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KAITO VOCALOID1 VOCALOID3 | Piapro Studio | Songs Albums Notable Originals


This is an article about the KAITO V3 software for the VOCALOID3 engine.

History

It is unknown when production switched from VOCALOID2 to VOCALOID3, however, it should be noted that even Crypton Future Media themselves did not know if this update would be for VOCALOID2 or VOCALOID3. Use of the VOCALOID2 version can be found in Project mirai.

KAITO APPEND: 2010

In October 2010 it was noted that CFM were considering updating Meiko and Kaito to VOCALOID2 or VOCALOID3.[1]

Crypton announced in December 2010 that they were updating their old VOCALOID vocals. However, it was unknown if MEIKO and KAITO would be VOCALOID2 or VOCALOID3 as they were still in the planning stages.[2]

Recording of Naoto Fuuga's voice started on December 10, 2010, beginning with test recordings.[3][4] Several voicebanks of different expressions like the Appends were produced for the product.[5]

On the 10th of December, tests were done on KAITO's voice.[6] Wat confirmed they were discussing the marketing of the KAITO product.[7] The project development was also confirmed in December to be MEIKO > Megurine Luka >> KAITO.[8]

Testing was being carried out on a variety of tones such as a "Power" append that came from deep within the stomach.[9] On the 17th December 2010, 4 appends were mentioned:[10][11]

  • "Mellow"[12]
  • "Serious"[13]
  • "Sweet"[14] - this was abandoned for the "Solid" Append.
  • "Solid"[15]

Wat mentioned he would be asking for the thoughts of female producers on KAITO.[16]

During the thoughts behind the update, it was noted that the differences between Miku and KAITO's low voice were ridiculously large and this was also reflected on the engine itself, leaving Wat wondering if they were still compatible.[17] There was also the question of how to handle the male vocal, speculating if the "voice of the character" could be hung onto with a voice such as his.[18] Wat discussed the problems with KAITO's voice that he had been presented with, stating since KAITO's vocal was a nice all-round voice, getting to act out the "expression of colour" previously seen in the Appends was challenging, as he felt the voice was already beautiful enough.[19]

On the 25th of December, Wat announced that he had been charged with the sharing of information on Kaito on twitter.[20] One of the concerns at the time of development was that KAITO's vocals they were working on were failing to meet quality expectations of consumers; more work was needed.[21]

V3 KAITO: 2011

In January, CFM noted that the silhouette has a transparent muffler. On February 17, 2011, Crypton released a temporary silhouette of KAITO's Append. They said that it has not been decided whether he will have a transparent muffler since there was previous outcry from fans.[22][23][24]

In March, Wat mentioned work on KAITO's vocal had encountered a problem which halted progress. He did not know the release date yet.[25]

In April, work on KAITO's voice resumed.[26] Work on the vocal along with other projects had come to a halt.[27] Wat mentioned wanting to do a vocal with a soft tone as well as a down toned voice.[28] The voice of KAITO was going through checks on the α stage.[29] On the 13th April, 2011, it was confirmed 6 vocal expressions had been recorded, two of which were dropped and the remaining were being brought forward. One had reached completed alpha stage already. The Character Vocal (Hatsune Miku, Kagamine Rin/Len and Megurine Luka) series Appends had been created from vocal performance by their voice providers. The new KAITO Appends were created by adding echo, force and tension to the samples.[30]

Crypton Future media also noted that several voicebanks had been recorded with new high tech microphones through a series of trial and error instead of the standard U87ai, these were:[31]

  • "Vivid"
  • "Solid"
  • "Power" [32]

These vocals were done as a series of experiments with new equipment using Naoto Fūga's voice.[33]

On the 11th of May 2011, Crypton went back to Yamaha to announce the current KAITO development, whose demos were at the time suspended. Crypton apologized for the slow development to their fanbase and enhancements to KAITO's Whisper Append were being made.[34]

On the 28th of May 2011, demos of KAITO's Append "Whisper" and "Power", along with Miku's English voicebank, were posted on Nico Nico Douga.

