Introduction

VOCALOID has become firmly established in the music scene for young people in Japan. You may have heard that even famous artists were originally “vocaloid producers” who worked on SNS.

In this situation, there are probably many people who are thinking “I want to start using VOCALOID too, but I don't know where to start...”

So, I will explain these questions in an easy-to-understand way.
Q. What is VOCALOID? What can it do?
Q. How should I get started?

What is VOCALOID?

Even if you say “VOCALOID / Vocalo”, the things that come to mind may differ, such as songs, games, and characters.

VOCALOID is a “singing voice synthesis software that allows you to make your PC sing freely by simply inputting melodies and lyrics” developed by Yamaha. It may be easier to imagine if you think of it as your own personal vocalist inside your PC. By combining it with DAW, which is software that allows you to create music on your PC, you can create vocal tracks on your PC alone without any special equipment or environment.

There are over 90 different types of 'voice banks' (singing voices) available on the VOCALOID official website now! You can choose your favorite singer's voice and create your own original songs.

POINT
・Using VOCALOID, you can create vocal parts for songs on your PC alone
・By simply changing the 'voice bank', you can control a variety of unique singing voices
・As VOCALOID is software for creating vocals, you will need other software called a DAW to create the other parts of the song.

How should I get started?

Now that you understand what you can do with VOCALOID, let's look at how you can get started.

◎ Start with the free trial version

★ Recommended for
- People want to try out the software first!
- People want to try it out for free without spending any money!

The latest version of the VOCALOID series, VOCALOID6, has a free trial version that lets you try out all the functions for free for 31 days.

The free trial version comes with the 16 voice banks that are included as standard with VOCALOID6, so you can not only get a feel for how the software works, but also try out the different singing voices of the various voice banks.

There are also articles explaining how to install and use the trial version, so even beginners can try it out with peace of mind.

Why not try out the world of VOCALOID with the trial version first!

◎Start with the “Lite version” that comes with the voice bank

★Recommended for
- People who want to make their favorite character sing!
- People want to keep my initial investment as low as possible!

The voice banks for VOCALOID6 currently on sale on the official website come with the software 'VOCALOID6 Editor Lite' for free. VOCALOID6 Editor Lite is a limited version of VOCALOID6 Editor. Despite some functional limitations*, you can get the voice bank you've purchased to sing on your PC straight away.

*It can only be used in standalone, and the maximum number of tracks that can be used is 2, consisting of a VOCALOID: AI track or a VOCALOID track + Audio track.

By making use of VOCALOID6 Editor Lite, you can have your favorite character's voice sing for you straight away.

Let's use the Lite Editor to make your dream of “making your favorite character sing” come true in the shortest possible time, and experience what it's like to be a Vocalo P!

◎ Start with the “Starter Pack”

★Recommended for
- People who want to try making their own original “VOCALOID songs”!
- People who want to get all the software they need for music production in one go!
- People who want to make their favorite character sing, rather than the standard VOCALOID6 voices!

The Starter Pack comes with the full version of VOCALOID6* and Cubase AI music production software (DAW). In other words, by purchasing the Starter Pack, you will have everything you need to create vocal parts and all other musical parts! Therefore, this is a highly recommended set for those who want to try creating their own original Vocaloid songs, but currently have no environment to do so.

*The Starter Pack version of VOCALOID6 does not include the 16 silhouette series voices that come with the standard version.

At the moment, there are 3 types of Starter Packs available on the official website: GekiyakuV/KazehikiV, Vocalo no Ci-chan and Kanade. With the Starter Pack, you too can make your debut as a Vocalo P!

◎ Start with “VOCALOID6” + “your favorite voice bank”

★ Recommended for
- People who want to use a wide variety of voices!
- People who want to try out vocal production techniques like doubling and creating choruses!
- People who want versatile voices, not specific characters!

As of version 6.5, “VOCALOID6” comes with 16 AI voice banks for male and female Japanese and English voices as standard. By using different types of voices to suit different situations, you can effectively practice the essential vocal production techniques of 'doubling' and 'chorus'. As with the Starter Pack, the music production software (DAW) 'Cubase AI' is also included, so this is a good way to get started if you want to improve your vocal production skills or use versatile voices.

Of course, you can also add and use voice banks of your favorite characters later on. Let's make a difference to your vocal work techniques with 'VOCALOID6'!

Summary

We have introduced 4 different ways to get started with VOCALOID that are recommended for beginners. Let's summarize the key points of each one.

POINT
・Free trial version [Budget: $0]
→ You can try out VOCALOID for free. There is a limit of only 31 days of use. You cannot create anything other than the vocal parts.
・Lite version [Budget: $90 (before tax)~]
→ You can purchase only the voice bank, and use the voices of your favorite characters. There are some functional restrictions. You cannot create anything other than the vocal parts.
・Starter Pack [Budget: $198 (before tax)~]
→ Includes the full version of VOCALOID and Cubase AI (DAW), as well as all the software you need to create your own original Vocaloid songs. Does not include the standard VOCALOID6 voice bank.
・VOCALOID6 [Budget: $225 (before tax)~]
→ This includes the full version of VOCALOID, Cubase AI (DAW) and all the software you need to create your own original Vocaloid songs. It also comes with the standard VOCALOID6 voice bank.

And until January 6th (JST), we're holding a VOCALOID 20th Anniversary Sale! You can get 20% off all products, including the ones we've introduced above. Why not take this opportunity to make your VOCALOID debut?

Article: Dai Ichikawa