Camui Gackpo

Kamui Gakupo (神威がくぽ) (note: on the Karen-T website his name is always written as "Camui Gackpo") is the official mascot character of Gackpoid (がくっぽいど / Gakuppoido) which is a singing synthesizer application software powered by Yamaha's Vocaloid2 and was published by INTERNET Co.,Ltd. The naming about this product is very confusing. The Vocaloid software itself is under the official name Gackpoid, and Kamui Gakupo or Gackpo is the avatar character of the software drawn by the illustrator Kentaro Miura (三浦健太郎 Miura Kentaro).

Vocaloid 2
Internet Co. wanted to utilize the voice of a singer for the creation of Vocaloid but felt it would be difficult to get a singer to agree. They consulted Dwango Co.,Ltd. who managed Nico Nico Douga, and Dwango suggested Gackt (神威 楽斗 Camui Gackt), a singer and actor, as he had previously provided his voice for Dwango's cell phone services. He lent his voice and named the Vocaloid, Gackpoid.

The first recording began in Dec 2007, according to Internet Co., Ltd Gackt himself would ask for a re-record a sample if he was not completely satisfied with the result, however all results were recorded in 4 hours with no breaks and no need to record samples again. However, a 2nd recording session took place in Jan 2008 so they could choose from the best samples. Gackt was warned that not all vocals would be satisfactory to work with the Vocaloid software and testing would have to take place to determine if it was even fesiable to release the Vocaloid. It took 5 months of trial and error to remove the issues which the voicebank face and make results smooth. In April the product was behind schedule and Gackt was informed of this but noted he would rather have a high quality product. The product was originally intended to be released in June 2008, but though Gackt existed as a model for the Vocaloid, its illustrated avatar was yet to be determined. Sample editing was complete by June but release was postponed because of a illustration change. Popular manga author, Kentaro Miura, famous for his dark fantasy epic Berserk, was asked to do the illustration. Due to Miura's affection for Nico Nico Douga, he agreed to offer his services as a character designer for free.

Gackpoid was released on July 31, 2008. Two of Gackt's songs and three other songs are also included as samples.

An update with Gackpoid includes a new program, OPUS Express, for mixing vocal parts with accompaniment and phoneme data. There are 10 demo songs on the official site.

V3 Gackpoid
Internet Co., Ltd have not announced if Gakupo will be extended like Gumi, however, they have confirmed if there is a demand for it they will consider producing one for him. Later it was confirmed all of Internet co., Ltd's Vocaloid 2 voicebanks would receive a Vocaloid 3 update.

During the Vocafarre, it was revealed that Gakupo's update would follow Lily's.

Gakupo has several voicebanks planned. "Power" and "Whisper" have been confirmed so far in the booklet of the CD, Kamuizm (Kamui Musou, 神威夢奏); the information found in the booklet was gathered from a interview with Mr. Murakami.


 * Never (short version) Nicovideo Broadcast YouTube Broadcast
 * Never (full version) Nicovideo Broadcast YouTube Broadcast
 * Never (DEARS Promotional Video) YouTube Broadcast
 * Signpost Nicovideo Broadcast YouTube Broadcast
 * Trap of Love Nicovideo Broadcast YouTube Broadcast
 * Episode.0 Nicovideo Broadcast YouTube Broadcast
 * Eternal feel Nicovideo Broadcast  YouTube Broadcast
 * Avenger Nicovideo Broadcast YouTube Broadcast

Later, it was revealed that V3 Gackpoid was going to be released on July 13, 2012. However, members of the website Dears can recieve a different version this package if they buy before June 26th 2012 23:00, this version is more exspensive and has different boxart, but includes some bonus extras. Only members who had joined no later then March 15 2012 could order the product, it is shipped in July.

Marketing
A note from Crypton Future Media's Vocaloids was that they were using cyber-style clothes which can "melt into" into our everyday lives as much as possible. Internet co., Ltd drew up their own ideas from this on what makes Vocaloid popular. Gackt's design from picked from several possible designs. Gakupo has a samurai aesthetic—the Vocaloid is clad in a Jinbaori, a kind of kimono which was used as a battle surcoat, with parts of Japanese armor, and carries a katana which was named “Music katana, Miburi” (楽刀・美振 / Gakutou Miburi). The patterns on its blade make sounds as a musical instrument when it is swung down. The sword existed because Producers wanted a link to a musical instrument, there were no objections to the use of a weapon.