On the 3rd of June 2011 the demo からくり時計と恋の話 was released using an alpha version of KAITO's "Soft" Append.[35]

KAITO's "Soft" Append was considered by Crypton as KAITO's most natural vocal and was described as requiring little editing to sound good.[36] "Soft" had also left α and entered β now.[37] It was confirmed by Wat that release would be unknown for sometime, but would continue to give out information as soon as possible on the developments of the software.[38] Wat noted during development that "soft" was being adjusted in relation to "whisper".[39] "Whisper" was also still being adjusted, as well as other data which needed to be adjusted in a hurry.[40][41] According to Crypton, lowering the gender factor on KAITO's "Soft" Append renders it sounding like a female vocalist. Although it was cute, it was considered a blunder on their part. So they tried to remove as much as they could.[42]

By 11 June, Wat tweeted they were in the middle of the KAITO recordings and working hard for the first time in years to get the vocals completed.[43] Wat noted they were trying to finish the main voice of KAITO to give them extra time to work on "Whisper".[44] Later it was confirmed that by the end of the month, "Whisper" would be at the same stage as "Soft".[45] Later they announced that the data had been settled on "whisperβ".[46]

Wat reported that KAITO's "Whisper" vocal would have a demo due soon.[47] Wat also referred to the process on KAITO English as "annoying".[48] Also, in July, in relation to the introduction of Hatsune Miku in America, Wat noted that there was a high level of female Vocaloid fans in America compared to Japan. Based on this, Wat planned to test the demand on KAITO to see what the reaction was.[49] Crypton also finished recording KAITO's vocals after work was previously suspended for an interval.[50] Crypton was in discussion with Fuuga, KAITO's provider on the image and vocal outputs.[51] A classic KAITO Vocaloid style recording had also been completed, one which will sound close to the vocal tone of the original voicebank that users were familiar with.[52] It was then reported that there will be some wait for more information.[53]

The first commercial usage of KAITO's Append was by yanagi and kaoling on the album "VOCALOID Minzokucho Kyokushu", where he sings the song "Sennen no Dokusou Ka (kaoling mix)".[54] The VOCALO APPEND album later used beta voicebanks of KAITO's "Normal", "Soft", and "Whisper" voicebanks singing "Lost Destination" with Kagamine Len Append.[55]

On October 14, 2011, Crypton updated via their twitter, stating that English KAITO will take some time to produce.[56] Not long after, it was announced via Piapro[57] and Miku's FB that a surprise concerning KAITO will be revealed at the 2011 New York Anime Festival. When October 16, 2011 came, the panel revealed a demo of KAITO's English VB. Footage of the demo was captured and uploaded onto YouTube:

Demonstrations

KAITO singing "Top of the World" by the Carpenters (Straight) YouTube

It was later tweeted that KAITO's English voicebank was in its alpha stage, and that it still needed brushing up on.[58] Checks were also done on the English vocal in December.[59] KAITO's lower tones also had to be fixed.[60]

Wat tweeted on the 1st December 2011, noting that all previous demos had originally been rendered with the VOCALOID2 engine, and things were being redone for the VOCALOID3 engine.[61]

Crypton also ran a contest involving Kagamine Len Append, where the winner received exclusive information on KAITO's update.[62]

V3 KAITO: 2012

In February Wat discussed the differences between the CV series (Hatsune Miku, Kagamine Rin/Len and Megurine Luka) and KAITO/MEIKO. He stated that their appends were being adjusted using editing techniques to achieve the results, whereas the CV series Appends had been done by acting performance.[63] English KAITO's voicebank was reported to have received adjustments to a few of its diaphonetic data in February 2012.[64]

Crypton Future Media began looking for Japanese producers who can use English capable VOCALOIDs to work with for the English version.[65] KAITO himself is currently being compared to overseas male English VOCALOIDs.[66] On 23 February it was announced that they were able to talk about the progress of both Japanese and English KAITO voicebanks in production.[67] The company is exchanging VSQ files with producers to see how the current English VOCALOIDs compare with KAITO.[68] Several overseas producers were now taking part with KAITO's production.[69] KAITO's double vowel and vowel to vowel sounds had been adjusted after a report came back on their flaws.[70]

