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VOCALOID Crypton new Miku NT ver.2, Miku V6 and Piapro Characters Super Pack

Infoholic

CEO of Chorical, LLC.
Mar 26, 2018
327
If those issues arise, how do you fix them? Add an extra -r phoneme or something?
It depends. Sometimes that can fix it, if you do something like [O@ r], maybe even [O: r]. Sometimes it simply doesn't work no matter what, and it can even refuse to make sound at all even though the phonemes are correct.
 

SeleDreams

Passionate Fan
Jul 31, 2019
199
23
They mentioned that NT 2.0 will include autopitch tuning! This is similar to Maghni AI's original concept: AI driven tuning on top of a concatenative voicebank. I think this sounds like a good way to preserve the iconic robotic sound of Miku's original voicebank, while saving people some of the busywork of basic tuning.
Technically, Synthv also has the technology but it was short lived. the only vb I know that applied this concept were the kotonoha sisters.

On another note, one thing that's not really clear is if NT V2 will be a free update or not

I'd personally prefer the idea of going to NT because

1) I feel like any new features that might come out are more likely there. (Though this is debatable. Yamaha may well introduce new features in a V7...which makes no difference, I guess, since it's not V6. And honestly, it seems likely that new NT features will probably take some time after release to work properly. I hate saying it, but that's the track record so far. I keep hoping that CFM will overturn that expectation.)

2) It might just be a case of me not having gotten used to it yet, but I always found the V5 UI rather unintuitive, with singers being selected and parameters changed in odd places/buried under menus. And, AFAIK, V6 still basically has the same UI as V5. I'd love to hear what experiences anyone has had with the V6 UI, though.

3) The fact that vocal presets rely on onboard plugins that can't be controlled from the DAW at all/integrated with your own effects chains doesn't help, either.
Tbf, new features are coming to vocaloid, but they seem to come more to vocaloid beta. which will be given to vocaloid 6 owners for free and all v6 vbs will be ported to it. So we can expect new interesting features still
 
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MagicalMiku

♡Miku♡
Apr 13, 2018
1,752
Sapporo
Technically, Synthv also has the technology but it was short lived. the only vb I know that applied this concept were the kotonoha sisters.

On another note, one thing that's not really clear is if NT V2 will be a free update or not
the Sonicwire original blog post of August 1st wrote this:
For "Hatsune Miku NT," a beta version of the new version will be provided to authorized users who are already using the product in the fall of 2024, and a major upgraded version will be released at a later date, free of charge.
but yes, during the Magical Mirai talking session, they only said that the beta version planned for October will be available for free to existing product owners of NT,and then announced a planned public release for first half of 2025. I guess the update to NT 2.0 engine will be free, but the new packaged version (I assume there will be a new package with new art by iXima) planned for first half of 2025 might have some extra voice database/features/bundled software :miku_ani_lili:
 

Infoholic

CEO of Chorical, LLC.
Mar 26, 2018
327
In the talking session they did confirm that Miku NT2 would be a free upgrade for all owners, if I remember correctly. I don't think it will get a newly packaged version, it's still Hatsune Miku NT. With NT, they're able to push out updates as much as they want unlike the Vocaloid days where they couldn't (until V5/6) without releasing an entirely new product. I feel like they'll just add to NT over time.
 

MagicalMiku

♡Miku♡
Apr 13, 2018
1,752
Sapporo
yes sorry, I might have remembered wrong about the talking session, it was 1 hour long with many details, so..yes..(。・∀・)ノ゙✨
for new package and art, I think it's something the marketing department of Crypton will decide, depending also on their plans with other piapro characters: for example, if you sell Miku NT ver.2, then Luka NT will be "NT" or "NT ver.2"?
it's also possible they'll keep the actual package box (which already changed a little with the new repackaged styles announced this July) and put a sticker on it about the Ver.2 :miku_sakura_lili:
 

BANKARA_TEEvie

voxbox guy
Jun 24, 2021
44
It depends. Sometimes that can fix it, if you do something like [O@ r], maybe even [O: r]. Sometimes it simply doesn't work no matter what, and it can even refuse to make sound at all even though the phonemes are correct.
as someone who didn't get to use VXB, i have to wonder if the arpabet system it uses might help somewhat? i could see that being a bit more customizable to get the right sound where needed due to how the phonemes are set up in comparison to vocalo-eng-sampa-whatever.
hell, could the xls system even be slightly different, given how the engine and voicebanks overall are clearly different too?

i don't find v6's xls to be terrible - in fact, given that not even cevio/voisona has it yet makes it a pretty big deal, given how yamaha has seemed so slow in the AI game thus far. it's more accented, and i understand the point of AI XLS is probably to reduce that... but i would say i find ai megpoid's english to be a bit more understandable and clear than her native english bank (at least, just as good) whilst still keeping her japanese tone in a way that doesn't make the VB "harder" to work with, for example.

