Some of the recent discussions about nostalgia for the V2 scene has made me realise some modern Japanese producers in particular seem to be only picking up vocal synths as a way to enter the mainstream music industry. Sometimes, I've come across new producers who already have a polished, commercial sound right from the the get-go, but they use a VB like Miku as a way to attract the vocal synth fandom to their work when chances are they could easily attract attention through a human singer through their sheer talent/skill. Once they gain enough of a fandom and a contract with a mainstream label, they start pivoting away from vocal synths completely.
Of course, it's never a problem if people want to go deeper into the music industry and make a career out of it! But at the same time, the increase in "fly by night" producers does take out the original heart of the vocal synth scene - it was literally built by amateur musicians playing around with whatever resources they could afford, after all. The bar you have to reach to gain popularity with vocal synthesis now feels too high and off-putting for most people these days. :/
