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How To Use VIRTUS OG02 Original Multipitch

Introduction to VIRTUS OG02 Multipitch VCV

VIRTUS OG02 “Original” is a 4-pitch Japanese VCV style Voicebank developed by STUDIO OGIEN. Released in 2022, VIRTUS OG02 is the second OGIENOID base voicebank comprised of multipitch VCV recordings.

How To Use VIRTUS OG02 Original

Using Multi-pitch

“Original” consists of 4 unique pitches. These pitches 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 the voicebank will work without any additional effort. From this point, a user can carry on as if they are using a normal VCV voicebank.

Using VCV in UTAU

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:

  1. Open a UST file
  2. Select all (Ctrl+A)
  3. Right-click on a note
  4. On the pop-up, select “Property” or “Region Property” (if you selected all notes). A new window will appear.

  5. You may notice sections on this window labeled “Preutterance” and “Overlap”. To their right, there is a “Clear” button. We want to click that.


  6. Next, at the bottom of the window, there is a box labeled STP. 
    1. If it has a value, delete it. 
    2. If the box is grayed out, double-click the box to clear it.
  7. Press “OK”
  8. In the top right of the main window of UTAU, you will see a group of four buttons (ACPT, P2P3, P1P4, RESET).
    1. Click RESET
    2. Then click P2P3
    3. Next, P1P4
    4. P2P3 again
    5. 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!)
  9. 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.

  1. Manual removal
    1. Simply edit each note, one by one, and delete the extra symbols.
  2. SuffixBroker (for custom characters at the end of a note such as an up or down arrow, a number, or another special symbol)
    1. Select the notes you want the characters removed from
    3. Found under: Tools > Built-in Tools > SuffixBroker
    5. 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.
  3. Third-Party Plugins

Much better!

Envelope Issues

How to use UTAU VCV Voicebanks: editing envelopes

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.

How to use UTAU VCV Voicebanks: editing envelopes

And…

How to use UTAU VCV Voicebanks: editing envelopes

YIKES! That’s pretty bad! Worry not, there’s a simple fix. Let’s click “Normal”. 9/10 times, that does the job.

How to use UTAU VCV Voicebanks: editing envelopes

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!

How to use UTAU VCV Voicebanks: editing envelopes

Much better, and now our “!” is gone. We are ready to tune and mix!

Using VCV in OpenUTAU

Using Kasai OG01 AMORE in OpenUTAU

For tracks made from scratch, start by clicking the “+” icon on the left-hand side. A new track like so will be created.

Using Kasai OG01 AMORE in OpenUTAU

Click on “Select Singer” and choose a voice. In this instance, we will choose VIRTUS OG02.

The voice is loaded. Now, we must tell OpenUTAU what type of voicebank she has. Click on “More…” to open a new menu of options.

Select “[JP VCV] Japanese VCV Phonemizer”. We are ready to use VCV in OpenUTAU!

For Existing USTs:

Using Kasai OG01 AMORE in OpenUTAU

Go to “File > Import Tracks…” and choose a UST of your liking.

Using Kasai OG01 AMORE in OpenUTAU

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 VIRTUS OG02 in this example as well. Go ahead and click on the singer’s name to open a new menu.

Using Kasai OG01 AMORE in OpenUTAU

Select the preferred singer by clicking their name. In this instance, we will choose VIRTUS OG02.

With the voice loaded, we must tell OpenUTAU what type of voicebank it is. Click on “DEFAULT” to open a new menu of options.

Select “[JP VCV] Japanese VCV Phonemizer”. We are ready to use VCV in OpenUTAU!

How To Use HONOS OG04 Original Japanese VCV

Introduction to HONOS OG04 Original VCV

HONOS OG04 “Original” is a Japanese VCV style Voicebank developed by STUDIO OGIEN. Originally released in 2019 for the free-to-use UTAU software, HONOS OG04’s smooth, androgynous voice is the deepest of the OGIENOID series. Her flexibility between masculine and feminine ranges gives her a wide range of usability.