With NT, they're able to push out updates as much as they want unlike the Vocaloid days where they couldn't (until V5/6) without releasing an entirely new product. I feel like they'll just add to NT over time.
here's praying that they do the same with V6 miku then, because if they really had an issue w/ yamaha holding them back in terms of being able to release regular updates and that's no longer an issue... well don't play crypton that's all im saying!
 

Alphonse

Aspiring Fan
Mar 13, 2021
31
as someone who didn't get to use VXB, i have to wonder if the arpabet system it uses might help somewhat? i could see that being a bit more customizable to get the right sound where needed due to how the phonemes are set up in comparison to vocalo-eng-sampa-whatever.
hell, could the xls system even be slightly different, given how the engine and voicebanks overall are clearly different too?
Phoneme labels are phoneme labels. It doesn't matter if you call it "@r r" in X-SAMPA or "er r" in Arpabet.
 
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Infoholic

CEO of Chorical, LLC.
Mar 26, 2018
327
Phoneme labels are phoneme labels. It doesn't matter if you call it "@r r" in X-SAMPA or "er r" in Arpabet.
While this is true, Vocaloid's Xsampa has a lot more fragmentation which can lead to requiring more data to get the intended/desired effect. Like, having [O@] [Q@] [I@] [e@] [U@] means that there's an additional 5 vowels that need data, rather than [O: r], [I r], [e r], and [U r]. The less unnecessary fragmentation, the better overall and with how we only have a couple of English dedicated vocals it makes sense how the engine could be struggling for certain sounds.
 

BANKARA_TEEvie

voxbox guy
Jun 24, 2021
44
While this is true, Vocaloid's Xsampa has a lot more fragmentation which can lead to requiring more data to get the intended/desired effect. Like, having [O@] [Q@] [I@] [e@] [U@] means that there's an additional 5 vowels that need data, rather than [O: r], [I r], [e r], and [U r]. The less unnecessary fragmentation, the better overall and with how we only have a couple of English dedicated vocals it makes sense how the engine could be struggling for certain sounds.
yeah, this is basically what i was getting at! the way sounds are labelled makes more of a difference with an AI synthesis system than it does w/ a concatenative one. not just accounting for spreading data thin, but also how many times certain sounds appear, learning the context of where it appears, etc...
that being said, that also doesn't account for how the XLS system actually works for V6/VXB, but i still believe that the more restricted phoneme set may ironically allow for better use-case
and thank you info for putting all that into better words ;w;
 
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Vector

Passionate Fan
Mar 6, 2022
154
In other news, the Piapro Studio version for V4X finally fixed the issue with the note entry text boxes having an unusable height of zero on macOS 14. A year later, and just in time for macOS 15 to come out later this month and break something else lol.
 
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MagicalMiku

♡Miku♡
Apr 13, 2018
1,752
Sapporo
don't be sorry cafe,always a pleasure to help you:miku_sakura_lili: :miku_sakura_lili:
so..for Piapro Characters Super Pack there is physical release, you can find it on various japanese retail shop (maybe also Sonicwire, didn't check yet if is available for overseas), for example Amazon JP has it, and since it is "sold and shipped by amazon", you should be able to order it without problems, amazon jp supports english and overseas cards. most items sold by amazon jp are eligible for overseas shipping, and usually you automatically pay customs taxes at the checkout (and if there is a difference once is cleared at customs, they give you back the difference as a refund). here is the url:
(i've put it in the code tag because if i write the amazon jp url as normal text, the forum gives back an empty space as preview)
Code:
https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0DBL116DF
other options are using a proxy shopping (for example from-japan) to buy the Super Pack "ピアプロキャラクターズ スーパーパック" from shops like Rakuten, Yodobashi, Bic Camera, suruga-ya and mercari :miku_ani_lili::luka_lili::len_smile_lili::rin_smile_lIlI::kaito_smile_lili::meiko_ani_lili:
and about Miku V6, probably at 99% there will be physical version, there aren't still much info about, but we know they'll talk more later this year. same for Miku NT 2, we actually don't know if for the public release (first half of 2025) they'll keep the actual box, or they'll put a sticker on it to tell about the ver.2, or they'll make new boxes and artwork for NT2, we don't know yet:miku_sakura_lili:
 
