PENDING UPDATES, THIS ENTRY IS CURRENTLY OUT OF DATE!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.
If it has a value, delete it.
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).
Click RESET
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!
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.
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 Kasai AMORE.
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 Kasai AMORE 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 Kasai AMORE.
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!
Offical release notice, how to use SALIENT, and KASAI OG01 backstory.
About The Voicebank:
The official release of the new KASAI OG01 voicebank is finally here!KASAI OG01 SALIENT 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 (A3~C5), making SALIENT a total of 12 VCVs. The three timbres can be used all in one track by utilizing the SuffixBroker. SALIENT’s three expressions are:
“Original”: Normal voice with a cutesy, over-pronounced property.
“Tender”: Gentle whisper voice.
“Wild”: A sharp power bank.
The SALIENT voicebank also has some fun add-ons, including several breaths (intake and outtake), western L notes (all timbres, all pitches), a Growl CV bank (Mono-pitch), Vocal Fry (sounds best used with Original/Tender, 4 pitch), and Glottal Stops (all timbres, all pitches).
USING SALIENT: APPENDS
Original – Normal tone of voice. No extra effort is required to use Original.
Tender – A soft/whisper bank. You can use it by selecting the “↓” symbol in the SuffixBroker.
Wild – A power bank. You can use it by selecting the “↑” symbol in the SuffixBroker.
Using the SuffixBroker
Glottal Stopswith the SALIENT Voicebank:
Glottal stops are compatible with all three appends in SALIENT.
– 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 SALIENT Voicebank:
Vocal fry:Use ‘ as the suffix (ex: – あ’ or あ’) or prefix (‘あ). Drop off end notes are formatted with – (ex: a -)
Breaths: SALIENT 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)
Extraswith the SALIENT Voicebank:
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*).
Growl is in CV Format.
About Her Backstory
SALIENT reveals the brightest and darkest parts of Kasai…
KASAI OG01 was the first in the OGIENOID series created by STUDIO OGIEN. She was initially developed to see if biodroids could fit the company’s needs as performing idols. When the company realized it did not have the proper resources to modify her into a singing bot, she was turned into the company’s backup database.
The company would go forward, obtaining other androids to become both singing synthesizers and virtual idols. KASAI OG01, one by one, made close friends with each new member of her OGIENOID family. She would watch as they received extensive training, yearning to be part of their newly founded group.
However, no matter how hard she wished for it, she could not sing…
Though it hurt her heart to watch others live her dream, she stubbornly and enthusiastically attended every practice, every rehearsal, and every live show her friends put on. She wanted to show her full support, hoping to encourage her friends.
Eventually, her actions were noticed by another outsider, an imported biodroid who acted as the company’s secretary. This girl could sing, however, had no wish to do so. Known simply as DIONE OG05. She was a timid, tall young lady with waist-length aqua hair. She sat next to KASAI OG01 at one particular OGIENOID concert and took the opportunity to scold KASAI OG01 for being out in public.
You see, at this moment in time, a particular set of political figures were attempting to eradicate intelligent, artificial life. Biodroids, androids, AIs, etc. None were safe from the propaganda pushed onto the general public. As KASAI OG01 was a vital piece of the company, containing all its secrets, she was ordered to stay within the walls of the business. DIONE OG05 had caught her breaking the rules.
KASAI OG01 left with her willingly. DIONE OG05, noticing that KASAI OG01 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.
Time went on, and the political landscape became worse over time. Humans began to fear the robots that once assisted them in everyday life, and a movement began to form among the masses. People began to blame artificial life for unemployment and degrading quality of life. Their leaders persuaded them that soon, all humans would become slaves, or worse, killed.
Those who worked and lived with robots knew this was fear-mongering propaganda created by those who hated change and technology. For a long while, the anti-robot movement didn’t go anywhere, and many consider it a laughing stock. However, during a summer holiday, a mass wave of robots began to act disturbingly, activating on their own, destroying property, humans, and each other. Those who once considered robots as friends changed their minds instantly when one turned on a human, and, suddenly, the government began demanding registered robots be handed in. STUDIO OGIEN hid its remaining OGIENOIDs, refusing to let them be the next target.
The time spent with her family was coming to an end. One by one, OGIENOIDs disappeared seemingly overnight. What was once a lively family of 35 biodroids was decimated down to 6 within weeks. Kasai watched her family members walk out the door, promising a safe return, only to never come back. All the while, she was forced within the walls of STUDIO OGIEN.
She, DIONE OG05, THEIA OG03, VIRTUS OG02, and HONOS OG04 promised one another they would survive.
Drastic measures were taken to protect them. However, without the income from performances, STUDIO OGIEN was quickly collapsing under financial pressure. However much KASAI OG01 pleaded with The Trio (THEIA OG03, VIRTUS OG02, and HONOS OG04), the three would not stay out of harm’s way. They wanted desperately to find out what had happened to their dearest friends, and, as such, refused to stay within the company building.
HONOS OG04, VIRTUS OG02, THEIA OG03, and the only other surviving OGIENOID, CIRCE, focused day and night on trying to find their friends. They managed to successfully disguise themselves for a month or so, but things changed on one night in particular.
While protecting VIRTUS OG02… HONOS OG04 died.
After the loss of HONOS OG04 and the disappearance of CIRCE thereafter, KASAI OG01 could no longer take the pain. DIONE OG05 watched her fall deeper into darkness. VIRTUS OG02 and THEIA OG03 disappeared, even though they never left the company building again. KASAI OG01 would not speak of them to her. DIONE OG05 begged her to talk, but KASAI OG01 eventually stopped approaching her entirely, vanishing for days on end. HONOS OG04’s body, which VIRTUS OG02 and THEIA OG03 had brought back with them on the night HONOS OG04 died had also disappeared.
Odd things went missing. Power supplies, sheet metal, welding tools, CPUs, blank android bodies. The weirdest things just began to vanish. At first, DIONE OG05 wondered if the company was selling parts off on the black market to stay afloat as robots became more and more illegal. She wandered the halls of the basement alone, pondering the state of her home and her friends.
Then, one night, she noticed a door with the lights on inside…
DIONE OG05 peered through a slim line of glass at the top of the door, and her eyes went wide at the site behind it. KASAI OG01 had stripped herself of her outward flesh from the neck down, connected to perhaps the most powerful computer in the entire building. Laying next to her, in what looked like incubators, were three blank child bodies. One with pink hair, one with green, and one with a periwinkle blue that was so pale, one could mistake it for white. The incubators connect to the same computer as KASAI OG01. On the giant screen, red as blood, words flashed in bolded text:
DIONE OG05, suddenly realizing what was happening, screamed KASAI OG01’s name. She grabs the handle with all her might, silently praying it wasn’t locked. It was. The woman cursed as she begged herself to override her own software that kept her strength to human levels.
If only I wasn’t limited like this-! I-I could break this door down!
KASAI OG01, tears in her eyes, stared at DIONE OG05 through the glass. She flinched guiltily as the aqua-haired woman banged on the door, screaming at her. Begging her, crying for her to stop.
However, it was too late, she’d made up her mind. Scared, guilty, and sad to say goodbye, KASAI OG01 mustered the biggest smile she could.
“Thank you for being my first friend,” she mouthed through tears. She knew DIONE OG05 wouldn’t hear her through the metal door.
In a flash of light, KASAI Vanishes, and Dione erupts into tears, sliding down the door.
The door clicks, as though it perfectly shut with the knowledge of the future.
DIONE OG05 looked up, broken, and opened it, stepping inside.
