Welcome to March’s progress report! It’s hard to believe it’s already the end of March! Hello, everyone, Kiko here! This update will be a bit smaller than usual, but there are exciting things brewing at the STUDIO OGIEN Headquarters.
Logo Updates
We had one major update when it come to logos this month and that is for our lovely, KASAI OG01! Below you can see the before and after.
Our Full Recording Set-Up
We have an official list of equipment we use to record our voicebanks. If you’d like a full breakdown of all our tools, check out our companion blog!
Let’s Laugh Together
We’ve recently put out a new social media account. Please join us over on TikTok for the occasional short video, parody, and plenty of teasers! CAUTION:Please be aware that we are treating our TikTok account as a space with adult humor and language.
An exciting new direction, and language capability, comes to STUDIO OGIEN this winter! Introducing KASAI IGNITEα, a VCCV English voicebank for KASAI OG01. Release is today! #UTAU#Utauloid#utauloids#OGIENOID#kasaiog01
Have you seen the latest OGIENOID drop from our team? DIONE OG05 now has a page all about her! While our team is hard at work decoding the message we found in the bottle near our building, we’ve released what we have been able to read. The strangest thing is that there was a link provided on the weathered paper.
What are your first impressions of DIONE OG05? We would love to know what you think and what you look forward to about her release! DIONE OG05 is slated for release in May 2022!
Okay, I Have Had It With This Glitter. Ceren, What Is Going On?
For the past several weeks, glitter has been covering the recording booth. I have no clue why, and I’m tired of going home covered in glitter. Oh – there’s a note on my desk…
‘Kiko, make sure you inform everyone in the memo that VIRTUS OG02 now has a portion of her live page up. As for the glitter situation, VIRTUS OG02 is finishing up her last recording session this week. The glitter will be gone afterward. If you see any butterflies or bows within the next month, I plead the fifth. Keep up the great work.
-Ceren, STUDIO OGIEN CEO‘
OH! VIRTUS OG02! That makes much more sense now. Ah haha.
Well, since I have the green light from Ceren herself, let’s introduce VIRTUS OG02!
VIRTUS OG02 Official Logo
I think that’s all I have for you all when it comes to things that have been happening around the studio. Are you all excited about the releases of VIRTUS OG02 and DIONE OG05? What are your thoughts? We’d love to hear each and every one of them!
Until next time this is Kiko signing off!
Wrapping Up Our Progress Reports, Each Month!
Please tune in next time for April’s progress report! In the meantime, sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on our blog releases. Not your thing? That’s alright! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram for more news on our social media.
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!
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.
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:
As STUDIO OGIEN continues to grow, so have our OGIENOIDs. Over time, our girls have taken the reigns on their character development. They have written themselves to a point where their characters and backstories have evolved and changed. As a result, each girl has grown since we first introduced them to you! Today is the debut of our “Re-Introducing” series, a set of dedicated blog posts aimed at re-introducing each girl to you, our beloved audience. In preparation for the release of their story, we believe it is high time we explore how each girl’s character has changed. Our first post will focus on KASAI OG01, our original OGIENOID, and the Heart of STUDIO OGIEN.
Name Origins:
Kasai – /ka-sai/
The name “KASAI”, written as “火災” in Japanese, means a “conflagration” or a large, destructive fire.
Since KASAI OG01 was created long before the other OGIENOIDs as a singular entity, she is the only character with a Japanese name. Thus, she goes against the theme of Greek/Roman name origins that the other girls share.
KASAI’s Early Days
KASAI OG01’s earliest design vs. her current default outfit
KASAI OG01 is an android created from bio-organic matter, labeling her more accurately as a bio-android. She was activated on a cold February morning by a member of STUDIO OGIEN. Back then, she possessed a younger body, and she was “born” with the mental age of 13 years of age. KASAI OG01 is the first member of the OGIENOID series, created by STUDIO OGIEN. STUDIO OGIEN initially developed KASAI OG01 to see if bio-androids could fit the company’s needs as performing idols. However, when the company realized it could not convert her into a singing robot, it looked into other options.