When considering the features of Gakupo, the producers informed them they wanted the eyes to look like Gackt's, as well as a combination of cyber and traditional Japanese clothing. The colours were picked to make him stand out from the other Vocaloids.

Originally, Gakupo songs were not allowed to be sold on Karen-T, however, this was later allowed in 2009.

Song Contest
In 2009, Gackt also challenged users of Vocaloid into a competition using Gakupo with the best song not only winning 10 million yen, but Gackt would also sing the song and include it on one of his next albums if he liked it enough. In 2011, the winning song "Episode 0" by mathru/KanimisoP and runner up "Paranoid Doll" by natsuP (SCL Project), were featured being sung by Gackt in his 39th single set for release on 7/13, 2011. The producer of the runner up song also received 300,000 yen while the producers of the other 8 top ten songs received 100,000 yen each.

This album is set to be released on the 13th July 2011, and will be Gackt's 39th single album under the title "Episode.0". The short preview for the original version of the song "Episode.0" in Gackt's version was released during the month of May 2011 Gackt-Episode.0 (Short PV However during the early days of the month of June an official video of the complete version of the song was uploaded on Nico Nico Douga Gackt-Episode.0 (Unofficial PV)

Maker Hikōshiki Hatsune Mix
He has made a guest appearance in Maker Hikōshiki Hatsune Mix, so far he has been the only non-Crypton official Vocaloid to appear in the unofficial manga.

Figurines
Gakupo is due a Nendoroid figurine produced by the Good Smile company.

Taiwan release
On Dec 11th, 2010, the president of Internet Co. announced that Gakupo, Gumi and Lily will be distributed in Taiwan.

King Run Anison Red and White Concert
Gumi and Gakupo made special appearances in the 2010 new year celebration event known as King Run Anison Red and White.

The songs they covered were;
 * アニソン紅白2010 M-32[Love Letter]神威がくぽ(がくっぽいど) "Love Letter" covered by Gackupo originally from "Mobile Suit Z Gundam", which had originally been sung by Gackt
 * アニソン紅白2010 M-33[星間飛行]GUMI(メグッポイド) "Interstellar Flight" covered by Gumi from "Macross Frontier", which had originally been sung by Megumi Nakajima.

Their appearance was strictly a one off event.

Phone Haiku
Internet Co. Ltd has released a service that offers Gakupo's voice for use with telephones, this service was first announced in April of 2009. The service is greatly limited compared to what the Vocaloid software allows normally but offers a chance for users to play with a limited version of Gakupo's voice for creating Haiku. The service was later updated for use with the PC in 2011. There is no fee for use of it and the service is open for use for fans across the world. The software application however can only be used in Japanese hiragana only and will take what is written as literal text, so for more complex patterns so great deal of thought may have to go into writing words. Internet Co., Ltd commented they intend to work with Twitter to open the service up more so others can share their works around the world. Users can download their creations for free as MP3's an unlimited amount of times.

Vocaloid 2

 * Kamui Gakupo has songs in the Nico Nico Douga Hall of Fame
 * Comparison between the Vocaloid and voice provider
 * Gackpoid; Vocaloid 2 and Vocaloid 3

Gackpoid
Gackpoid, was the first of Internet co., Ltd's "Vocaloid Artist" series and was designed to be a professional standard vocal of noted quality. He was also the first addition to Internet co., Ltd's "poid" series.

At the time of its release was the best quality Japanese Vocaloid voicebank and was designed to give professional singer results. It had one of the largest tone range of the Japanese Vocaloid 2 voicebanks and was one of the better male vocaloids released during the Vocaloid 2 engines run. His pronunciations are overall smoother than most other Vocaloids.

He was the only Japanese male vocal that could produce a low masculine vocal tone until VY2's release. His voice is joint second with VY2 as the deepest vocal within the Vocaloid 2 era, the only vocal deeper than his is English Vocaloid Big Al. Also, prior to VY2's release, he was the easiest Japanese male voicebank to use overall.