Last edited:

cafenurse

Still misses Anri Rune
Apr 8, 2018
1,805
23
USA
don't be sorry cafe,always a pleasure to help you:miku_sakura_lili: :miku_sakura_lili:
so..for Piapro Characters Super Pack there is physical release, you can find it on various japanese retail shop (maybe also Sonicwire, didn't check yet if is available for overseas), for example Amazon JP has it, and since it is "sold and shipped by amazon", you should be able to order it without problems, amazon jp supports english and overseas cards. most items sold by amazon jp are eligible for overseas shipping, and usually you automatically pay customs taxes at the checkout (and if there is a difference once is cleared at customs, they give you back the difference as a refund). here is the url:
(i've put it in the code tag because if i write the amazon jp url as normal text, the forum gives back an empty space as preview)
Code:
https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0DBL116DF
other options are using a proxy shopping (for example from-japan) to buy the Super Pack "ピアプロキャラクターズ スーパーパック" from shops like Rakuten, Yodobashi, Bic Camera, suruga-ya and mercari :miku_ani_lili::luka_lili::len_smile_lili::rin_smile_lIlI::kaito_smile_lili::meiko_ani_lili:
and about Miku V6, probably at 99% there will be physical version, there aren't still much info about, but we know they'll talk more later this year. same for Miku NT 2, we actually don't know if for the public release (first half of 2025) they'll keep the actual box, or they'll put a sticker on it to tell about the ver.2, or they'll make new boxes and artwork for NT2, we don't know yet:miku_sakura_lili:
Thank you so very much!!! <3 You are the sweetest!
 

Vector

Passionate Fan
Mar 6, 2022
154
I guess we now know why Crypton is bundling Cubase LE instead of Studio One Artist now lol


Presonus is discontinuing the Artist edition and will only have the Pro version going forward...and is effectively raising the price, since $200 ($150 to upgrade) only gets you one year of updates instead of two. (Though it is, at least, not a subscription. It will work in perpetuity if you don't upgrade every year.)

*sigh* Still cheaper than Ableton, I guess.
 

AmazingStrange39

Miku-Avanna-Gumi enthusiast
May 23, 2019
328
I guess we now know why Crypton is bundling Cubase LE instead of Studio One Artist now lol


Presonus is discontinuing the Artist edition and will only have the Pro version going forward...and is effectively raising the price, since $200 ($150 to upgrade) only gets you one year of updates instead of two. (Though it is, at least, not a subscription. It will work in perpetuity if you don't upgrade every year.)

*sigh* Still cheaper than Ableton, I guess.
Shoot, I hope they don't revoke my license for SOA5...(I don't think they will but it was honestly nice to have cheaper options...)
 

Vector

Passionate Fan
Mar 6, 2022
154
Shoot, I hope they don't revoke my license for SOA5...(I don't think they will but it was honestly nice to have cheaper options...)
It's definitely not retroactive or anything, and all licenses are perpetual even going forward. They just won't have an Artist version of SO7 when it comes this Fall.

I do think they'll have to have some very compelling features for me to want to fork over $150 to upgrade from SO Pro 6. I might just skip a version otherwise. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 

SeleDreams

Passionate Fan
Jul 31, 2019
199
23
It's definitely not retroactive or anything, and all licenses are perpetual even going forward. They just won't have an Artist version of SO7 when it comes this Fall.

I do think they'll have to have some very compelling features for me to want to fork over $150 to upgrade from SO Pro 6. I might just skip a version otherwise. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
well.. not all licenses are perpetual, they do have a subscription system
 

InstallGentoo

プロデューサー
May 7, 2021
91
Heaven
miku.band
It's definitely not retroactive or anything, and all licenses are perpetual even going forward. They just won't have an Artist version of SO7 when it comes this Fall.

I do think they'll have to have some very compelling features for me to want to fork over $150 to upgrade from SO Pro 6. I might just skip a version otherwise. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Would they bother giving out updates for Artist 6? chance they neglect security patches, features, or bug fixes?
 

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