It is confirmed that KAITO's clothes would not change in March 2012, they will just get a facelift.[71] The boxart will also use a 2.5D style drawing. In early March 2012, Kenmochi Hideki was given the voicebank to make further adjustments.[72] The English vocal was sent to Kenmochi Hideki to check the vocals. Crypton noted that all that was left was for KAITO's vowels to be adjusted.[73]

In April, Crypton commented on "Whisper"'s use of triphones as "wonderful".[74] KAITO's "Normal" voicebank was also officially declared as part of the new version.[75] Wat also confirmed the manual will contain a history of VOCALOID KAITO.[76]

In May, KAITO's voice was still being adjusted.[77]

Checks were run on KAITO's voice in October.[78] Further adjustments were made to KAITO and Miku in early October prior to their vocals demostration.[79] Crypton were also considering what to call the default vocal for KAITO, they had suggested names like "Neutral", "Natural" and "Default".[80]

An English demo of Miku and KAITO was shown NYCCon 2012, both were still in their beta stages. KAITO's V3 "Whisper" and V3 vocal were shown.[81] KAITO's English vocal release was expected to be "by the end of this year or the beginning of the next".[82]

In December it was reported that news on the update of KAITO is due within the next few days.

According to Crypton Future Media, there had been some delay on KAITO's V3 version due to their desire to include "Piapro Studio" with his package.

V3 KAITO: 2013

He was set for a February 2013 release.

In early January 2013, adjustments to KAITO's voicebanks were completed and KAITO was set to be released mid-February 2013 as scheduled.[83] DTM Magazine is due to run a series of tutorials on how to use KAITO V3 for beginners.[84] The idea of the bundles being offered with KAITO V3 software is to give users everything they need in basic sound making.[85] The reason why KAITO has 4 vocal libraries is to minimize the amount of troubles they would encounter with the pack.[86] A special discount was offered to VOCALOID1 KAITO users, the price based on the difference between VOCALOID1 KAITO and the CV series price.[87]

KAITO V3 was released on February 15, 2013.[88]

Mac Update

In late 2013 it was announced that Kaito would have a Mac release for the VOCALOID NEO engine. This version will be released for free with purchases of the Windows Kaito V3 product version. It was later announced that Kaito V3 Mac will be released on the 15th of February 2014.

[89]

Future Plans

In 2014 Wat mentioned playing with the wavelengths of experimental Vocals he hoped to one day release. These 3 vocals he mentioned were Kaito "Light", Miku falsetto and Meiko "Hard".[90]

Product Information

Demonstrations

Demonstrations

黄金木の葉が舞う頃に (Ougon Konoha Ga Mau Koro Ni) (Straight) NicoNico YouTube Crypton
からくり時計と恋の話 (Karakuridokei to Koi no Hanashi) (Soft) NicoNico YouTube Crypton
からくり時計と恋の話 (Karakuridokei to Koi no Hanashi) (Whisper) NicoNico YouTube Crypton
CiRCuS MoNSTeR (English) NicoNico YouTube Crypton
月雪花 (Tsuki-Yuki-Hana) (Straight) NicoNico YouTube Crypton
夢懸歌 (Yumekake Uta) (Whisper, Straight) NicoNico YouTube Crypton
水の道化師 (Mizu no Doukeshi) (Soft) YouTube Crypton
Rose + Thorn (English) NicoNico YouTube Crypton
玄冬桜 (Gentouzakura) (Whisper) YouTube Crypton
悪徳のジャッジメント (Akutoku no Judgment) (Straight) YouTube Crypton
Sweet's Beast (Soft) YouTube Crypton
crystal mic (English) YouTube Crypton
逆罪行進曲 (Gyakuzai Koushinkyoku) (Whisper) YouTube Crypton
時計塔のうた (Tokeitou no Uta) (Straight) YouTube Crypton
カンタレラ (Cantarella) (Short ver.) (Soft feat. Hatsune Miku) YouTube Crypton
YES YES (English) YouTube Crypton
海渡る風の唄 (Umi Wataru Kaze no Uta) (Straight, Whisper, Soft) YouTube Crypton
戦唄 (Ikusa Uta) (Straight) YouTube Crypton
島唄 (Shima Uta) (Straight, English) NicoNico YouTube Crypton
万感吟遊 (Bankan Ginyuu) (Straight) YouTube Crypton
恋するアプリ (Koisuru Apuri) (Soft) YouTube Crypton
Pane dhiria (Straight) YouTube Crypton
Anonymous (English) NicoNico YouTube Crypton
モーニングコール (Morning Call) (Whisper) YouTube Crypton
Chillyditty Of February (Straight, Soft) YouTube Crypton
時忘人 (Tokiwasurebito) (Straight) YouTube Crypton
Mirror Rule (Soft) YouTube Crypton

