Utau recording problem

[Izzy]

So I want to record a new CV bank for Ryoko. I went ahead and did that. All the recordings sound nice and clear, but then when they're used in UTAU they sound really bad... like they're muffled and tinny. I attempted using a different resampler but that didn't help.

I don't see how the recordings can sound pretty good in Audacity but then sound bad when used in UTAU. Is there a way to fix this? I doubt it's an OTO.ini issue, since I've properly OTO'd it.

Help? ;u;

 

[Kiyoteru]

Could you please post audio samples? Your recordings, and the same samples through UTAU.

 

[Izzy]

Could you please post audio samples? Your recordings, and the same samples through UTAU.

I can't right now, but possibly sometime tomorrow ;c
it just sounds really breathy and unclear when in UTAU ;w;

 

[GothAmaterasu]

It might always be the frequency files, they tend to mess up xD
but please post some samples on here when you can :3

 

[수연 <Suyeon>]

What are you using to record? Is it the mic built in to your computer? Headset?

 

[na4a4a]

While we are waiting for your samples I'd like to say this.

UTAU is very picky about the mic you use, the environment, etc.
A mic that sounds good to your ears may not actually be good enough for Utau.
Things like electric interference (static in your recordings), environmental noise (running fan/AC, TV, People thumping around), and room feedback (echo, reverb, etc), or just the frequency response/quality of the mic itself.

When recording I recommend keeping your environment as silent as possible and you should be as loud as possible without yelling. It should still feel very natural and comfortable.

It would be great to know what kind of mic you have so we can know how it connects to your computer.
Some mics use 3.5mm plugs to connect to your PC, these are common and rely on the quality of your computer's built in sound card. Generally computers have really poor built in recording and even separate soundcards still tend to be really bad at it unless it was actually designed with that ise in mind.
Mics and interfaces that use a USB connection are popular because of the built in electronics. These deviced aren't handicapped by your computer's built in audio so you often get a really nice result when the mic is decent.

FRQ files will not make your voicebank sound metallic, all FRQ files are is a measurement of the pitch of the sample. The most that can happen is that it jumps and your UTAU voicebank has some popping in certain sounds. Which can be fixed by hand.

While we still don't know what mic you have, if you are in a bind and need one then you can look at USB Headset microphones.
They aren't super high quality but they are cheap and do the job well enough for practice. I recommend Logitech brand ones as those are generally decent and you can buy them at your local Walmart or electronics store for $30.

Sorry about the wall of text! Kinda got carried away.

 

[GothAmaterasu]

What Jeremy said, also make sure your samples aren't clipping. :3 That was continuously a problem of mine.

 

[Izzy]

Arrgh sorry It's been so long! ;u;
I don't mind the wall of text at all! ;D
I use a headset, which is generally used for gaming but I also use for UTAU. It's worked fairly well in the past. The mic is reeeeeally sensitive to background noise but I always record whenever I'm somewhere as quiet as I can get it.

...Eh, honestly, I can't figure out how to get a sample on here, but I do have a test video up on youtube, in which I'm using the said bank.

I can't tell if it's really that bad or if I'm just being paranoid ;w;
[doublepost=1445379709,1445377661][/doublepost]...Um, also, in regards to what Jeremy said about being loud but not shouting... Honestly, I tend to record in my usual talking voice with just a bit of volume added to it... is that a bad thing? ;u;

 

[GothAmaterasu]

It does sound like a little bit of background noise has made its way in the samples, and UTAU is trying to deal with it? :3
Also, when recording a UTAU (assuming it's not going to be a talkloid) one should try to sing the samples rather than talk them. Not saying the latter isn't allowed xD but I find that may give slightly better results. :3

You can try different mics with different settings, different setup, I've heard recording inside a closet is a good idea.
But if you do not feel like rerecording everything, you can try using noise removal on the samples. You can try out some flags, and even touching up the oto may smoothen the voicebank. :3
My apologies if I am not of much help.

 

[Izzy]

It does sound like a little bit of background noise has made its way in the samples, and UTAU is trying to deal with it? :3
Also, when recording a UTAU (assuming it's not going to be a talkloid) one should try to sing the samples rather than talk them. Not saying the latter isn't allowed xD but I find that may give slightly better results. :3

You can try different mics with different settings, different setup, I've heard recording inside a closet is a good idea.
But if you do not feel like rerecording everything, you can try using noise removal on the samples. You can try out some flags, and even touching up the oto may smoothen the voicebank. :3
My apologies if I am not of much help.

