original” voicebank is an assortment of four different VCVs, each in a unique timbre (the character or quality of a musical sound or voice as distinct from its pitch and intensity). “Original” is a normal singing voice, Lullaby (a soft voice), and Endure (a powerful voice). This voicebank combines three voicebanks into one, allowing the user to plug in “↑” or “↓” into the UST from the SuffixBroker for appends. Making all voices available to use in one UST helps make editing, tuning, and mixing faster and easier.
Using ATLAS OG07 Original
Using The Included Appends
ORIGINAL
“Original” is ATLAS OG07’s default voice and will play so long as the user understands how to control VCV UTAU voicebanks. No additional steps are necessary to utilize this tone.
LULLABY
Select or enter “↓” into the UST from the SuffixBroker. By default, it should be included in the base installation of UTAU.
ENDURE
Select or enter “↑” into the UST from the SuffixBroker. By default, it should be included in the base installation of UTAU.
For those new to the VCV voicebank format, let’s learn how to use it in UTAU! Firstly, load up the desired Voicebank and UST file (if you have one). There are two scenarios here: the UST is either formatted for VCV or it just isn’t. Not every UST comes in VCV format, but you may really, really want to use the UST. However, there are many options to remedy this situation!
The tedious method that we aren’t going to actually consider a method, but rather a painful last resort: Add the preceding vowel to the lyric: Let’s say you have two notes “か” (ka) and “あ” (a). Simply add an “a” in the same note as あ. Simply, あ now becomes “a あ”.
The easiest method (that, unfortunately, costs money): UTAU Shareware: If you have the shareware version of UTAU, you can simply hit the auto VCV button, and UTAU will turn the vowels into VCV!
Click “A” for auto VCV
Other methods:
Plugins: Some plugins may convert the CV vowels into VCV without altering the rest. Others may turn the entire UST into VCV. Experimentation is key! IroIro is our favorite recommendation, as the plugin has many other useful features packed into it as well.
Next, if you have IroIro Installed, follow Tools > Plug-Ins(N) > IroIro. Select CV -> VCV and click OK.
IroIro’s many options
Once your UST is in VCV format, you are ready to proceed.
Fitting a UST to a VCV Voicebank
Above all, fitting a UST file to a UTAU Voicebank will improve the sound and make your covers appear more professional. In other words, this is perhaps the most important step in the mixing process! By fitting the UST, you are telling the software to conform to that particular UTAU’s configurations and setup (OTO). This is an important step if the UST was not explicitly made for the UTAU you are using, and it helps to improve the fluidity and clarity of the voice. So, let’s do it!
To start:
Open a UST file
Select all (Ctrl+A)
Right-click on a note
On the pop-up, select “Property” or “Region Property” (if you selected all notes). A new window will appear.
You may notice sections on this window labeled “Preutterance” and “Overlap”. To their right, there is a “Clear” button. We want to click that.
Next, at the bottom of the window, there is a box labeled STP.
If it has a value, delete it.
If the box is grayed out, double-click the box to clear it.
Press “OK”
In the top right of the main window of UTAU, you will see a group of four buttons (ACPT, P2P3, P1P4, RESET).
Click RESET
Then click P2P3
Next, P1P4
P2P3 again
Click ACPT (You can click this multiple times if you see any red “!”, and it may take care of those. More on that in just a second!)
That’s it! You’ve fit the UST to your VCV Voicebank
Special Characters, Envelope Issues and Other Problem Samples
Special Characters
Example of notes with special characters
While fitting a UST to your UTAU, you may find errors highlighted as red “!” along the way. VCV is a popular method and widely employed, so a user may run across custom notes, properties, and expressions within a UST. Your UTAU may not have these special notes and sounds, so, we need to run through a few options.
Manual removal
Simply edit each note, one by one, and delete the extra symbols.
SuffixBroker (for custom characters at the end of a note such as an up or down arrow, a number, or another special symbol)
Select the notes you want the characters removed from
Found under: Tools > Built-in Tools > SuffixBroker
Leave the box blank, click OK, and now the Suffixes are gone! However, sometimes this may not do exactly what you’re hoping. To clarify, this does not always perform 100%, and there are times it may actually remove the latter half of the VCV note. Make sure to double-check your work!
Third-Party Plugins
Much better!
Envelope Issues
The error still shows up, and, more confusingly, the sound sample exists and your oto is fine. Grr… Now that’s frustrating! But we have a fix. Let’s check and edit some envelopes!
Very carefully, right-click on the note. A new pop-up will appear afterward. Hover down to “Envelope…” and click on it.
And…
YIKES! That’s pretty bad! Worry not, there’s a simple fix. Let’s click “Normal”. 9/10 times, that does the job.
If the error still persists after hitting “Normal”, simply drag the red boxes around until they look, well, normal. After that, click OK and it should be good to go!
Much better, and now our “!” is gone. We are ready to tune and mix!
For tracks made from scratch, start by clicking the “+” icon on the left-hand side. A new track like so will be created.
After that, click on “Select Singer” and choose a voice. In this instance, we will choose Atlas OG07.
The voice is loaded. Now, we must tell OpenUTAU what type of voicebank she has. Click on “DEFAULT” to open a new menu of options.
Select “[JP VCV] Japanese VCV Phonemizer”. Finally, we are ready to use VCV in OpenUTAU!
For Existing USTs:
Navigate to “File > Import Tracks…” and choose a UST of your liking.
You may notice the singer data is saved from the UST file. You may or may not have this UTAU in your library. Either way, we are wanting to use Atlas OG07 in this example as well. Go ahead and click on the singer’s name to open a new menu.
Select the preferred singer by clicking their name. In this instance, we will choose Atlas OG07.
The voice is loaded. Now, we must tell OpenUTAU what type of voicebank she has. Click on “DEFAULT” to open a new menu of options.
Select “[JP VCV] Japanese VCV Phonemizer”. Finally, we are ready to use VCV in OpenUTAU!