Demo page

Recommended

  • Windows XP (32bit) / VISTA (32bit) / 7 (32, 64bit) ※ Windows 8 in (64bit) 32bit compatibility mode (WOW64): OS
  • Recommended Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 GHz or more: CPU
  • Recommended 2GB or more: RAM memory
  • Free space of 25GB or more
  • Other: Display / Internet connection environment of video card / 1280x768px or more corresponding to the driver of the DVD-ROM drive / sound device / OpenGL 3.0 or more (when activated)

Voicebank Libraries

GENERAL USAGE

Product Information
Versions
  Trial/Demo Vers?: No  Starter Available?: No
Package details as noted:

This is the package designed to replace the VOCALOID KAITO vocal package. You do not need the previous VOCALOID version to use this pack, unlike the Append packages for the CV series. This update was to satisfy the needs and demands of VOCALOID fans.[91] Its counterpart is the MEIKO V3 product.

This package comes with Piapro Studio.

The software comes with the Piapro Studio Edition of PreSonus's DAW, "StudioOne ARTIST"[92], which includes various vocal effects and other tools. This also includes a resource pack with 200 virtual instruments. The complete package of Piapro Studio and StudioOne ARTIST means that by purchasing this release, musicians can begin producing straight away with no need to purpose any further software, and all bundled software working together without any problems. The Piapro Studio and StudioOne ARTIST bundle is included in both non-English and English bundled versions of the vocal.

Vocal traits as noted:
  • The purpose of this product has been extensively confirmed to function differently than the Character Vocal's Appends series. The tones within these voicebanks are focused on natural sounding tones, rather than expressive tones.
  • The vocals are completely new recordings, using none of the past VOCALOID data.[93][94]
Software issues as noted:
  • This was originally intended to be a VOCALOID2 release.
  • Despite the inclusion of English, there is no technical support for the English Vocal offered. The English vocal does not have access to any additional tones.
Cross-Synthesis as noted:

When imported into VOCALOID4, the cross-synthesis (XSY) function can be used on all 3 Japanese Kaito voicebanks.

  • In total the package offers the equivalent of 6 additional voicebanks achievable via XSY. The total tone variation offered by the package comes to a theoretical 9 voicebanks in total.
  • Note that these vocals were not designed to be used for XSY originally as it was not part of the VOCALOID3 engine functions. Results may be rougher than VOCALOID4 XSY vocals for that reason.

  • From Ver.4.3.0 of the Vocaloid engine onwards, a XSY group "Kaito V3" was added to Vocaloid. All vocals within the "Kaito V3" group can XSY with each other. This vocal release is part of this group. If a User owns one or more vocal releases within the "Kaito V3" group, XSY between them will open up.[95][96]
    • Currently only one release is found within this group KAITO V3, making it a fairly limited XSY group.
    • The group has 3 unique voicebanks; "Straight", "Whisper" and "Soft"

  • Individual DB

    Product Information
    Optimum
      Genre: Folk, Pop, Rock  Optimum Range: B1 ~ C3  Optimum Tempo: 90 ~ 200 BPM
      Total Tempo (min-max): 110 BPM  No. of Keys: W ~ 9, B ~ 5, Total ~ 14
    Package details as noted:

    DB 1 STRAIGHT is designed to hold the same tone as the original VOCALOID vocal.

