Question What Vocaloid should I buy as first?

[MaybeGrimm]

Hi! I've found some threads here asking something similar, but I have a quite specific idea so decided to write a new one! I'm totally new in Vocaloid and what I want to do first is make covers to other languages, just to start practicing, and then jumping into making songs (in English) when I finally learn to do the instumentals XD

I prefer a voicebank that has some English option, but also some Appends to be able to play different characters changing the parameters. I was mostly thinking in :

• Miku V4X Bundle,​

• Megpoid (though she doesn't come with the English VB in the Complete, does she?),​

• Rin and Len V4X Bundle, which is a plus since I have one female and one male there.​

But I'm happy to hear ANY other options!

 

[peaches2217]

First of all, welcome to VVN! We're very happy to have you here, and we hope you enjoy it here!

Second: depending on what kind of computer you've got, your best bet to start out with will be a Cryptonloid. If you get Megpoid first, you'll need to get V5 to run her, and V5 requires a VERY beefed-up system to run at optimal speed. Cryptonloids come with Piapro Studio, which can be run in any DAW (and, in fact, COMES with a very nice DAW), and it serves as an excellent alternative to V4. And you're correct: her Complete bundle does not come with her English bank. (On top of that, I wouldn't personally recommend Gumi JP or ENG to beginners: she's quite raspy across all her banks and takes a good deal of patience. A great 'loid, of course, just wanted to warn you!)

If English is what you're wanting most, I recommend Miku! Her English bank is easily the easiest to use out of the English Cryptonloids, and gives some of the best results to boot. Overall, I would actually recommend Rin and Len, as Miku's Japanese banks have a tendency to sound a bit flat and need a greater deal of fine-tuning, but given what you're looking for, I'd say Miku is your best bet of the bunch!

 

[Overcast Immortal]

I also recommend getting a Crypton Vocaloid due to their versatility and coming with Piapro Studio. Meiko, Kaito, and Luka all come with English voice banks for somewhat less money compared with Miku or Rin and Len. One thing to be aware of is that Meiko and Kaito are V3's and I don't know if the version of Piapro Studio that they come with will support V4 Vocaloids like Gumi.

A less conventional option is to buy a V3 or V4 editor along with some other Vocaloid, but given your interest in Crypton's Vocaloids, you might as well buy one and get an editor at no extra cost.

 

[peaches2217]

Meiko, Kaito, and Luka all come with English voice banks for somewhat less money compared with Miku or Rin and Len. One thing to be aware of is that Meiko and Kaito are V3's and I don't know if the version of Piapro Studio that they come with will support V4 Vocaloids like Gumi.

No, Kaito and Meiko's Piapros won't support V4s. My computer does this weird thing where it'll spontaneously uninstall some of my Vocaloids, and if it uninstalls my Crypton V4s, then Piapro reverts back to the version that comes with Kaito and Meiko, and it won't let you use V4s in it. You HAVE to own a Crypton V4 to use other V4s in Piapro.

(Also, I would... very, very strongly discourage Luka being a first Vocaloid, unless you love her and are willing to go through a lot of heartache, tears, and broken keyboards for her. Her V4 is a specimen.)

 

[MaybeGrimm]

Thank you so much to both for replying! It's not that I'm searching specifically a Cryptonloid, but those were the only ones I had knowledge that had "extra voices" and were relatively easy (I love Gackpoid, but I've read that he's a little hard for begginers like me).

I might get Miku then, I was thinking in buying V4 anyways, so if I can have something similar kinda free, then it's great xD

Just a little question more: I'm guessing Piapro just supports Cryptonloids, so if I want to buy one from another company in the future, I'll have to buy V4/V5, right?

 

[___]

Just a little question more: I'm guessing Piapro just supports Cryptonloids, so if I want to buy one from another company in the future, I'll have to buy V4/V5, right?

The PS that comes with V4 crypton-loids can support all vocaloids across the V2-->V4 era! ( you would need to ask for import code for a V2 voicebank though but same goes if you had standalone V4 engine! juts a heads up ). If you'd like to use a V5 voicebank then you would need the V5 editor as PS doesn't support them.

