Accents?

[Jpegurl]

I've been wondering for a while, why is it a bad thing for an UTAU to have an accent? I can understand a reaaaaaally heavy one would be pretty bad, but why is it generally a problem for UTAUs to have even slight ones?

 

[Austria]

It distracts me, to be honest. I hate to name names but one voice in particular had the nicest voicetype ever but egads the english accent was evident in the vowels, and in some of the consonants. It could be considered slight, but I couldn't help but be distracted by the pronunciation because it detracted I guess??? It was really really annoying :c

I mean a small accent is ok....well it depends what kind of accent it is. But tbh it would be best if people could learn to pronounce it correctly??? Sometimes an accent is nice sounding but most of the time it annoys me.

 

[NaughtyPichu]

Fretting over "slight accents" is a little ridiculous in my opinion, specifically if you're not Japanese(or arent native to Japan). Even English speakers from the same area have slight differences in the way they pronounce things, bit nobody really seems to notice. In Japan it's surely the same, and who's to say a vowel that sounds slightly more "English" than a non Japan resident is used to hearing from Japanese, how can they really tell it's not acceptible in the language? Because I even notice such differences in actual Japanese sometimes, some really seem to me, some one whose never lived in Japan, to be strange, when really I don't have a good enough frame of reference to judge. Well, that's my two cents of opinion you can think upon... xD

 

[shinami]

Well, I'm sorry if this bursts some people's bubbles, but really for me and possibly others an accent is something on my disqualifying checklist. Sorta.

There are thousands of banks out there, and unless the voice type is one of the most unique and amazing things I've ever heard, I'm not putting up with an accent and I'll just find a different bank. And while people just starting may have trouble learning the pronunciation, I don't think that should be too much of an excuse - I've heard plenty of banks with perfect/practically perfect Japanese from non-Japanese people. Take some time, imitate geniune Japanese banks, and try to get it down. There can be some very slight things like certain consonants can be pronounced slightly oddly, but the Japanese do that with certain consonants (as mentioned) and that's acceptable then. However, it isn't an accent.

Well, now that I've said that, I don't mean to be too harsh on banks with accents, but it is a thing I search for. And if there's very airy Ts or english Rs or english Us and such I really don't want to use the bank. I'm making Japanese USTs if I'm using a Japanese bank, and I work very hard to make it realistic and imitate the original singer/a real-ish singer. An accent can detract from that.

so yeah
I do feel really bad that it's such a huge thing for me to care about, but I really don't like it when people just give up and leave a bank with a bad accent...observe and learn, it takes effort, and now I'm ranting so sorry.

 

[IrisFlower]

I personally think a lot of people in this fandom are really ridiculous when it comes to accents like...really some folks push it way further than necessary. Especially because the majority who complain about "Oh...English accent!!" haven't even been to Japan, are not Japanese, or don't speak the language fluently so like how the heckle deckle would you know what's right and what's wrong?

Basically what Pichu said there are different dialects in Japanese just like English. Some people say things one way and the others a different way but even with the little(or sometimes big) differences in sounds they still understand each other because of the connection of those sounds into words. I don't speak Japanese. So I don't expect my Japanese sounds to be perfect. Someone doesn't speak Japanese? I don't expect theirs to be perfect. If they DO speak it and are Japanese? You do what you gotta do friend have fun.

And that is why I just never really tried that hard with Iris. I did my best with the R's but that's really it cause hello:

1)I am not bending over backwards like that for anyone.
2)I swear 90% of the people who nit-pick accents have no room to talk. None. What. So. Ever. and
3)I really don't give a flying shoosh pap if people use Iris or not. Is it nice when they do? Yes fantastic I really do appreciate when folks use her. If they don't well who cares not I. Seriously, "Oh well I'll never use Iris cause her accent is too strong." is right up there with "I'll use Iris when she gets a VCV".

Iris is my VB. Not yours. I'm doing all the recording work. Not you. I'll record what I want and how I want to and if you don't like it and don't wanna use her then go on about your business and leave me to mine. /stubborn?ohwell

And that...is how I feel about the situation and Shinami I am sorry you have to be the person whose post is before mine cause now it seems I'm directing my thoughts at you but I'm not. If you'd come back to dA we wouldn't be having this issue.

 

[shinami]

XD It's all good Iris.

Actually, I think you hit momentarily on a good point there. Nitpickers.

