Does the provider's native language define or give an idea of the quality of the voicebank?

[heynotloid]

In my case I think it depends, although I see a clear pattern, the Japanese are usually HORRIBLE with English banks, a solid ok with Spanish ones, and meh or horrible with the Chinese, while native English speakers are either horrible or ok with the Japanese, ****ing horrible with Spanish banks, and meh with the Chinese, Spanish speaking VAs usually have Japanese banks comparable to the natives, or very horrible, or very good English banks and OK with the Chinese, native Chinese make Japanese banks or excellent, or meh, OR WHAT THE **** IS THIS, usually the English banks that the Chinese voice over are pretty good, they slip up with Spanish, and the German and French VAs are EXCELLENT with English, and the German ones give pretty good Chinese.
Although I must say that from this list the most in-demand VAs are native Japanese or native Spanish speakers.

 

[SaKe]

It’s all on the skill of the voice provider- there are some great Japanese-made English banks out there. After all, it’s just noises. This feels somewhat pointed against certain languages and very generalizing. I have definitely heard bad French English banks…
The reason why you think that is likely due to the phonemes of the languages. Spanish and Japanese are very similar phonetically, which is why it’s easier for them to record, while Japanese and English are very far apart, thus making it harder.

 

[Mr. Cloud]

Yeah. I have a feeling that this is just assumptions based off of accents. I am a native English speaker and I can do Japanese, Chinese, Italian, and French really well.

 

[SaKe]

Yeah. I have a feeling that this is just assumptions based off of accents. I am a native English speaker and I can do Japanese, Chinese, Italian, and French really well.

If you have a knowledge of the phonemes and do your research, no matter your native language you can imitate another language near-perfectly. In speaking, you may not get the intonations correct (Japanese and French have no stressed syllables), but in UTAU intonations don't really matter. There is, of course, the exception of certain click phonemes that are very difficult to make, as well as issues presented by speech impediments, yet aside from that every phoneme is physically possible with enough effort and correct movement.
I feel there's some bias in here as Heynotloid is a native Spanish speaker and very critical of other's UTAU, which, on Utaforum, are primarily voiced by an English-speaking audience.

Edit: You will have an easier time recording languages with similar phonetic inventories as your native language's, however.

 

[Mauv885]

Yeah. I have a feeling that this is just assumptions based off of accents. I am a native English speaker and I can do Japanese, Chinese, Italian, and French really well.

same, i think i can do japanese reasonably well for a native english speaker

 

[Mr. Cloud]

If you have a knowledge of the phonemes and do your research, no matter your native language you can imitate another language near-perfectly. In speaking, you may not get the intonations correct (Japanese and French have no stressed syllables), but in UTAU intonations don't really matter. There is, of course, the exception of certain click phonemes that are very difficult to make, as well as issues presented by speech impediments, yet aside from that every phoneme is physically possible with enough effort and correct movement.
I feel there's some bias in here as Heynotloid is a native Spanish speaker and very critical of other's UTAU, which, on Utaforum, are primarily voiced by an English-speaking audience.

Edit: You will have an easier time recording languages with similar phonetic inventories as your native language's, however.

Yeah. That's fair.

 

[SaKe]

same, i think i can do japanese decently well for a native english speaker

The only Japanese phoneme not present in English is the voiced alveolar tap, which is close to the English R but closer to your teeth. I feel that most beginner troubles come from the advice 'pronounce it like L' which is nowhere near what it sounds like.
I guess it can be a trilled R/Spanish R too, considering that's how Usada Pekora pronounces it.

 

[Mr. Cloud]

The only Japanese phoneme not present in English is the voiced alveolar tap, which is close to the English R but closer to your teeth. I feel that most beginner troubles come from the advice 'pronounce it like L' which is nowhere near what it sounds like.
I guess it can be a trilled R/Spanish R too, considering that's how Usada Pekora pronounces it.

Rolled Rs and stuff like that mess up my tongue I swear, no matter how hard I try ;-;

 

[SaKe]

Rolled Rs and stuff like that mess up my tongue I swear, no matter how hard I try ;-;

If you mean rolled R as in the X-SAMPA symbol 4, it's just a flick against the roof of your mouth really close to your teeth.
If you mean a double R, you can learn how to do it through YouTube. I don't know how to but, again, unless you have a speech impediment that lessens control of your tongue, you can do it!

 

[heynotloid]

Rolled Rs and stuff like that mess up my tongue I swear, no matter how hard I try ;-;

Tutorial on how to make RR or Rolled R
- Make a guttural sound
- Make it sound like a machine or drum
- Move it from your throat to your mouth
- Mix it with a vowel
- Say "perro" until the RR stops sounding like an R.