HONOS OG04’s “Original” voicebank is an assortment of three 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” includes Stoic (a normal singing voice), Mellow (a soft voice), and Firm (a firm 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 HONOS OG04 Original

Using The Included Appends

STOIC

“Stoic” is Honos OG04’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.

MELLOW

Select or enter “↓” into the UST from the SuffixBroker. By default, it should be included in the base installation of UTAU.

FIRM

Select or enter “↑” into the UST from the SuffixBroker. By default, it should be included in the base installation of UTAU.

Using VCV in UTAU

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:

  1. Open a UST file
  2. Select all (Ctrl+A)
  3. Right-click on a note
  4. On the pop-up, select “Property” or “Region Property” (if you selected all notes). A new window will appear.

  5. You may notice sections on this window labeled “Preutterance” and “Overlap”. To their right, there is a “Clear” button. We want to click that.


  6. Next, at the bottom of the window, there is a box labeled STP. 
    1. If it has a value, delete it. 
    2. If the box is grayed out, double-click the box to clear it.
  7. Press “OK”
  8. In the top right of the main window of UTAU, you will see a group of four buttons (ACPT, P2P3, P1P4, RESET).
    1. Click RESET
    2. Then click P2P3
    3. Next, P1P4
    4. P2P3 again
    5. 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!)
  9. 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.

  1. Manual removal
    1. Simply edit each note, one by one, and delete the extra symbols.
  2. SuffixBroker (for custom characters at the end of a note such as an up or down arrow, a number, or another special symbol)
    1. Select the notes you want the characters removed from
    3. Found under: Tools > Built-in Tools > SuffixBroker
    5. 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.
  3. Third-Party Plugins

Much better!

Envelope Issues

How to use UTAU VCV Voicebanks: editing envelopes

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.

How to use UTAU VCV Voicebanks: editing envelopes

And…

How to use UTAU VCV Voicebanks: editing envelopes

YIKES! That’s pretty bad! Worry not, there’s a simple fix. Let’s click “Normal”. 9/10 times, that does the job.

How to use UTAU VCV Voicebanks: editing envelopes

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!

How to use UTAU VCV Voicebanks: editing envelopes

Much better, and now our “!” is gone. We are ready to tune and mix!

Using VCV in OpenUTAU

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 Honos OG04.

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 Honos OG04 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 Honos OG04.

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!

HONOS OG04 ELITE – Tutorial

Watch The Release Video:

So, HONOS OG04 Got an Update [UTAU/OpenUTAU Voicebank Release]

Official release notice and tutorial for ELITE!

About The Voicebank:

The official release of the new HONOS OG04 voicebank is finally here! HONOS OG04 ELITE is an all-in-one Japanese VCV Voicebank that possesses both Multi-pitch and Multi-expression voices.

This Voicebank has three timbres that are 4 pitches each (Tenor, E3~A4), making ELITE a total of 12 VCVs. The three timbres can be used all in one track by utilizing the SuffixBroker. ELITE’s three expressions are:

  • “Stoic”: Normal voice
  • “Mellow”: Gentle/whisper voice
  • “Firm”: Solid/power voice

HONOS OG04 ELITE also has some fun add-ons, including several breaths (intake and outtake), western L notes (all timbres, all pitches), two Growl CV banks (Mono-pitch, one higher register and one lower), Vocal Fry (sounds best used with Stoic/Mellow, 4 pitch), and Glottal Stops (all timbres, all pitches).

USING ELITE: APPENDS

Stoic – Normal tone of voice. No extra effort is required to use Stoic.

Mellow – A soft/whisper bank. You can use it by selecting the “↓” symbol in the SuffixBroker in UTAU. For OpenUTAU, please use Voice Colors in the editor (under CLR).

Firm – A solid/power bank. You can use it by selecting the “↑” symbol in the SuffixBroker in UTAU. For OpenUTAU, please use Voice Colors in the editor (under CLR).