Now, I've come over here and revealed that accent is actually a bit issue and qualifying factor to me. However, it's not something I bring up to often if ever. If I'm watching an UTAU video I don't go out of my way to complain about the bank's accent. I only ever bring it up when someone here is requesting a bank critique and I feel it's something no one yet has mentioned.

It's nitpickers that kind of make this such a tense issue, sometimes I feel. I don't make a big deal about it even though it's something important to me. And those that go to such lengths really annoy everyone, no matter how constructive their intentions were.

Hmm, I dunno what else to say along this line. Really I partially wanted to come back and say that I'm not crazy and harsh about all this (if your bank has an accent It doesn't matter to me), but also bring up when people are unnecessary about it? sure let's go with that because at this point i'm not even sure what I wanted to express

Here we go. People can care too much about specific things, but don't shove those expectations and cares into people's faces. If you bring it up at all, make sure to do it properly, kindly, and only when you really need to/feel it's highly prudent. there we go
And that's my only beef with how people handle this issue. *nods*

 

[Tema]

I'm not as selective about accents as I once was, but they can still be a deal breaker for me sometimes, especially if they're strong. I'm more willing to put up with a noticeable accent if the voicebank stands out in a good way in some other area, like tone or character. The best example I can think of what I mean is that I enjoy family UTAUs, like the Kikyuunes and Kanochis. Of course they have accents, but I like hearing the voices of people's mom/dad/sister/brother/third cousin once removed.

 

[MillyAqualine]

It depends about how heavy is the accent... If it's really too much heavy, then yeah, it can turn me off.... But when I hear mid or slight accents, I don't care, and especially more if the voice appeals to me ♥ If the voice is interesting and such, I don't mind if it has a slight or mid accent, justly that adds some colour and uniqueness (your mileage may vary) to it without screwing up understanding.

After for me personally, I won't deny it... I tend to fear accents on MY banks... Even when some don't find it heavy or hear it but find it cute, I'm still like "yet I feel it's heavy ;w;"... Because 1) I'm perfectionnist despite the lazy-cool impression I can give 2) I'm deeply scared of people's judgement and I'm even more afraid of not being understood... When I see people being truely picky with either Japanese or English (because yes, people can even push you down for English) I feel like I'm horrible and it makes me feel like I'll never be considered as someone who's able to speak/sing differents languages and so would do my UTAUs... I mean, for those people, it seems like "Not having any accent AT ALL + good pronunciation = perfect/good/you sound really like a Native or like a speaker MUST be"... And the worst is that it sadly seems to be the only formula to be perfectly understood for all of the ones picky with accents... So yeah...

I try all my best to hide it and to try mimicing the aimed-language's tone... But nothing to do... It keeps showing, no matter how much I record, how many times I do it again over and over until my voice breaks, how much I'm training more and more...

So yeah.... When it's the others, I don't care (except if as I said, the accent is truely huge and make the voicebank sound too much weird or not enough understandable) but when it comes to my own banks... It's like the end of the world when I cannot make them sound like Native's ones would do... I fear people refusing to use my banks or to give respect because I don't manage to sound as Native as them... And if I am too harsh with myself when it comes to my own banks' accent, it's also the fact that I want to break, by managing to finally reach a Native-like sound, this ****ing prejudice about people of my area's way to speak languages...

 

[Austria]

i feel really bad now;;;;

but that's how accents affect me ^^; If it far too strong for my taste, I won't use the voicebank, but I understand how it may be really difficult to record without an accent (then again everyone has an accent...).

I'm just a really nitpicky person about these sort of things and I really hope I don't offend anyone with my standpoint of it. Of course, I could always ignore the accent but it's a nagging thing???? Either way, I'm pretty sure my vbs have an accent too and I'm just being a terrible hypocrite;;;

 

[meichan]

If it doesn't sound like the intended language, it is a failure of a bank to me.

There's a thick line between accent and just not trying, and if it falls on the "just not trying" line, I'm going to file it in my "bad" folder and move on.

 

[Hika421]

As long as the accent doesn't fudge up the like... pronunciation of the language itself I don't mind. Like within "okay this is how you pronounce Japanese", there is room for variance. As an example of this variance, there are some 'accents' on the JP side I'm more fond of than others.

 

[MystSaphyr]

I guess with Japanese it depends on both dialect and singing style? Because every now and then I get really paranoid about accent and listen to some non-Vocaloid/UTAU Japanese music for reference, and in certain songs I swear I'll hear aspirated consonants and the weirdest vowel pronunciations, but in others the accent is more... generic and controlled?

I've all but given up on trying to match one particular accent because the more I listen the more variations I hear.

