AHS Official Livestream 158 Overview
For the 158th AHS livestream, regulars Tomohide Ogata and LESS Kitayama were joined once again by Kanru Hua of Dreamtonics to celebrate the release of Synthesizer V Studio, and the Synthesizer V voice banks from AHS!
You can watch the replay of the livestream below, and continue reading for the highlights!
News Corner
VOICEROID+ Tohoku Kiritan EX Nominated for a Vector ProRegi Award
The download version for VOICEROID+ Tohoku Kiritan EX was made available earlier this year, qualifying it for the 34th biannual Vector ProRegi Award!
Voting is now open, and will close on August 13 at 3:00 PM (JST). See our report here for details on how to place your vote for her and any nominee of your choice!
Symthesizer V Featured on DTM Station Plus!
Ogata himself was recently a guest on the 155th episode of DTM Station Plus! where he introduced viewers to Synthesizer V! The livestream held a lot of new information and even demonstrations of the software, which would prove useful for new adopters to watch and learn from.
You can watch the Synthesizer V special feature on DTM Station Plus! 155 below (which begins after about 1 hour into the show), and see here for our overview of the highlights!
AHS Store at Voiceconnect
The first Voiceconnect doujin event will be taking place at the Tokyo Ryutsu Center on August 1, 2020, and the AHS Store will have a booth there! See below for the catalog of goods that they will have for sale.
Particularly note worthy are the Synthesizer V products – Studio Pro, Studio Pro Starter Pack, Saki, and Kotonoha Akane & Aoi – that they will have on sale! Also shown during the livestream was the Yuzuki Yukari smartphone figure stand. By placing your phone on it, it’ll look like the cute mini Yukari figure is holding it for you!
AHS has several of these figure stands at their store, and felt an event like Voiceconnect would be a good chance to make them available to fans who want one. VocaSphere will be there, so expect pictures to be posted on our social media accounts!
Koharu Rikka LAKISTON Icon T-Shirts Available for Pre-Order
From TOKYO6 ENTERTAINMENT come the first pieces of merchandise for Koharu Rikka! Available for pre-order now on the AHS Store are T-shirts bearing the icon for LAKISTON, Rikka’s teddy bear mascot. Colors include raglan sleeve-style black and white, charcoal gray, light gray, and natural (cream-color).
You can find and pre-order them here on the AHS Store in M, L, or XL size for ￥4,620 JPY each, but only until August 17 at 1:00 PM (JST)!
Tohoku Itako’s Crowdfunding Campaign
The GREEDNFUNDING campaign to develop Tohoku Itako’s singing voice database has reached several new milestones. Not only did it meet their initial ￥6,000,000 JPY goal, but they even met their second (￥9,000,000) and third (￥13,000,000) stretch goals that will fund development of lip-reading technology and speech databases for Itako, Shikoku Metan, and Zundamon!
You can read a recap of the crowdfunding effort and what goals it achieved here. Stayed tuned for updates on the database developments!
Synthesizer V Corner
And finally, they get to the main corner of the livestream at 36:34! You can jump directly to this portion by clicking here!
Gift Promotion Campaign
First came mention of the gift promotion campaign that AHS held on on Twitter recently. Ogata was surprised by how many people messaged AHS to register for the chance to win the free Synthesizer software from them; they were initially expecting 100 or 200, but got a lot more than that!
The selection team spent many days looking through all the applicants to see whom would truly be able to use and promote their new products. Granted, there were also many who did not supply all the necessary information, and were thus disqualified and made the selection process a little easier.
What You Get For Each Purchase Option
When it came to purchase options, Ogata reminded viewers of the just-released products:
- Synthesizer V Studio Pro (editor)
- Synthesiver V Saki (voice database)
- Synthesizer V Kotonoha Akane & Aoi (voice database)
He also took the time to explain what users can get with each purchase option to clear up any misconceptions that one has to purchase both the editor and a voice database in order to create songs.