Using the SuffixBroker
Using Voice Colors in OpenUTAU

Glottal Stops with the ELITE Voicebank:

Glottal stops are compatible with all three appends in ELITE.

– Replace the space between letters with the・ symbol (ex: turn a あ into a・あ).

– Ends notes use ・ at the end (ex: a ・)

Using Glottal Stops

Vocal Fry & Breaths with the ELITE Voicebank:

Vocal fry: Use ‘ as the suffix (ex: – あ’ or あ’) or prefix (‘あ). Drop-off end notes are formatted with – (ex: a -)

Breaths: ELITE possesses an entire folder dedicated to breaths of different types. Can be used in UTAU or in an external editor.

  • Inhales: 息, br (5 different types ex: 息1, 息2, etc)
  • Soft Exhales: ahh, ehh, ihh, ohh, uhh, nhh
  • Stand-alone Exhales: 息-, 息2-, etc.
Using Vocal Fry and Breaths (Inhale and Vocal Fry)
Using Vocal Fry and Breaths (Standalone exhale & soft exhale end breath)

Extras with the HONOS OG04 ELITE:

Western L notes: To use western L VCV notes (La, Le, Li, Lo, Lu): Add “2” to the end of Japanese R notes (ex: a ら2)

Growl: Add * for the suffix (ex: あ*). You can use the up or down arrows in the SuffixBroker

Growl is in CV Format.

The Future of STUDIO OGIEN

I think it’s time for a heart-to-heart.

2015, the year that STUDIO OGIEN came to be, is a year that means a lot to me and my team. KASAI OG01. The beginning of our story. We’ve grown so much, adding on new OGIENOIDs, new team members, and making everlasting relationships within our small UTAU based community. We couldn’t have come this far without you.

Firstly, we want to say thank you. Thank you for staying by our side all these years. We are so happy to have our community by our side as we continue to bring more OGIENOIDs into the world. We just want to let you all know how much we appreciate each and every one of you.

STUDIO OGIEN has begun to experience a resurgence of energy in the past two years. While we are not quite what we were back in 2015-2018 (due to life changes and growing adult responsibilities), we are slowly becoming more excited to work on projects again. Let me be the first to say, we are so excited to ride this wave with you all! All of that to say . . .

WE ARE FINALLY BACK FROM HIATUS STARTING JANUARY 7TH!

We’d like to start off our new year by introducing our team! If you haven’t seen our social media lately, you may not know that we recently re-introduced the team! It’s been a while and we have added some new faces. We hope you treat them well!

LADYOGIEN // CEREN
Founder, Director

ASTRALLACE // JACKIE
Audio Engineer

MUSICREVU // HOSHI
3D Asset Specialist

STORMILOVE // STORMI
Media Production Specialist

INUWANFORALL / INU
Media Production Specialist

PRISMKIDD // LINK
Misc. Asset Specialist

THEMELLWIS // MELL
Content Editor

KIKOSTAR // KIKO
PR Manager, Content Curator

ARTSYISFP // ASH
Designer

STUDIO OGIEN’S UPCOMING PROJECTS

KASAI OG01

  • IGNITE English voicebank in Alpha. Full release late 2022.

VIRTUS OG02

  • Base voicebank in full production. Releasing this year.

THEIA OG03

  • MONARCH Voicebank in production.

HONOS OG04

  • VALOR, name changed to ELITE, Voicebank official release soon.

DIONE OG05

  • Base voicebank in full production. Releasing this year.

AXIS OG06

  • ULTIMATE voicebank in production. Scheduled for release this year.

ATLAS OG07

  • SUPREME voicebank in production. Scheduled for release this year.

APOLLO OG0X

  • PRIME voicebank is production. Scheduled for release this year.

These are just some of the projects that are coming to the forefront of STUDIO OGIEN’s plan. We even have some comics and light novel content coming your way soon. We are so excited to show you everything we have been working on! We’d love to hear your thoughts on what we have planned.