Her body was an older, less technically advanced model, lacking many of the newest features of up-to-date androids. As a result, she could not connect wirelessly with other robots to share information, making her more of a stand-alone product. Because of this, STUDIO OGIEN figured it could work this “fault” to its advantage, using her as a portable hard drive to store sensitive company data. Her limited technological capabilities made her the perfect fit for the role, especially because, as an older model, she was not easy to keep track of when she moved from one owner to another. In other words, her creation had no paper trail. Therefore, with KASAI OG01, secrets were safe and secure.
Growing Pains
As the company grew, KASAI OG01 would gain many friends. STUDIO OGIEN began purchasing androids specifically for its OGIENOID project, which would involve a 35 member group of performing idols. As new members entered the walls, KASAI OG01 eagerly awaited news that she would be joining their training, but her hopes were quickly dashed. Her creators informed her of her new purpose as the company’s secret database, and the reality that she would never perform dawned on her. Her heart crumpled as she came to terms with her decided destiny.
Though it hurt her heart to watch others live her dream, she stubbornly and enthusiastically attended every practice, every rehearsal, and live show her friends put on. Above all, she wanted to show her full support, hoping to encourage them.
The Beginning of The End
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 was decimated down to 6 within weeks. KASAI OG01 watched her family members walk out the door, only never to come back. All the while, STUDIO OGIEN forced her behind its walls.
STUDIO OGIEN enacted drastic measures to protect its performers. However, without the income from performances, STUDIO OGIEN was quickly collapsing under financial pressure. Bankruptcy threatened the company, forcing the OGIENOIDs to perform for pay. Behind the scenes, the business scrambled to find other ways to make ends meet.
KASAI OG01 would watch from the sidelines, deep in the company’s underground lab. She monitored the interactions and trips her friends had through their security camera feeds. Each OGIENOID’s live feed was visible to her on a company supercomputer, and her hope for the future diminished every day as more and more screens went dark.
As she watched her fellow OGIENOIDs blink out of existence, one by one, KASAI OG01 became increasingly desperate to save her remaining family and prevent the collapse of STUDIO OGIEN. So, without consulting colleagues, she planned to preserve the OGIENOID line by creating three new, unregistered child androids, who she would split pieces of her being between to safeguard her friends and her company. The first child would receive her memories, the second, her database, and the third, her consciousness.
Upon transferring her being to her “children,” KASAI OG01 ceased to function, giving the entirety of her being to create the future of the OGIENOIDs.
KASAI OG01 gives her life to create her “children.”
The Present
In the story’s timeline, KASAI OG01 no longer exists in the present, and she is considered deceased.
Her current representation to the public is outside of the story’s universe. However, KASAI OG01, as her audience knows her, is alive and well, and she has many adventures with her fellow OGIENOIDs.
Character Description:
(From KASAI OG01’s character page): Loud, extroverted, and friendly. KASAI OG01 enjoys pushing herself to her physical limits and is always willing to try new things. Though she is small, she is a short-tempered girl unafraid to get into a spat, confident she’ll always come out on top. KASAI OG01 is a devoted friend who would give her life for her loved ones. She always expects the best effort out of her friends and is an “all or nothing” kind of person. Don’t let her near hot sauce; she’ll short herself out drinking the whole bottle!
Re-Introducing More OGIENOIDs
Are you curious about the other OGIENOIDs? Please tune in next week for a re-introduction of our next girl! Then, sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on our blog releases. Not your thing? That’s alright! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram for more news on our social media.
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.
KASAI OG01 SALIENT will be releasing on May 15th, 2021 to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
SALIENT is a huge accomplishment for STUDIO OGIEN.To celebrate her release, we will be holding a small contest!
An art contest will be held by STUDIO OGIEN from today until May 31st, 2021. Art must feature KASAI OG01 in her SALIENT outfit (reference sheet on Kasai’s page). Members of STUDIO OGIEN not competing will act as the judges. Entries will be judged by originality and ties to the theme.
THEME:
Rebirth, renewal, freedom
Kasai SALIENT Boxart Preview
PRIZES & RULES:
Three winners will be chosen, and all three will receive a free physical copy of KASAI OG01 SALIENT’s new boxart! So long as your country can receive mail from the United States and you are 18 or older (or have parental permission), you can participate!
We ask you to keep your entries appropriate for all ages (NO R-18). Winners announced June 5th. Prizes will be shipped in early July.
