An idea that's been stewing in my mind for a while

Y'all think this could be legit (Please reply with why that would be cool)

  • はい yes

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • いいえ no

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 妥協して with compromise

    Votes: 1 100.0%

  • Total voters
    1

NordGeit

Your stubborn Yotsuba Channel frequenter. Direct.
Supporter
Defender of Defoko
Gotta put it out there

Right now, learning UTAU could be both easy and hard. To be quite honest, I don't even remember how I learned the little I know myself.
But I did remember how I learned MMD. A wonderful site called LearnMMD which holds a step-by-step tutorial on how to get movement, and I just develop my skills using that site as my main resource, only going outside for knowledge when the site simply doesn't have it.

It has contests and new stuff constantly being put into it as people learn new things and make articles on it. Oh and also it has downloads for the program, model editor and special effects but that's the only place I really find the english versions so that's a bit unrelated at the moment.
So...

What if there was a LearnUTAU? A (mostly) centralized place for new and experienced users alike to learn from others, unique tips and ways to find the tune you want, and a solid library for a hellolalot of knowledge? It would certainly make my journey into mastering this program easier if it got used enough, and having a central library would make it way easier for new tuners to get into the program.
It all depends on the quality of the site and its editors, but I believe it's possible, even though UTAU is another thing entirely.

The thing about these and other forums is that they're cool for support and they hold a lot of knowledge, but for someone like me, I like it all sorted, neatly and snugly.
I do not have a mockup, neither do I have anything to go off on. I honestly got nothing but a dream. A dream for a library consisting of as much UTAU knowledge that we can gather, all searchable, all sorted, all available.

A few things I think this LearnUTAU should have:
Step-By-Step instructions on how to get started with making some sounds. Videos do work, but I'm a HUUUGE fan of pictures and words so I can take it all in at the pace my mind is optimized to. I'm pretty sure it's the same for many others.
Troubleshooting common errors. This one explains itself. Especially for some more advanced plugins. I will never forget the reaction to A SINGLE BLOODY DECIMAL SETTING breaking the pitch editor plugin. Never forget. Programs really do rely on nearly everything being perfect, does it not?
A collection of as many plugins as we can gather. Not in a single thread that may or may not be updated, but one that will be updated when a new update to a plugin comes, or when a new one is located. Perfect place to store plugins developed on this forum if we are the ones to make the thing.
LearnMMD has something they call Keep the Faith, which displays a set of rules you should follow, as well as a fancy-pants badge to go with. Hey, let's do that! Gonna be good to keep the influx of new tuners informed to respect the owners of the voicebanks. I suppose we do already have that, but it's best to make sure it's as clear as we possibly can~
Homework. Another rip from LMMD (gonna shorten it because), where we got some people dedicated to looking at beginner's .ust's. This one is optional because I know how much work it would take if this ever blows up.
And lastly:

Categorization of all the UTAU knowledge we can muster! I re-iterated, but the point must be made clear: I dream of a great library that holds all the knowledge one needs to get started, become familiar, get competent and get skilled in this program, and its features. No idea whether a site like this exists, honestly, but I'd prolly have found it if it did.

If this gets born, and grows to be a legit site, we might also get permission to make it a place where you download UTAU itself... Now THAT would be something!

anyways thank you for coming to my ted talk aka rambling, i wanted to plant this ideaseed
 

Kiyoteru

UtaForum power user
Supporter
Defender of Defoko
I run a Discord server called St. Defoko's School of UTAU, which serves as a central hub for people who want to learn about using UTAU, about using related software, and developing related skills. This might be the type of community that you're looking for. We've always had plans on the table for 1-on-1 tutoring, live class sessions, an UTAU textbook, and UTAU video tutorials. Generally, those were superseded in favor of having discussions via the Discord server, because it allows us to respond directly to individual needs and questions, and provide information immediately.

A major concern with compiling resources is vetting the quality of them. Somewhat recently, a PDF was compiled of several UTAU tutorials across the internet, many of which were outdated and provided unhelpful advice. Additionally, the tutorials were copied without the consent of the authors, which is why I had to contact the creator of the compilation and request that my materials were removed. Even if I was credited, it appeared as if I was endorsing incorrect information, which I never had any intention of doing. St. Defoko's attempts to rectify this problem by having a team of people who are known to be knowledgeable about UTAU and related fields, who can verify the quality of resources shared in the server and correct any misinformation shared by less experienced users.

In any case, it would be useful to have a website of UTAU resources! Most people start using UTAU to be part of the UTAU community, and to join in on the fun of creating characters and songs together. However, there are probably a few people out there who really only need to know how to operate the UTAU software so they can create vocals for their music, without any intentions of joining the UTAU community.

Many attempts have been made in the English-speaking side of things to bring resources together in one place.
Original UTAU Wiki: https://utau.fandom.com/wiki/UTAU_wiki
UTAU Wiki 2.0: http://utau.wiki/
UTAforum Resources: https://utaforum.net/resources/

There are also Japanese hubs, which are even linked to from UTAU's official download page.
Official UTAU Atwiki: https://w.atwiki.jp/utau2008/
UTAU Users Atwiki: https://w.atwiki.jp/utaou/

Before creating an entirely new website, I would suggest improving the quality of an existing one to bring it more in line with the vision you have! This can involve things like ensuring that they're organized, identifying gaps in information and finding who can write on those topics, or translating information from the Japanese websites and posting them on the English websites.
 

NordGeit

Your stubborn Yotsuba Channel frequenter. Direct.
Supporter
Defender of Defoko
Thread starter
なるほど
I'll honestly make myself the most useful after I become a competent tuner, so right now, it's to figure out what black magic I need to use.
Hopefully, in time, I will have walked the path long enough to be able to chart it myself, and then I'll see about improving the knowledgebase.
 

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