The Team at STUDIO OGIEN

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How to Use KASAI OG01 Original CV-V

PENDING UPDATES, THIS ENTRY IS CURRENTLY OUT OF DATE!

Introduction to KASAI OG01 Original CV-V

KASAI OG01 “Original” is a CV-V style Voicebank developed by STUDIO OGIEN. KASAI OG01 was originally developed back in 2009, though she would not be released until 2014. We created her first Voicebank as a CV to mimic the era, though we did throw in some special samples to improve her clarity and smoothness. KASAI OG01 is, essentially, a Multipitch CV Voicebank with additional VCV formatted vowels (though her CV vowels also work just fine!). This reduces her choppiness, makes her easy to use for newcomers, and acts as a step to introduce beginners to VCV.  

Using CV

CV Voicebanks are perhaps the easiest to use and record, and they are a great starting point for any beginner to UTAU. For the most part, you can import a UST file into UTAU, select a CV Voicebank, and hit play. However, for the sake of a better sound, many with experience in the software may tell you to “fit” the UST.

Fitting a UST file to a UTAU Voicebank will definitely improve the sound and make your covers sound 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 smoothness and clarity of the voice. So, let’s do it!

Fitting a UST to a CV Voicebank

  • Open a UST file
  • Select all (Ctrl+A)
  • Right-click on a note
  • On the pop-up, select “Property”. A new window will appear.
Properties window
  • 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. 
    1. If it has a value, delete it. 
    2. If the box is grayed out, double-click the box to clear it.
  • Press “OK”
Crossfade buttons
  • In the top right of the main window of UTAU, you will see a group of four buttons (ACPT, P2P3, P1P4, RESET).
    1. Click RESET
    2. Click P2P3
  • That’s it! You’ve fit the UST to your CV Voicebank

Using CV-V

CV-V may sound a tad intimidating, but for KASAI OG01 Original, it is an optional feature. STUDIO OGIEN’s version of CV-V simply refers to a CV Voicebank with pure vowel recordings in VCV format added in. How do we use them? Let’s take a look.

The simplest method: 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!

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!

Using Multipitch

We configured it for you, so you don’t need to do anything special. Just don’t delete the Prefix Map file!

Troubleshooting

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!

How to Use CV UTAU Voicebanks

Introduction to CV UTAU

Those who are new to UTAU may find the idea of Voicebanks a little confusing. VOCALOID standardizes its voices, making utilization simple. VOCALOIDs recorded in specific languages essentially function the same, making the inter-usage of assets a breeze. Since UTAU is a community-based tool, many different styles and techniques have been invented over the years. In short, standardizing UTAU is pretty much impossible, making the learning curve a bit more intense.

The first Voicebank style invented for UTAU was “CV” (known as 単独音 tandokuon by Japanese users), or “Consonant-Vowel” style recordings back in 2008. Phonemes (smallest unit of speech distinguishing one word from another) in the Japanese language are rather simple, usually consisting of one consonant and one vowel. You may hear the phrase “Diphones” used when referring to CV Voicebanks. CV uses two phonemes for each sound in its library.

However, with its strong points come its downfalls. CV tends to be “choppy” and more robotic than more complex styles like CVVC, VCV, and VCCV. Still, it is where most users suggest starting out when recording and using the software, and many senior members of the community still utilize this recording method.

Romaji vs Hiragana

Before we begin, we need to establish a very important difference between Voicebanks! Depending on where the Voicebank was developed, it may be written in Romaji or Hiragana. Taught to children, Hiragana is the most basic style of the Japanese alphabet, and it is mostly written in diphones. It is a phonetic lettering system, meaning the symbols portray sounds rather than words. The word hiragana literally means “ordinary” or “simple”. Romaji is a phrase used to refer to the Romanization of Japanese words and sounds. 

So, how does that pertain to UTAU? Simply, a Japanese UTAU Voicebank can be written in either style and so can a UST. See where this is going? If the styles don’t match up, your UTAU won’t make any sound. How do we fix this without manually fixing every note? 