Also I'm a sucker for really interesting accented UTAUs, particularly Russian ones.

 

[Fyne-Q]

I guess with Japanese it depends on both dialect and singing style? Because every now and then I get really paranoid about accent and listen to some non-Vocaloid/UTAU Japanese music for reference, and in certain songs I swear I'll hear aspirated consonants and the weirdest vowel pronunciations, but in others the accent is more... generic and controlled?

I'd say the same thing. I hear variations pretty much every time I listen to a song by one of my favourite utaites o.O.

I think that a slight accent actually adds originality and makes the voice more interesting. But when somebody doesn't even try... Oww. My ears.

[sub]I have an example... I can't say the "r" at the beginning even after recording 3 VCV voicebanks xD. If it's between vowels, then it's OK, but when I start a line... I guess I'll never be able to do it XD. At least it's not an english "r" >u>"[/sub]

 

[MystSaphyr]

[sub]I have an example... I can't say the "r" at the beginning even after recording 3 VCV voicebanks xD. If it's between vowels, then it's OK, but when I start a line... I guess I'll never be able to do it XD. At least it's not an english "r" >u>"[/sub]

Are you me? No seriously this is what drives me nuts the most about recording CV (especially the "ry-" gliding sounds). Japanese R's are much easier to say in the middle of vowels.


Also, a word of advice for anyone who wants to record a family member with a short attention span and no knowledge of Japanese, at the VERY least make them record L's instead of R's. But make sure they're short L's not long, dragged-out exaggerated ones.

 

[meichan]

Also, a word of advice for anyone who wants to record a family member with a short attention span and no knowledge of Japanese, at the VERY least make them record L's instead of R's. But make sure they're short L's not long, dragged-out exaggerated ones.

God no, Ls sound horrific.
Tell them to record Ds, and just be a little softer than usual.

 

[Misha]

Accents are a deal breaker for me. Accent? Ok I'm moving on.
It's very easy to tell when it's wrong? Again, you don't have to be a first class chef to know bad cooking. So thats a pretty poor excuse imo.
Am I going to nitpick? No. Does the accent matter? Yes. Your Japanese doesn't half to be perfect, but if you have more then one accent problem, that just tells me you're not trying. It's not hard folks.

My biggest pet peeve, more then the 'r', are the 'o's. Its not 'toe'. It's 'to-'. You cut the vowel short.

 

[Olivia]

My biggest pet peeve, more then the 'r', are the 'o's. Its not 'toe'. It's 'to-'. You cut the vowel short.

OMG THAT'S MY BIGGEST PET PEEVE TOO dasdasf
ouo
Oh and besides the TOEEWWUH pronunciation some people have taken to, there also are some people who pronounce the o's like a's...

I feel bad for being so nitpicky on accents though. :C It's not really my fault... I speak a bit of Japanese, and I can hear them really easily. xD

If the pronunciation is correct though and it's just a slight accent, I will probably still use the VB though.
However when I find a VB with perfect pronunciation and virtually no accent I get really happy ;u;

 

[meichan]

If the pronunciation is correct though and it's just a slight accent, I will probably still use the VB though.
However when I find a VB with perfect pronunciation and virtually no accent I get really happy ;u;

you know Japanese banks tend to have no accent ;P

(I can send you a bunch of great Japanese VCV btw)

 

[Misha]

If the pronunciation is correct though and it's just a slight accent, I will probably still use the VB though.
However when I find a VB with perfect pronunciation and virtually no accent I get really happy ;u;

you know Japanese banks tend to have no accent ;P

(I can send you a bunch of great Japanese VCV btw)

Whats the fun in using JP utau though. It's not like the creator will notice or anything. UTAU is funnest with friends, so I'd rather use the UTAU of my friends and see their happy faces. Using a JP utau is like using a vocaloid: hella impersonal.

 

[meichan]

Whats the fun in using JP utau though. It's not like the creator will notice or anything. UTAU is funnest with friends, so I'd rather use the UTAU of my friends and see their happy faces. Using a JP utau is like using a vocaloid: hella impersonal.

?

Hinano thanked me for using Hinakun and I agreed to write an original song for her.
Kanipan approached me and asked me to help her make an English bank.
I remember Mianaito working with Yesi to make NYAL covers.
Hoke used Anaka because I used LOKE.
I talked QUROE into recording VCV by promising to OTO it for her.
I forced Yamatoji Sen's voicer to record VCV. (he was my online boyfriend at the time lulz)