Yamaha Announces VOCALOID4

During a product announcement live stream, Yamaha has revealed that VOCALOID4 is coming this winter. More specifically, VOCALOID4 Editor and VOCALOID4 Editor for Cubase, along with VY1V4, are scheduled to be released late December, “in time for Christmas.” The hardcopy version of VOCALOID4 Editor for Cubase will also come with a complementary license to Cubase AI so that users can immediately use the software. VOCALOID4 will bring a few new features, including growl (the amount of growling/raspiness can be adjusted as a time-varying parameter), cross-synthesis (the singing of the same singer in the same language can be blended smoothly between two different voices (e.g. between normal and power) using a time-varying parameter, as long as a special “voice” has been prepared beforehand with the two voices), pitch rendering (displays the effective pitch curve on the UI) and real-time input (using a MIDI keyboard, fixed syllable).

Cross-synthesis, pitch rendering and real-time input are supported for VOCALOID3 banks as well, and VOCALOID2 banks can support pitch rendering and real-time input as long as they have been imported into VOCALOID3. DTM Station’s writeup also indicates some other features such as pitch-snap mode (remove natural portamento, etc.) as well ways to bake the portamento and vibrato effects into the PIT curve. The press release from Yamaha indicates that VY1V4 will have four voices—Normal, Soft, Power and Natural. As for upgrade pricing, customers who bought any version of VOCALOID3 Editor, VOCALOID Editor for Cubase or VY1V3 are eligible for an upgrade pricing of 5400 JPY for the new products. Those who bought the editor software after November 10 are also eligible for a free upgrade until end of June, 2015. Starting on November 21, there will also be a song contest on VOCALOID NET with a VY1V4-Editor set as the grand prize.

UPDATE: According to a tweet from Kenmochi, VOCALOID3 Editor and VOCALOID Editor for Cubase will be receiving updates in the future to read .vsqx files created by their VOCALOID4 analogues.