There are a few different ways, but let’s go with the easiest option. Plugins can handle a lot of these issues, and we have a few personal favorites on our OGIEN UTAU Suite page. Head on over to the page and download iroiro, a plugin that can actually convert the UST to Hiragana or Romaji. Follow the instructions for iroiro’s installation and you should be ready to go!

How to Use CV

CV Voicebanks are perhaps the easiest to use and record, and they are a great starting point for any beginner to UTAU. For the most part, you can import a UST file into UTAU, select a CV Voicebank, and hit play. However, for the sake of a better sound, many with experience in the software may tell you to “fit” the UST.

Fitting a UST file to a UTAU Voicebank will definitely improve the sound and make your covers sound 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 smoothness and clarity of the voice. So, let’s do it!

How to Fit a UST to a CV Voicebank

  • Open a UST file
  • Select all (Ctrl+A)
  • Right-click on a note
  • On the pop-up, select “Property”. A new window will appear.
Properties Window
  • 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. 
    1. If it has a value, delete it. 
    2. If the box is grayed out, double-click the box to clear it.
  • Press “OK”
Crossfade Buttons
  • In the top right of the main window of UTAU, you will see a group of four buttons (ACPT, P2P3, P1P4, RESET).
    1. Click RESET
    2. Click P2P3
  • That’s it! You’ve fit the UST to your CV Voicebank

One final tip for optimal smoothness: Crossfades.

The Crossfade function crosses the envelopes of a vowel sound and the preceding one as well. To use crossfading in your UST:

  • Select the notes
  • Go to Tools, then Built in Tools
  • Select Crossfade
  • Finally, press OK

Troubleshooting

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!

Introducing DIONE OG05, The Newest OGIENOID

This week’s post hones in on our newest OGIENOID, DIONE OG05! Though she has been a work in progress since 2018, several roadblocks have kept her from arriving. However, we are assuming her release, finally, will be in 2022. In anticipation, let’s learn more about her character!

Name Origins

Dione – /daɪˈoʊniː/

Dione Pronounciation

The name Dione refers to four women in ancient Greek mythology, and is translated as “Goddess”. Dione is also a figure among the Titanesses. She is called a daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, making her an Oceanid, or more widely understood as a water-nymph. 

DIONE OG05 was always conceptualized as having an aqua color palette and a calm personality. We wanted to choose a name that fits in with the other OGIENOIDs. The name also relates to water, reflecting her personality. 

DIONE, The Quiet OGIENOID

DIONE OG05 was the fifth OGIENOID, originally not a member of their performing group. She was purchased overseas from a liquidation company and used as a secretary robot to try to boost her confidence. Though she was anxious about interacting with people, she took the job without question. She wanted to work on her anxiety and grow more confident.

Friendship

As a member of management rather than a performer, DIONE OG05 found it rather difficult to make friends. Though she interacted with the OGIENOIDs frequently, she never found herself very close to any particular person. Officially, DIONE OG05 was not an OGIENOID either, so the rift felt rather wide to her. The member she found herself closest to was THEIA OG03, the leader of the singers. The two would work together frequently to plan and schedule.

Over time, DIONE OG05 would notice a girl with black hair sneaking into performances and practice. There were nearly 30 performers at the time, but she did not recognize this person. After watching her for a few weeks, and asking the OGIENOIDs about her, she determined that her was named KASAI. After asking around, DIONE learned that she was not supposed to be anywhere near the performing group. Afterward, she followed KASAI into a concert one evening.

She sat next to Kasai at the performance and she took the opportunity to scold Kasai for being out in public. After a hushed argument, KASAI left with her willingly. DIONE, noticing that KASAI seemed crushed, offered an alternative to viewing the performance. From then on, the two began to watch the concerts together from the safety of a security surveillance room. Before they knew it, they became very fast friends.

For many years, DIONE would sneak the two into the building’s concert hall at night, performing songs and dancing for the empty seats to fulfill KASAI’s dreams of becoming an OGIENOID in what little ways she could.