His voicebank was praised for his more realisitc results in comparison to Cypton's "Character Vocal" series Vocaloids and offered the user much more professional standards because of it. His voicebank has a reputation for being able use its Japanese phonetics to mimick the English language easier then most other Japanese voicebanks.

His vocal results versus his difficulty levels were not always balanced in favour of inexperienced users. As is often the case with native Japanese speakers, Gackpoid does not have the phoneme "z" and "Z" in the phonetic system and they are replaced by "dz" and "dZ" as well as Megpoid. Gackpoid is also one of the more out dated voicebanks and is not as on par with later Vocaloid 2 voicebanks. Gakupo also has a number of background nuisances that can affect the quality of his results.

Vocaloid 3
Is the updated version of the software (currently released). Users will not have to purchase the Vocaloid 2 Gackpoid voicebank to use it.

V3 Gackpoid
The new package comes in a "complete" format much like the Megpoid V3 version. This package contains vocals for a "Native" version, which acts as a update of the original voicebank with improved vocals, as well as two new expressive vocals "whisper" and "power". Compared to V3 Megpoid, which has a total of 5 voicabanke libraries, V3 Gackpoid has only 3 to offer, two less then V3 Megpoid's. However, since the new software package adds only "Whisper" and "Power" as tones, the Gackpoid software also offers less options to expand the Gackpoid vocal then the V3 Megpoid software making it overall a more limited package. Do note, with no additional packages having been confirmed for V3 Gackpoid, the result is that potential producers using Japanese vocaloids do not need to hold back to see what new developements presue with his software for Vocaloid 3.

Changes

 * Improved version of the original voicebank with triphones and smoother results.
 * Triphons added.
 * Removal of background anoyances that lowered quality of results.

Whisper is a soft and gentle voicebank library suitable for a more calm song. Has a 'natural' whisper sound.

Has a more limited optimum vocal range compared to either the Native or Power vocals. Can have a slight clarity issue on some octaves. May suffer raspiness if not properly tuned.

This voicebank is stronger and closer in tone to the voice provider's than the original. It lacks much of the original's nasality.

Has trouble sounding gentle and soft, meaning producers will have to switch to "Whipser" or "Native" to achieve better results.

Popularity

 * Google Trends "Gackpoid"

In the Japanese fandom, he was slow to gain popularity due to a lack of demand for male vocals at the time of his release. Gakupo eventually gained popularity because of an increase in demand for male vocals and the popularity of his voice provider. Male vocaloids had not been developed for a long time and had so little demand at that time of Gakupo's release, owed to the failure of Kaito's release early on in Vocaloid's life circle. Gakupo was also the most expensive Vocaloid 2 vocal, beaten at his time of release in price only by Zero-G's Prima Vocaloid, in Japan he was the most expensive of the Japanese Vocaloids at a time. In mid-2010, he was reported to be on par with Crypton Future Media in terms of popularity. However, Gumi had overtaken him.

A independant Vocaloid search on Nico Nico Douga revealed that most Vocaloids had less then 1,000 videos uploaded on Nico Nico Douga in between July 1 and December 15, 2011. Gakupo however did manage to be the 4th most popular Vocaloid when a mean count was done with 375 views and 17 mylists.

Trivia

 * Because Gackt was a major singer, Gakupo was the most expensive Japanese Vocaloid 2 release, out of all the Vocaloid 2 voicebanks his release price overall was only beaten by Prima's.
 * Less experienced overseas fans often mislabel Gakupo as a "Gackpoid" rather then a "Vocaloid" and sometimes dismiss that he is a Vocaloid altogether. This is owed to the confusion over the name.
 * Gackpoid could be considered another contender for the insider joke "Big Al's syndrome" that overseas fans sometimes use to describe late Vocaloids. He was delayed for a month, however the term had yet to be invented.
 * Gakupo is one of the few Vocaloids to see his most popular Meme make it into merchandise form. The "Eggplant", or rather the version with stick-legs, is an additional item included with his Nendoroid figurine.

Notable for...

 * First Vocaloid to be voiced by a major singer in Japan
 * First Internet Co., Ltd Vocaloid
 * First male Vocaloid released as a single package since Kaito's release
 * First of Internet Co., Ltd's "Vocaloid Artist" series