UTAU Tutorial: Using Portuguese CV-VC
Hello! We have several Portuguese voicebanks being developed, and one is already avaliable. So I'd like to teach you all how to use CV-VC Portuguese UTAUs.
It is recommended to at least have some experience with CV and VCV.
This tutorial will only teach you how to use a CV-VC bank, not oto it.
It is recommended to at least have some experience with CV and VCV.
This tutorial will only teach you how to use a CV-VC bank, not oto it.
FAQ
1. What's the difference between CV, VCV, and CV-VC?
CV-VC is completely manual, you will always choose the duration of the transition between all vowels and consonants.
Using the word otaku as an example: [o] [ot] [ta] [ak] [ku].
With CV, the simplest way would be: [o] [ta] [ku].
VCV is the monst natural sounding; it would be written as: [- o] [o ta] [a ku].
2. Why not just use VCV?
Creating a VCV reclist is very complicated, and usually requires three times the amount of samples as CV-VC. CV-VC works well with all languages, while VCV requires much more experience.
CV-VC is completely manual, you will always choose the duration of the transition between all vowels and consonants.
Using the word otaku as an example: [o] [ot] [ta] [ak] [ku].
With CV, the simplest way would be: [o] [ta] [ku].
VCV is the monst natural sounding; it would be written as: [- o] [o ta] [a ku].
2. Why not just use VCV?
Creating a VCV reclist is very complicated, and usually requires three times the amount of samples as CV-VC. CV-VC works well with all languages, while VCV requires much more experience.
The Method
To use a CV-VC bank, you must be familiar with the method. It works the same across all languages. If you know how to use VCV, this is pretty simple. If you already know CV-VC, you may skip this question.
With the CV-VC method, you must manually enter all transitions, whether VV (vowel-vowel), CV (consonant-vowel), VC or CC ... Let's begin by comparing CV and CV-VC Japanese. Listen up!
With the CV-VC method, you must manually enter all transitions, whether VV (vowel-vowel), CV (consonant-vowel), VC or CC ... Let's begin by comparing CV and CV-VC Japanese. Listen up!
(Note that the oto can completely change depending on the list, so don't take this as the only way to do it!)
To better understand the method, you should peruse other CV-VC voicebanks.
To better understand the method, you should peruse other CV-VC voicebanks.
Always, ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS use crossfade, or it will sound like badly configured CV. Crossfading is the last thing you do, and the best way it is to press P2P3 after clearing the note properties (overlap, preutter, convel, STP and MOD)
Additional Notes:
- For the word "tata", the transitions are [cv-vc-cv], or [ta-at-ta]
- For the word kawaranai, the transitions are [cv-vc-cv-vc-cv-vc-cv-vv], or [ka-aw-wa-ar-ra-an-na-ai]
- Each reclist works in a different way, as this method is still experimental for most languages. Try to download premade USTs and study how they work.
- watashi no namae wa hatsune miku - [wa-at-ta-ash-shi-in-no-on-na-am-ma-ae-ew-wa-ah-ha-at-tsu-un-ne-em-mi-ik-ku]
- rin kagamine desu - [ri-in- nk-ka -ag-ga- am-mi-in-ne-ed-de-es-su]
Phonetics
The Portuguese language phonetics is somewhat more complex than Japanese. There are 13 vowels, phonetically speaking. How could we represent these 13 vowels in UTAU if it does not work with accent marks? Simple! We use a phonetic language developed especially for use in software. It's name is SAMPA (and the extended version is the X-SAMPA). It is the language used in Vocaloid, for all languages, including Japanese. You can find Tady's CV-VC/X-SAMPA list here. Calm down! X-Sampa is easy as hell! Over time ,you will even think in X-SAMPA. I made a table to help: 3
Things that may be confusing:
Cover your nose and say the following:
- pé, pó, já, oi
Probably not, because they don't have nasal vowels!
Now, try these:
- pente, pranto, cinta, ponto, juntos, mãe, leões.
Do you feel the nasal vowels? :3 I hope you understand!
- Portuguese has nasalized vowels (6~, e~, i~, o~, u~)
Cover your nose and say the following:
- pé, pó, já, oi
Probably not, because they don't have nasal vowels!
Now, try these:
- pente, pranto, cinta, ponto, juntos, mãe, leões.
Do you feel the nasal vowels? :3 I hope you understand!