Desperate Times

As new regulations came into effect, coerced into law by big corporations, the small company found itself crumbling under the weight of anti-robot customs. One by one, their friends began to disappear under suspicious circumstances. Desperate to keep the company afloat and potentially find their lost friends, The Triad (THEIA OG03, VIRTUS OG02, and HONOS OG05) pushed on, performing at any opportunity. 

After many years of practicing in secret with KASAI, DIONE OG05 decided to step up to the plate, taking the spot of missing performers alongside The Triad. In a way, she hoped her appearing on stage would give KASAI hope, as she watched the girl practically waste away to the grief of losing her friends. DIONE OG05 hoped that, in some way, this would grant one of KASAI’s many wishes.

Goodbye

Over the next few months, she noticed that KASAI became increasingly distant. As DIONE became busy with her work, she noticed she was losing track of KASAI’s schedule, whereabouts, and habits. When she did manage to bump into her, KASAI declined invitations to hang out, saying she was always busy these days with top security measures for the company. She no longer watched performances, either. Worried, DIONE attempted to approach her several times with no luck. 

With performing on stage, DIONE was also letting her management duties slip. One night while catching up, she noticed that a shocking amount of equipment was missing and orders placed without her knowledge. No one was sure where these items were, but, one night, an employee approached her about a discovery in the company basement. Someone had been creating a lab, and, for some reason, they’d been given clearance to do so without informing anyone but the company’s owners.

Perplexed, DIONE would check out the room from time to time, a bit offended she was not kept in the loop. She noticed KASAI frequently slipping into the room as well. This went on for weeks. Finally, fed up, DIONE OG05 confronted her but was much too late…

The Present

In the story’s timeline, DIONE OG05 has been missing for several years. No one is quite sure where she is or if she’s even alive.

Her current representation to the public is outside of the story’s universe. As her audience knows her, DIONE OG05 has grown in confidence and now performs alongside her friends!

Character Description:

Quiet, introverted, and loving. DIONE OG05 is a very calm, older sister figure to the group. However, she can be a bit naive, and it is easy to trick her or take advantage of her trust. Though she is incredibly anxious as a person, she takes on tasks she knows are difficult for her, hoping to grow more confident and relaxed. Because of all her hard work, she has finally gotten to a place where she is comfortable interacting with people, though the idea of performing for a crowd still scares her a bit.

Re-Introducing More OGIENOIDs

Are you curious about the other OGIENOIDs? Visit our news page to read our past posts! Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on our blog releases. Similarly, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram for more news on our social media.

How To Use KASAI OG01 Amore JP VCV Multipitch

Introduction to KASAI AMORE Multipitch VCV

KASAI OG01 “Amore” is a 7-pitch Japanese VCV style Voicebank developed by STUDIO OGIEN. Released in 2016, “Amore” is the third addition to The Goddess Series, a mini-series of voicebank releases based on the OGIENOIDs’ alter-egos in another world.

How To Use KASAI OG01 Amore

Using Multi-pitch

“Amore” 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 Amore will work without any additional effort. From this point, a user can carry on as if they are using a normal VCV voicebank.

Using VCV in UTAU

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:

  1. Open a UST file
  2. Select all (Ctrl+A)
  3. Right-click on a note
  4. On the pop-up, select “Property” or “Region Property” (if you selected all notes). A new window will appear.

  5. You may notice sections on this window labeled “Preutterance” and “Overlap”. To their right, there is a “Clear” button. We want to click that.


  6. Next, at the bottom of the window, there is a box labeled STP. 
    1. If it has a value, delete it. 
    2. If the box is grayed out, double-click the box to clear it.
  7. Press “OK”
  8. In the top right of the main window of UTAU, you will see a group of four buttons (ACPT, P2P3, P1P4, RESET).
    1. Click RESET
    2. Then click P2P3
    3. Next, P1P4
    4. P2P3 again
    5. 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!)
  9. 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.