Thank you! :3

 

[Cdra]

Your bank absolutely needs an improved oto (I'm not sure if it has an oto at all?), and you need to use the P2P3 crossfade. That aside, the most likely issue is that the samples are simply low quality and there's some noise in them... Singing your samples may improve it somewhat, though also, do be very careful with noise removal as it can make the samples sound even more strange if you use too much. EQ in mix will also help the sound quality a lot. Though really and truly, the best thing you could do is get a new mic... that's not always a realistic suggestion, though.

Also, don't use resampler.dll. I think you're using that, based on the little box at the beginning of the video -- it's never a good idea. And... don't roll your r's like that, also. They should be more of a "tapped" sound between r, l, and d -- not the trilled r sound you have.

 

[Izzy]

Your bank absolutely needs an improved oto (I'm not sure if it has an oto at all?), and you need to use the P2P3 crossfade. That aside, the most likely issue is that the samples are simply low quality and there's some noise in them... Singing your samples may improve it somewhat, though also, do be very careful with noise removal as it can make the samples sound even more strange if you use too much. EQ in mix will also help the sound quality a lot. Though really and truly, the best thing you could do is get a new mic... that's not always a realistic suggestion, though.

Also, don't use resampler.dll. I think you're using that, based on the little box at the beginning of the video -- it's never a good idea. And... don't roll your r's like that, also. They should be more of a "tapped" sound between r, l, and d -- not the trilled r sound you have.

Huh... I always figured I've been OTOing my banks right. I'll have to look into that.
And yeah, I'm horrible with R's ;w; I can never do them right, and rolling them is horrible. I'll try my best.
[doublepost=1445459248][/doublepost]

While we are waiting for your samples I'd like to say this.

UTAU is very picky about the mic you use, the environment, etc.
A mic that sounds good to your ears may not actually be good enough for Utau.
Things like electric interference (static in your recordings), environmental noise (running fan/AC, TV, People thumping around), and room feedback (echo, reverb, etc), or just the frequency response/quality of the mic itself.

When recording I recommend keeping your environment as silent as possible and you should be as loud as possible without yelling. It should still feel very natural and comfortable.

It would be great to know what kind of mic you have so we can know how it connects to your computer.
Some mics use 3.5mm plugs to connect to your PC, these are common and rely on the quality of your computer's built in sound card. Generally computers have really poor built in recording and even separate soundcards still tend to be really bad at it unless it was actually designed with that ise in mind.
Mics and interfaces that use a USB connection are popular because of the built in electronics. These deviced aren't handicapped by your computer's built in audio so you often get a really nice result when the mic is decent.

FRQ files will not make your voicebank sound metallic, all FRQ files are is a measurement of the pitch of the sample. The most that can happen is that it jumps and your UTAU voicebank has some popping in certain sounds. Which can be fixed by hand.

While we still don't know what mic you have, if you are in a bind and need one then you can look at USB Headset microphones.
They aren't super high quality but they are cheap and do the job well enough for practice. I recommend Logitech brand ones as those are generally decent and you can buy them at your local Walmart or electronics store for $30.

Sorry about the wall of text! Kinda got carried away.

Um... Sorry to come to you with this but I'm a nervous buyer and I'm just curious if you think this http://www.walmart.com/ip/Logitech-USB-Headset/43841325 would suffice. I'm a nervous buyer and just wanna be sure I'm not making a bad decision, so to me it seems a good idea to ask someone who's undoubtedly more experienced than I am for input... uwu

 

[na4a4a]

Um... Sorry to come to you with this but I'm a nervous buyer and I'm just curious if you think this http://www.walmart.com/ip/Logitech-USB-Headset/43841325 would suffice. I'm a nervous buyer and just wanna be sure I'm not making a bad decision, so to me it seems a good idea to ask someone who's undoubtedly more experienced than I am for input... uwu

That would be decent enough for a starter UTAU microphone, it should let you play around for a while until you can upgrade to something better in the future.

 

[Izzy]

That would be decent enough for a starter UTAU microphone, it should let you play around for a while until you can upgrade to something better in the future.

okey uwu