Maybe it's just me, but I'm seeing a lot of people trying to do various big vocalsynth projects. Things like wanting to make Vocaloids, Alter/Egos, Festival singers, and so on. Sure, it can be interesting to try something else, and experiment with it. But what makes UTAU so bad for big projects? Why is UTAU always just a prototype?
No matter what you want to make your big vocalsynth project with, you have to invest a lot of time and effort into creating a very high quality product. You have to start with great equipment, get skilled people on your team, and effectively market it. Of all the vocalsynths out there, I'd say that UTAU is among the best. There's also our huge, supportive community, always teaching, learning, and breaking new ground. It's really a perfect choice for success, especially considering that you don't have to spend any money just to get started.
Maybe the reason that people look down on UTAU is because of its high accessibility. Virtually anyone could use it, so there's lots of work out there made by unskilled users that makes it seem bad. Vocalsynths with a restricted development base have quality standards. On the other hand, there's nothing stopping other people from making something better than what you can. But that isn't an issue if you're just trying to create something good, and you're not trying to compete with people.
Maybe another reason is that, if you use something other than UTAU, there's a feeling of exclusivity or "specialness" about being involved. Like it somehow elevates you, even if the resulting vocals sound worse.
This is probably a little controversial, but I think a really prime example is VoxWave's ALYS. She sounded amazing as an UTAU. She was a popular character, and we've already seen that she succeeded. I really think that ALYS could have been a wonderful commercial UTAU. But instead, we ended up with a lower quality Alter/Ego. While Alter/Ego is easier to learn how to use, it doesn't offer you the same control that UTAU would have offered.
Though Xia Yu Yao's voicebank isn't commercial, I think she's an example of a successful UTAU project. Heck, I even took a photo with a promotional cosplayer at a major convention, at her own booth. Not your average artist alley keychain.
There isn't really a precedent for this kind of thing in the overseas community. In fact, I've heard in the past people saying that all UTAU voicebanks should be free of charge, because the program is free to download. (It's shareware. You're most likely meant to pay for the key.) I want to see a group who can pull it off. I want people to understand that UTAU is most definitely a viable option, but maybe we need to see their resounding success first in order to be inspired.
No matter what you want to make your big vocalsynth project with, you have to invest a lot of time and effort into creating a very high quality product. You have to start with great equipment, get skilled people on your team, and effectively market it. Of all the vocalsynths out there, I'd say that UTAU is among the best. There's also our huge, supportive community, always teaching, learning, and breaking new ground. It's really a perfect choice for success, especially considering that you don't have to spend any money just to get started.
Maybe the reason that people look down on UTAU is because of its high accessibility. Virtually anyone could use it, so there's lots of work out there made by unskilled users that makes it seem bad. Vocalsynths with a restricted development base have quality standards. On the other hand, there's nothing stopping other people from making something better than what you can. But that isn't an issue if you're just trying to create something good, and you're not trying to compete with people.
Maybe another reason is that, if you use something other than UTAU, there's a feeling of exclusivity or "specialness" about being involved. Like it somehow elevates you, even if the resulting vocals sound worse.
This is probably a little controversial, but I think a really prime example is VoxWave's ALYS. She sounded amazing as an UTAU. She was a popular character, and we've already seen that she succeeded. I really think that ALYS could have been a wonderful commercial UTAU. But instead, we ended up with a lower quality Alter/Ego. While Alter/Ego is easier to learn how to use, it doesn't offer you the same control that UTAU would have offered.
Though Xia Yu Yao's voicebank isn't commercial, I think she's an example of a successful UTAU project. Heck, I even took a photo with a promotional cosplayer at a major convention, at her own booth. Not your average artist alley keychain.
There isn't really a precedent for this kind of thing in the overseas community. In fact, I've heard in the past people saying that all UTAU voicebanks should be free of charge, because the program is free to download. (It's shareware. You're most likely meant to pay for the key.) I want to see a group who can pull it off. I want people to understand that UTAU is most definitely a viable option, but maybe we need to see their resounding success first in order to be inspired.