・If you buy only Synthesizer V Studio Pro, you will still be able to create songs because it comes with Saki Lite (see here for differences between Saki and Saki Lite)
・If you buy only Kotonoha Akane & Aoi, or only Saki, you will still be able to create songs with them because they both come with Synthesizer V Studio Basic (see here for differences between Pro and Basic)
・So if you want to work with a full-feature voice database, it’s actually okay to buy only Kotonoha Akane & Aoi, or only Saki
・For those who want both a full-feature voice database and a full-feature editor, there’s the Synthesizer V Studio Pro Starter Pack, which comes with:
ーThe full Synthesizer Studio V Studio Pro; upon installing it
ーA coupon code to get full versions of either Kotonoha Akane & Aoi, or Saki
※Half-price discount on Synthesizer V Studio Pro Starter Pack for registered AHS product users is only available until September 30, 2020
・Finally, there are also download versions of Synthesizer V Studio Pro, Saki, and Kotonoha Akane & Aoi (but not for the Starter Pack).
For customers who were confused by all the different purchase options when looking online, Ogata stresses the most important point: no matter what product you buy, you will have both an editor and a voice database to start creating songs with right away!
Free Downloads of Synthesizer V Studio Basic and Saki Lite + Web Synthesizer V
Starting today, July 31, Dreamtonics will make making both Synthesizer V Studio Basic and Saki Lite available for free download! Although they will not be their full versions, both the editor and the voice database are feature-rich enough for users to get a good feel for Synthesizer V use before committing to full purchases.
For an even easier method of trying out Synthesizer V, there’s Web Synthesizer V! As long as you have Google Chrome ver. 77 or above, you’ll be able to initialize and use Web Synthesizer V along with Saki Lite for free!
Ogata highly encourages anyone who is even the least bit curious about Synthesizer V to try out the web version, especially those who have never used it before.
Synthesizer V Demonstration
Then the show turned over to Kanru who then goes in depth into explaining the features and functions of Synthesizer V Studio!
This very handy tutorial session will be invaluable to anyone who has just purchased the product or is trying it out. Here are some of the different sections that you can jump to and start learning from:
・49:34 – basic note-writing, lyrics input, and playback
・57:04 – pitching-bending with the pencil tool
・1:01:27 – UI customization: opening panels that you want to use easily, dpi adjustment
・1:07:30 – breath and vocalization function (creates the whisper voice is turned all the down)
・1:13:24 – saving and opening files in a DAW
AHS to Distribute Quadimension, Animen Voice Banks in Japan
After Kanru’s demonstration, Ogata made some other announcements about the future of Synthesizer V and AHS. First came the announcement that AHS would be distributing the Synthesizer V voice databases from Quadimension and Animen in Japan.
For the Medium 5 sisters, no release dates have been planned yet, but Ogata predicts that at least their download versions will be available in the near future.
AHS has also been in talks with Animen and was been given approval to distribute Genbu’s voice database in Japan. They plan to do the same with Eleanor Forte’s database, but due to obstacles presented by COVID-19, recording for her new voice with her voice provider is currently on hold. However, when she is complete, AHS intends to distribute Eleanor in Japan as well.
Ogata also added that Koharu Rikka’s Synthesizer V database is entering development, and that they will be distributing her as well once she is complete.
New Demo Songs
A few hours before the livestream, たかぴぃ / Takapi – creator of Kotonoha Akane & Aoi’s initial Synthesizer V demo songs using their prototypes – uploaded a brand new demo song using the twins!
Title: Synthtopia
Illustrator: bob
Animator: To7
azuma was also supposed to release a new demo song on the same day, but ended up needing more time.
Tsurumaki Maki’s Outfit Design Contest
And finally, the trio came to talk about the Tsurumaki Maki Outfit Design Contest 2020! They meant to discuss the results back during the May livestream, but the whole program ended being taken up by talk of Koharu Rikka.
Earlier in the livestream, the new official illustration of Maki by her official illustrator, 梅谷阿太郎 / Ataroo Umetani , based around the winning design in the contest by microa was shown!
To see all the winners and judges’ comments, see here!
Following a look at the winning design, Ogata then revealed the acrylic stand and a cardboard print autographed by Ataroo Umetani, both using the new illustration of Maki!
Starting on the day of the livestream, these prizes will be sent to the winners of the contest! They may also become available for general purchase in the future, so we’ll keep our eyes out for info on a general release.
Question and Answer
The livestream continued with Ogata answering a question that AHS has been asked by many: “Why Synthesizer V?“
To answer the question, Ogata likened voice databases to instruments. Even if you have two of the same instrument, they can sound, play, or feel very different depending on the maker. For instance, a Yamaha piano can sound very different compared to a Steinway piano. Likewise, each voice database sounds different from others, unique to their respective makers.
