#this tutorial is v text heavy so there isn't a lot of examples

[eightyuh]

Do you have any tips or guides for someone getting into creating their own voicebank for the first time? You made Eightyloid sound so so good!

awww thank u for saying so!! :"D i appreciate ur kind words

so i didn't configure 80loid personally, but i do have a few resources that could possibly help!

tutorials:

here's a text guide covering the basics of UTAU

there's a video tutorial covering C+V english, Eightyloid's original voicebank type (of note though: she pre-dates this tutorial and was created using different methods, so she is not currently compatible w this phonemizer - though she will be updated to support it)

practical tips:

this is the stuff i have experience with lol

make sure ur in a good recording environment that's relatively free of outside noise. some ppl like to use recording studios, others improvise and get under their desk, inside a closet, under a blanket, etc. to block out noise

nice mic, doesn't have to be amazing since the audio will be compressed anyways, but it'll work to your advantage if it's less, LESS compressed haha

clean the audio. i'm not great at this personally; i just used Capture Noise Print on unwanted noises and had my DAW filter them out. that way u won't have any unwanted artifacts when ur voice speaks

one thing that i feel helped improve 80s quality over her first voicebank was positioning yourself over the microphone to help capture the bassy tones. try a few different positions with ur mic / head and listen to what has the fullest sound

do vocal warmup exercises. for each of 80's vbs, i did exercises for a week prior until i felt comfortable with its strength. i also did not consume dairy, as this produces phlegm and messes with your voice clarity. drink lots and lots of water - especially in between takes

kinda goes w the previous one, but use your chest voice (unless that's not the sound ur going for). i'm not a good singer, so i wanted 80 to sound like what my singing voice would be like - not my everyday speaking one. to that end, make sure you know your pitch. explore a bit to find what works for you and then stick with it - i wouldn't recommend forcing yourself to record in a key you don't feel comfy in because u might not like the result. some people choose to voice act for different vbs and that's cool too, but i guess approach this with the intention of what u want to hear played back at you, if that makes sense? and do it in a way that works with your strengths

some people go about voicebanks already having a design in mind, but personally, i recorded first and then built the character along the way. for example: when i first heard her back, i wasn't expecting 80loid to have such a heavy sound! so i made her have chunky platform heel boots to reflect this... as if she is heavy when she moves / walks haha. meanwhile, her JP voicebank has a much lighter sound, so her heels are a different color and type to reflect this.

another note on design: sometimes the novelty of their looks is more interesting than the voice itself. i've had many people tell me they didn't know what 80loid / UTAU was, but kindly drew her because they loved her appearance. ricediety put this rlly well in a tweet thread once. a voice bank's design should be distinct enough to recognizable among the crowd, but easy enough for others to remember and redraw. for example: i love vocaloid Rana, but her outfit has far too many details! so sometimes i find myself not using her as much because it would mean having to draw all that. on the other hand - SynthV Kevin. his voice isn't that amazing, but his fan design is so silly and easy to draw that people latched on to the character and use him all the time! so comm someone to / design with that intention of it being novel yet accessible to everyone

yep those r my notes. i'm sorry i dont know more about the labeling and OTO configuration process itself! i hope this info helps