    Vocal traits as noted:
    • The quality is much higher than the previous VOCALOID vocal, matching the VOCALOID3 standards.
    • The results are much cleaner than the original VOCALOID vocal, but maintain its ability to act as an all-round voice.
    • Out of all 4 vocals, Straight can best handle the fastest tempo.
    • The Straight vocal's optimum vocal range is relatively smaller in comparison to some of the other VOCALOID3 vocals
    • At 90 tempo, Straight has the highest of the minimum optimum tempo range for any of the 4 vocals and is less adapt for slower songs than they are.
    Software issues as noted:
    • While the intent was to match the VOCALOID KAITO vocal's tone, due to using new recordings, it does not produce the exact same results.
    Voicebank sample

    KAITO V3 Straight

    Cross-Synthesis as noted:

    KAITO's main vocal is his "Straight" vocal and it is his base vocal for XSY. By using "Soft", extra expression can be added to the vocal, while "Whisper" is for extra tone control to make KAITO sound more sorrowful. Because of the vocal's design, KAITO's "Straight" vocal is not a bridging vocal as a result, as with many main vocals.

    The paths of expression therefore for "Straight" are;

    • "Straight" ⇄ XSY ("Straight" x "Soft")
    • "Straight" ⇄ XSY ("Straight" x "Soft") ⇄ "Soft"
    • "Straight" ⇄ XSY ("Straight" x "Whisper")
    • "Straight" ⇄ XSY ("Straight" x "Whisper") ⇄ "Whisper"

    Product Information
    Optimum
      Genre: Soft Rock, Folk, Ambient  Optimum Range: D2 ~ B2  Optimum Tempo: 80 ~ 180 BPM
      Total Tempo (min-max): 100B PM  No. of Keys: W ~ 6, B ~ 4, Total ~ 10
    Package details as noted:

    DB 2 SOFT voice is designed to give a softer tone to lyrics.

    Vocal traits as noted:
    • This vocal was considered KAITO's most natural sounding during development according to Crypton Future Media themselves.
    • It has a smaller vocal range then either "Straight" or "English".
    Software issues as noted:
    • Crypton Future Media reported during development that this vocal loses masculinity quite easily when adjusting the GEN factor, rendering the vocal sounding more like a female vocalist than a male.
    Voicebank sample

    KAITO V3 Soft

    Cross-Synthesis as noted:

    "Soft" is a voicebank that in XSY will loosen KAITO's main vocal pronunciation, allowing him to do moodier genres. Because the main vocal "Straight" is not the medium vocal, this role falls upon "Soft". It is the bridge between the "Straight" and "Whisper" vocals.

    Product Information
    Optimum
      Genre: Ballads, Jazz, Soul  Optimum Range: F2 ~ D3  Optimum Tempo: 65 ~ 150 BPM
      Total Tempo (min-max): 85 BPM  No. of Keys: W ~ 6, B ~ 4, Total ~ 10
    Package details as noted:

    DB 3 WHISPER is a gentle and soft "whispery" vocal which is intended for calmer songs.

    Vocal traits as noted:
    • It has a more natural ability to utilize higher pitches.
    • With its optimum range allowing it to go down to a tempo of 60, it is more adapt at slower songs then the other vocals within this back.
    • Like "Soft", its optimum range is smaller than "Straight" or "English".
    • Whisper itself has the smallest optimum tempo range out of the KAITO vocals within this package.
    Phonetic notes as noted:
    • Crypton themselves commented that Whispers use of VOCALOID3 triphones were "wonderful", indicating they are more significant in this particular vocal.
    Voicebank sample

    KAITO V3 Whisper

    Cross-Synthesis as noted:

    "Whisper" is the voicebank with the most loose sounding phonemes, thus the most emotionally capable of the 3 voicebanks. Its main role is to add sorrowful or calm tones to the main "Straight" voicebank. In XSY its role is to aid in the addition of emotion to KAITO's other voicebanks.

    Product Information
    Optimum
      Genre: Crossover, Dance, Electronica  Optimum Range: B1 ~ B2  Optimum Tempo: 70 ~ 190 BPM
      Total Tempo (min-max): 120 BPM  No. of Keys: W ~ 8, B ~ 5, Total ~ 13
    Package details as noted:

    DB 4 ENGLISH, gives English capabilities to the V3 package.