  1. Manual removal
    1. Simply edit each note, one by one, and delete the extra symbols.
  2. SuffixBroker (for custom characters at the end of a note such as an up or down arrow, a number, or another special symbol)
    1. Select the notes you want the characters removed from
    3. Found under: Tools > Built-in Tools > SuffixBroker
    5. 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.
  3. Third-Party Plugins

Much better!

Envelope Issues

How to use UTAU VCV Voicebanks: editing envelopes

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.

How to use UTAU VCV Voicebanks: editing envelopes

And…

How to use UTAU VCV Voicebanks: editing envelopes

YIKES! That’s pretty bad! Worry not, there’s a simple fix. Let’s click “Normal”. 9/10 times, that does the job.

How to use UTAU VCV Voicebanks: editing envelopes

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!

How to use UTAU VCV Voicebanks: editing envelopes

Much better, and now our “!” is gone. We are ready to tune and mix!

Using VCV in OpenUTAU

Using Kasai OG01 AMORE in OpenUTAU

For tracks made from scratch, start by clicking the “+” icon on the left-hand side. A new track like so will be created.

Using Kasai OG01 AMORE in OpenUTAU

Click on “Select Singer” and choose a voice. In this instance, we will choose Kasai AMORE.

Using Kasai OG01 AMORE in OpenUTAU

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.

Using Kasai OG01 AMORE in OpenUTAU

Select “[JP VCV] Japanese VCV Phonemizer”. We are ready to use VCV in OpenUTAU!

For Existing USTs:

Using Kasai OG01 AMORE in OpenUTAU

Go to “File > Import Tracks…” and choose a UST of your liking.

Using Kasai OG01 AMORE in OpenUTAU

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 Kasai AMORE in this example as well. Go ahead and click on the singer’s name to open a new menu.

Using Kasai OG01 AMORE in OpenUTAU

Select the preferred singer by clicking their name. In this instance, we will choose Kasai AMORE.

Using Kasai OG01 AMORE in OpenUTAU

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.

Using Kasai OG01 AMORE in OpenUTAU

Select “[JP VCV] Japanese VCV Phonemizer”. We are ready to use VCV in OpenUTAU!

KASAI English VCCV “IGNITEα” Alpha Release

Today, we are excited to present the first English VCCV UTAU Voicebank for the OGIENOID lineup! Introducing KASAI IGNITEα, KASAI OG01’s first official English voice. 

What is KASAI IGNITEα?

Released as an Alpha voicebank, KASAI IGNITEα serves as testing grounds for our future releases. Providing IGNITEα as an Alpha release allows us to test out the girls in a new tongue, as well as provide a fun new voicebank for our audience to use! 

IGNITEα is not quite a finished product, and it is to serve as a placeholder at this time for the full release down the road. The finalized IGNITE voicebank will feature multiple pitches recorded on entirely new equipment. For now, we’re tired of waiting, and we want to show our audience that we still have plans to grow for the future! We are releasing IGNITEα as proof that we are still here, working hard, for tomorrow.

What is VCCV?

VCCV is best known as the Western UTAU community’s English standard. Originally developed by long-time community member Cz, VCCV English includes custom aliases, phonetics, OTO, and custom UST’ing methods. 

Where to download KASAI IGNITEα

You can download the new voicebank on KASAI OG01’s homepage.

How to use VCCV English

We truly can’t describe how to use a base VCCV bank better than the creator of the method. A variety of in-depth tutorials created by VCCV’s author, Cz, are available on their YouTube channel.

To use KASAI IGNITEα, we recommend you follow the video below:

Re-Introducing APOLLO OG0X, The Solitary OGIENOID

This week’s re-introduction post focuses on APOLLO OG0X, the black sheep of the OGIENOID family. Once upon a time, we introduced APOLLO OG0X as “APOLLO OG73”, a “clone/child” of ATLAS OG07 (referred to as ATLAS OG37 at the time). After many years of deliberating, we have decided to dismiss that backstory. APOLLO has, perhaps, changed most of any OGIENOID in terms of narrative. Disregard everything you knew about APOLLO OG0X’s history, for her story has changed drastically!

