Jul 112018
 



 
YAMAHA Corporation has officially announced the VOCALOID5 engine and VOCALOID Editor 4.5 for release beginning today! It’s also shaping up to be quite an update to the software platform, much more than the previous VOCALOID4. Here’s what’s included in the release.

VOCALOID5 Standard (Windows & Mac, 4 voicebanks, 25,000 yen)
VOCALOID5 Premium (Windows & Mac, 8 voicebanks, 40,000 yen)

VOCALOID Official Site: https://www.vocaloid.com/en/

•Features & Function Overview

Drag-and-drop song creation … Over 2,000 preset phrases & audio
Allows for realistic vocal expression … Attack & Release effects, emotion tools
Instant conversion of your desired styles & voices … Style function
Fine control of vocal tension and amount of breath … 3 new vocal expression parameters
Includes a weath of voices for every genre … 4 voicebanks (male & female, Japanese & English
Create complete vocal tracks with a single application … 11 kinds of audio effects
Better external functionality, improved production efficiency … VST, AU, external MIDI output
Power up your favorite voices with VOCALOID5 … Compatible with VOCALOID3 & 4 voicebanks
Includes software support for Cubase … VOCALOID 4.5 Editor for Cubase

•Comes with 4 voicebanks (male & female, in Japanese & English) – Unique singing voices compatible with every genre

Amy (Left): Expressive English-language female voicebank, ideal for contemporary singing. The versatile voice boasts natural pronunciation and varied vocal tones, suited to genres from R&B to pop music.

Chris (Center left): Authentic R&B English-language male voicebank. Capable of singing over a wide range from delicate, soft bass to powerful, sustained high tones.

Kaori (Center Right): Japanese-language female voicebank with a soulful vocal quality. Long vocal sustains make it perfect for powerful singing.

Ken (Right): Sharp, clear Japanese-language male voicebank, with a light vocal quality ideal for singing J-pop.

•VOCALOID3 & 4 voicebank compatible: Power up your favorite voices with the expressive power of VOCALOID5

The singing voice libraries of VOCALOID3 and VOCALOID4 can be used as voicebanks. Richer expressions can be achieved by simply adding VOCALOID5 effects.

•[Bonus extra] Includes VOCALOID4.5 Editor for Cubase software

The VOCALOID4.5 Editor for Cubase software, capable of importing VOCALOID features into Steinberg’s Cubase DAW software – widely used around the world for music production – is included as a bonus extra.
*All VOCALOIS5 voicebanks can be used. The functions for editing are the same as in VOCALOID4. New OS and Cubase environments scheduled for future release are not supported.

•VOCALOID5 Upgrade Editions also available

VOCALOID5 Upgrade Editions are also available for those who have already purchased VOCALOID3 Editor (SE), VOCALOID4 Editor, VOCALOID Editor for Cubase (NEO), or VOCALOID4 Editor for Cubase.

VOCALOID5 Standard, Upgrade Edition – 15,000 yen
VOCALOID5 Premium, Upgrade Edition – 24,000 yen

Jul 112018
 

Someone accidentally let some news slip a little early. It looks like one of YAMAHA’s VOCALOID software partners, AH-Software, confirmed the upcoming announcement of the next generation VOCALOID5 synthesis engine with one of their products listed for preorder on Amazon Japan. YAMAHA themselves have not even announced such a product yet. The release is announced for July 26th, 2018, so we can likely expect YAMAHA to formally announce the VOCALOID5 engine soon.

Link: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B07DZY25M8/
Webarchive Backup: https://web.archive.org/web/20180711180105/https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B07DZY25M8/

The software titled “VOCALOID SAKURANO SORA (COMPLETE) NATURAL & COOL” clearly mentions the inclusion of the VOCALOID5 editor. It even briefly mentions some of the VOCALOID5 editor’s parameters, called “VOICE COLOR, ATTACK & RELEASE”, the last two of which are all-new features we have not heard of before.

What does this mean for Hatsune Miku fans, though? An update to her software can likely be expected sometime in the near future, of course!