User blog comment:OtterJiang/V4 - I'm Not Impressed/@comment-35301431-20150313015833/@comment-32500188-20150313123204

I figure if it weren't for the fact that Hideki Kenmochi retired as the VOCALOID Dev Team chair less than a month after its release, it probably could've seen some bigger advancements... (I still beleive they pushed its release early because of the change in command that was in the process of happening... it would've seemed odd for him to go off without one last "hoo-rah" as one of the main folks behind the creation of the technology.)

Not saying V4's a bad improvement at all, though, it's just that there probably could have been more features added if the opportunity was present for pushing its release to a later date. The possibility of pitch rendendering option actually being made as an alternate means for pitch editing had they worked out kinks would've been much more well-recieved. That, and current new features could have been worked out a little better (mainly that of the Growl... ugh...) Cross-synthesis is pretty darn good from what I've been using, but then again because it's been made to be reverse compatible on top of working for new/updated banks, issues arrive with V3 VOCALOID VBs which sound files probably don't mesh well when the function is used... and since there currently aren't a lot of options in the current lineup, that's a slightly troubling issue for early on. (I mention this because of the number of issues I've heard people have had trying to use MEIKO's banks and getting some awkward results).

Other than that, until more vocal libraries are released for V4, if one doesn't have a V3 that's capable of using the XSY function or feel inclined to upgrade for the sake of upgrading, there's not much that's going to draw in interested consumers... the late V3 vibe is very strong in V4 either way. Some folks may find it comforting, others probably will think they were better off sticking with V3 if they find no use for the new features.

Of course, things will pick up as soon as more V4-exclusive banks and possible enhancements come around in the years to come. (＾◡＾)