 

[mobius017]

Just wanted to point out that the Vocaloid 4 Editor isn't officially supported (or at least sold) by Yamaha anymore, so it can be difficult to purchase. If you're planning on getting it, you might have to look for it at third-party places like Amazon, or else as part of bundles with V4 Vocaloids.

 

[MaybeGrimm]

The PS that comes with V4 crypton-loids can support all vocaloids across the V2-->V4 era! ( you would need to ask for import code for a V2 voicebank though but same goes if you had standalone V4 engine! juts a heads up ). If you'd like to use a V5 voicebank then you would need the V5 editor as PS doesn't support them.

For the moment, the only V5 that seems interesting is Haruno Sora, and merely in design for me xD So I think I'll be good with PS since the loids I want are mostly from V3 and V4. Thank you for answering!

Just wanted to point out that the Vocaloid 4 Editor isn't officially supported (or at least sold) by Yamaha anymore, so it can be difficult to purchase. If you're planning on getting it, you might have to look for it at third-party places like Amazon, or else as part of bundles with V4 Vocaloids.

Yes, I was thinking in having it in Amazon, but maybe in the future with Yuzuki Yukari (since her starter pack is so famous for some reason?), but thanks for the advice!

 

[peaches2217]

Yes, I was thinking in having it in Amazon, but maybe in the future with Yuzuki Yukari (since her starter pack is so famous for some reason?), but thanks for the advice!

Just be warned (though forgive me if you're already aware): starter packs are getting hard to find, and V4 is VERY expensive, a victim of hardcore price-gouging since its retirement. So if you happen to want it, and you can locate a starter pack, DEFINITELY go for it if the price is right. (I personally like PS a lot better than V4 anyway, and this is coming from someone who learned vocalsynthing on V4; that said, they're both fun to try out!)

 

[MaybeGrimm]

Just be warned (though forgive me if you're already aware): starter packs are getting hard to find, and V4 is VERY expensive, a victim of hardcore price-gouging since its retirement. So if you happen to want it, and you can locate a starter pack, DEFINITELY go for it if the price is right. (I personally like PS a lot better than V4 anyway, and this is coming from someone who learned vocalsynthing on V4; that said, they're both fun to try out!)

Yeah, I've checked the prices and seems so expensive to me right now tbh, only for the base program without any VB. Specially when I'm getting no profit from this now, til I learn to create originals; but at the same time I think I'm afraid PS doesn't have parameters such a CHR or things that I've read in tutorials that let me vary the Miku VB to play different characters (I'm thinking in making Honey Works covers, maybe you can have an idea with that xD). I'll try first the PS anyways, but TYSM for the advices!

 

[peaches2217]

I'm afraid PS doesn't have parameters such a CHR or things that I've read in tutorials that let me vary the Miku VB to play different characters

If I’m reading this correctly (and if @patuk is correct - she’s a V5 guru, so I had to ask her), CHR is just the GEN parameter present in V4/PS, with a different name. So you WOULD have that parameter at your disposal!

 

[___]

Don't worry! PS is pretty much a V4 reskin and you won't be missing out on anything that V4 had to offer!

 

[uncreepy]

Piapro is basically the same as Vocaloid Editor 4 aside from some minor differences. All of the parameters are identical (dynamics, gender factor, velocity, etc are all present in both).

When viewing multiple tunings, V4 overlaps up to 2 tunings (ex: VEL in front, DYN behind), but Piapro stacks tuning above each other. Piapro lets you turn on a red line which shows pitch bends on the piano roll that V4 doesn't have. But you have to use Piapro in a DAW, unlike V4 which is standalone. V4 lets you use plugins (ex: Idol Style, Zola Unison, but a lot of the plugins are honestly kind of useless, but there were some fan made ones).

Edit: If you are planning on making originals, it's probably easier to compose a song within a DAW/be able to check the vocals immediately with Piapro for the song you are making rather than having to export a WAV and put it into Vocaloid Editor.

 

[MaybeGrimm]

Thank you to you all for clarifying my doubts! I'm so excited to start trying and making awful covers! haha