NAME ORIGINS:

APOLLO – /əˈpɒləʊ/

Pronounciation

Apollo comes from Greek origins, associated with the Greek verb ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi), meaning “to destroy”.

In mythology, Apollo is one of the Olympian deities that appears in classical Greek and Roman religion. However, he is perhaps most well known as the god of the sun and light.

APOLLO, the Solitary OGIENOID

Many years after the death of the last known android, APOLLO OG0X “awoke” outside a run-down city on a snowy December evening. She had been laying on the ground, staring into the sky, before that moment. It was as if her entire being and memories had been hard-reset.

She had been doing something, going somewhere, but she could not remember. Her first memory after that was peering at her reflection in a frozen pond. Her image, staring back at her, was bloody and bruised, and her snow-white hair was matted and severed messily into a short bob. 

Unable to remember anything about herself, she gathered herself and began wandering the path into the city.

After some time, APOLLO OG0X recognized she was different from those within the city. Though she felt cold, pain, and even bled, something was different between her and the people she met. At some point during her travels, she discerned that she could read, and so, she began to seek out information about the world she was living in.

On one visit to a library, she realized just what she was; an android. As she continued her studies, she realized there was a great probability that she was the only one left. When she realized why that was, she fled from all human contact, careful to guard herself and her identity.

APOLLO OG0X traveled alone for some time, avoiding humans at all costs. She didn’t know where she was headed, but her mind kept pulling her in a certain direction. For months, she continued on.

Strange dreams began to plague her mind, and the loneliness she felt gripped her to the core. She awoke several nights in a row sweating or crying, startled awake by a flood of adrenaline. However, when APOLLO laid back down the sleep, she always felt a warmth spread through her, and a weight gently laid atop her hand. It was as if someone invisible was there, comforting her…

Suffering

After many long months of travel on foot, APOLLO OG0X found herself standing in what appeared to be an abandoned courtyard, deep within the woods. It was an overgrown mess that lead straight to an abandoned building. Somehow, she recognized the place and found herself wandering inside.

She maneuvered through the halls until reaching a tall stairwell. Her body urged her to travel down the stairs, and she complied. When she reached the basement, she noticed what appeared to be a laboratory at the end of the hall. She approached hesitantly.

As she stepped inside, she noticed the room was scorched, as if it had experienced a fire or even an explosion. She tread carefully, noticing the remains of sophisticated equipment and high-tech computers, now melted from the extreme heat they’d faced. Somehow, it felt strangely familiar. 

While preoccupied with the finer details of the abandoned lab, her foot caught on debris that littered the floor. APOLLO OG0X grabbed at something while trying to stabilize herself, and she felt a jolt go through her body.

Her hand had slammed against the remnants of a keyboard, and, somehow, it had sent a shock through her body. Light flickered in the corner of her eye, and she looked up to see a computer monitor faintly glowing. Another shock went up through her arm, right to her brain, and her whole body burned as information flooded her mind.

In an instant, she remembered all of the horrible things she’d done…

Now

APOLLO OG0X UTAU as a child
Apollo as a child.

The current representation of APOLLO OG0X is a different version than in the story’s universe, and she is an entirely different person. Today, APOLLO OG0X acts as a fellow OGIENOID, though she puts up a bit of a fuss about it.

Character Description:

(From her character page): Moody, solitary. Easily described as a “brat.” APOLLO OG0X prefers not to be bothered, going so far as to shut herself in her room every day unless dragged out. Moody and often irritable, she’s quick to snap back and start an argument. Though she tries hard to hide it, she does have a soft side. She just prefers not to show it. Talk about growing pains! Her fellow OGIENOIDs are concerned she is addicted to video games.

Voicebank Progress

Honos VALOR
12%
Apollo PRIME
0%
Theia MONARCH
0%

Affiliates

The Lace Workshop
PRISMOID
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