We are incredibly excited to announce that the KASAI OG01 SALIENT UTAU release will be public in early May 2021!
A unique Voicebank for the UTAU Vocal Synthesizer Engine, we hope using her will be a fun experience for all!
Voicebank Properties for KASAI OG01 SALIENT:
The UTAU release of 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.
SALIENT 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 is easy, and it is similar to our other OGIENOID Multi-expression and Multi-pitch Voicebanks. No additional effort is required to use the Multi-pitch function, as it is already configured by our team for plug-and-play use. Using different expressions is the same as our previous releases; Original is the default voice, and you can use the up and down arrows (“↑” and “↓”) with UTAU’s built-in SuffixBroker to use Wild and Tender, respectively.
SALIENT’s extras, however, require a little more effort. We are including new suffixes to separate these extras, but SALIENT’s oto follows many other popular UTAU’s examples.
Tutorials
We are striving to create new video tutorials in the coming weeks on how to use the OGIENOIDs, especially their upcoming Multi-pitch, Multi-expression voices. Many people benefit from learning through visuals and audio rather than text, and we want to meet those needs!
New Outfit & Logo!
KASAI OG01’s new outfit for SALIENT brings a fresh new take on her Original design. We wanted to create a general “upgraded” feel, but still, retain the charm of her CV clothing. KASAI OG01’s new attire includes fabrics such as pleather, bridal satin, and cotton for a variety of textures in her new look. You may also notice more emphasis on her design’s secondary periwinkle hue, now incorporated throughout. We feel her new outfit allows her bright personality to shine through more effectively than before!
Thank you all so much for your patience! We look forward to bringing SALIENT to you!
AMORE is the second release in the GODDESS series. The GODDESS series takes place in fictional lore from STUDIO OGIEN original stories. KASAI OG01’s Goddess alter-ego/other self is named “Kassandra.”
Kassandra became the first mortal soul to achieve clairvoyance and ascend to a higher plane. For thousands of years, she watched over human souls and guided them to other souls they were meant to meet. Additionally, her guidance was heavily placed upon children and showing them to their proper mothers to be born, making her known as the Goddess of Unconditional Love. Eventually, Kassandra became incredibly lonely, wishing for children of her own. To fulfill this wish, she gave her left eye for her first daughter, Axelia, and her right eye for her second, Attison. Though she was now blind and could not see her daughters’ faces, she was never lonely.
The multiple pitches require no additional effort to use. For greater clarity, please use a high Y and c flag. For a sharper voice, experiment with EQ levels when mixing.
Kasai was initially created in 2009, but she was never finished. This is her complete “reboot,” and we’re thrilled to say that she’s finally an official OGIENOID! The OGIENOID lineup welcomes KASAI OG01 to the family! She will take part in projects down the road.
Kasai’s Release Video
About The Voice:
KASAI OG01’s release features a Multi-pitch CV-V style voicebank packaged with a Falsetto bank. The full version combines both voicebanks into one, allowing the user to plug in the letter “F” into the UST from the SuffixBroker for her Falsetto. This makes both voices available to use in one UST, which helps to make editing, tuning, and mixing faster and easier.
Beginners can easily use her voice without extra effort. As her Multipitch is already configured, no additional effort is required. Usage of OGIENOID multi-pitch banks is automatic! Learn about the UTAU software to utilize OGIENOID voicebanks.
About KASAI OG01:
Personality: Loud, extroverted, and friendly. KASAI OG01 enjoys pushing herself to her physical limits and is always willing to try new things. Though she is small, she is a short-tempered girl unafraid to get into a spat, confident she’ll always come out on top. KASAI OG01 is a devoted friend who would give her life for her loved ones. She always expects the best effort out of her friends and is an “all or nothing” kind of person. Don’t let her near hot sauce; she’ll short herself out drinking the whole bottle!
Relationships: KASAI OG01 didn’t get the label “Heart and Soul of Studio Ogien” for nothing. The girl makes friends quite quickly and is very familiar with every member of the team. If you had to ask her who her best friend was, she’d laugh and tell you “everyone.” Though she is close with all the OGIENOIDs and treats them equally, she spends most of her time with DIONE OG05.
Learn more about KASAI OG01 by visiting her personal page here!
