User blog comment:CykeP/And Now I'm Torn/@comment-53539-20151101113551

I don't thin its that simple, but for once I'm glad someone is asking without just going for the CFM vocals "because their the CFM vocals". I respect the non-bias approach whenever it comes up because too often people are quick to just go with their first pick rather then weigh out the consequences of that pick. Other times, people just don't know the other English vocals exist and aren't willing to give them a shot one they've heard them as they weren't what they expected.

Firstly, I would point to the question of the Kagamine fans being the big deal here. You'll attract them, and there is more of them then for the D duo, but you'll attract all the problems that Kagamine fans display. You have to ask is this worth the pay off yourself and if you can deal with the bickering in your comments that may follow.

Next I'd look at CFM english history... While Luka's a great improvement over her V2 vocal, you don't really have much to go on. Meiko was "okay" and Kaito and Miku sort of somewhere between disappointing and "okay I guess". Either way, they had limited range of tempo and vocal, which spoke more about the vocals then the overall appeal of the vocals themselves. Back in V2 and V3 it was still better to go with Megpoid, Nana or a Engloid, with Megpoid having overall a better vocal but clumsy phonetic handling. But with V4, things have changed and the slate is almost blank. You lack still important information to really judge the Kagamine vocals and tell if its worth it.

Next you go look at what the vocals off. DD offer a female and a male vocal, but in truth the Kagamines offer two female vocals, as Len is only a male by declaration.

There is also the problem of in truth... Len is merely a "Append" of Rin, as he is based on the same vocal. Whereas again DD cover a wider range greater between them simply because their based on two vocalists. On the other hand, for having a similar vocal the Kagamines have relatively the same weight between them and harmonize, in theory, better. But the DD pair offer two diffeent approaches between them to the same subject... Looking back at past instances where Zero-G have done this as far back as Leon and Lola, this has always proven to be a done deal about the pairs they've produced, wherein at times where 1 vocal couldn't do the job the other did and the contrast between was overall better Een down to it... the Kagamines being really Appends that aren't really Appends are so built around each other, that there re times neither vocal suits a song.

Capabilities wise as well, the DD pair will have more phonetics in either vocal and at this point, the English vocals have been constructed for a while. So those behind DD have experience on their side and will at least be interesting vocals even if they turn out to be Sonika. They are built also at western producers, whereas CFM pretty much said a few years back their English vocals are so that Japanese producers can break into the west. The team behind DD are familair to the fandom and overall decent people who can be "trusted" whereas...

Well...

You don't get this with CFM.

Also I think the Kagamines may end up being cheaper then the DD pair to buy.

Lastly, samples wise I'm going to say the CFM vocals are overall superior to most other studios. ITs just... Well bare in mind also that you'll be buying voice acted vocalist with the Kagamines, whereas DD are amateur singers. Is a voice acted vocal better then a amateur singer? You be the judge.

There is a lot to take in and I tend to say there is more in favour for DD then the Kagamines overall. But its hard to judge a vocal we know nothing on versus one we do. And we don't know yet really what the overall Kagamine package will be like.

Though I've alwyas been a engloid fan, I won't be bias on the matter of picking one vocal over another because it really amounts to lot more then  face value choice. i bought my 4 V2's based on trial and error. I've owned 5 vocals and I couldn't do much with Lola and Sonika I regret buying. Lola was still good voice. Prima and Tonio were overall great vocals but couldn't mke use of their voices (which in my opinion are both really nice!). Big Al was always a better vocaloid then most of the other Vocaloids I used, but he was a lousy singer in my opinion. As for Sonika, her problem was she was really a back up singer and never a main singer, she always need a second vocalist in a duet. The voice was nice but completely a miss. Tonio just dodges that bullet himself, leaving the best two V2's being Big Al and Prima.

So... You can see there are always a bunch of things that can come up even post-purchase. If you really re not sure, there is also no harm in waiting it out. Zero-G regularly do dscounts so its sometimes worth just waiting. By the looks of it neither package will have access to V4, though the Kagamines likely will have Piapro studio. So you're still looking at a package with the V4 editor

In the end, most seem to actually go or Cyber Diva this generation and most are rating her as the best "starter" engloid.