As for voice synth engines, Ogata likened them to video game systems like the Famicom. Comparing VOCALOID to Famicom, and voice databases to game cartridges, one can put the latter into the former (a game cartridge into Famicom, or a voice database into VOCALOID) in order to run them and produce a playable game or a voice.
And just like how many game systems were made after the Famicom, so too were many voice synth engines developed after VOCALOID. But factors like how the databases sound on VOCALOID, or how the the user manipulates them on VOCALOID, would all be very different on another engine, much like how games on different systems control very differently and have different graphical capabilities.
From this analogy, some may think that AHS’s decision to go Syntheizer V could be likened to when the Dragon Quest series jumped ship from Nintendo to Playstation systems, but Ogata denies that. While there may have been some cases of a voice database developer leaving VOCALOID out of dissatisfaction – like perhaps Hatsune Miku and the piapro characters becoming NT – or any variety of reasons, Ogata denies that AHS is abandoning VOCALOID.
VOCALOID is VOCALOID, and just like all voice synth engines, it is constantly developing and being improved on. And because each engine produces different-sounding voices, this means the landscape for voice database variety is always expanding and diversifying, which Ogata sees as a healthy future for the industry. This gives users a lot more choices and options than before, which is exactly how it should be in Ogata’s eyes. And in this ever expanding market of voice synth options, AHS chose Synthesizer V as the one to work with.
AHS 15th Anniversary Sale
Finally, the livestream concluded with a special announcement: in August 2020, AHS will be celebrating its 15th Anniversary!
But since they’re currently unable to hold any events, they decided to celebrate with another sale on their download products, like they did back in March.
The sale will run from August 7 at 4:00 PM (JST) through September 7 at 4:00 PM (JST) for the following products:
VOICEROID2 Iori Yuzuru
VOICEROID2 Tsuina-chan
VOICEROID2 Tohoku Itako
VOICEROID2 Haruno Sora
VOICEROID2 Kotonoha Akane & Aoi
VOICEROID2 Yuzuki Yukari
VOICEROID2 Kizuna Akari
VOICEROID+ Yuzuki Yukari EX
VOICEROID+ Tohoku Kiritan EX
VOICEROID+ Tohoku Zunko EX
VOICEROID+ Tamiyasu Tomoe (Tusumaki Maki) EX
VOICEROID+ Minase Kou EX
VOICEROID+ Kyomachi Seika EX
VOICEROID+ Takanotsume Yoshida-kun EX
VOICEROID+ Tsukuyomi Ai EX
VOICEROID+ Tsukuyomi Shota EX
VOICEROID+ Kotonoha Akane & Aoi
かんたん！AITalk3 -5 Speaker Pack-
かんたん！AITalk3 -Kansa Stylei 2 Speaker Pack-
かんたん！AITalk3 -7 Speaker Pack (with Kansai Style)-
VOCALOID Haruno Sora Natural
VOCALOID Haruno Sora Cool
VOCALOID4 Kizuna Akari
VOCALOID4 Yuzuki Yukari Jun
VOCALOID4 Yuzuki Yukari Onn
VOCALOID4 Yuzuki Yukari Lin
VOCALOID4 Macne Nana Natural
VOCALOID4 Macne Nana English
VOCALOID4 Macne Nana Petit
VOCALOID4 Nekomura Iroha Natural
VOCALOID4 Nekomura Iroha Soft
VOCALOID4 Miki Natural
VOCALOID4 Hiyama Kiyoteru Natural
VOCALOID4 Hiyama Kiyoteru Rock
VOCALOID4 Kaai Yuki Natural
VOCALOID4 Tohoku Zunko Natural
VOCALOID3 Tohoku Zunko
Charamin Studio
Movie Pro MX3
Kantan! Afreco
VOCALOID Opera Aoi with Bunraku Puppets (without subtitles)
VOCALOID Opera Aoi with Bunraku Puppets (with English subtitles)
VOCALOID Opera Aoi with Bunraku Puppets (with Japanese subtitles)
※Upgrade versions, licensed products, voice material, backup DVD and products that come with VOICEROID Packs are excluded
The press release for the 15th anniversary sale can be found here!
Thus concludes a lengthy and content-rich AHS Official Livestream episode! Look forward to next month’s show!
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