FENG YI: This year's surprise favourite. Initially I thought she was much too similar to Qing Su, but on deeper listening she delivers a delicate, ethereal performance unlike any other SynthV. She can't do it all, but when she's in her element, she shines. Actually having a voice that's less 'poppy' has opened up the music I can tackle considerably. In my opinion she's one of the best soft voices on SynthV currently, and manages to have some solidity when the music calls for more oomf. Probably one of the most emotional sounding voicebanks, my only gripe is that she sometimes swallows her aspirated consonants.
ANRI: I didn't have strong negative feelings towards her voice, but Anri's been the vocal I've most often heard and thought 'this song would sound better with someone else'. Most vocal synth music calls for some power, but it's not just that she's soft. Even on tracks that call for a soft voice, Anri often feels out of place with her deadpan, talk-singing style vocals. Anri's performance feels comparable to a vocalist who lacks confidence, struggling to emote and petering off notes. I go back and forth on whether she's specialised for a particular genre, or just a weaker product. But, I can see why a producer would choose her. Whereas most SynthV's feel like listening to a human, Anri sounding more classically 'Vocaloidy' would be appealing to fans of older vocal synths. Luka has many of the same limitations as Anri, and a strong fanbase for that unique sound.
SOLARIA: Even though she's not my personal dream absolute favo voicetype, the community needed a versatile pop vocalist desperately. Even with all of Dreamtonics' releases this year, there would still be a major hole in the SynthV lineup without Solaria. Having such a wide range of vocal modes and being responsive to parameters, means I can rely on her to fit where no one else will. Then there's how often she's used in tandem with V6's Vocalochanger, Vocal Morphing, or as input audio for Diff-SVC: Solaria's been carrying the English side on her shoulders. Getting a clear, flexible voice capable of being powerful or soft was a godsend.
NATALIE: She had a rocky release, and in my opinion is somewhat underrated because of it. There aren't many vocal synth songs coming from the community that suit her, but I've seen a positive response to Natalie from the professional side; and I can see why. She's a good counterpart to Solaria, providing a richer, more soulful tone great for genres like RnB, modern lo-fi hip hop, classic soul and jazz. For that slower, more classic sound; Natalie is a winner. Between her and Solaria, you could cover both sides of popular music.
I’m holding off on full judgement until we hear his vocal modes. I’d love to be surprised! I just wish we could get this voice type from a company that ISN’T notorious for rebranding the same three voice types over and over. Time will tell how he turns out.