    Vocal traits as noted:
    • Like "Straight" this is an all-round voice, intended to have a natural tone of voice and maintains a natural singing voice.
    • It has the largest tempo range capabilities of all vocals within the KAITO V3 package.
    • Like all vocals within the package, the English vocal has a relatively small optimum vocal range compared to some of the other vocals within the VOCALOID3 lineup. It current ties with Hatsune Miku V3 English as the 2nd smallest tempo range of any VOCALOID3 vocal.
    • Wat mentioned during development that there were many annoyances encountered with this vocal, though excluded to mention what they were.
    Phonetic notes as noted:
    • Has a strong Japanese accent, resulting in issues with pronunciation. For example, when the [u:] phoneme proceeds the [l0] phoneme (Clear L), this one will sound out as the [r] phoneme. So, typing [r u:] and [l u:] into his English voicebank will produce the same result. One solution is to input the phonetic combination of [l w u:], though the [u:] will have adverse effects.
    Software issues as noted:
    • Despite "Straight" being its closest Japanese vocal, there is a difference between range and tempo that may render imperfect transitions when switching vocals.
    Voicebank sample



    References

    1. link
    2. link
    3. tweet 11:412 PM - Dec 9 10
    4. link
    5. link
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    8. tweet 5:42 PM - 10 Dec 10
    9. link
    10. tweet 4:26 PM - 17 Dec 10
    11. tweet 7:31 PM - Dec 14 10
    12. tweet 4:37 AM - 14 Dec 10
    13. tweet 1:32 PM - Dec 17 10
    14. tweet 12:22 AM - 17 Dec 10
    15. tweet 3:19 PM - Dec 17 10
    16. link
    17. link
    18. link
    19. link
    20. link
    21. link
    22. tweet 10:44 PM - 8 Jan 11
    23. [1] Piapro Blog - 【プレゼント企画】2月17日でKAITOは発売5周年!ということで、お祝い企画開催決定!! (KAITO's fifth Anniversary - 「KAITO Append(仮)」)
    24. tweet 10:40 PM - 8 Jan 11
    25. link
    26. link
    27. link
    28. link
    29. link
    30. tweet 8:50 PM - Apr 12 11
    31. tweet 21 Apr via web
    32. tweet 12:37 AM - 17 Dec 10
    33. link
    34. tweet 10:05 PM - 10 May 11
    35. [2] Vocaloidism - Kaito Append Alpha Demo: Soft
    36. tweet 1:48 AM - 3 Jun 11
    37. link
    38. link
    39. link
    40. link
    41. link
    42. tweet 6:19 PM - 8 Jun 11
    43. link
    44. link
    45. link
    46. link
    47. link
    48. link
    49. link
    50. tweet 1:47 AM - 13 Jun 11
    51. tweet 3:01 AM - 13 Jun 11
    52. tweet 5:04 AM - 13 Jun 11
    53. link
    54. link
    55. link
    56. tweet 7:06 AM - 13 Oct 11
    57. link
    58. tweet 7:28 AM - 17 Oct 11
    59. link
    60. link
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    62. link
    63. link
    64. link
    65. tweet 12:47 AM - 16 Feb 12
    66. tweet 12:24 AM - 16 Feb 12
    67. tweet 4:58 PM - 22 Feb 12
    68. tweet 01 AM - 16 Feb 12
    69. tweet 6:02 AM - 22 Feb 12
    70. tweet 5:55 AM - 22 Feb 12
    71. tweet 7:32 PM - 30 Mar 12
    72. tweet 3:39 AM - 2 Mar 12
    73. link
    74. link
    75. link
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    77. link
    78. link
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    80. link
    81. link
    82. link
    83. link translation
    84. link translation
    85. link translation
    86. link translation
    87. linktranslation part1 translation part2
    88. Crypton
    89. link
    90. Tweet about future vocals
    91. link
    92. https://www.presonus.com/products/studio-one
    93. link
    94. link
    95. link
    96. link

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